Chapter 157: The Wager

"There's a treasure! Come quickly!"

Followed immediately by a location.

The message specifically said that Naga Eve had accidentally discovered something valuable while searching for hidden spots in Shi Ying Town, and she wanted Luo De to come help her seize it.

Luo De wasn't in a hurry.

He escorted Xiao Kebangde back to the forest while asking about the prophecy.

"The smell of sulfur? A demon breed?"

Xiao Ke shook her head.

She told Luo De that everything she saw in the prophecy were faceless humans—no demon breeds.

There was nothing to be done about it.

The accumulation of spirituality and magic could affect the clarity of prophecies.

Generally, if the one casting the prophecy was of a lower rank than the one being prophesied, the effect would be greatly diminished.

Xiao Ke, the half-deer, had only accumulated four ranks of spirituality.

No doubt this was why the prophecy was so vague.

She was aware of this problem, and her expression showed frustration and apology.

"Sorry, it's all my fault—I have too little spirituality. If only my talent were better."

Xiao Ke's spiritual talent was poor.

Without the time during her heat period when Luo De had frantically trained with her using the 【Elibert's Secret of Pleasure】, she probably wouldn't have reached her current rank in three or four years.

Luo De couldn't help but reach out and gently brush her hair.

"If you want to go further, come see me alone at night—you know, during that time we were both very happy, and very effective."

The intimate gesture had already flushed the half-deer's cheeks; this remark turned her face into a ripe apple.

She lowered her head, stammering, and after a long while managed only a few words.

"You're dreaming."

"Xiao Ke, you don't want Bond and everyone in the forest to suffer because the prophecy is unclear, do you?"

"I—"

Xiao Ke was a cute-type girl.

Luo De rarely pursued girls of this type, but her budding body combined with her half-deer form created an inexplicable, intoxicating charm.

Just seeing her blush, head bowed, her elegant deer body trembling slightly, the white tuft of her high-raised tail swaying gently, was enough to make Luo De recall the wonderful week of her heat period.

Seeing she didn't seem to resist, he bent down and kissed her warm, flushed cheek.

Soft, moist, warm.

And carrying a fresh scent of pollen and wood.

"I want a kiss too!"

Bond suddenly spoke up.

That reminded the two of the little mare-girl's presence.

Xiao Ke quickly pushed Luo De away, pretending indifference as she fanned her face with her hand.

Luo De laughed loudly and kissed the top of the little mare-girl's head.

"I just heard Luo De is going to make Xiao Ke sister stronger! I want to get stronger too!"

"You don't need to, Bond. Your Xiao Ke sister only needs my help because she's a fool."

"You're the fool!"

Xiao Ke, indignant, pulled Bond closer. "What do you mean 'you don't need it yet'? Are you planning to lay hands on this child?!"

Luo De had no such intention, but he wanted to tease Xiao Ke.

He shrugged, expression neutral.

The half-deer's face darkened with anger, then softened like maternal instinct had surged.

She pleaded:

"Not now, at least. Bond is still young. Let me handle him for her until then? Please?"

"."

The joke had gone too far.

Luo De hurried to explain.

But Xiao Ke didn't believe him for a second—she was certain he'd target Bond, and begged to take his lust upon herself.

The more she spoke, the more heated she became, while Bond beside her remained utterly bewildered.

Seeing he couldn't convince her, Luo De quickly sent them back to the forest and went to find Naga Eve himself.

As for the prophecy's content, he later informed Dimia.

North of Shi Ying Town, the mining district.

"You're so slow!"

Eve complained.

Because her naga form was too conspicuous, she recast her spell and transformed into a human.

Dressed in black, average build—she aroused no sexual interest in Luo De.

Fortunately, her face remained unchanged: radiant, beautiful, with subtle Eastern features.

Luo De moved to embrace her, but she easily dodged.

It was working hours in the mining district—people came and went.

Fortunately, the spot they stood in was slightly secluded: an abandoned mine shaft, far from the current busy areas.

"Get the treasure first. After that, do whatever you want to me."

Eve stated it plainly.

It sounded like a cold transaction.

This stirred a strange melancholy in Luo De—he remembered his physical bargain with the Azure Great Tree in the Jade Realm.

But then again, it made sense. The only way to subjugate this naga princess without force was through temptation.

Between them, there was a soul-deep physical connection, but little emotional depth.

Probably because this naga princess had underestimated the power of the enslavement spell.

"What's the situation?"

"A ritual seal. I suspect something valuable is hidden inside."

"Suspect? There are plenty of rituals in Shi Ying Town."

It was almost funny: due to the mining district's frantic operations, many shafts had unearthed extraordinary things.

For instance, the recent ratman incursion—they'd come up from the underground city through these very mine tunnels.

"Let me correct you: it's intuition. You don't doubt the intuition of a land-dwelling naga, do you?"

She wore a look of pride.

"If you were a half-deer, fine. But why should anyone trust a naga's intuition?"

These muscle-brained creatures trusting naga intuition was no different from trusting goblin wisdom.

"One question: do you believe me? Bet?"

"How do we bet?"

Luo De smiled.

"If there's nothing there, I'll swallow twenty times' worth. If there is, you use only your tongue—no using that thing."

"Heh. Interesting. Let's do it."

Either way, it made no difference—once the 【Enchanting Fluids】 took effect, even if Luo De refused, she'd beg for it anyway.

Soon after.

The two entered the abandoned mine shaft.

Since both were spiritual warriors, they had no light spells.

Luo De had trained his magic accumulation for a while, but he'd never learned any spells, so he couldn't cast one.

However, the 【Guardian Veil】 had a 【Night Vision】 effect, so it wasn't a problem.

Eve had no such spiritual technique, so she pulled out a staff with a built-in light spell.

The mine shaft was cramped and narrow.

The two couldn't even walk side by side.

Luo De went first; Eve followed behind.

There were no monsters here, but a foul odor lingered constantly.

On the ground, faint, intermittent traces of dragged blood could be seen.

"Perfect place to kill and hide a body."

It was said the city hall had dealt with these abandoned shafts, yet every year, some mischievous kids went exploring and vanished.

They'd seal the entrance with earth-and-wood magic one day, and the next year, rumors would spread that the shaft was a secret government magical lab—news outlets would compete to report it.

The abandoned mine shafts west of the Windstorm City, in Shi Ying Town, had become a famous unsolved mystery across the continent.

To the locals, it was almost laughable.

As they walked, they indeed encountered an earth-and-wood seal.

But it had been smashed through—the marks were fresh, surely made by Eve.

After another half hour of travel,

Luo De actually heard some unusual sounds.

"Thud—"

(End of Chapter)