Chapter 297: Disguise

"Why not kill him?"

The crowd arrived at the Hansen River basin in the Claw Valley mountains, watching Lady Kali and Rosalia discuss countermeasures.

Tally, standing nearby, asked curiously.

"I'm not a killer; it was just a verbal dispute. For now, the crime doesn't warrant death."

"For now?"

"Consider it a chance I, as a decent person, am giving him. I've revealed part of my strength and made my intent to kill clear. If he still doesn't get it, then I'll just send him on his way."

Rod shrugged.

It was like traffic violations on certain road sections: if the offense isn't serious, a first warning, then punishment on the second.

At the same time, to prevent underhanded behavior, he split off a small blob of black slime and flicked it onto the other party.

Every move is under surveillance right now.

"Tch."

Tally pouted, "I thought you were going to kill him tonight, then come have a go with me in his house, stepping on his intestines and blood. My 【Shadow Trace】 was already cast, look, he's already back in Shi Ying Town."

"Ha, I used a little trick to monitor him too."

"Really? Master and I are telepathic! Reward me with a kiss."

Rod ignored Tally, who had closed her eyes and puckered her lips seeking a kiss, since the Tiefling Sybil was standing right there.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm great, it's awesome!"

Sybil's face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Good. But I still have to remind you: all actions must be based on your own strength. Enjoy yourself when you should, and hide when you shouldn't."

"Understood! Thank you, Mr. Rod!"

Rod laughed helplessly: "Don't call me teacher; I can't live up to that. Find an elf who loves to preach instead."

The girl looked at Lady Kali's back not far ahead.

The terrain in this river basin is treacherous, the river water turbulent; the elves seem to need time to prepare the counter-ritual.

For now, Xian Shi Fa has been used to summon many water sprites capable of controlling water flow, serving as a temporary barrier.

Sybil's eyes burned with intensity.

"Teacher Farshad always taught me and Prula to be kind to others, to endure as much as possible. Having one more friend is better than one more enemy. Actually, I can feel that the teacher doesn't trust our demon bloodlines. He truly hopes that through the teachings in the days to come, we can live calmly on the continent like normal people."

"Farshad is doing it for your own good."

Rod had no intention of correcting or nitpicking someone else's method of education.

"I know, it's just... it feels like he doesn't trust us."

"That isn't your fault either; demon bloodlines can affect temperament."

"But that's what we Tieflings are, isn't it? We are born this way. The violent temperament when possessing demon bloodlines is the norm... Sometimes I really don't want to endure or restrain myself; I really want to let it out."

It seemed Farshad had applied the elves' method of restrained teaching to the two underage Tieflings.

Perhaps he would be a bit gentler, less strict.

But for a race like the Tieflings, who are not demons yet are tormented by demon bloodlines their whole lives, it would likely cause the person involved even more pain.

"Then let it out."

Rod followed the principle that blocking is worse than channeling.

"Huh?"

"Releasing stress is a good thing; even I need to release it."

Sybil was stunned:

"Even Mr. Rod needs to?"

At this moment, Tally squeezed over.

She smiled and interjected: "."

Rod grabbed her face to stop her from continuing.

You hold back a bit.

He saw that Sybil's face had already turned bright red; she lowered her head, too afraid to look at him, and the spiral horns on her head pointing backward even emitted a burning red glow.

He quickly changed the subject.

"In any case, if you want to find a way to release stress later, just come talk to me."

"Thank you, thank you, Mr. Rod."

She replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Then, as if remembering something, she pulled a small sphere emitting blue light from her spell satchel.

"Ryan... I'm not sure what kind of person he is. Now that we've had a dispute, just in case, I secretly placed a positioning spell artifact given by the teacher on him. Here, for you."

Your precautionary measures are quite timely.

Rod even began to suspect that not killing him on the spot back then might have been a mistake.

"You keep it yourself; I already..."

"It's fine, Mr. Rod."

The Tiefling girl winked at him; her exquisite face carried a smile, quite cute and enthusiastic: "I placed more than one."

Alright.

Very cautious in the style of a mage; obviously taught by Farshad.

I don't dislike it.

"Mr. Rod, please come over; Miss Kali needs your assistance."

The Tooth Fairy sprite Rosalia called out gently ahead.

Rod nodded, leaped onto the rock ahead, and arrived at the cliff where the two ladies stood.

He saw the elf kneeling on one knee before a rock, casting some spell upon it.

"What's wrong?"

"Something is off. A mage has set up a delayed-explosion timed spell here."

A timed spell?

Here?

Rod cast a Identification spell on that large rock.

There was no reaction; it simply showed as an ordinary rock.

He then probed with his spiritual sense; even knowing it was crafted by magic, he still found nothing amiss.

Ho. Quite a superior concealment spell.

Who knows how Lady Kali discovered it.

"Not a coincidence?"

"No. The purpose is to target our ritual blocking the waterway."

Lady Kali said in a deep voice.

She stood up and pointed to the cliff across the Hansen River; its shape resembled the English letter 'r', similar to their position, looking like a broken bridge.

"If one were to use a spell ritual to block the waterway, this entire stretch of the river basin is most suitable. The opponent clearly saw this, set an ambush specifically, and intends to sabotage the ritual."

Rod shrugged:

"No need to say more. Whoever could do such a treacherous thing must be a Bahadur student spreading the Beast Transformation Disease behind the scenes."

"Most likely."

Rosalia smiled bitterly on the side: "With Miss Pan Ni's undead legion helping, the pressure on the mountain path will be much lighter. I will send the Wendigo to the Ko Plain to locate that mage; at that time, Mr. Rod's help will also be needed."

"Of course. As for Bahadur's people, I cut down whoever I see; it's purely personal grievance. So, what do you need my assistance with now?"

Lady Kali did not speak directly but used the 【Chain of Far Speech】.

【Lady Kali: In the battle against the Plague Mage Amel, use that Domain you employed on this stone.】

That Domain? Oh— it is the 'Preservation Domain'.

Rod immediately understood her meaning.

Presumably, the elf feared alerting the snake, so she did not intend to dismantle it but chose to freeze the rock's current state.

【Rod: Just say it directly; why private chat?】

【Lady Kali: Domains like this cannot be exposed before outsiders. This Tooth Fairy sprite is no simpleton; don't let her pretty looks make you a pawn for others.】

Fine, fine, fine.

You are so worry-prone.

Rod placed his hand on the stone and secretly infused a thread of Preservation Domain power.

【Touched part of the authority of the 'Disguise Domain'】

(End of this chapter)