[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu":3,"chapter-i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-chapter-160":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm a Forest Warden—Why Am I Enslaving a Succubus?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2329204,4555,"Chapter 160: Ritual Array","i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-chapter-160",160,"\u003Cp>Naga Eve adjusted her serpent tail into an attack stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De removed his upper garment and magical satchel, handing them to Tally, who hid behind him, to prevent them from being destroyed by the ritual’s backlash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the countdown ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both launched their charges simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De charged with pure physical force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eve let out a sharp grunt, and a white, human-shaped mist identical to her own burst from her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a soul detaching from the body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It carried violent spiritual power and slammed into the ritual seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Soul Rush].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De caught sight of it from the corner of his eye and immediately recognized it as a spiritual technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was mentioned in [Research on Native Spiritual Techniques of Alien Races].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said to be a spiritual technique developed by Nagas for raiding tombs and breaching burial seals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a wise race obsessed with constructing grand tombs, land Nagas had many other skills born from tomb-robbing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some believed the treasures within their tombs were meant for descendants, and the complex, dangerous traps and protective rituals were tests for the next generation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the author of [Research on Native Spiritual Techniques of Alien Races] considered this nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed land Nagas were simply stupid and hypocritical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite his deep disdain for the race,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he held great regard for [Soul Rush], believing it might give rise to a new sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deafening explosion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tunnel immediately shook violently!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fierce magical backlash erupted instantly, red magic transforming into a collision of flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one hit first was Luo De ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But [Dragon Scale Technique] was immensely powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He endured the damage without retreating a single step, even spreading his body to shield the two behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the ratfolk’s stable space technique prevented the tunnel from collapsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PUFF!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The backlash came fast and faded quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they looked again, the dust had settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, I underestimated the ritual’s backlash strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eve, covered in dust, brushed the grit from her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gazed ahead and saw the aura within the dust had not changed—perhaps she hadn’t taken a single scratch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She muttered under her breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De stepped out of the smoke, completely naked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His clothes had been utterly shredded, revealing a body of perfectly balanced, explosive muscle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his normal form, not in the Big Sprout Mushroom form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This attack’s power is nearly seventh-rank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He evaluated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eve covered her mouth, laughing as she pointed at him, “Just average.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His second heart pumped instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This heart’s pumping force was immense, allowing him to enter battle state in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Naga’s beautiful eyes widened in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously she’d only seen his complete form; now, evolving from normal to perfected form, the impact was anything but minor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, Nagas can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the man slowly approached, Eve instantly realized what he intended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She instinctively stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you planning?! Here? Now?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should know I’m not someone who can resist provocation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>she felt a large hand press against her shoulder, an undeniable force forcing her down half a body’s length.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, beneath the soft glow of [Brightening Technique],\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eve looked up in stunned disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze grew distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s just once… it’s not impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them, Tally saw this and rushed over in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! You’re having food and you didn’t call me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a long while later,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De felt refreshed, pulling up his pants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tally smiled sweetly, neatly fastening his shirt and belt for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eve sat coiled on the ground, coughing harshly against the floor, as if choking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You—you did that on purpose!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. It’s a reward. Tally loves this the most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course it is. Cough cough—she’s a succubus! She has no gag reflex in her throat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three stopped their nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After redressing, they continued forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eve reverted to human form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the narrow, cramped tunnel reached its end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space, cleared to the size of a room, was entirely covered with a ritual array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of the array stood an altar, upon which rested a massive ram’s skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, around the walls and floor were inscribed countless incantations and piled with various bloody ritual materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone could tell this was no ordinary thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, just a ritual array?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eve looked disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped forward, intending to claim all the ritual materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De pointed to the edge of the chamber, where a hole slightly larger than a rat’s burrow led out—the array’s lines extended from this opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed this was not standalone, but one component of a larger, interconnected array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Naga shrugged—what’s it to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll loot everything and leave. Connected or not—none of my business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Luo De couldn’t think like her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This obviously malevolent thing lay beneath Shi Ying Town, and it wasn’t alone—it clearly indicated someone intended to strike at Shi Ying Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined with the prophecy from the half-deer man Xiao Ke that morning,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De was certain of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But destroying it prematurely might alert the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the independent ritual seals outside,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this array was externally linked; if a mage checked the magical pathways, they’d immediately detect the anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his usual strategy was to provoke the enemy, this time was different: the enemy was hidden, and we were exposed. Shi Ying Town had countless abandoned mines—if the enemy simply stayed silent and quietly built new arrays, where would he even look?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Destruction was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we must first have Dimea or Selina inspect the array’s connections, so we don’t destroy it and trigger a rerouting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that means we can’t take anything here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eve said dejectedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether you take it or not, you’ve lost—there’s no treasure here at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean there isn’t! Look at that sheep skull, and those lizard-man hides—they’re still fresh, they’re all treasures!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De couldn’t help but laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly sensed the bacterial levels in those areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to his enhanced understanding of the 【Plague】 domain, he could perceive how many days these items had been placed here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he clearly felt they had not been here for more than a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, arrays involving fresh flesh and blood would include spells to prevent decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sheep skull is naturally resistant to decay, so the array’s creator skipped this step to improve efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s precisely why Luo De noticed something amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not more than a day?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed it was at least a week old, given how well the area was arranged, and the lack of footprints or fresh magical residue along his path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are small openings in the space leading outside—entry doesn’t have to come through our route.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo De thought of Fried Argyle, the noble descendant who had just arrived last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deleted some, full version later in the group\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1175,"2026-06-20T19:55:30.170Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ab1335be7b2ee8d292d1eee73801f3dc9bb700ea06202f9dedf62d4b993536f9","i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-chapter-161","i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-chapter-159",704,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-cover.jpg"]