After mastering the resurrection technique, they begged me to extend their lives.

Chapter 86 Little Sweeper, Seducing My Beloved Disciple

Inside a secret passage in a remote mountain range.

In the pitch black, Lilia stood guard over a purple crystal ball in front of her, feeling a chill run through her body.

This is another small outpost of hers near Stardust Harbor and the Imperial border, used to circulate the puppets and corpses she has collected.

Having returned to the Sorcerer's Guild from the Radel Jungle, the girl patiently awaited good news from Kalendel.

He had thought he would see An Xiao's body that very night and be able to conduct academic research on him, down to every inch of his skin—

But as they waited and waited, the sun went down, and Karendel still hadn't returned.

In her anxiety, Lilia used the puppet bird to investigate briefly.

The news we received was that Karendel had been killed in action.

Cause of death unknown.

"He was one of Mother's most formidable warriors, even the elite of the Golden Scales Guard couldn't defeat him, how could he have perished in a mission like this—?"

"Could it be that he really can't beat those harpies?"

"Impossible—absolutely impossible."

Lilia was completely baffled.

She had intended to summon Sean, who had skipped work, to investigate the situation, but almost immediately afterward, another piece of despairing news arrived—

Sean is dead too.

This time, the clues brought back by the puppet bird were very clear:

He died in the chapel of Stardust Harbor; his skin was dried out by something, turning him into a mummy.

Mission failed, bad news piled up.

They didn't get to eat, but their own situation was extremely precarious.

Lilia knew that Stardust Harbor was no longer a place where she could develop.

So, suppressing her anxiety, she packed her bags and valuables and fled overnight!

They planned to head straight to the most dangerous place to lay low and avoid the commotion.

The roles have been reversed.

"I'll go to Endedes. Only Endedes' environment suits me."

"An Xiao is an omen of bad luck."

"Getting close to him will bring unhappiness."

"I can't have any more contact with him. I—I've already done all that, and he still hasn't been brought to me!"

"Mom also intervened, but even her men couldn't do anything to him."

"He is not human."

Lilia drew a conclusion.

The thought of giving up resurfaced in her mind, but when she thought of An Xiao's earth-shattering divine magic and that rather striking face, Lilia still felt very unwilling.

No, that won't do.

"I can't just let this go."

"I need to keep thinking of a solution."

"If even a level 60 Karendel can't defeat him—does that mean the minimum level required to acquire him is at least level 70?"

"If Mom can't step in herself, then I—have no hope, right?"

Lilia grew increasingly anxious, her face flushing pink.

She wondered whether she should make one last effort and ask her mother to take action herself.

She knew that she had been unable to see her mother's true strength since their first meeting.

Those who can do this are basically all beings beyond the scope of their own assessment, that is, those with a battle rank of 70 or above.

After much deliberation, she decided to ask again.

If that doesn't work, kneel down.

[I really want to get my hands on An Xiao's stuff ———]

Divine magic is something I absolutely need—my magical system is only missing him.

This is the last time, just the last time —

Lilia picked up the crystal ball, placed it on the crystal platform, and poured her magic into it.

This is a special magical communication tool that can light up another crystal ball from a great distance to alert the other party.

As the crystal ball slowly lit up.

The blurry figure did not appear in the girl's sight.

The mother who used to respond to every call is now unable to give me a reply.

"Mommy, Mommy————"

She poured magic into it again and again.

However, the magic crystal only maintained a faint light and did not burst forth with light as she had imagined, followed by her mother's pleasant and languid voice.

"Why can't I get in touch—why?!"

Lilia covered her mouth, suppressing her inner turmoil, her expression dejected.

Images of the two fallen warriors flashed uncontrollably through my mind.

She knew very well what Karendall and Sean meant to the Empire.

This setback may have made my mother feel disgusted with me.

After all, he had caused her to lose two important pawns. As the new Queen of Ariane, her ambition and desires must far exceed his imagination.

I wasted my mother's resources for my own selfish gain, so it's perfectly reasonable for her to be angry and ignore me because of it.

"No—no. Without Mom's help, I simply cannot survive in Endedes on my own."

Lilia gritted her teeth and continued to pour magic into the crystal ball repeatedly.

But today, for some reason, the crystal ball isn't as bright as it used to be; it's as if it's being "shielded" by something.

Or it's like "cutting off".

Lilia's expression froze.

Suddenly.

Her pupils suddenly narrowed.

Sensing something, he turned around and looked at the rough wall behind him.

A transparent barrier with a water ripple pattern appeared before her.

The next moment, the gray demonic mist slowly spread.

Wherever it goes, its view is completely swallowed up, as if it has framed the entire space into a certain domain.

As the light gradually dimmed, Lilia opened her small mouth and watched as the thick fog condensed before her eyes into a beautiful, fairy-like figure.

"!"

'

A magic hat, long, light gray curly hair, and an immortal face so pale it was almost inhuman —

And, just like her mother, her pupil technique feedback completely fails to reveal her combat power level.

"You—you are—"

Lilia recognized the woman's true identity.

Terraria, the Magic Kingdom, a Grand Magister, a newly promoted Sage, and the Gray Mist.

The other party yawned and, in a tone dismissive of someone dealing with an ant, asked, "So it was you, you little slut, who dared to conspire with the witch and mobilize imperial generals to assassinate my precious disciple?"

With a whoosh.

The communication crystal behind Lilia shattered with a deafening roar!

The only thing she had that allowed her to contact her mother for help was destroyed.

"I—I—"

Lilia panicked.

She vaguely realized that the blocking of the magic network signal was likely due to the intervention of the Grand Magister Gray Mist.

It wasn't that her mother was ignoring her; rather, the gray mist wanted to gather more information, so it observed her briefly before revealing itself and taking control.

if----

If what she said is true, then An Xiao has become her apprentice—

Then everything makes sense.

How could LV60 Karendel possibly defeat LV79, or even LV80 Gray Mist?

Who in the surrounding area can rival him?

Lilia wanted to use the teleportation scroll to escape.

however.

Sizzle—!

The scroll, which had just been secretly taken from the ring, was torn apart out of thin air with a flick of the short wand amidst the afterimage of gray mist.

[It is the power of space —]

Lilia was trembling with fear.

She knew that she had no way out in her current situation.

With just a single thought from the other party, one's soul and body would vanish into thin air in an instant.

Under the Archmage Gray Mist's "Mist Domain," the surrounding wind, air, magic, and even the flow of time were completely under her control.

"You coveted my disciple, and after your defeat, you fled here. Do you think things will end so simply?"

Gray Mist chuckled softly and approached step by step with alluring gait.

"I—I was wrong! I was forced by my mother! Yes, my mother found out that An Xiao possessed divine magic and sent me to seduce him! I didn't mean to! Senior Gray Mist, please spare my life—!"

Faced with the Archmage's wrath, Lilia seemed to instantly abandon all her pride and reserve, wiping away tears and begging for mercy, even wanting to kneel before Gray Mist on the spot, "Please, spare me! I will never dare to do it again!"

While feigning weakness, she secretly activated her innate skill – "Puppet Soul".

This is an extremely rare "accumulation skill" that her mother taught her. It allows her to spend a huge amount of time and magic to nurture a life-bound puppet within her body, which can be released at the necessary moment to deliver a devastating blow to the opponent! It's quite insidious.

She wanted to make one last desperate attempt.

My personal puppet is a red-eyed rabbit-bear. After years of training, it can deliver a single blow to any enemy around level 70. Even if Gray Mist is stronger, under the rabbit-bear's extremely close-range sneak attack, how could she possibly—

Before Lilia could even cast a spell with her hands behind her back, and before she could even finish her plan, Miss Gray Mist directly rejected Lilia's "strategy" with her actions.

"Mist Shadow - Throat Lock".

Crack.

The formless white mist coiled around the girl's body like a python, and transformed into a pale hand at her throat, mercilessly gripping her neck.

"Lilia. You little vixen, you're definitely full of wicked schemes. Letting you die like this doesn't seem to quell the pent-up frustration within me. I suspect my beloved disciple won't be satisfied with such an ending either."

"What—you—want—to—do—?"

Lilia's eyes were filled with despair. She felt as if her body was completely sealed by some kind of immense power, and she could not use a single drop of magic.

It seems they've been hit by Gray Mist's signature move, "Mist Sinking Technique."

This is a type of group silence spell. As long as they are within her domain, any mage whose intelligence attribute is lower than that of the gray fog will be directly silenced until the fog dissipates.

The Archmage's abilities are terrifying.

At that moment, Gray Mist took out a roll of parchment from his magic ring, on which were drawn up all sorts of densely packed contract runes.

He said, "It's very simple."

"Death is too cheap for you."

"This is my latest 'Substitute Contract Technique'."

She paused, then used the tip of her wand to flick Lilia's index finger.

And it pierced in like a needle.

Ah 7

The pain tormented the girl's eyes, leaving them bloodshot.

Fresh blood dripped onto the parchment.

The rings of the law are glowing.

"I want you to be my disciple's flesh slave."

This is the lowest type of slave contract.

Whenever he has any need, you must go to him like a slave and ask if he needs it met, and even kneel down to help him solve the problem.

If he rejects you, or you fail to satisfy him, you will suffer the torment of "unfulfilled servant duties," experiencing a wonderful, agonizing pain akin to being pierced by a thousand needles.

"Wh-what ...

Upon hearing this, Lilia, feeling her soul being forcibly branded with something lewd by the contract, couldn't help but let out a piercing scream—

"I don't want to be a slave! I don't want to be An Xiao's slave—! I won't—!"

"Tsk."

Gray Mist looked at the distraught girl, his face remaining completely expressionless.

He yawned again, took a gray paper crane from his magic ring, and inscribed on it: "My beloved disciple, have you already set off? Are you on your way to Endedes?"

"I've caught a little pet for you and plan to mail it to you sometime. Just look forward to it; consider it my initiation gift to you."

"Oh right, I've already signed a rather interesting contract for her. You'll see when you meet her."

You might have questions about the origins of some of your genetic material required for the contract, but don't worry about it.

All I did was collect a few strands of your hair from the bed you slept in—just consider it my alchemical research and tool gathering. Finally, don't forget to finish your homework. I look forward to seeing you grow.