Chapter 408: Mycelium and the Passage

"So late — where are you headed?"

Rod patted Watching Yuna in his arms, signaling her to get up.

"Mm~~"

The spider-kin elf refused with a lazy nasal hum, and even threw both arms around his neck, burying her face between his collarbone and throat.

She nuzzled twice, then drifted back into her daze.

Her plump little chest pressed against Rod's pectorals.

Carrying the youthful springy resilience of a maiden and the dark elf's naturally firm skin.

Even if not all that big, it was still thick enough and pert.

Fine.

Watching Yuna wasn't usually the type of girl who acted spoiled — he'd indulge her this once.

Rosalia felt a touch awkward, then looked past the two of them, her expression openly startled:

"The acid fog… it's gone?"

"Oh right, the acid fog is gone."

The Tooth Fairy sprite found his exaggerated look of surprise rather amusing.

"I thought Rod was merely a powerful spiritual warrior — I never expected him to also possess the technique for dealing with dragon-breath acid fog. Truly an eye-opener."

"Heh, just a little trick. I heard you're leaving?"

"…Tomorrow morning."

"In such a rush? Then why aren't you resting properly — what are you doing here so late?"

Rosalia couldn't help feeling a little awkward.

A while back in the mine, she'd thought she'd made herself perfectly clear, and Rod was a smart man — she'd assumed he wouldn't keep pestering her.

Hearing words of concern now, she once again suspected he still had feelings.

"The acid fog here might affect the crops in the farmland district — it concerns Shi Ying Town's coming winter and early spring, and I couldn't quite set my mind at ease. But looking now, Rod, besides solving it, you've already gotten this cozy with a girl — seems I was worrying over nothing."

Before Rod could speak.

She went on: "This time when I return to Gale City, I probably won't be coming back to Shi Ying Town. Baron Ram promised that once the dragon calamity is over, she'll recommend me into the kingdom of Etheron's 'Shadow-Hunting Wind' unit, at which point I'll head to Skard City to take up the post.

"'Shadow-Hunting Wind' — its predecessor was one of the units involved in that fairy massacre back then. I've been looking for a chance to join that unit; there should be clues from those days inside, and perhaps I can use it to track down the one who pulled the strings behind it all."

Rod nodded.

Since the two of them had already laid things out plainly, he certainly wouldn't keep pestering her.

They were still friends, though.

The words of concern just now were simply the worry of an ordinary friend — he'd always kept that line clear.

"Whoever could orchestrate an operation on this scale, the one behind it is probably no low-ranking figure — you…"

"I will spend the rest of my life killing them."

Rod sensed the steel in her tone and smiled: "I wish you success — but don't do anything rash out of spite. If you need any help, come find me. We're all friends, after all."

And hearing him say the word 'friends', Rosalia's faintly furrowed brow finally eased.

She offered a heartfelt thank-you.

The night wind howled.

The all-encompassing yellow veil refilled the brief void the acid fog had left behind, and the sky sank once more into a dim haze.

Rosalia came quickly and left just as quickly.

By the time Watching Yuna came back to her senses, all she caught was the sight of her departing back.

"Miss Rosalia? Why did she come— ah!!!"

She suddenly shrieked, her face flushing red even through her ink-black skin, so mortified she wished she could die.

It turned out that in her daze, her drool had soaked a large patch of Rod's collar.

She frantically tugged at her sleeve to wipe it.

Rod didn't mind at all.

Just as he was about to tell her to forget it, a message popped up on the panel before him, and Rod's expression turned strange:

【'Despair Mycelium' used successfully.】

【Target: Sabrina Nightveil】

【Rank: Sixth Order, Initial Stage】

【The target's soul is sealed within the Infernal Altar; a 'Mycelial Core' cannot be constructed.】

【Additional skill effects:

1. Despair Heart;

2. Life Drain;

3. Summon Evil God;

4. Despair Domain (conditions not met).】

What the—?

I haven't used this skill just now…

【Despair Mycelium】 — Rod had only used it twice so far.

Once it worked, once it had no response.

The successful time was when he was meeting the dark elf squad — the target was that Zhong Duan De Fa mage.

He rifled through his records.

The name was confirmed: 'Pamela Nightveil'.

And at this moment.

A sixth-tier mid-stage being named Sabrina Nightfall.

That must have been the time it was used and produced no reaction.

That use was a trial one, the target being one of the dark elf inside agents at Argyle Manor at the time.

"Could it be that it only just took effect because she had just been reborn from the 【Blood Birth Pool】?"

Rod noticed that the panel not only listed the spells, secret arts, and spiritual arts Sabrina knew as a warlock, but also her detailed location and a third-person surveillance feed.

He focused his attention on the surveillance feed, and the image immediately enlarged.

It clearly showed a dark elf girl with jet-black skin and white hair.

She was stark naked, her whole body dripping wet, the remaining pale-red water stains falling to the ground with each step as she walked down a corridor made of sulfur, flames, and black grotesque rock walls; the water stains hit the ground with a hiss and vaporized into wisps of blue smoke that vanished.

Completely unaware that Rod was secretly observing her.

"Looks like she really did just revive from the 【Blood Birth Pool】. So this is what the inside of the Abyss looks like?"

While mentally guessing, he comforted the panicked spider-kin spirit.

Watching Yuna seemed to feel she had committed some grave sin; even though Rod had clearly expressed that he didn't mind, she still wore a face full of guilt and self-reproach.

"What's the big deal? If you really want to blame someone, blame yourself for not drooling enough — I couldn't even use it to brew tea."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? You and I have swapped saliva countless times, such a small matter and I—"

"Master wants to brew tea with my drool?!"

Rod:?

How could you possibly interpret it that way? That was meant as a comforting remark.

"Watching Yuna is willing. As long as it's what Master wants, Watching Yuna is willing to do anything. Coincidentally, Watching Yuna's recent research on magical potions has made some progress — perhaps I can brew a magical potion that greatly increases saliva secretion while improving the taste."

"Mm—"

Rod let his imagination run for a moment. Hmm, that actually sounds pretty nice?

"You can give it a try. Sign off on the approval yourself, and if there are any materials you can't find, just come to me."

"Understood, Master."

Watching Yuna replied, a hint of excitement on her face.

Back to the surveillance feed.

As they spoke, the corridor where Sabrina was — saturated with Abyss-style flair — gradually began to change.

First, the light.

The dim yellow of the flames shifted to a soft, bright white light.

Then the rock walls and sulfur.

The grotesque black and filthy yellow began to fade, gradually lessening, until they were gone entirely.

After she passed through a ring of light interwoven with yellow and red.

The corridor transformed completely.

White latex paint on the ceiling, marble floor tiles with natural veining, and along both sides of the corridor hung several artworks or portraits in predominantly white tones.

After briefly traversing the corridor, a half-wall with hollowed-out sections appeared, just enough to let Rod see the scenery outside.

Coral Bay's U-shaped harbor facing the Montes sea region.

Rod's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Does Coral Bay have a passage leading directly to the Abyss?"

(End of chapter)