Chapter 321: Interview (3)
Alchemy. At first glance, it might seem like it was just herbs and potions — some pills to boost strength, or concoctions to heal wounds.
But Christian had always believed it went deeper than that.
Alchemy had countless branches.
And one of them... was biology.
Biology... and more specifically — life.
He didn’t have much evidence, but he had his own assumption.
That true alchemy wasn’t just about healing or brewing.
It was about dissecting life. Creating life.
Studying all forms of creatures — and maybe, just maybe... building something new.
That might’ve just been a fantasy.
Still, the thought lingered.
’Maybe... I can ask Anastasia about it later.’
With those thoughts circling quietly in his mind, Christian turned back to her.
But she didn’t continue speaking.
She was just sitting there. Silent.
Looking at him.
"...What?" he said.
Anastasia tilted her head slightly and answered,
"Well, do you have something more specific you want to know? Because nothing comes to mind anymore!"
Christian pondered for a moment before replying, a little uncertain,
"Uh... hobby?"
Anastasia smiled as she answered.
"Well, I already mentioned it before — I didn’t arrive here through teleportation. I came while traveling through outer space."
"Exploring the universe, and finding all kinds of strange and fun things... that’s the only thing that brings me joy."
’And I’m the next fun thing you’ve found, I assume?’ Christian thought as he watched her clap her hands with sudden excitement.
"Well, recently, I’ve been hooked by something else!"
"Puppets!"
Christian nodded at her words, not thinking much of it.
"Well, it’s apparent that you’re interested in the androids."
But Anastasia shook her head with a firm expression.
"No. Not yours. Real puppets."
As she said that, she casually waved her hand to the side — and something appeared.
It stepped out slowly from thin air.
A puppet.
An actual wooden puppet, with stiff joints, lifeless limbs, and barely any facial features — like a half-finished doll, its presence eerie and quiet, as if it didn’t belong in the modern world around it.
"Well... it’s nice," Christian said awkwardly, his tone stiff and unsure.
And Anastasia, clearly not liking his response, narrowed her eyes.
"You don’t know," she said sharply, "but even thousands of your androids couldn’t destroy this puppet!"
’With the kind of precious materials you would’ve used in making it, there’s no way my scrap-built androids could even leave a scratch on it,’ Christian thought.
He wanted to scoff at her words, maybe roll his eyes.
But in the end, he just stayed quiet.
And Anastasia’s tone softened slightly.
"It’s just... I still need to move it with my own sense. It doesn’t move on its own yet. And I’ve been searching for a solution to that."
’So, it’s practically useless,’ Christian thought immediately.
His gaze moved to the puppet again — and this time, it held a distinct trace of disdain.
Still, he said nothing and kept listening.
Anastasia went on to explain.
She believed the true solution wasn’t in better material or stronger essence... but in Soul.
To let the puppet possess its own soul — its own will.
But anything related to soul was on a level far beyond what most could touch.
Even with her strength, she had to expend tremendous effort just to find a viable method — a technique that could be applied to artificial vessels like puppets.
That was her focus... until she stumbled upon this planet.
Until she found his android.
It didn’t have a soul. But it could move on its own. It could act, think, and perform tasks without needing someone’s mind to control it.
It had autonomy — the very trait she had been seeking for her puppets.
"That’s technology!" Christian said proudly, lifting his chin slightly.
"It’s good," Anastasia replied with a faint nod, "but technology without essence has a limit."
She shook her head, her expression unreadable.
And Christian decided to stay silent, at least for now.
Anyway, he believed that if he continued advancing in the field of technology, then it wouldn’t be long before he could integrate essence into the operation of his machines. It was only a matter of time.
He shook his head and, with his gaze growing more serious, finally said, "Okay. Let’s put everything else aside for now."
"I mean... you have a lot of interesting things I’d like to look into. And if I want to satisfy my curiosity about all these unknowns, then I have even more questions to ask — but let’s save those for another time."
"Instead, I’ll just ask one thing."
"Why me? I get that you want a disciple to brag about — fine. I can understand that. But... why me specifically?"
Christian looked at Anastasia seriously as he spoke, his tone calm but firm.
He didn’t believe that he was some once-in-an-eternity existence.
If it was just about bragging rights, then surely she would want a disciple with overwhelming talent.
And Christian knew full well — his talent was, at best, mediocre. Or at least... it had been. His growth had improved since getting the Flawless Body skill, but even then, it wasn’t like he was standing out in a world-shattering way.
Was it because he was interesting?
In that regard, Christian honestly thought he leaned more toward the boring side.
At his core, he was someone lazy.
Sure, he was working hard right now — but this period of diligence was temporary. No matter how long it lasted, he knew himself. Eventually, he would return to his idle lifestyle.
If it was about the android?
Then that made even less sense. He was already building one for her. After that, she could study and research it all she wanted, without needing him.
That’s why — with all those criteria — Anastasia should’ve had no trouble finding someone better.
At least, that’s what Christian believed.
But it seemed he had been underestimating himself.
Because Anastasia suddenly chuckled and said, "Well, it’s simple."
"I don’t think I’d ever find someone more interesting than you."
Christian blinked, not expecting such a blunt answer. "Can you be more specific?"