Chapter 174: The Wager

The potion slid down his throat.

Warm.

Immediately, Rod could feel a very slight enhancement to his body's constitution and strength.

And this wasn't temporary—it was a genuine, permanent enhancement to his physical constitution.

"Oh!"

Rod exclaimed, "Not bad. Got any more?"

The elf Lady Kali asked back, "How's the effect?"

"Very slight. Another fifty bottles and the effect would be more noticeable."

Lady Kali shook her head and took out a white medical protective suit to put on again.

It was a kind of apron-like garment, slightly loose-fitting.

The elf's body was covered by form-fitting clothes made of magic; the protective suit hung loosely over her perfectly taut figure, sagging and clinging to her chest and waistline.

For some reason, it gave off the lewd impression of wearing an apron over a naked body.

Lady Kali: "This is a rank-six permanent strength potion. As a mage, after drinking half a bottle, I'd need at least a month to adjust."

Rod was taken aback.

He examined the mouth of the bottle and, sure enough, found a faint pink lip print on it.

The elf's brow furrowed slightly, and she too immediately realized this.

She snatched the test tube bottle back:

"A well-trained warrior can drink the whole thing, but it's absolutely not as slight as you say. With your constitution's strength, you'd need at least a rank-seven permanent strength potion, but that's too expensive—I don't recommend it."

Rod wanted to ask more.

Lady Kali pushed him out the door.

"The patient's wounds haven't been dealt with yet. Please come back tomorrow."

Rod lifted Tally in his arms: "What about her?"

"You need to feed her something first. The energy from food is a great help for her injuries."

"Don't worry, she's a squirrel-type—she has the habit of hoarding food."

For the sake of Tally's injuries, Rod still let Lady Kali take her back inside the temporary hospital.

He returned to his residence.

The empty ranger's cabin—Rod actually felt a trace of loneliness.

How long had it been since he'd spent a night alone?

He curled up on the single-seat beast-hide sofa, which had taken on a slightly bluish tint.

"Permanent strength potions are a money pit. Don't even think about using them again until Selina develops the overload ring."

Speaking of which was painful.

The zombie Selina, who had been recruited for development and research work, had both her hands broken in no time at all.

Although they had spells like Mage Hand, it ultimately couldn't replace everything.

He wondered if it would affect her future experimental work.

"The bloodline awakening route is out of the question too."

That kind of thing was innate.

Generally speaking, certain signs would appear from birth, accompany the entire puberty, and then awaken all at once at some mature juncture.

For example, tieflings with atavistic bloodlines.

Some manifested at birth, and human parents who found it repulsive might kill them on the spot and bury them.

Others would lie dormant and awaken upon reaching adulthood.

Rod was definitely out of luck.

His puberty had been steady and uneventful; the only slightly thrilling thing was when, at twelve, he'd been so handsome that the widow next door pulled him into her room and didn't let him out until the next day.

"For a power contract, Naolin would be a good choice, but the problem is she doesn't even have a body right now."

Besides, it was unknown whether a power contract would conflict with Nu Yi Zhou.

Finding someone else was impossible—these contracts often came with unequal terms favoring higher beings.

Resonance through the infusion of natural elements could be tried, though that was generally something done only after rank seven.

Rigorous training methods, breathing techniques, and swallowing precious medicines were also worth a try.

"The market district of the Mage Control Alliance has plenty of stuff—I'll find time to go take a look."

The winged one Caroline's spoils had some good things, but many of them he had no use for, so he might as well trade them for money and get something practical.

Just as he was thinking.

A familiar presence came from afar.

Very quickly.

The banshee Chris's spirit's upper half passed through the cabin door.

With a pitiful look: "Master—"

"Knock on the door."

"A banshee knocking on the door is a bad omen."

Rod sighed and beckoned her in.

The banshee Chris automatically found a corner and curled up into a ball.

"What are you doing?"

"Those land nagas are looking for me everywhere—I'm scared."

Though Chris really didn't want to admit it, the place in the forest that made her feel safest wasn't her own room back at Henry's farm, but the ranger's cabin where her master held nightly revels.

If it meant getting a good night's sleep, what did it matter listening to other women moaning?

It's not like she hadn't heard it before.

Chris looked around: "Huh? Where's Tally?"

Last night she and the ghoul Pan Ni had gone to suppress soldiers transformed into Inferno creatures, slacking off the whole night, and upon hearing about the Naga uprising, had immediately slipped away to hide.

She only dared show herself after detecting her master's aura at the ranger's cabin, so she didn't know who had been injured.

"She's a bit injured, she won't be staying here tonight."

Chris was stunned for a moment.

Then she shifted into her physical form and silently knelt down.

"What are you doing now?"

"With me... that..." the banshee could barely speak coherently.

What she'd said before in Jade City about that male elf Georgi who specifically liked fifty-year-old women tricking her into bed — that was a lie.

Georgi was a pure milf-lover, he had zero interest in young women.

Chris was actually an undead who had never been with anyone.

Rod said the same thing as always — after Chris took physical form she was too much like a human, and he wasn't in the mood.

He planned to go find the ghoul Pan Ni later.

But to have a meal right in front of you and not eat it — that would be a grave sin.

He sighed.

Just as he was about to approach.

Unexpectedly, she bolted away like a startled bird, reverting to her spirit form.

With a miserable face she said: "Sorry, Master! I don't think I'm ready yet!"

"You tease me and then try to run? No way!"

Rod laughed in spite of himself.

Just as he was about to step forward and take her on the spot.

A familiar aura came from not far away.

The land Naga Eve, paying a visit.

She spotted the banshee hiding on the roof beam and smiled with anger.

"Where did this little whore come from?"

The way she said it, anyone would think she was the lady of the house here.

Rod waved his hand: "What are you here for? Aren't you afraid those Naga will find you?"

"Afraid of what? They were scared off by that seventh-tier tree spirit, they don't dare come anywhere near the forest now."

Saying so, she slithered all the way to the edge of Rod's bedding and sat down.

Then she stared coldly up at Chris: "Get out."

Land Naga were a very possessive species.

Eve was no different — she regarded Rod as her personal property.

The banshee, hearing that the Naga didn't dare approach the forest, was overjoyed at once. Seeing her master nod, she fled the cabin as if she had wings.

But she didn't dare go far, pitifully huddling on the roof.

Seeing her leave, Eve flicked her hair: "I've come to cash in my promise."

"What promise?"

"The wager."

Having said that, she lay flat on her back on the bed, her enormous Bai Tu heaving up and down.

Then she shifted slightly, moving her head past the edge of the bed, the back of her head resting against the side of the mattress.

Slowly she opened her mouth toward Rod.

A pink oral cavity glistening with reflected saliva.

A slender, powerful tongue curled in the empty air, trailing threads of saliva.

"Come on."

Rod's eyes lit up: "Don't forget the 【Toxic Spray】."

"Annoying, just get over here."

(End of chapter)