Chapter 255: Visitors

On a hillside outside Henry Farm.

Two shadows hid stealthily behind the hill, gazing far off at the open land between the forest and the farm.

"Look! Look! He kissed him! I told you he and that half-elf were together! You lost!"

The speaker was a catfolk girl.

Her chest was flat, lying on the grass with not the slightest curve or obstruction.

In her hand now was a brass-colored cylinder—clearly a magical artifact, radiating an aura of magic.

The other was a human girl.

Also with a flat chest, she held a short staff—evidently a mage.

The human girl frowned angrily and pulled out a Jin Along, tossing it onto the catfolk's body.

"He's a forest warden—keeping a succubus is one thing, but why is he also involved with a half-elf?!"

"Not just that! That necromancer keeps giving him longing looks and keeps brushing her chest against him on purpose—there's no way their relationship isn't serious!"

The catgirl chuckled.

The human girl was seething.

"Laugh! Laugh at what?! Lily talks about him almost every day—don't you know that? If Lily finds out, how heartbroken will she be?!"

"Doris, you're overthinking this. If Lily already knows he keeps a succubus, she must know exactly what kind of guy he is. Let's not meddle—just hand him the item and leave."

The catgirl dismissed it.

She put away the brass cylinder artifact.

But the human mage Doris shook her head stubbornly.

"No! I won't let this guy play with Lily's feelings, Chloé! We should teach him a lesson!"

"Teach him a lesson? Are you stupid or insane? Lily said this guy killed a sixth-rank peak mage with one sword slash when he just ascended to sixth rank—now he's… damn it! Sixth-rank peak already?! So fast?!"

"What?!"

Doris wanted to cast a spell to scout.

But her instinct told her that casting any spell here might trigger something bad.

Seeing her hesitate,

the catgirl Chloé kicked her without warning.

"What are you doing? We're from the Heroic Alliance—came to the Twilight Hills to investigate the dark elves of Coral Bay. What's the point wasting time here?"

"I just can't stand this guy! Look! He's hugging two girls at once—what does that make of Lily's feelings?!"

Doris suddenly seemed to remember something.

Tears began to trickle down.

Chloé groaned and slapped her forehead.

Helplessly, she pulled out a small handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears: "Sorry… did you just think of that bastard bard?"

"No! I didn't think of him! Him running off before our wedding? I don't care at all! I just hate bastards in general!"

"Alright, alright. But in the end, he's Lily's friend—we can't go beating him up. We probably couldn't win anyway… but we could pull a prank on him the first time we meet!"

"A prank?"

"Watch."

Chloé pulled out two items.

A palm-sized square crystal and a vibrant green pod radiating spiritual energy.

The green pod slowly sank into the square crystal, then solidified instantly.

It now looked like amber containing a pod.

"This crystal was something I found by accident. Useless—it can't be used as weapon material or refined for spellcasting—but it's incredibly hard when set. I had someone test it: even a seventh-rank spiritual warrior skilled in strength couldn't crush it by hand."

Hearing this,

Doris perked up and continued Chloé's thought:

"We make one of the girls here try to crush it in front of him. If he can't, he'll be humiliated! Uh… but then he won't get Lily's emerald pod, will he?"

"Don't worry—I know how to unlock the crystal. When he fails to open it, we'll all sigh and shake our heads and say, 'Is that all?'"

"Hahaha! I read that line in the Snow Hill Evening News fiction section—it's what the carnivorous hero Ophir said!"

"Exactly! Speaking of Ophir, did you hear if the author plans to assign the protagonist a gender? Apparently they heard from a friend that flower spirits can only have one set of reproductive organs."

"Huh?? One set of reproductive organs? I want to see Ophir with three girls at once!! If that's the case, I'm quitting!"

As the magical glow faded,

the ritual ended.

Sixteen zombie servants successfully endured.

The plague effect was removed.

These sixteen lucky ones became the shame of zombies—weaker than humans.

This was the necessary cost of ritual success.

They would gain the debuffs of osteoporosis and muscle atrophy.

But Pan Ni didn't care.

She only wanted to cut farm costs, make big money, and move into her master's forest warden cabin as soon as possible.

Kali stared coldly at Luo De beside her.

"Your turn. The Ritual of Soul-Weapon Solidification isn't too hard—I'll guide you, you do the carving."

"Alright, alright."

Luo De set down Bond, who had recovered, and stepped forward.

Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching from afar.

He turned his head.

Two girls.

One catfolk, one human mage.

They marched toward him with fierce determination, smiling confidently.

Kali frowned slightly: "Another girl you've been chasing?"

"Don't say nonsense—I don't know them."

Luo De sighed in denial.

But then again, catfolk…

If the chance arises, getting to know them isn't a bad idea.

The two girls arrived before him.

Everyone in the forest paused their work and turned to look.

"Who are you two?"

Luo De asked first.

"I'm Chloé."

"I'm Doris."

Chloé and Doris said in unison: "We've come on Lily's behalf, to deliver a token for you."

The halfling Lily.

During Luo De's journey to Emerald City, he had joined this halfling of the Heroic Alliance in several acts of justice.

Their relationship had been quite good.

They had even exchanged letters.

"Lily? How is she? Last letter she said she was investigating a green dragon scam in Deepwater City."

Luo De's expression softened with nostalgia.

The human mage Doris nodded:

"The Deepwater City case tied Lily up—she couldn't come herself. But hearing that Twilight Hills has been troubled lately, she worried about her ordinary 'friend,' Forest Warden Luo De, so she entrusted her best 'friend'—that's me and Chloé—to bring you something."

She emphasized the word "friend."

No one knew what she meant to imply.

"I see. Thank you both for coming."

Luo De offered a gentle smile.

Now that he thought of it, Lily's letters had mentioned she once investigated the Hot City disturbances with a catfolk.

The letter described that catfolk as having a flat chest…

He stole a glance.

Sure enough—completely flat.

So this must be Miss Chloé!

(End of Chapter)