Chapter 190: Negotiations Begin

"Eye Demons?"

Eye Demons are spherical creatures with an innate floating spell; their bodies are half eyeball and half gaping maw, disgusting and terrifying.

Most striking are the ten eye-stalks on the Eye Demon's sphere, each ending in a small eyeball.

Eye Demons are master-level creatures of magical rays, which are unleashed from the eyeballs.

As for the Observer Eye Demon Patty mentioned in the newspaper, she is actually a well-known high-tier creature native to the Mist Forest.

Eye Demon Patty was summoned to this place by a certain high-ranking mage and serves the duty of guarding something within the forest.

However, the relationship between this treasure-guarding Eye Demon and humans is not one of mutual hatred.

Patty is a chatterbox, and a lonely chatterbox at that.

She speaks to almost everyone who passes by, openly discussing her duty and her summoner, repeatedly and secretly criticizing the summoner's irresponsibility.

Of course, provided you do not lay a hand on the treasure she guards.

Eye Demon Patty has a good reputation in the Mist Forest; she is an eighth-tier magical creature, yet the local residents do not fear her and even wish to build an Eye Demon Carnival around her.

It is just that when too many people gather, the situation becomes complicated; someone is always deceived by her cheerful personality and thus develops designs on the treasure.

But often, in the end, the forest only gains another stone statue or a charred corpse.

The local town hall collects corpses from the forest every year; as Eye Demon Patty became more famous, the number of corpses increased, so to avoid attracting the Kingdom's attention, they had to abandon the idea of the carnival.

Eye Demon Patty's guard term is 101 years; this year happens to be the hundredth, yet she was killed before her liberation.

The newspaper was filled with regret over this matter.

The bard who wrote this report also collected the words of Eye Demon Patty's fans; it is said they plan to form an Avengers Alliance to avenge Eye Demon Patty.

Rod suddenly remembered the reward returned by the Bone Dragon Megan that day—a piece of Eye Demon flesh.

"It must be a coincidence."

He thought no more of it.

They waited under the awning for an hour.

Lady Kali returned with the unconscious Miss Xiao Ke and immediately placed her in the temporary hospital for care.

Fortunately, the mental burden was not heavy; two days of rest would suffice.

"Miss Xiao Ke's talent might be far better than I imagined; according to calculations, it will take her at least three hours to fully activate the 【Book of Fate】."

While speaking, Lady Kali handed Rod a blue water sphere.

Rod: "Perhaps she was desperate to protect Vivian. What is this?"

But the elf could not provide an answer.

"I do not know what Miss Xiao Ke saw inside the 【Book of Fate】; she took this thing out of it, asked me to give it to you, and then fainted."

She shrugged. "Even if Miss Xiao Ke wakes up, she cannot tell you. The flow of fate must always remain mysterious; allowing a half-centaur race to peek is already the limit. You just need to take this thing on the road; it will surely be useful."

Two days later.

Iku Hillside.

A tense negotiation unfolded here.

The Frenzy City side consisted of the Fairy Tooth Fairy Rosalia, the Witch Dimia, and the old gentleman Humbert.

The Coral Bay side had two Tieflings and one human.

Behind both sides stood a group of people.

The Coral Bay side was a mixed force of tall Golems, humans, and Tiefling armies.

Rod and his group mingled at the very back of the Shi Ying Town sheriff's line, watching the negotiation table from afar.

Tooth Fairy Rosalia had invited him to attend, but he had no desire to participate, serving merely as background scenery here.

The negotiation ahead quickly evolved from polite inquiries to verbal sparring and passionate shouting.

Clearly, this was mostly bluster; the troops behind neither side made any move.

"So boring, Master~ Let's sneak into the little woods~"

Tally poked half her head out from Rod's shadow.

Lady Kali warned: "Hide well, Succubus. That plague mage named Amel has not yet appeared."

Tally retorted: "I am not as useless as you, Master. He dotes on me greatly; with the infusion of abundant vital energy, my shadow magic has improved greatly. A mere seventh tier cannot even detect me~~"

Hearing this, the elf glanced at Rod beside her, who was examining the prosthetic limb in the Zombie Selena's hands, and couldn't help but snort coldly.

"Hmph! You are so indulgent; you will surely die in bed!"

"Really?! Then I can taste the flavor of a dead Master!"

Lady Kali felt annoyed in her heart and simply refused to speak to her.

Meanwhile, Rod was holding Selena's alchemical prosthetic limb, his eyes shining.

One had to admit.

This brass-colored armor design! This precise mechanical feel!

Alchemical prosthetic limbs are truly damn cool!

Maybe I should get one too?

Selena: "You're squeezing me painfully."

"Sorry, sorry, I got too excited. Wait, didn't you weaken the sensation of touch and pain?"

The Zombie shook her hands, the mechanical movement producing the sound of pulleys from the precise mechanism.

"Alchemical prosthetics require neural connection. I am a Zombie; my physical nerves have already weakened. To use it smoothly, the dwarf craftsmen had to re-stimulate the sensation of touch and pain to activate it."

"I see."

Rod reached out and pinched her cheek: "Does it hurt?"

"A little."

"Great. Next time you try to play mind games with me, I'll hang you up and beat you—pants down."

"."

For the first time, Selina wondered if agreeing to be enslaved had been a mistake.

Rod: "Is there any obstacle to using the magic?"

"It's not much different from a healthy arm."

Selina seemed reluctant to discuss the topic and instead said in a low voice: "Progress on the Overload Ring is quite good; the first batch of prototypes is expected in a month."

Though both her hands were severed, Bahadur's former student, who was passionate about spell research, had not slackened.

Whenever she had time, she used 【Mage Hand】 to flip through notes and study, claiming she was simulating scenarios in her mind.

"Well done."

"Thanks entirely to you, Master. Once this topic is concluded, I wish to return to my research on cosmic creatures and labyrinths."

"Do as you please, as long as you don't destroy the forest or cause trouble for people nearby."

"Thank you, my Master."

Rod patted her small head and smiled: "Also, don't harm yourself. I really can't feel at ease with someone who turns themselves into a zombie just for the sake of research."

Selina looked up at him once, expressionless and silent.

The tiefling Cecile walked over and smiled: "Mr. Rod, your relationship with your companions is truly wonderful."

This morning, when they set out,

the group encountered this tiefling girl who had pledged allegiance to the forest.

Upon hearing they were going to negotiate, she eagerly came to help, saying she wanted to contribute her meager strength.

Rod had intended to refuse, after all, they were facing a seventh-rank Wen Yi Fa.

But then he thought, she was at least fifth-rank; she could at least play a minor role against the noob sheriff in Shi Ying Town, so he agreed.

"Hehe."

Rod rested his elbow on top of Selina's head. "Many in the forest were villains before; I simply converted them all with love."

(End of Chapter)