In Erin's ancestral home, inside the secret Alchemy Workshop, liquid metal flowed like a galaxy through siphon tubes.
She dipped her left wrist into the "Mercury Pool," and the silvery-white liquid climbed along the lines of her blood vessels toward her heart. She turned back to Li Xiang with a faint smile, "Each Holy Blood Core requires 200 milliliters of my blood to be extracted. Esteemed Mr. Armor, you'd best not lift my skirt at a time like this—unless you want to see the French Rose turn into a metal sculpture."
Li Xiang leaned against a bronze pillar inlaid with gears, twirling a sweet-smelling Swiss LINDT chocolate between his fingertips. He had just fished it out of Erin's dress. "Just say the word if you need help."
