Chapter 129: Erroneous Growth

Rod opened his eyes.

What came into view was the familiar ceiling, which was the ranger's cabin.

It seemed Tally and the others had carried his body back.

Rod raised his head.

He suddenly saw Tally tying up her hair with one hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Ya, zhu ren ni xing la!"

"I can't hear clearly."

Tally wiped the corner of her mouth and said with a full face of smiles:

"Master, you're awake!"

"Didn't I say you're not allowed to eat while I'm sleeping?"

"But I'm starving to death~"

Rod sat up, supporting his head which still felt slightly dizzy.

"How long has it been?"

"Two days, so I haven't eaten anything for two days! I had no choice but to break the rule~"

The succubus said pitifully.

Rod pointed to the kitchen utensils that hadn't been cleaned yet; they were still exactly as they were when he left that day.

The leftover food had hardly changed at all.

"So, you haven't done any housework for two days?"

"Um"

Tally was stunned for a moment, then she started acting cute, tilting her head and sticking out her tongue.

"Ya, I got it wrong, it's been two hours~"

"Today's meal count is reset to zero."

"Eh—don't do that~ I haven't even sucked it out yet."

Rod ignored the succubus's coquetry.

As for why he could see through her trick at a glance.

Having increased his comprehension of 【Plague】, he could already judge the degree of bacterial and germ generation on the food scraps.

Besides, the succubus was still in her maid-sister persona; even the lace of the underwear she had pulled down hadn't changed.

You see, she rarely repeated the same thing twice.

He put on his pants.

Rod left the cabin.

He arrived at Amy's magic wooden house in the Willow Sand District.

According to Tally, this had been requisitioned as a temporary medical point,

while Amy was homeless again, wandering in the forest; it was said she was playing in the mud by the river.

"You're awake? So soon?"

When he entered the wooden house, Lady Kali was arranging a Bu Zhi Fa array on the ground.

When she saw Rod, she was instantly stunned.

You see, entering the Realm of Dread was a massive consumption of spirit and soul, especially for non-high-level mages and spiritual warriors.

The elves, upon detecting the return of their souls, immediately judged there would be a coma lasting four to five days.

Therefore, they arranged some life-sustaining arrays here.

But turning around, this lecherous human appeared before them as if nothing had happened.

Rod shrugged.

Then he told her what had happened in the Realm of Dread.

Of course, he omitted the contents of the deal with the Bone Dragon.

Upon hearing this, the elf's expression changed.

"The Realm of Dread has been occupied and divided by other cosmic beings; this is not good news, it means the cosmic beings in the extra-dimensional space are entering an active period."

She scowled and said again:

"As for your deal with that Bone Dragon, I will think of a way to see if we can circumvent it."

"Trouble you."

"Have I troubled you with few things?"

Rod could only smile bitterly.

"Young Lady Kali, if you need anything from me in the future, just give the order."

Upon hearing this, the elf only snorted coldly, making no response.

Two days later.

Evening, ranger's cabin.

After finishing a day of training, Rod sat on the steps in front of the wooden house to rest.

The preparations for the ritual, after the collapse of the main planner, had hit the pause button.

Some mages returned to the Magic Control Union through the teleportation gate, while others chose to stay in Shi Ying Town for a short vacation.

The Phantom Jaw Beasts and Shadow Weavers in the desert halted their attacks once more.

The forest welcomed its usual quiet.

Under the setting sun, the light reflected off the gold-gradient blade illuminated the silver sword beside it.

A single-handed sword gifted by Ona, deputy head of the Containment Division.

The plain dark-brown hard-leather scabbard stood in stark contrast to the noble ceremonial longsword covered in deep, intricate engravings.

Yes, this was a ceremonial longsword.

Both beautiful and precious, it also displayed the lofty status of its bearer.

But it had one massive drawback—it couldn't take a hit.

Ona had repeatedly warned him: never, ever use it to slash people.

"【Soul-Trembling Blade】, huh?"

This was a cursed demonic sword.

True to its name, everyone who laid eyes on the blade would fall into a state of soul-trembling terror.

At the same time, this silver sword would also backlash against its bearer—plunging the wielder into nightmares at random intervals.

On anyone else, it would almost certainly be discarded like a worn-out rag.

But Ona knew Rod possessed extraordinary mental resistance, so she gave it to him.

"Can't take a hit? Heh, I'll pump points into you until you turn into a human form."

After this past week, the remaining points of 【Growth Spirit】 had reached 87.

"Soul-Trembling Blade, let me see your limits."

【【Soul-Trembling Blade】 acquired skill: Compass】

【Details: Toss it upward; when the tip lands, it will always point south.】

【Self-Translation: While gripping the hilt, spoken words can be converted into a language the bearer understands.】

【Taunt: When the bearer grips the hilt, they become more susceptible to attacks and enmity (toggleable).】

【All-Comers Welcome: Soul-Trembling Blade rejects no one or anything; any person's energy system can pass through its body unimpeded, mastering it completely.】

"."

Damn, still a little bitch.

【【Soul-Trembling Blade】 acquired skill: Invisible Sword】

【Details: Soul-Trembling Blade will enter an invisible state.】

【!!!】

【Growth Spirit has undergone erroneous growth!!! A portion of Growth Spirit has transformed into 【Errant Spirit】!】

【【Invisible Sword】 and 【Soul-Trembling Blade】 have come into serious conflict. Spend 5 points of Growth Spirit to purge this effect?】

"?"

Rod was dumbfounded.

Its main effect is to make those who see the blade feel fear, and what rolled out is 'invisible'?

Are you messing with me.

"Yes."

【Purged】

【Remaining Growth Spirit: 72】

【Remaining Errant Spirit: 5】

"Should I say it's truly worthy of being a cursed demonic sword? Just wasted 15 points of mine."

Rod was not a stubborn man.

He decisively set it aside.

He turned to the more frequently used 【Sacrificial Body Sword】.

This one was far more normal.

【Primary Sharpness: Increases sharpness; upon collision, a check is performed, and the loser takes damage.】

【Shrieking Sword Wave: Unleash a long-range sword wave.】

【Shifting Shadow: When swung, the blade creates distorted afterimages, causing opponents to misjudge.】

【Emotional Resonance: All effects on the 'Sacrificial Body Sword' intensify with the bearer's emotional fluctuations.】

Rod's face was full of relief.

"You're the one, truly daddy's good child."

Decision made.

From now on, he'll only enhance this weapon.

As for the silver sword—heh.

"What are you grinning at your sword for?"

Not far off, a half-deer woman who had brought Little Little Bangde along asked in confusion.

She was holding a bundle of ingredients in her arms; per their agreement, she had come to learn cooking.

"Rod!"

The little horse girl was still as lively and laughing as ever.

With a single leap, she threw herself at him and tackled Rod to the ground.

While laughing, she even reached out to tickle his ticklish spots.

Rod refused to be outdone and fought back vigorously.

Miss Xiao Ke watched them roughhouse and couldn't help but smile.

(End of chapter)