I'm in Morioh, just joined a chat group for cute girls.

[Sword Saintess]: Yes, Lady Gu Ye. Everything went smoothly, even easier than I expected. I'm already on my way back to the temple.

[Weather Forecast]: Send me a world invitation.

The saintess on the other side of the screen remained silent for a moment.

[Sword Saintess]: Lord Gu Ye, is this really necessary? I've already said there's no danger. Besides, inviting you here will deplete the divine power I've painstakingly accumulated…

[Weather Forecast]: This is an order.

Gu Ye's tone left no room for argument.

【Sword Saintess】: ...Yes. I understand.

Soon, a golden confirmation box with sacred patterns popped up on Gu Ye's screen.

Usu no O also II 瀏鮞求令页

[System notification: Group member "Sword Maiden" has sent you a world chat invitation. Do you wish to accept?]

Gu Ye did not click "confirm" immediately, but instead reserved the permission.

After he finished doing all this, he turned to look at Medea beside him.

"I'm not kidding you, it's just that a friend of mine may be in danger, and I have to be ready to help at any time."

Although Medea longed for it, she could understand Gu Ye.

Most importantly, Gu Ye did not hide anything from him.

She nodded, her previously tense body relaxing as she released her grip on Gu Ye's hand.

"I understand."

Her voice regained its usual calmness, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible gentleness, "Go and take care of your business. A friend is in danger, and we really can't just stand by and do nothing."

After saying that, she suddenly tiptoed and gently pressed her soft lips to Gu Ye's cheek, the warm touch lasting only for a moment.

She took a half step back, raised her head again, and the irresistible flame of a witch rekindled in her eyes, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"However, I'm only giving you this one chance."

She leaned close to Gu Ye's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Tomorrow night, no matter what you have to do, you have to cancel it. I'm not the kind of woman who will wait indefinitely."

huh○⋯⒉弍/③○玖ノ╲

"I'll be waiting for you in your room then. If you dare to be late, or make up any more excuses..."

She paused, a dangerous threat creeping into her voice, "I might use force, you know~"

Gu Ye was about to respond to her domineering declaration when he caught a glimpse of a new message popping up in the chat group out of the corner of his eye.

That message came from the Sword Saintess.

[Sword Maiden]: Everyone, I think I've found some strange footprints. They don't look like orcish footprints...

The conversation ended abruptly here.

Like a suddenly snapped string on a musical instrument, the abrupt silence plunged the entire chat group into a deathly stillness.

A few seconds later, the group chat exploded.

【Devilish Muscle Rin】: @Sword Saintess Hey! What's wrong? What happened next? Say something!

【Marin】: Miss Saint? Are you alright? Is the signal bad?

【American Scythe】: Tsk, what a troublesome woman. @Is the Sword Saintess dead yet? If she's not, say something.

[Herrscher of Food]: Everyone, please don't panic. There might just be some unexpected situation over there that she hasn't had time to reply.

[Flower Column]: But this interruption was too sudden, which is very unsettling.

No matter how much people called out, the golden icon never lit up again.

【Devil Muscle Rin】: @WeatherForecast Hey! Are you still there? Something's happened to the Saintess! Didn't you say to be careful of goblins? What do we do now!

【American Scythe】: Huh? Who else could it be but him? Hurry up and go check it out! Useless!

"wait for me."

Gu Ye didn't even have time to respond to Medea's threat. He simply left behind these three words, and his eyes turned completely cold.

Without any hesitation, his finger tapped the golden invitation box on the screen that was constantly flashing with holy light.

[System Notification: You have accepted the invitation from group member "Sword Saintess" to enter the world. The spacetime portal is being constructed...]

Gu Ye's figure began to blur and distort, like a reflection thrown into water, and then disappeared completely from the corridor amidst a violent spatial ripple.

Only his faint scent lingered in the air.

Medea stood there, looking at the spot where Gu Ye had disappeared, and pouted.

Upon seeing Gu Ye's room, his eyes lit up, and he pushed open the door and entered.

On the other hand, the feeling of crossing worlds is not pleasant, but Gu Ye has already adapted.

As he felt a solid sensation beneath his feet, a mixture of damp, earthy, putrid odors and pungent smoke rushed into his nostrils.

He was in a dark, narrow underground mine.

Not far ahead, the flickering flames dispelled some of the darkness and illuminated a scene that fueled his rage.

A dozen or so short goblins with dirty green skin were dancing and gesturing around a roaring campfire.

They emitted nauseating, grotesque cries, and occasionally used their rusty swords and spears to poke the figure tied to the stake in the center of the fire.

She was a woman with long, honey-colored hair and a voluptuous figure; she was none other than the Sword Saintess.

Her white robes were torn to shreds. Although the filthy weapons could not harm her skin due to the protection of the supreme god, the garments that symbolized holiness were now utterly defiled.

An older goblin, who looked like a priest, was holding a clay pot and constantly sprinkling some grayish-white powder into the fire.

As the powder burned, a thick plume of smoke carrying an unusually sweet aroma rose up, completely enveloping the saintess.

"Weather forecast!"

Gu Ye's voice was icy cold and devoid of any emotion.

Behind him, a blue and white humanoid stand-in made of clouds and mist emerged.

Without any unnecessary movements, the weather forecaster simply threw a punch at the group of goblins.

In the next instant, the air inside the mine was instantly sucked out, and then compressed and condensed at an alarming speed.

An invisible, destructive shockwave suddenly erupted from the campfire!

"Pfft-"

The goblins who were still laughing wildly didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were instantly crushed into mincemeat under the terrifying air pressure.

The shockwave continued its relentless advance, propelling the campfire, wooden stakes, and the filthy flesh and blood backwards for over ten meters before slamming them against the rock wall with a muffled thud.

Immediately afterwards, icy rainwater condensed out of nowhere on the top of the mine and poured down, instantly extinguishing the burning flames and washing away all the filth on the ground.

The cold rain mixed with fresh air rushed into her lungs, causing the Sword Saintess, who had fallen into a daze due to lack of oxygen and medication, to cough violently.

"Cough...cough..."

She coughed violently, greedily inhaling the hard-won air.

The thick smoke that had made her feel hot all over and blurred her consciousness had dissipated, replaced by the cold and refreshing rain.

Her consciousness gradually returned, and her blurred vision slowly became clear.

What did she see?

Through the rain, a tall figure was walking towards her.

His short black hair was soaked by the rain and stuck to his forehead. His deep black eyes reflected her disheveled figure, and his gaze held a chilling coldness she had never seen before, and... a trace of heartache.

It's him.

It was the man who predicted her future.

He was the only person in the chat group who reminded her to be careful of goblins.

It was the one who descended like a god and saved her from hell during her most desperate and fearful moment... Lord Gu Ye.

"Gu Ye...Master..."

Her lips trembled, and she used all her strength to squeeze the name out of her throat.

The lingering effects of the medication left her weak all over, and the immense mental shock left her too weak to even stand.

When the wooden stake binding her broke due to being soaked by rain, her body slumped to the ground.

But before she fell, a pair of strong arms caught her steadily, pulling her into a warm and firm embrace.

A familiar, reassuring scent enveloped her.

In that instant, all the fear, anxiety, and grievances turned into a torrent of tears.

Unable to hold on any longer, she stretched out her trembling hands, tightly gripped Gu Ye's shirt, buried her face in it, and burst into tears.

The cold rain mixed with warm tears, soaking the front of Gu Ye's clothes.

The Sword Saintess wept uncontrollably in his arms, her cries filled with the relief of surviving a calamity and endless regret for her foolish actions.

Why... why was I still ambushed even though I completely believed Lord Gu Ye's words?

I was so careful, I brought so many targeted tools... but why did I still fall into the trap of those filthy creatures?

Is this fate? A trial given to me by the Supreme God, one I must endure? But the price is too heavy…

Her body trembled uncontrollably from fear and excitement.

Gu Ye didn't say anything, just let her vent, gently and rhythmically patting her smooth back with one hand, giving her the strongest support with his silent actions.

After crying for a long time, the Sword Saintess gradually calmed down.

She lifted her head somewhat shyly from Gu Ye's embrace, her eyes brimming with tears, wanting to see his face clearly and to thank him again.

But just then, she noticed that the world around her was becoming strange.

Gu Ye's face was right next to me, but it was as if I was looking through a thick layer of frosted glass; I could only see a blurry outline.

His deep black eyes, the worried expression on his face—everything became blurred.

She subconsciously raised her hand to rub her eyes, and when she opened them again, her vision was still blurry.

A terrible thought struck her mind like lightning.

"Your eyes will be completely destroyed by the thick smoke released by those unclean things..."

This was Lord Gu Ye's prediction about her future.

And just now, those goblins… that campfire burning with eerie powder… that thick smoke that completely enveloped her…

No...I won't...

Her heart clenched, and a fear even deeper than when she was captured by the goblin spread from the depths of her heart.

Just as the Sword Saintess was panicking about the possibility of going blind, an even more unfamiliar and irresistible heat suddenly rose from deep within her lower abdomen and quickly spread to her limbs and bones.

Her breathing became rapid instantly, and her body went limp like a pool of spring water, almost hanging on Gu Ye's body.

A tempting pink hue rose on her fair skin, and beneath her tattered clothes, her full, mature body seemed to yearn for something.

This is... an aphrodisiac?

She immediately understood the true purpose of that sweet, thick smoke.

As a saintess of the temple, she had some knowledge of various medicines.

The goblins undoubtedly used the highest-grade drug, specifically designed to break the will of women.

The body's instincts screamed, yearning to be soothed and filled.

But her strong willpower allowed her to retain a sliver of clarity amidst the turmoil of passion.

She raised her unfocused blue eyes and stared intently at Gu Ye's blurry outline.

It's him.

It was this man who descended upon her like a god during her most desperate moment.

It was this man who, with his immense power, saved her from certain death.

It was him who made her feel, for the first time, how firmly a man would protect her.