With no reply from the other party, Allen spent half a day setting up the defenses for Mining Site No. 2 without incident. After installing the refining apparatus, he headed back alone.

Just as Allen returned to his workshop, a communication request came through. He didn’t hesitate to accept the call.

Light and shadow twisted, and the figure of a Female Wizard appeared on the holographic screen.

She wore a form-fitting, dark-red alchemist’s robe, its cuffs and collar inlaid with shimmering golden Runes.

Her hair, as brilliant as a blazing fire, was coiled up, revealing a smooth forehead and a long, slender neck.

But what was most striking were her eyes.

They were like a pair of eyes carved from the finest rubies. Even through the holographic projection, Allen could feel a soul-piercing chill.

"Battle Zone 18, First-level Wizard Allen Wesren?"

The woman’s voice rang out, crisp and cold, without the slightest hint of inflection.

"I am Catherine, the head of Battle Zone 17. A Second-level Alchemy Wizard."

As she spoke, Allen noticed the background of the projection: a massive workshop where countless Factory Servants shuttled between giant pieces of equipment and production lines.

’Looks like this neighbor is incredibly well-resourced.’

She lifted her chin slightly, a shimmer of light flashing through her ruby-like eyes.

"You have three minutes to state your purpose. If you’re seeking aid, please use your mentor’s emergency channel. If this is about business cooperation..."

"...I hardly think a fledgling who just hatched two months ago possesses any chips worthy of my processing power."

’Conventional pleasantries won’t work on someone like her,’ Allen realized.

He dropped all unnecessary pretense, his expression calm as he met her scrutiny.

"Lady Catherine," Allen’s voice was steady and direct. "I require the souls of Flying Magical Beasts, on the level of a ’Sky-Rending Eagle’ or ’Stormwind Vulture.’ I wish to make a trade."

"Denied."

Catherine didn’t even hesitate for a tenth of a second. "Souls of Flying Magical Beasts are a scarce resource on this plane. My ’Sky-Patroller’ legion is already operating with a twenty percent personnel deficit. Selling strategic resources to a potential competitor does not align with the principle of profit maximization."

With that, she raised her hand, preparing to end the communication.

"Wait," Allen interjected quickly. "I can offer refined Black-Vein Iron ingots or Red Copper Ore in exchange."

"My mineral reserves are sufficient to sustain my workshop’s operations. I have no need for them at present," Catherine said coldly. "If you have no chips of higher value to offer, this communication is terminated."

Allen let out a faint sigh.

’It seems conventional resources won’t be enough to move her.’

He was about to politely end the call himself.

But this small action—a sigh with no strategic intent—caused Catherine’s ruby-like eyes to emit a faint red glow.

"You..."

For the first time, her voice wavered slightly, laced with a hint of confusion. "That physiological reaction... was that ’disappointment’? Accompanied by the emotional characteristic of ’resignation’?"

"That is illogical."

Catherine leaned closer to the holographic screen, her exquisite yet cold face looming large before Allen. "How long have you been a First-level Wizard?"

"Less than half a year," Allen replied, his mind rapidly building an analytical model.

"To have been promoted under a mentor, you must have completed the integration of the Mechanical Mind..."

Catherine muttered to herself, the red glow in her eyes intensifying. "Why hasn’t your emotional feedback been completely suppressed? Why does your thought pattern still retain such a high degree of... redundancy?"

She pointed at Allen. "Faced with rejection, your first reaction wasn’t to immediately calculate alternative solutions or assess the loss, but to generate ’emotion.’ Your hormonal levels are closer to those of an unmodified ’mortal’!"

Allen understood at once.

He had found her "need."

"Lady Catherine,"

Allen’s tone remained calm, but his words cut straight to the core. "The Mechanical Mind is a tool, not the end goal. Absolute rationality leads to intellectual rigidity, whereas properly retaining a ’humanity baseline’ is a necessary redundancy to ensure creativity and strategic flexibility. This is what my mentor taught, and it is a principle I have always followed."

"Humanity baseline... creativity..."

The oppressive aura of a rational elitist that surrounded Catherine gradually dissipated, replaced by a sense of hollowness.

"I can’t do it anymore."

Her gaze fell. "In my first year as a Second-level Wizard, I could still remember the scent of flowers. By the third year, I had forgotten the feeling of anger. Now... I have to pull up data just to understand the definition of ’joy.’"

She looked up at Allen and confessed the truth.

"The Mechanical Mind’s logical feedback loop is too perfect; it automatically filters out all ’useless’ emotional noise. Whenever I try to feel something, my subconscious tells me it’s a waste of energy and utterly meaningless. Then, it forces me into a state of calm."

"Now... I’m like a thinking stone."

Allen listened quietly.

’The opportunity is here,’ he knew.

His external tool, DSeek, and his "humanity anchor" contingency plan—originally intended only for self-preservation—had just become a priceless bargaining chip.

"Lady Catherine," Allen’s voice was steady and clear. "It seems you’ve fallen into the ’logic trap.’"

"It is the fate of all who walk our path," Catherine said numbly. "It is nearly impossible to resolve unless one ascends to a higher level."

"No. There is a way."

Allen held up a single finger. "I’m sure you’ve noticed. I possess a protocol for calibrating cognition and maintaining one’s humanity baseline."

"A protocol?" A pure, intellectual curiosity shone in Catherine’s eyes. "What is its principle? A Rune framework? Or a technique for guiding Spiritual Power?"

"The core technology cannot be revealed." Allen’s expression remained unchanged, as if he were stating an objective fact. "You can call it the Emotional Baseline Calibration Protocol."

"Emotional Baseline Calibration Protocol..." Catherine repeated the phrase, data streams flashing wildly in her eyes as she attempted to parse its meaning. "Can it... let me ’feel’ again?"

"It provides an ’anchor’ for your ’humanity,’ allowing you to enjoy the immense processing power of the Mechanical Mind without losing your way in a sea of pure logic," Allen explained. "It won’t turn you back into a mortal, but it will allow you to once again ’understand’ and ’experience’ emotion, thereby gaining a broader perspective."

Catherine fell silent. After a long moment, she waved her hand.

A trade list materialized on one side of the holographic screen.

"Twelve perfect-quality souls of ’Sky-Rending Eagles.’ Also included: flight-attitude adjustment and fire-control sensory Rune technology."

Catherine’s tone was decisive, leaving no room for refusal. "These resources and technologies are worth twenty thousand Low-Level Magic Stones and are not available on the open market. I am offering them in exchange for your Emotional Baseline Calibration Protocol."

"Deal. Delivery in three days."

Allen agreed in a heartbeat, terrified she would change her mind.

’Good heavens, is this what it feels like to latch onto a powerhouse?’

’You brought this on yourself, lady.’

’I just hope you remember today’s deal when you’re watching Tom get flattened by a frying pan, or when you get so mad at an infuriatingly bad plot that you want to smash your screen.’

’After all, anger is a long-lost passion too, isn’t it?’

But Allen’s face betrayed no joy. He simply nodded, as if this were nothing more than an equivalent exchange.