Chapter 543: End and Planning

The two of them awkwardly went through the entire process.

Mistral, having regained her composure, had already figured out the problem; after parting, she collapsed onto the ground, ignoring the 【World Dew】 scattered everywhere behind her.

Her face flushed, she gazed at him with a quiet, haunting look.

Luo De, meanwhile, calmly dressed himself.

He muttered nonsense about severe physical depletion, income falling short of expenses, and the risk of dropping a rank.

He tossed her a spare set of clothes.

Mistral remained silent, quietly pulling on the slightly oversized tunic.

She stood about 1. meters tall; Luo De's clothes were worn like a dress.

She looked up again.

Her eyes held a touch more resentment.

Luo De ignored her entirely and changed the subject: "So, you're a god now?"

Mistral pushed herself up against the wall, her long, pale legs trembling, still dripping.

She cleared her unfamiliar throat, then shook her head:

"Reforming the body is only the first step; what comes next is the crucial part—I'll fully absorb the spark of divinity then."

"So this is probably our last meeting? I'm just a forest warden—I have no connection to a goddess of magic."

"No, our relationship—"

Luo De waved his hand: "Relax, I know what you mean. No one else will ever know. I'll keep our secret absolutely safe."

Mistral shook her head: "I'm not talking about that. Though it does need secrecy, this body was created from your energy and essence—in that sense, you are the father of this body."

"?"

"But if you think you can use this as leverage against me, it won't work. I'll establish the Mistral Church, and among the chosen believers, I'll declare the 'father' is dead—you won't get away with anything."

"You've already planned out founding a church and selecting devotees?"

"What else? Did you think I was just daydreaming in Asmodeus's sulfurous blood? I've even decided on the church's interior design."

As she spoke,

Mistral's stomach let out a loud rumble.

She froze for a moment, as if her newly reclaimed body hadn't yet adjusted.

Then she opened her palm toward Luo De: "Father, I'm hungry. Give me food."

"Don't call me father."

Luo De's spell satchel always carried a stash of candies and snacks—meant to distract Bond the pony-girl and the squirrels.

He grabbed a handful and placed them on her soft, pink palm.

"Thank you, Daddy."

Luo De's face darkened: "Don't call me that either. Just call me Luo De."

"I don't know if it's because of our blood tie, but I somehow feel you won't betray me. It's strange."

"I never intended to betray you."

Mistral tossed aside all the salty snacks—biscuits, cakes—and ate only the sweet candies and dried fruits.

"Any more? I want sweet ones."

Luo De gave her another handful.

He even sounded like an old father warning her: "Don't eat so much sugar."

No sooner had he said it than he groaned, pressing his palm to his forehead, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

From three hours ago until now, he'd been having intense sex with the woman in front of him.

And now she calls herself his daughter.

Such a heavy sense of taboo.

They'd stayed too long in 【Li Oumeng's Hermitage】.

Messages from the 【Far-Link Chain】 were bombarding him nonstop.

Luo De said to Mistral, who sat on the bed munching candies: "How will you leave? There are too many people outside."

"Just cancel the spell. I can go however I want—they won't notice. Oh, by the way, I've linked you to the Weave. When I become a god, I'll give you a big gift."

"I don't like using spells. We'll see."

No one noticed Mistral's presence—or her departure.

But as soon as Luo De appeared, the girls waiting outside rushed over.

The heavy weight in Coral Bay's heart finally lifted; Luo De let himself go wild.

He faked a severe injury, collapsing dramatically into the girls' arms.

He made sure to fall especially toward the ones he hadn't enslaved or taken: the halfling Lily, the elf Calyste, the rat-girl No. 3, the rabbit-girl Aona, the witch Dimia.

The crowd scrambled, shouting and bustling, carrying him off to the medical treehouse in Bai Yu District.

They wouldn't let him leave.

Insisted he be hospitalized for observation.

It made sense—the Infernal Duke's reputation was too great, and Luo De's pierced, battered appearance was genuinely terrifying.

Even the half-deer physician Xiao Ke was nearly frightened to death.

Hospital observation, however, was always dull.

Besides dealing with visiting old gentleman Humbert, the dog-man quintet, and the male elf Bernhard, Luo De had nothing else to do.

Even Tally was strictly forbidden entry—presumably feared she'd steal his essence and harm his body.

But the forest warden didn't care.

Every night, he let her sneak in for a meal.

As various rituals and examinations passed,

Five days slipped by.

The sun shone brightly.

Outside Coral Bay's walls,

Luo De leaned on a cane in his left hand, his right arm wrapped in Tally's cheerful embrace.

He silently watched the people clearing the battlefield on the walls and ground.

These people wore tattered clothes.

Most were those Shi Ying Town couldn't absorb, camping in makeshift tents outside the station.

Many, hearing Coral Bay had fallen, learned the city hall was hiring workers with two meals a day—easily luring these refugees.

"Master, are we moving?"

Tally buried her face against his chest, sniffing deeply, her delicate little face rubbing against his skin—cool and smooth.

Their cold war wasn't over.

The succubus hadn't dared to absorb his yuan so freely in ages.

This pretext of supporting him due to injury finally let her get close again.

She was ecstatic inside.

She'd make up for every drop she'd missed these past days~~

But had her master become even more fragrant?

Tally's eyes rolled slightly upward, her little butt swaying subtly.

She trembled slightly, secretly.

Then she peeked up at her master—seeing he wasn't paying attention—she boldly pressed her arms deep into his chest, quietly drawing in energy.

"No. We'll still live in the forest—but not just the Windwall Forest."

"Tally doesn't understand… oohhh~~ Tally's so dumb~~"

Luo De turned and pointed southwest.

Faintly visible was the northern edge of the Windwall Forest, a wide plain separating it from Coral Bay.

"I've spoken with Calyste. We plan to expand the forest, filling that plain."

The Windwall Forest had indeed leveled up.

But it still lagged far behind the colossal Emerald Court.

Forest growth is simple: more trees, wider territory, greater power.

So just plant trees.

Beyond Coral Bay's development, this is one of Luo De's most important current goals.

(End of Chapter)