Chapter 486: Communication and Buffs

"Hmm."

"This sacrificial parchment actually has a communication function?"

Rod's magical knowledge was honestly a bit lacking, and he couldn't see through the principle behind it.

So he held the parchment, put on a show, and let out a cold laugh.

Fortunately, the other side actually heard it.

And they cheered excitedly:

"Mr. Gorgon! Mr. Gorgon has responded!"

It was a full, powerful, deep male voice.

Besides that, Rod also heard a bubbling, gurgling sound.

And it wasn't just one man cheering — at least four other people were mixed in the background.

It was just that this man was closest, drowning out all the other noises.

Beside him.

Tally saw the little shawl on Vivian, and rolled her eyes.

Annoyed, she stuck out her butt and shoved the other aside, then snickered as she squeezed herself into her master's embrace.

Vivian's exquisite, picture-perfect face showed no emotion at all.

Presumably she felt no jealousy, no displeasure whatsoever — she simply moved closer to Rod again.

But with a smirking succubus occupying his embrace, she could only lean against his arm on the side.

Expressionlessly pressing her cheek against it.

Rod's attention was all on the parchment; not noticing, he instinctively raised his arm to hold the girl leaning against him.

The cheering on the other side of the parchment didn't last long before quieting down.

The background noise immediately grew louder, and other sounds gradually emerged:

"Help! Help! Don't kill me!"

"D-don't kill me!"

"Mercy! Mercy!!"

Begging for mercy and screams.

Whipping, and drowning suffocation — all carrying the sounds of violent struggling.

Just hearing it gave one a strong sense of their desperate will to live.

Rod: "."

He could already imagine it.

This group of extremist druids was probably meting out justice on a bunch of people who had harmed nature.

"Mr. Gorgon! When will Lord Zugu Zugu Moyi descend into the material plane?! Nature here is deeply polluted by mages and towns, on the brink of collapse, and urgently needs Lord Zugu Zugu Moyi's salvation!!"

The deep male voice appeared again.

He was impassioned, looking every bit the worried patriot.

Rod thought for a moment.

Extremist druids were also combatants, and with fewer moral restraints, these guys would probably be even more formidable when unleashed.

He had originally planned to call them over to Coral Bay to help slay the dragon.

But thinking carefully.

He wasn't the real Gorgon after all — luring them to the Dusk Hills carried the risk of exposing himself.

It was inevitable that later there would be a chance of exposure to the Fungal Lady; this was no different from consorting with a tiger for its pelt.

Mhm, better to keep contact to a minimum.

Freeloading some materials and gold, and I'm already quite satisfied.

So.

Rod gripped the parchment and let out a long, cold laugh.

Just refusing to speak.

Until the druids on the other end broke out in a cold sweat, thinking they had somehow slighted him or that the Sacrificial Offering they'd sent wasn't satisfactory.

They began explaining and defending themselves, then trying to guess the meaning behind the laughter of that 'Gorgon' on the sacrificial end.

But the more they explained, the colder the laugh grew.

Leaving them sitting on pins and needles.

A master, after all.

The defining trait is simply not listening to others and only saying his own piece — your appeals, your opinions, all completely ignored.

Rod figured it was about enough, directly cut the connection in the parchment, and stuffed it back into his spell pouch.

The voice transmitted into his head stopped abruptly.

The cold laugh carried multiple meanings.

He deliberately added a few extra notes of force when they were defending the quantity of the Sacrificial Offering.

"Hope you get what I mean — I want psionic items, rare treasures, and fifty million Jin Along, thanks."

Rod pressed his palms together toward the horizon and bowed.

Early the next morning.

Rod arrived at the Eucalyptus District, a bag of gifts still in his hand.

He looked refreshed and clear-headed, his skin full and glowing.

Last night in the cannon room was another round of great battle, successfully gaining 【Random Attribute Boost】, 【Twilight Concealment】, 【Minor Luck】, 【Instrument Novice Talent】, 【Spell Range Overload】, 【Martyr's Oath】.

Six buffs, carried out through six different mini-games.

One: Everyone is blindfolded and not allowed to peek. The girls stand in a circle facing each other. The spider-spirit Watching Yuna, acting as referee, rolls the dice and leads Rod — whatever number comes up, she counts that many steps and circles around to the back, with the number of movements matching the dice.

A random one is picked out to see who is the lucky one to gain Spirituality.

The second makes use of the half-deer-girl Miss Xiao Ke, who sneaks peeks from time to time — whoever can complete one full act within five meters of her wins.

Three is the bodily-fluids roulette.

Four is playing music throughout the act and ensuring the piece is performed in full.

Five has the girls as targets, with the host Tally calibrating the trajectory from afar — hitting the target grants a buff.

Six is a bit bloody — each person must prick open a wound, then press them together, bathing in fresh blood while going at it.

This game is kindly sponsored and provided by the female beastfolk Amy.

I heard it was her mother who told her.

Apparently back then, when her parents were madly in love, they had a quarrel, then went at each other with a tremendous ruckus, each ending up with a bloody head.

One battle wiped away all grudges, as they say.

That very day her parents were smooching, and the most satisfying bed-session in history erupted — and then Amy was conceived.

Although Rod felt it was a bit strange.

But you know what, the 【Martyr's Oath】 buff really is quite something.

【Details: When a partner is near death, one may voluntarily take half of their damage.】

This is a life-saving level skill.

The forest girls are still a bit weak compared to him, especially in damage resistance.

Major incidents have been happening frequently lately — who knows what might occur — and this skill has given Rod considerable peace of mind.

"Lady Hera! Lady Hera, are you there?"

While he was thinking.

Rod had already searched several places in the eucalyptus grove where the scorpion-girl Hera might appear.

Unfortunately, he didn't find her anywhere, so he could only call out loudly.

If it had been before, Rod would most likely have given up by now.

But after hearing the half-wolf druid Olga and the spider-spirit Watching Yuna both say that the scorpion-girl Hera's condition seemed off.

He was unwilling to let it go.

After all, she had once been a benefactor who truly saved his life.

"Lady Hera! It's me, Rod!"

"The scorpion-girl Young Lady of the eucalyptus grove!"

"Hera!"

"Little Hera~~"

"Little Hehe—"

So, he called out while searching.

The point is sheer perseverance — he shouted straight from morning until dusk.

"Argh, so noisy, thou"

Hearing the familiar voice.

Rod finally showed a smile, and downed in one gulp the mushroom tea Watching Yuna had just delivered.

He instinctively swept the area with 【Spider Sense】 — and couldn't sense a single thing.

He was startled inside.

【Spider Sense】 had performed remarkable feats ever since he obtained it; nothing around him could hide from it.

Now the voice was audible, but the radar couldn't pick her up.

Rather creepy.

Rod used the most primitive method — looked toward the sound.

And saw, sitting on a branch overhead, a graceful figure — none other than the scorpion-girl Hera, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

A head of ear-length black-purple short hair covered the upper half of her face, smooth and neat.

The nose and lips revealed were Gao Ting and petite, sensual and soft.

The black-purple exoskeleton only formed over her chest and hips — she looked just like a hot girl wearing hot pants and a tube top.

But the once-fearsome scorpion tail, usually held high, now drooped weakly, utterly lifeless.

(End of chapter)