Who hid My Corpse!

When the sky began to lighten, Ju, who hadn't slept all night, finally drifted off.

Gerard stood by, gazing at the young girl on the iron bed who still looked so childish, sinking into a prolonged silence.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Bai Wei's voice slowly echoed in Gerard's mind, "Such a small body harbors such grand dreams."

His words were laced with mockery.

"It's not funny," Gerard said.

"Is it not? Then let's talk about something even less funny," Bai Wei asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Of course, I'm talking about this child," Bai Wei spoke lightly, "Although she's still very young and extremely malnourished—to the extent that one second she's talking about destroying Lyra, and the next, she's passed out from physical exhaustion, just like a little brat spouting harsh words without thought... But you should know, she's not joking, and..."

Bai Wei paused, then, while observing everything in the warehouse, he continued.

"You also know she really has... well, not to say abilities, but at least she definitely has the potential."

Gerard knew Bai Wei was right.

Ju was only ten years old this year, and without any guidance, relying solely on the relics Eric left in this warehouse, she had taught herself to this point today. She could even use these low-grade parts to help Gerard bring Overload together. To describe her simply as talented was an understatement.

Gerard had no doubt that if she could have a normal growth environment, if her father Eric were still alive and personally guiding her, her future would be unimaginable.

But, she didn't have that premise.

From beginning to end, she was alone.

Even because of her identity as a Rebel, the vast majority of the people in this city despised her... no, it wasn't simple disdain anymore. Even Gerard had encountered such bullying—how many more incidents had he not witnessed?

Gerard gently pulled up Ju's sleeve and saw the slender arm covered with dense scars, as if recounting everything this silent young girl had endured.

But Ju never showed it.

Even when bullied to that extent, Ju didn't cry. She just looked on coldly, never asking Gerard for help, only retaliating through her own means.

At Bai Wei's reminder, Gerard rummaged through a small cabinet and pulled out a bunch of makeshift "tools" Ju had crafted.

These tools were so crude but also so effective. They skirted the edges of Lyra's rules, inflicting as much pain as possible without endangering lives.

For instance, ripping off someone's fingernails or delivering a painful blow to some private parts.

Looking at these small tools, Gerard could imagine just how many nights Ju had spent alone making these.

And everyone knew, this was not her limit.

Gerard picked up a small tool that resembled a nail clipper and placed it in front of his finger, then pressed the button.

Then there was a "click" sound. The nail clipper instantly transformed into a guillotine, with a sharp steel spike hidden below that "bit" toward Gerard's finger, like a cold, venomous snake.

Of course, it did not harm Gerard's finger.

Because the finger Gerard had used for the test was... the left middle finger.

"I find this quite uninteresting," Bai Wei slowly pulled out the pointed head, "Don't you think you should test it with your own finger to better understand her pain?"

Gerard didn't object, but moved it next to his ring finger and pressed down.

Another "click" sound.

This time, the venomous snake successfully bit down, and blood gushed from the wound.

"Jeez, you really did it."

Gerard ignored Bai Wei, just silently observing the "venomous snake" in front of him, as if he could see it, ten years from now, transforming into a huge monster tearing at Lyra.

Yes, Ju really was like a venomous snake.

She never complained, didn't rely on external help, never asked for assistance in front of Gerard, and always seemed indifferent to everything, making it hard to guess what she was thinking.

Only today did she briefly reveal herself.

Clearly, because she thought Gerard was someone like herself, she believed she could achieve her dreams more directly through Gerard, so she wanted to cooperate with him.

"She's still too young," Bai Wei said slowly, "If she were a bit more mature, perhaps no one would notice until she really did something."

Speaking, Bai Wei added in a slightly wistful tone.

"To be honest, I quite admire this young girl, I think her path in life is just missing a guiding light like me."

Gerard immediately became alert, "What are you planning?"

Bai Wei's words made Gerard suddenly realize that if Ju got involved with Bai Wei, the consequences could be unimaginable.

"Don't worry," Bai Wei said lightly, "Although her personality indeed suits my taste, she's too young, and besides mechanics, she knows nothing. Choosing her as the next Host would bring me no benefits. I'm not bored enough to babysit."

Bai Wei's words did not make Gerard feel relaxed.