"Is it possible for it to change its shape?" Wu Qingsong wondered.

He was far more optimistic than Ling about the potential of this newfound ability. His optimism, however, hinged on one crucial factor, Ling's capacity to control it with greater finesse. Even if the object were minuscule, what if it could morph into a needle? What if it had the ability to move at high speeds?

Considering its remarkable hardness, Wu Qingsong was convinced that its destructive force, if accelerated, would rival that of a bullet fired from a musket. Its utility would increase manifold if it could alter its form.

Imagine being able to slip it into someone’s food without them noticing, or even better, manipulating it to silently crawl into a person’s ear. It would be an unparalleled tool for stealth or assassination.

"As long as you become proficient in controlling it, it will be incredibly powerful," he emphasized to Ling.

Despite her extended efforts, the bead remained unchanged. On the positive side, it did not vanish even after an hour since its appearance. Ling felt somewhat fatigued from her continued attempts to direct its movements but otherwise felt no discomfort.

"Let’s call it a day and pick this up tomorrow," Wu Qingsong proposed, observing her growing tiredness. He considered the session a tremendous success, but Ling seemed hesitant, as though she wanted to speak but was holding back.

"What's on your mind?"

"Wu, can you please keep this a secret?" Ling murmured softly.

It was clear she still harbored self-doubt, believing her newly awakened talent to be without worth.

"Alright," Wu Qingsong paused briefly to consider, then opted to honor her wish. "I won’t share this with anyone until you’re ready to do so yourself. As long as you become proficient in controlling it, it will be incredibly powerful,"

Upon their return, they ran into Ram, who seemed to intuitively know what they had been up to. As Ling retreated into her room, Ram turned her gaze expectantly toward Wu Qingsong. Remembering Ling's earlier request for secrecy, he simply shook his head.

Disappointment flooded Ram's face as she heaved a sigh. In her eyes, next to Liuli, Ling had the greatest chance of success. If Ling too had failed, then the odds of success might not be as favorable as she had originally estimated.

By the break of dawn the next day, Ram was already in motion. She was nowhere to be found for the better part of the day. When she finally reappeared in the afternoon, Wu Qingsong and the others were taken aback to see her return accompanied by nearly twenty beastwomen of various sizes and races, all of whom looked visibly worried and uneasy.

"What exactly are you doing?" Before Wu Qingsong could utter a word, Harold intervened, pulling Ram aside.

"I'm broadening the scope of the experiment, of course," Ram stated as if it were the most natural thing to do. "You see, I've gathered catwomen from neighboring villages and–"

"Are you trying to kill us all?" Harold cut her off abruptly. "Have you given any thought to the repercussions if Wu's secret gets exposed? To him, and to us?"

"These are youngsters from villages that are sympathetic to our cause. They won't speak out. Moreover, we don't have to disclose the purpose of their presence here."

"How does this make you any different from the elves you claim to loathe?" Harold pressed. "Did you even give them a choice? If the experiment proves successful on them, what then? Will you send them back? Or will you coerce them to abandon their families and hometowns to fight alongside us?"

Ram offered no reply, but her silence spoke volumes. She clearly didn't think she was in the wrong.

"You've made this decision without even talking with Wu. You've overstepped your bounds, Miss Ram."

Ram turned to Wu Qingsong, "Do you share his opinion? Don't you want to unravel the mystery that lies within you as quickly as possible?"

Almost instinctively, Wu Qingsong shook his head, but then hurriedly added, "Ram, there's no need for such drastic measures."

His eyes swept over the skittish group of catwomen. He wasn't sure what methods Ram had used to bring them here, but it was painfully obvious they were reluctant and unsettled, and their unease was only exacerbated by the presence of unfamiliar faces.

Given his limited but successful past experiences, Wu Qingsong believed that a foundation of trust and emotional rapport was key to a successful outcome. The chances of achieving this with these stranger beastwomen seemed rather slim.

"I also think we should be more cautious. There's no need to rush things," he said.

Ram took a deep breath, visibly struggling to rein in her anger. Then she nodded.

"Fine, I admit I was wrong this time. But since they're already here, should we just send them back without doing anything?"

Harold decisively shook his head at Wu Qingsong. He hadn't objected when Ram carried out experiments with wolfmen, considering they were her trusted allies. But these young and unfamiliar beastwomen were an entirely different matter.

These women were relatively inexperienced in life. Should Wu Qingsong's abilities prove successful on one of them, it would indubitably become a life-altering event for her. It was evident that Ram couldn't simply kill them to keep them silent and once they returned to their villages, word would spread rapidly.

Ram and her crew might be prepared for a lifelong struggle against the elves, but Wu Qingsong still had the luxury of choice. Working secretly with Ram and her allies was one thing, but becoming involuntarily part of their cause was another issue altogether.

He wasn't necessarily against Ram's approach. Wu Qingsong's abilities could potentially herald significant changes. However, recklessly unveiling such a power, especially if it drew the elves' attention, could prove to be more harmful than beneficial.

The two resumed their hushed argument. Wu Qingsong didn’t want to disappoint either party, but ultimately, he decided to back Harold’s point of view.

This clearly left Ram disheartened. Whatever she said to the beastwomen, she hosted a rather lavish dinner for them, only to send them away under the cloak of darkness.

"Is it my fault?" Ling, aware of the nature of their argument, asked apprehensively.

"No, this has nothing to do with you," Wu Qingsong assured her. "Is it still there?"

Ling shook her head. "It was there around noon but vanished soon after."

"Do you feel unwell, or perhaps overly tired like Liuli was?"

Ling shook her head.

"Alright, we’ll give it another try tonight," Wu Qingsong said.

Ling's cheeks flushed a deep red, yet she nodded her agreement.

In the same place and at the same time as before, Wu Qingsong had barely laid his hand on Ling’s chest when that enigmatic sensation promptly emerged.

"Did you record the frequency?" Wu Qingsong asked, intrigued and somewhat relieved. If activating Ling’s abilities always took as long as it had the previous night, then her powers would be more of a hindrance than a help.

Ling resumed her efforts to maneuver the floating bead in the air. Possibly having mastered some technique, its movements were visibly smoother than before.

"See? Just as I said," Wu Qingsong proclaimed, visibly pleased.

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the bead appeared to be slightly larger than the previous night. He fetched a non-elastic string, threaded the bead onto it, and secured it tightly with a knot.

"We'll know the outcome by tomorrow night," he told Ling. "If it keeps growing steadily, it would truly be amazing."