Chapter 269: Method

"Heh."

Seeing no reaction from Luo De.

Sharon sat up and leaned gently against his knees.

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked up, blinking her lively yet pitiful eyes:

"The person I like, when this happens, might grumble impatiently but still says something like 'I can't deal with you,' and eventually finds a way to help me."

Her gaze was sincere and humble.

Her eyes held a thousand layers of tenderness and affection as she watched Luo De.

"You think saying a few words of affection and acting cute with physical contact will fool me? You're dead wrong."

Luo De's expression didn't change.

"Tsk!"

Sharon snapped her tongue sharply.

If it were someone like Tally, Vivian, or Callistre, I'd gladly help for free.

If the old polite and gentle Sharon were still around—the little dog girl who understood social graces and never tried to get something for nothing—

But now? No.

This creature has become too wild and reckless.

Like a stray dog.

Who knows when she might bite you.

Sharon sighed deeply.

She flopped back with a slap, her head slamming into the bones on the ground, blood splattering across her face.

"How about I give you the spellbook for 【Clone Spell】?"

"I don't need such a thing, and Callistre already knows this spell."

"Tsk."

Sharon snapped her tongue again, her face hardening like frost. "Don't talk about other girls in front of me, especially that elf woman. Don't you know the rules of talking to girls, Luo De?"

"Don't change the subject. I don't want the spellbook."

"Then I don't have much to trade with. Do you want spell components? Hmm, actually, I do have one thing you might find useful."

She pulled something from her spell satchel and tossed it over.

Luo De reached out and caught it.

He looked—it was a slender bone mask.

The eye sockets were long and fox-like, with two bone flaps on either side, resembling fox ears, curving outward.

It held no spirit or magic, yet he sensed a heavy, chaotic, disordered force within.

"Spirit energy?"

"Yes. A spirit energy mask. Dimeia said you recently consulted her about spirit energy items. Is it suitable?"

Why does Dimeia keep talking about me all day?

Luo De shook his head, not caring much.

He rubbed the bone mask in his hand.

His spirit warrior's formation had always lacked a sufficiently powerful spirit energy item—this was a crucial step on the seventh-rank spirit warrior path.

Such items were extremely rare.

He'd waited over a month in the Magic Control League's market district and hadn't found one.

Honestly, this was quite critical.

"Fine. I'll take it."

Luo De agreed.

He pulled a magic ring from his spell satchel and activated it.

Invisible incantations and magic rippled through the air, followed by a faint trembling.

Soon, a hemispherical force field formed around Luo De.

About six to seven meters in radius.

Inside, a small, exquisite cottage appeared, fully furnished with heating, lighting, and all amenities.

The next moment, the field shimmered with colors reflecting its surroundings, then slowly sank into the ground, leaving only half exposed, perfectly blended with the environment.

No one could tell it was there.

"The 【Li Oumeng Secret Cottage】? That's rare. The Heavenly Flower Kingdom rarely exports this kind of everyday magic ring."

Sharon said in surprise.

Of course.

Luo De smiled inwardly.

Precisely because the Heavenly Flower Kingdom obsessed over turning magic rings into combat tools, he found a market gap.

The first batch of pirated magic rings made by Zombie Selina became wildly popular in the market district—unexpectedly, demand for everyday-use rings was substantial.

After observing and asking around, Luo De learned not all mages were as versatile as Callistre.

As spatial fluctuations intensified, more mages focused on combat spells and neglected everyday magic.

That was his opening.

He quickly ramped up small-batch production of everyday-use magic rings—sold out immediately.

The 【Li Oumeng Secret Cottage】 in his hand was one he kept for personal use.

"If we're going to treat you, we need a quiet environment. This is perfect."

Sharon's expression softened slightly as she glanced at him. "You're surprisingly thoughtful. No wonder so many girls like you."

Luo De smiled, about to speak—

His prophecy bracelet vibrated again.

"..."

Looking at Sharon, her expression had turned sinister and dark—completely different from the sweet, coquettish girl moments ago.

Can you just die already, Ameier!

Ameier's consciousness was clearly wary of Luo De, his gaze filled with caution.

So he had no intention of fighting—he immediately used 【Spatial Teleport】 to vanish.

"Damn it! I just set up my cottage!"

Luo De gritted his teeth and chased after him with 【Swift Shadow】.

He instantly understood.

Just as Sharon saw this spiritual dimension as a place to completely purge Ameier's consciousness, Ameier's ritual would realize the same thing—and would do everything to prevent it.

In this situation, could Sharon really wait until she finished carving the ritual herself?

Even if setting up the ritual didn't require the same intense focus as casting a spell, it still allowed no room for error.

Could she possibly complete it while another consciousness constantly harassed her?

I don't think so.

Luo De always considered himself a man of honor.

Once he received payment, he couldn't just abandon you.

Sharon.

Since your method won't work, try mine.

"A human? Brother Anas let a human mage in? What was he thinking?"

Yuna was struggling to carry food ingredients into the kitchen when she overheard a passing Dark Elf guard say this.

She paid no attention.

Calmly helped the head chef with cooking.

A human mage wouldn't affect her and her sister Yufei's escape plan.

She knew well—she and her sister, reduced to spider-mutated Dark Elves, were insignificant against this colossal nest stretching from earth to sky.

All they needed was to quietly map out an escape route.

There were no patrols inside the nest.

But no rules meant randomness—and randomness was the hardest to handle.

So Yuna had to find a path no one would ever walk.

In truth, the giant nest had countless paths; she vaguely remembered one hidden trail.

It was a route she and her sister, along with their childhood friends, had discovered when they first moved here, before any evaluations.

Over three months had passed—she didn't know if the secret passage had been found yet.

"Stir it! You idiot, you're burning the bottom!"

The head chef, a gaunt Dark Elf as thin as a tree trunk, barked angrily.

In the past, he would never have dared to speak to a female Dark Elf like this.

But now, Yuna had degraded into a spider-mutated Dark Elf—a being lower than a slave.

"Yes, sir."

Yuna shrank her shoulders, replying timidly.

But before that, this seemingly meek spider-mutated Elf had to finish her work quickly, then begin scouting the route.

A massive nest capable of housing ten thousand dark elves requires food that is not easily obtained.

(End of Chapter)