Chapter 487: Request

"Lady Hera, your tail is drooping."

Luo De was direct, speaking right to the point.

Scorpion woman Hera was an old acquaintance; their relationship was close, and they visited each other during holidays, no need to be formal.

Besides, she wasn't the type to care for rigid etiquette.

He took another large sip of mushroom tea to soothe his throat, which felt like it was about to smoke, the taste slightly sweet.

"In scorpion folk tradition, saying your tail is drooping is equivalent to cursing death."

Her massive, dimmed scorpion tail slowly curled up and hung limply over a nearby branch.

Her words carried some seriousness.

Yet Hera's dark purple lips curled into a carefree smirk.

She wasn't serious—just teasing—but Luo De couldn't be casual with her.

"Uh, sorry."

"Forest guard, it's been so long, and you're already mid-seventh tier—why are you still so timid in front of me?"

"Primarily out of respect, secondarily out of admiration."

"Respect? Admiration? Then why have you been staring at my chest?"

"Have I?"

"Yes, just now, when you were speaking, you glanced again."

"Hmm, I can't see your eyes, so I just looked somewhere else."

Scorpion woman Hera burst into laughter.

Her sense of humor was always low—and strange.

Before she entered seclusion, Luo De often told jokes and memes from his past life on Earth; even if they were outdated and terrible, Hera would still imagine the punchlines herself and laugh uncontrollably.

Luo De laughed along beside her.

Suddenly, he saw Hera cough violently, strange grayish-purple magical runes glowing on her neck.

He couldn't help but ask.

"Lady Hera, are you alright?"

At the same time, he activated 【Insight Demon Eye】.

He saw black-purple spiritual energy flowing backward within the strange grayish-purple runes on her neck—same origin as her own spiritual energy, but due to reversed pathways, it was steadily corroding her body.

"Nothing serious. The eye demon meat you sent me last time was excellent, so I tried using it to break through to ninth tier. Didn't work."

Hera waved her hand dismissively.

As if describing something utterly unrelated to her.

She floated gently to the ground, then leaned languidly against the tree trunk, gazing at Luo De from afar.

Her bare, snow-white feet touched the leaf-covered earth without picking up a speck of dust.

Eye demon meat.

It was a gift Luo De had given her after trading essence with Bone Dragon Mei Gan.

He'd also given her many other demonic or cosmic creature materials.

He himself couldn't use them, and cosmic materials required review and tedious paperwork, so he generously gave them all to Scorpion Woman Hera.

To attempt ninth tier…

That means the scorpion woman is at the peak of eighth tier.

Spiritual energy reverse flow from a failed breakthrough—this makes sense.

"Let me try."

Seeing her land, Luo De stepped forward.

As a forest guard, he possessed two domain skills—【Saprophytic Unity】 and 【Green Vine Mutual Healing】—both with healing effects; surely they'd help a little.

"Don't you dare touch me~"

But the scorpion woman gracefully dodged away, smiling sweetly.

"You, forest guard, are dishonest—you've been fraternizing with girls every night, all different races… hey, are you trying to collect scorpion folk like stamps?"

Luo De's expression turned serious.

He spoke solemnly: "I have always held only admiration and respect for Lady Hera."

"Respect? Then why keep staring at my chest? Hehehe… you're a formidable seventh tier, I'm an eighth tier weakened by failed breakthrough—so if you insist on coming closer, I might not be able to resist."

"Really? No, uh—excuse me, I mean, don't joke around, Lady Hera. I might be able to calm your injury."

Hera noticed he was serious.

She stopped her playful teasing—she always enjoyed teasing this handsome, pleasant forest guard.

Her scorpion tail rose and hooked onto the branch.

She inverted herself like Spider-Man, extending her left hand toward Luo De.

"I must warn you—due to this spiritual reverse flow, I can't properly control my toxins. Touching me might poison you."

As her black hair, covering her eyes, fell with gravity, Luo De finally saw Scorpion Woman Hera's face clearly—

A black-purple exoskeleton that covered her eyes and forehead.

Looked like a giant black eye mask.

Tch.

It's no different from when her hair was down.

Luo De walked over and touched her outstretched left hand.

Only then did he notice a tiny beauty mark on Hera's left chin.

"No problem—I'm immune to toxins."

"Hehehe, little brat, talking big."

He smiled but said nothing.

Quietly activated the effects of his two domain skills.

Only then did Hera visibly freeze, astonished as she turned to him: "Domains? Two of them?"

"Don't worry, Lady Hera—I'll definitely heal you. Whatever materials you need to ascend to ninth tier, just ask me."

Luo De raised an eyebrow.

Investing in an eighth-tier peak ascending to ninth tier? Absolutely a guaranteed profit.

She was the first high-tier person to show him kindness, even saved his life once; their bond was purely based on personal connection, with no ulterior motives.

Most importantly, Hera was tall and curvaceous, and beautiful to look at.

Most importantly of all, she was a scorpion folk he'd never touched before!

Hahaha—

The treatment of her failed ninth-tier breakthrough injury lasted until midnight.

It wasn't fully healed.

Hera had stopped him herself, worried the domain drain would harm him.

But it was close enough—this reverse flow injury would heal with time, though Luo De had drastically shortened the recovery period.

"The little fifth tier who once trembled at a seventh-tier magic ring, screaming 'Lady Hera, save me!' is gone forever."

Hera smiled warmly, leaping down from the tree trunk and affectionately patting Luo De's head.

"I didn't scream."

"With greater strength, even little creatures grow wings—today you dared call me 'Little Hera.'"

She laughed softly, flicking her scorpion tail, the terrifying venomous stinger brushing lightly against Luo De's chest.

Then she suddenly turned toward the eastern forest and smiled:

"You've stayed here too long—some little deer is worried and came looking for you."

Luo De turned his head and saw a panicked half-deer figure leaping away in the distance.

Xiao Ke?

Both stared in the same direction.

The night wind blew; after the forest's ascension, the sands no longer encroached, the air carrying the fresh scent of earth.

They both paused for a moment.

Hera turned to Luo De first, her expression more serious.

"You said you'd help me ascend—were you serious?"

"Yes."

Good. Then I'll be honest—I have an innate spiritual art that allows me to sense opportunities and things I desire. From our contact just now, I sensed that you possess a Fire Domain, and it extends into a furnace for smelting.

Before Luo De could even be astonished that Hera possessed such a spiritual technique, her next words stunned him again.

"I need to enter that furnace—to use the power of your Fire Domain to ascend."

(End of Chapter)