Clockwork Bride

Page 222

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On the awards stage prepared by Karen, Hayden was also deep in thought.

Joanna's transformation performance and Kallen's words yesterday made him reconsider things he had never considered before. This incident has made him rethink his relationships with several women around him, especially his relationship with Kallen.

Ironically, although everyone knew Hayden would suffer a terrible fate without Angela, they also knew Angela would never abandon him. Hayden was a little worried lately, but only about whether Angela would leave after completing her mission, like in the legend of Dong Yong. No one worried that Angela would suddenly change her mind or stop loving him. Because she was eternally constant. Change is something only weak, fickle creatures do. She was absolute; once she was certain, she wouldn't change her mind, no different from gravity.

But what about Karen? She's not some inhuman being like Angela; her feelings won't remain unchanged. She expressed her affection to Hayden, and although they didn't develop a relationship, Hayden always believed Karen liked him. Even though Hayden himself hesitated and didn't pursue the relationship further, he always felt Karen was waiting for him… But who can guarantee Karen will wait forever?

If Karen really falls for someone else (although this is actually unlikely) and leaves Hayden, Hayden, while not necessarily dying a terrible death, will obviously suffer greatly, at the very least experiencing social death.

Hayden had previously lacked the sense of crisis that women might leave him, but recently, after seeing what happened to Joanna, and after reading some ancient texts about celestial maidens, and with Alastor also urging him to marry Karen sooner—all of this has made Hayden a little nervous now.

Even just looking at Joanna on the podium, he couldn't help but start having wild thoughts: What if Kallen really prefers younger men? The fetishes of wealthy gods are often more terrifying and unrestrained than those of poor mortals. What if Kallen really likes cross-dressers or futas? Maybe she'd even say it's just for physical relaxation and has nothing to do with her emotional connection to Hayden. Hayden would be furious!

He doesn't want this to happen! Ugh, so annoying!!

"Ms. Karen! Please listen to me!"

Joanna, who was about to receive her promotion award on stage, suddenly spoke, startling Hayden, who was lost in thought.

"Before I accept the praise, there is something I need to report to you! Just between the two of us, let's speak privately!"

what! ?

Hayden couldn't afford to be complacent now!

Even Karen was taken aback when she heard this, then frowned: "What's going on? This is an awards ceremony."

As she said, this was an awards ceremony. The sudden pause and Joanna's words surprised even the other new employees in the audience, causing a stir among the crowd. Who exactly was this Joanna? How dare she utter such arrogant words to the goddess Karen?

But Joanna was adamant: "Please give me a private report first! This is of utmost importance!"

Therefore, Karen turned to look at Hayden and finally said, "Okay, but you have to come with both of us."

And so, the three of them moved backstage to the awards ceremony, asking Alastor to help maintain order. Karen then frowned, waiting for Joanna to speak. Looking at her displeased and stern eyes, Joanna nearly lost control of her bladder. Her heart pounded, every nerve screaming at her not to do it, but she had no other choice. The thought that if she didn't do it, she would face certain death, forced her to suppress her urges and face the challenge head-on!

Facing Karen's stern gaze, Joanna took a step forward—and then, with a thud, she prostrated herself on the ground, kneeling down like a devout believer, and prayed:

"Lady Karen, my heart is cursed by a bomb. It will explode soon and kill me."

……ah?

"My goddess, my light, my refuge, Lady Karen, I pray to you, please save me!"

No sooner said than done. The words had barely left her lips when Joanna's heart exploded like fireworks! The "bomb" her real boss had planted in her beforehand detected her leak and activated instantly, shattering her heart in an instant. Moreover, the explosion began to spread outwards from her heart, threatening to engulf her entire body, turning her and her head to dust!

—However, how could Karen, who witnessed Joanna's explosion and heard her words just now, possibly be stupid enough to watch her die?

"Heaven and Earth Wood Emperor, Cell Recombination."

Although she didn't quite understand the situation, even if she had to interrogate her, she had to save her life first. Karen reached out and grabbed, unleashing her immense divine power, and the life force of the green earth and plants immediately began to surge. She was actually trying to restore Joanna, who had been spreading and exploding!

In a mere instant, she had reassembled Joanna, a mangled mess. But at the same time, the divine bomb planted by Joanna's mastermind was determined to utterly shatter her. The two divine forces collided, and destruction is always easier than healing; soon, Joanna's cells collapsed once again.

If Karen were just an ordinary minor god, she would probably have already lost this remote contest.

Hayden, who had witnessed the entire process, wanted to step forward to help. Although he lacked divine power, his magical abilities could be a significant advantage in such a contest. However, before he could even step into the circle of power, Karen waved her hand, saying, "No need, let me test my strength here."

what?

While Hayden was still in shock, Karen unleashed her true divine power like an explosion. What surged from her tightly clenched hands was no longer just the green life force of plants, but transformed into a stream of azure energy—the very essence of all things flowing from the grass, the mountains, the sky—from the land, the atmosphere, and even the hearts of the people of New Sprout City, continuously pouring into her hands!

The vitality of plants is merely the verdant green of the earth. The power that Karen has suddenly manifested is the azure [Void]. Earth, water, fire, and wind all ultimately return to the vast void, and the color of this [Void] is azure. The energy in her hands is the power of a great god encompassing all of heaven and earth!

"Joanna, I will give you this life first!"

A burst of azure light erupted, radiating an overwhelming divine power. Kallen's divine power had conjured living cells from the void, reviving Joanna's shattered body. At this moment, Kallen was inextricably linked to all her businesses, inseparable from them. Kallen was no longer merely a minor deity with vast wealth. After so much learning and growth, she had finally entered the second level of the true god of capital, the realm of the "Great God" (referred to as "Ming Wang" within the Mitra Group), capable of unleashing the true power of wealth to transform the world!

At the same time, the divine bomb left on Joanna by the mastermind was finally completely neutralized. Karen used her immense power to restore life to what was before her. Even though she had only just entered a new realm and was merely the lowest among the "Great Gods," Karen was able to regenerate Joanna's cells in an instant, allowing her to fully recover in the small room behind the awards stage.

Even gods could have the power of life and death; this was the power of a great god, or perhaps only the most insignificant power at the level of a great god. Yet, this immense divine might even shocked Hayden. Joanna, who had just recovered, continued to prostrate herself on the ground, unable to look directly at the deity.

"Explain yourself. What did you mean by what you just said? What exactly happened?" Only Karen remained calm. "Otherwise, I wouldn't mind taking back the life I just gave you."

Joanna wasn't stupid. This time, she slowly and formally knelt on the floor, bowing her head deeply, and replied, "Lady Karen, my family's ancestors offended a powerful director of the Wotan Mystic Technology Company hundreds of years ago. I cannot say His name, but His curse has tormented six generations of us. Whenever we do anything against His will, this cursed bomb will detonate and take our lives."

“Ordinary minor gods would not dare to disobey Him, nor would they come to save us for nothing just because of our family’s prayers. But I learned of your deeds, your greatness, and your mercy half a month ago, which is why I came to you for help. Now you have indeed saved my life. Thank you, thank you, Lady Karen, my goddess—from now on, not only my life belongs to you, but so does my death.”

Are these statements true?

In reality—of course, only a small part of it is true. But that was Joanna's plan. That was her last resort:

A desperate attempt to survive!

Her real boss couldn't contact her under Karen's nose and couldn't guarantee that this undercover spy wouldn't actually betray her, so Joanna had a "time bomb" based on divine power planted in her heart beforehand. This "bomb" wasn't a real bomb, nor was it a timer in the true sense. It simply observed and calculated Joanna's actions like a rigid program, whether she was doing espionage or betraying them.

As a result, the spy made no progress at all, but instead kept getting promoted and was publicly praised in the enemy company... So naturally, the bomb would really blow her up.

Joanna knew that continuing down this path would lead to her death, and finally realized that by taking advantage of this opportunity to stage a dramatic self-inflicted injury in a visually striking way, she might actually be saved by Karen!

In fact, Joanna did win her gamble.

Hearing the sobs in her voice and seeing the adoring look in her eyes as she gazed at Karen, Hayden and Karen exchanged bewildered glances. Although they still had some doubts, Karen, after all, hated evil and loathed the tyranny of capitalists, and her gaze towards Joanna softened considerably: "I see. If what you've said is true, then don't worry, I will always provide refuge for innocent people who come to me for help."

Joanna's voice, as she prostrated herself in gratitude, immediately became even more choked with sobs: "Thank you, Goddess, thank you."

She finally succeeded in infiltrating the Flower Magic Company.

...Looking at this deeply moving scene, only Hayden frowned, instinctively feeling something was amiss.

249: The Reversal Begins

Joanna's desperate attempt to survive ultimately resulted in her victory.

Karen ultimately didn't suspect her too much. After today's farce, Joanna was thoroughly examined, but was quickly sent home. After all, every cell in her body was now assembled by Karen herself; what could possibly be wrong with her?

Fearing surveillance, Joanna did nothing else on the way back to her apartment. As soon as she arrived at her upscale apartment, she entered, closed the door, activated the protective barrier, and couldn't help but smile.

She survived, and it didn't affect her mission at all; in fact, it was even helpful. She also deactivated the artificial brainwashing device in her heart. With Joanna's elaborate scheme working smoothly, Karen's suspicions about her lessened considerably, after all, Karen had always had deep sympathy for the victims of the God of Capital. From now on, her espionage work would only be easier.

...That being said, although the bomb that was supposed to be monitoring her exploded, and although she was supposed to only be able to wait for her boss to contact her, Joanna should now find a way to contact him as soon as possible. Otherwise, if she were really treated as a traitor, it could be fatal.

As she pondered this, she walked into her bedroom. The moment she stepped inside, Joanna's expression froze.

Because on her bed was a small black box. Slightly larger than a fist, it looked like it was made of steel, and several runes were engraved on it. Clearly, Joanna hadn't left anything like it on her bed before going to work today, or rather, she had never even seen the box before.

Who could have sneaked into her room while she was at work, leaving behind a box without triggering any barriers or alarms? Joanna could only think of one possibility. So she quickly ran over, picked up the box, and examined it closely. Sure enough, hidden within the patterns on the box's edge were coded messages that only intelligence agents like them could decipher. The gist of the translation was as follows:

"Congratulations on gaining Karen's trust. This promotion should be a great help to your work. Let's leave the matter of using outside help to defused the bomb for now. Get back to what you're supposed to be doing. Although we can't plant a second bomb for you, you wouldn't want your family to worry, would you?"

Although the text message was a complete threat, and placing it on her bed without her noticing was an act of intimidation, Joanna couldn't help but chuckle after reading it.

"Number 28, what are you laughing at?"

The other personality couldn't help but make a sound.

"Is this a warning from your boss, or do you really not care about your family at all?"

Joanna shook her head: "Quite the opposite, number forty. Don't you understand psychology at all? The fact that our dear boss sent this letter specifically proves just how successful I was this time."

"We have two missions infiltrating the Flower Magic Company this time: to steal technical data and to sow discord between Karen and Hayden. As for seducing Hayden, that's basically an extra task we came up with ourselves. If we succeed, it will certainly help us get promoted; if we fail, the boss won't kill us."

Now that things have come to this, Joanna has come to terms with the truth.

"Since we don't dare to seduce Hayden under Karen's nose, let's reverse our thinking and have a beautiful girl who was saved by the goddess and therefore worships the goddess go and drive a wedge between Karen and Hayden."

The other personalities also chimed in with their agreement, as this approach seemed much easier. Besides, this was their true calling. Possessing dozens of personalities and the ability to transform their bodies, they could please almost anyone and subtly influence anyone. This was their fundamental ability as intelligence agents.

What can't a spy who can be liked by almost everyone do?

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After the awards ceremony incident, Karen sent people to investigate Joanna's background. However, by this time, a certain behind-the-scenes boss had already stepped in to strengthen the protection of Joanna's information. A direct confrontation might have yielded different results, but Karen didn't suspect anything; a simple investigation revealed nothing amiss.

A few days later, Karen actually came to Hayden and said, "That Joanna from last time, her work ability is really good, she seems capable. How about we let her be my secretary and give her some more experience?"

Hayden was genuinely startled when he heard this: "Why? Didn't we promote her to be the new employee representative? Why are you making her your secretary?"

“Didn’t the new employee department just finish the first phase recently?” Karen shrugged. “Why don’t we give these new employees some intensive training first? That way they can be put to good use as soon as possible.”

This is actually somewhat similar to the mindset of a ruthless company, but that's really what Karen thought. However, to Hayden, this meant he was about to suffer another layer of psychological torment.

Embarrassingly, the word "secretary" always evokes strange associations in men. Even this usually fussy, passive virgin couldn't help but blurt out, "Karen, you don't actually like Joanna's type, do you?"

Good heavens, Karen didn't even understand Hayden's thought process at first: "Huh?"

A full second passed before she realized what Hayden was asking, and she immediately became furious—she was so angry that she exclaimed, "What are you thinking?! Do you think I'm a boss who would abuse my power to sexually assault employees?"

However, that wasn't what Hayden was worried about at all: "No, no, no, that's not what I wanted to talk about. What I'm concerned about is whether you actually like women or young, handsome men!"

This remark brought a full minute of silence and a tense atmosphere as the two stared at each other. Then, Karen, being no fool, finally realized what was happening: "...Are you jealous?"

Hayden froze immediately.

He froze, but Karen wasn't about to stop with him. And the more she thought about it, the more she understood, finally chuckling, "I noticed you've been acting strange these past few days; turns out you've been jealous all along!"

This smugness is truly outrageous. Recent events, a confluence of factors, finally made Hayden lose his temper: "Can't I be jealous?!"

Although the question didn't actually ask anything, it clearly broke the unspoken understanding between Hayden and Karen.

As soon as he finished speaking, Hayden immediately realized what he had said, and Karen's face turned slightly red, though she couldn't help but laugh: "Three years ago, you were righteously saying that you weren't strong enough, so you put the issue aside for now. Now you're jealous, a little anxious, and you're immediately not dwelling on these things anymore? You're such a jerk, aren't you?"

The "three years ago" she referred to was after Hayden was first taken to the Peacock Palace for reformation and then released, a conversation that took place between them. However, while Karen made her complaints, she clearly wasn't angry. It was Hayden himself who was somewhat annoyed—annoyed at himself.

"So you think you're strong enough now?" Kallen was getting a little excited. "If you're strong enough, why the rush?"

Hayden was speechless. One of his strengths was his ability to reflect on himself, but this had ironically made him somewhat frustrated. When a wise person is acutely aware of their shortcomings but cannot immediately remedy them, frustration naturally ensues.

Fortunately, Karen knew him well enough to see his frustration and quickly stopped poking him: "Hayden, you really don't need to worry about this. I'm not into lesbians, and I don't like those idol stars' personas. In fact, I guess I look like that type myself?"

The traditional white elf's slender, graceful, androgynous beauty was designed to appeal to both sides. Kallen used to be the prince charming in the eyes of yuri girls, and she herself had long been accustomed to this appearance, but therefore did not like her own looks.

Seeing Hayden's dejection, she could only explain, "How could I possibly consider anyone other than you? You are the only person I can trust and who will fight alongside me.

As she spoke, Karen herself grew a little annoyed: "Haven't I taken the initiative to get closer to you enough? I've said so much already, haven't I? But you yourself said that what we need now is to accomplish something great. Three years ago, you said you weren't strong enough. Although I've always thought you were strong, you thought you weren't. Fine, I'm not in a hurry, after all, we do have many more important things to do."

"Now you're getting anxious and jealous. Do you even believe you're strong enough?"

Hayden was speechless. He wasn't thick-skinned enough to actually lie to Karen and say that he thought he was strong enough.

Karen was already a formidable figure. Although she always felt that Hayden was qualified to stand beside her, Hayden himself knew very well that a large part of his fighting power came from Karen's funding. How could he have the nerve to say he was strong enough? He did indeed feel a bit inferior to Karen.

So Karen snorted, turned around and went back to work, taking Joanna with her as she went.

When Joanna was pulled away, she didn't know what was going on, but she was very perceptive and immediately stepped in to play the good guy: "What happened between you two? Is there some misunderstanding?"

“What misunderstanding?” Karen said bluntly. “It’s just that he’s never confident in his own power.”

Upon hearing this, Joanna immediately began to consider: Could this be a good opportunity to persuade Hayden to join another organization?

Hayden, meanwhile, was stuck in place, suffering immense frustration.

As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. With Joanna, the spy, stirring things up inside, the rumor of Karen and Hayden's alleged argument spread throughout the company in less than a day, embellished with exaggerated details. Other employees just gossiped about it like it was nothing serious. But Alastor and his team were genuinely alarmed when they heard about it and immediately summoned Hayden to ask for details. And what they found out…

"...Aren't you two just showing off your love?"

Pania immediately complained after hearing it.

“I don’t feel that way at all,” Hayden said listlessly, slumped over the table. “Right now, I just feel like a piece of trash.”

“I think this whole thing is stupid,” Abigail said coldly. “Can I go back now?”

Only Alastor rubbed his head, trying his best to help Hayden think rationally: "Hayden, you say you're not strong enough, but you're not following the path of a capitalist god. Individual strength is always limited. According to this comparison method, you will never be able to compare with the power of a great god."

Hayden understood this principle perfectly well. So-called strength is often something fraught with uncertainty. Hayden's true strengths lay in intuition, insight, the ability to adapt and solve problems, and the talent to bring people together and guide them. These strengths are inherently invisible, lack concrete evidence, and cannot be measured with a combat power meter.

Unfortunately, Hayden lacked Karen's boundless ambition and confidence. Even before becoming a god, Karen firmly believed she would change the world. Back when Alastor was just a mortal student, he dared to lead a group of students to cause trouble for the God of Capital, carving out a niche for himself in the New Asia market.

Pania... she was pretty crazy back when she was just a cyborg, she was willing to gamble with her own life, everyone knows that.

Hayden wasn't as insane as they were. Such madness would be amusing in a story, but normal, rational people wouldn't have such fanatical thoughts. Countless people in the world hate the evils of the capitalist god, but very few actually go and start a revolution. Before meeting Angela, Hayden had simply refused to be a wage slave and refused to cooperate with capitalists. He just wanted to be a city mercenary, living a life of ease and comfort, refusing to be exploited... nothing more, he never thought of blowing up the New Yatu company building.

Most people wouldn't risk their lives like that if they could just survive.

It was because he met Angela and his other friends that Hayden gradually developed the fighting spirit to change the world. Because he met so many companions and witnessed the various hardships in the world, he now possesses the will to change it—however, this fighting spirit is completely useless when it comes to matters of the heart!

Even if your friends give you courage and fighting spirit, you can't use that fighting spirit to fall in love!

So Hayden was now slumped over like a dead fish. He was frustrated and angry with himself. Alastor didn't know what to do. Abigail didn't care at all.

Pania, who had just finished a cup of milk tea, suddenly said in a serious tone, "Uncle, let me tell you something. Strength is something you develop through competition, and confidence is something you gain through achievements."

Everyone turned their heads, waiting to hear what shocking and crazy things this girl was going to say.

"Want to be on par with a top player? You don't need to become a top player yourself, just take down another one."