Chapter 407: Absorption

【Abyssal Maw: Opens a massive, black-hole-like mouth, instantly folding and devouring the surrounding space. Whether solid matter or powerful magical energy, once drawn into the Abyssal Maw, it will be completely broken down and converted into the consumer's vitality and energy.】

Terms like "black hole" and "folding" had appeared—words he couldn't understand.

It was obviously a bug-tier skill.

Rod even suspected it could directly absorb a dragon's breath.

It was simply that during the battle with the black dragon Mikhail, he had still been holding his trump cards and hadn't used it.

"Now's the perfect time to test it. Watching Yuna, is the ritual for 【Mist Concealment】 ready?"

"It's ready. Activating now."

Watching Yuna raised both hands, her slender green-shoot-like fingers beginning to move in rhythm.

Particles of mana answered the summons, quickly dispersing and melting into a pale-white mana mist, which then turned into a glowing transparency, shrouding the hill that had been torn apart by the acid breath.

Spider-arachne were a type of elf as well, so she had also been easily prodded out by Rod with the skill 【Two-Handed Casting】.

Even without a staff, she could still achieve a Da Dui Mo Fa casting speed.

Speaking of which.

Among the several mages in the forest, not a single one used a staff.

Lady Kali and Watching Yuna used 【Two-Handed Casting】; the ghoul Pan Ni used her lantern; the zombie Selina's alchemical prosthetic served as her casting medium—functioning the same as a staff.

Rod had a Da Dui Mo Fa of magical accessories in his pouch, and fully 40% of them were staff accessories—nowhere to use them at all.

He sighed.

He raised his palm toward the sky.

A moment later.

A pure black spirit orb materialized in his palm.

The spirit orb swelled to the size of a human head.

Pushed by Rod, it slowly rose into the sky, positioning itself directly above that mass of black substance.

"Buzz—"

An inexplicable roar suddenly emanated from the pure black spirit orb.

What followed was a visible pull of suction.

The green acid mist spiraled upward, like a reversed siphon, surging madly toward the 【Abyssal Maw】 directly above.

The vast spread of the acid mist region was visibly thinning at a rapid pace!

At the same time.

Rod immediately felt a burning sensation throughout his body.

Especially in his stomach, where the corrosive feeling was unusually intense.

It was the acid mist he'd inhaled!

Rod's stomach had been modified by the skill 【Dragon Breath】 shared by Naolin, giving it extremely high tolerance.

Even so, the eighth-tier mid-stage dragon's potent acid breath still caused him intense discomfort.

"Is it because my acid resistance isn't high enough?"

But he didn't bother taking any countermeasures.

A dragon's stomach was extremely durable, and his body was the same.

With the three healing skills—【Regeneration】, 【Verdant Domain】, and 【Saprophytic Unity】—on hand, he wasn't afraid of the harm from this acid diluted by the 【Abyssal Maw】.

On the contrary.

Right now he was hoping to use the absorption of the 【Abyssal Maw】 to draw in all the acid mist, and pull his acid resistance up!

Watching Yuna noticed something off about her master.

Her hands couldn't help twisting together, pressing instinctively against her chest.

"Master."

Today she was wearing a slightly form-fitting black velvet long robe, its high collar wrapping her entire neck, leaving only a ring of soft white velvet around the collar.

She was the only one in the forest besides Tally who didn't wear winter clothes; she had even deliberately cut a sizable opening at the chest of her garment.

Her dark, slightly tough-textured skin was exposed, and the heavy, quarter-rounded contour of her bust also spilled out at the opening, bouncing with each step as she walked; a pale-red heating charm was nestled right between them, only half visible.

Watching Yuna knew her master liked staring at girls' chests.

And in winter, when the girls generally wore thick clothing, it naturally wasn't as obvious.

As a servant, how could she ignore her master's preferences?

So even normally, Watching Yuna would take the initiative to wear tight, revealing thin clothes; as for her master's every stolen glance, or his open admiration, those were the finest rewards for her—more than enough to make her heart pound with joy.

"Just a small mishap."

Seeing the worry on the face of the girl beside him, Rod took the initiative to explain.

"Are you sure it's alright?"

"Don't worry, just look at who your master is."

He reached straight for Watching Yuna's hand, wanting to offer some comfort.

At that moment the spider girl's hands were pressed against her chest; he gently lifted them, but his pinky accidentally snagged the chain of her heating charm.

Watching Yuna's face instantly flushed red.

Rod raised an eyebrow.

He gently rubbed the girl's cool, slender palm: "Have they grown a bit more?"

". Yes, big sister's body developed better than mine to begin with, and with the ample nutrition lately, so… Watching Yuna still isn't quite used to having this thing blocking my view."

"That's a good thing, don't fuss over it. Watching Yuna, could your clothes have an opening cut below the chest too?"

"Huh?"

Watching Yuna was puzzled.

Open it from below?

Master is so tall, even if I press down against his chest I still can't see anything.

"Recently Watching Yuna has been learning tailoring techniques from Miss Xiao Ke—may I try a look Master might like?"

"A look? No, no, no—this isn't something to look at, it's something to use."

The girl tilted her cute head cutely, her face blank with confusion.

Rod couldn't help but laugh.

He pinched her drooping long ears again—still ice-cold.

"Look how cold you are—why don't you wear more? Come here, let me hold you."

". Watching Yuna isn't cold."

So she said, but she still obediently leaned over.

As the powerful arm encircled her and she pressed against his broad chest, a gentle, warm breath instantly wrapped around her body.

Breathing in her master's scent, Watching Yuna felt a tingling, itchy numbness in her lower belly, and instantly grew a little dazed; her eyes glazed, she buried herself in his embrace, unwilling to move for a long time.

【Watching Yuna's obedience toward you +2, current obedience: 83】

Not long after.

The massive acid mist, along with the black residue of that exhalation, was devoured clean by 【Throat of the Abyss】 right beside their embrace.

What was interesting, though—

【Throat of the Abyss】 was extremely domineering; it even devoured Watching Yuna's 【Mist Concealment】 along with it.

Rod looked at the newly added 【Acid Resistance】 on his panel and nodded.

Not bad.

Holding the lazy Watching Yuna draped over him, he took out the brass spirit-measuring orb.

—【324 ke】.

"An increase of 5 ke, makes sense—resistance boost naturally counts toward the body. Hm?"

【Spider Sense】 sent back a reaction.

Moreover, the approaching presence was familiar.

Rod turned his head to look; through his dark vision, piercing the wildly perception-dampening drifting yellow sand, he locked onto the Tooth Fairy Rosalía slowly walking over not far away.

As her footsteps drew closer, Rosalía also spotted him at once, and that gorgeous, mature face showed a slight startle.

She adjusted quickly, flashing her familiar smile that blended allure and charm.

"Mr. Rod, good evening."

(End of chapter)