Chapter 213: Purpose

No need to think about it—now you should know this was all Princess Mei Mei's doing.

Luo De carefully sensed the magic on the crystal box, and this time he finally recognized it.

Is it 【Shattered Emerald】?

Though it's only a fifth-rank spell, its power increases with the quality of magic, not to mention its convenience as a ranged technique.

Whether intentional or not, this spell is extremely rare on the market.

When Luo De once flipped through someone's spell notes, he came across it and immediately took a liking to it—but even in the Magic Control League, he couldn't find it.

Outside the ritual array, a flicker of magical light flashed.

A cat spirit clad in lavish attire appeared using 【Spatial Teleportation】.

This cat was identical to the shadow seen earlier in the cave chamber.

It was Princess Mei Mei.

She wore a pink puffy princess dress, a golden crown resting between her two upright cat ears, and held a fairy wand with a five-pointed star at its tip.

Combined with her pure white fur, just like the witch cat, she looked sweet and elegant—a textbook princess stereotype.

The witch cat stared at her, utterly incredulous.

"Princess Mei Mei, why?"

Duke Andy laughed loudly: "Foolish witch cat! Princess Mei Mei loves me—she came here to save me!"

Princess Mei Mei's faint smile never faded.

Yet she ignored both of them, instead gently curtsying to Luo De, holding the hem of her dress.

"Dragon God's emissary, Princess Mei Mei greets you."

Her voice was sweet, still perfectly fitting the cat persona.

Luo De waved his hand: "I know villains like you all have a need to talk—go on, what do you need the Dragon Body material for?"

"Lord Luo De, as a servant of the Dragon God, no wonder my crude spells couldn't affect you."

"I've said it before—I don't serve Naulin; Naulin serves me."

"Hehehe~~ Lord Luo De, you're such a joker."

The witch cat slammed her fist into the ground, hitting a puddle beside her, splashing water all over herself.

Her expression was nearly broken: "Princess Mei Mei! Why?! Aren't we sisters?! Didn't we swear on the peak of Witch Peak to be sisters forever, breathing the night wind together?!"

Princess Mei Mei turned to her, her smile fading, her expression turning cold.

"Could you please shut up while I'm speaking with my esteemed guest?"

"Wh-what?"

She elegantly raised a white paw, as if repulsed, lightly covering her nose and mouth: "Look at yourself now, witch cat—where is there anything worthy of being my sister?"

The witch cat froze, staring at her own paws.

The white fur, stained by the ground water, had faded like paint, turning into a patchy tricolor pattern.

"No! No! This is the new color Princess Mei Mei gave me!"

Princess Mei Mei let out a scoff.

She swept her wand through the air, leaving a magical trail, then took a light step forward.

"A tricolor, inferior mongrel, a deformed cat spirit regressing to its primitive form—becoming my sister? Hehe~~"

Duke Andy burst into laughter again:

"Witch cat, don't you understand yet? Princess Mei Mei and I have pledged our lives to each other—she came here solely to be with me!"

He looked expectantly at the woman he loved.

But the only reply was a mocking laugh.

"Isn't this the limp, useless tin spearhead, Duke Andy? Still alive?"

"Princess Mei Mei?" he stammered, "But didn't you say just a few nights ago that you were drained?"

"I see your inner insecurity, Duke Andy. You're huge, yet that part is tiny—you've always only dared to seek out smaller cat spirits. That's your source of power, isn't it? Hehe, does my figure suit your taste?"

Duke Andy's eyes widened, and he remained speechless for a long time.

Hearing this exchange, Luo De rubbed his temples.

If this were humans, fine—but hearing it come from cat spirits always gave him a strange, ear-piercing discomfort.

He kicked the witch cat with his foot.

She was severely injured, mentally shattered, and collapsed face-first into the muddy puddle, covering herself in filth.

More of her white dye had smeared, making her look even more disheveled.

"Stupid girl—she didn't even consider you worth a second thought."

Hearing Luo De's teasing, she clenched her teeth, lowering her head in humiliation.

Splash—

Pudding struggled to push aside the massive rocks, drenched in blood.

He immediately spotted Princess Mei Mei outside the ritual array, his expression complex.

"Princess Mei Mei, is everything you said true?"

Luo De was speechless.

Great, another one who walks right into it.

But to his surprise, Princess Mei Mei's expression softened slightly: "Pudding, you are the only person I have ever loved."

Pudding, a man who finally woke up, heard her words—and no longer clung to his romantic delusions.

He slowly drew his longsword from his waist.

He said, heartbroken: "We swore to spend our lives together—but you've done all this."

Sensing Pudding's movement, Princess Mei Mei's expression turned cold again: "I intended to give you a chance to ascend with me—but as your loyalty surpassed your love for me, so too does my ideal surpass all personal bonds."

She unleashed her magic.

The ritual array instantly accelerated, its heavy magical roar crushing down upon everyone's heads.

Seeing the cat spirits veer off-topic again, Luo De had to remind them:

"Princess Mei Mei, you still haven't said what you need the Dragon Body material for. And what exactly is this 'ascension' of yours?"

Princess Mei Mei turned to him again, spreading her arms confidently.

"My ascension means replacing the Dragon Body material—becoming one of the Dragon God's physical forms!"

"."

Given the cat spirits' warped values, Luo De could at least guess her goal wouldn't be conventional.

But he never imagined it would be this bizarre.

He shrugged helplessly: "What's the benefit to you? This has nothing to do with ascension."

Princess Mei Mei shot back: "Lord Luo De, as the Dragon God's emissary, don't you understand the breathtaking beauty of the Dragon God's body? Don't you wish to possess a body as magnificent as the Dragon God's? How isn't becoming part of the Dragon God ascension?!!"

Fine.

I get it now.

Under Naulin's influence, every cat spirit in the 【Cat Spirit Paradise】 maze is either her fan or her twisted devotee.

"So then, we have no conflict, do we?"

"Originally none—but unfortunately, you resisted my mental influence. If you return alive, you'll expose the Dragon God's purpose."

With that, Princess Mei Mei swung her wand.

A faint magical glow appeared above Tally beside Luo De, quickly coalescing into a dark shadow.

The next instant, the shadow descended, fully engulfing her, then vanished—and with it, Tally disappeared.

"【Shadow Shift】? What did you do with Tally? And your magic isn't strong enough to move her far."

Luo De didn't understand.

"True, I can't move her far—this lady will return here in five seconds, provided she still remembers this location."

Oh? So it's that memory-altering spell again?

Princess Mei Mei smiled confidently: "Without your sister as a fighter, Lord Luo De, what can you possibly do?"

(End of Chapter)