Chapter 647: Change and Intrusion

"Huh? Passed out?"

You can't really kill him.

After all, it was just a workplace competition trial, and Rod wasn't participating as the protagonist, so he still gave some thought to Haley's future career.

He grabbed the person and leapt down, landing steadily.

Then he casually tossed them to the side.

Rod then glared challengingly at the blue dragon writhing in agony.

The blue dragon narrowed its yellow amber eyes, growling a low rumbling threat from its throat.

They locked gazes for two or three seconds.

The big beast sighed, then obediently lowered its head.

Rod pulled the unconscious Star Spirit, Bouvillon, back to his side and lay down motionless.

Arrogance aside.

The Star Spirit's enslavement device was powerful—it could even share life and death with its master, and it didn't want to lose its life so easily.

Haley hurried forward.

"Wait a moment, I'll cast a healing spell on you right away."

Rod reached out and caught the black slime leaping from Haley's arms.

Blackie sent a sense of grievance, warmly and excitedly crawling all over his body.

"It's fine, the injuries aren't serious."

Rod glanced at the new entries on his panel: 【Lightning Resistance +1】 【Thunder-Struck Tendons +3】—his expression remained calm.

The dragon's breath really packs a punch.

Even though the big beast held back.

The storm from that old Harpy chieftain at Eagle Claw Gorge? Honestly, the lightning content was pretty weak.

Another half-month passed, and 【Thunder-Struck Tendons】 had only just reached +1, and Lightning Resistance hadn't even popped up.

Forget it.

I won't go there again.

Besides, that old thing's bored of it anyway—better to stay home and interact with the other girls.

"You're sure?"

Haley remained worried.

She saw Rod's shirt carbonized and now completely fallen away, revealing a body of sculpted, natural, muscular definition.

She wanted to look at Rod's face, but her eyes involuntarily drifted downward.

In her mind, the idealized male physique from shoujo manga merged with Rod's sinewy flesh, leaving her unable to tell them apart.

Rod noticed her gaze.

He stepped back warily, lightly shielding his chest.

Haley felt guilty, a faint glow flickering across her cheeks, yet she feigned annoyance: "What's that supposed to mean? You think I was looking at you!?"

"Just in case—you know, I've got several jealous girls at home."

She burst out laughing, snorting with amusement.

"I wouldn't even look at you! That's ridiculous!"

Rod smiled, unconcerned.

He pulled a random garment from his spell satchel and slipped it on.

"The mist here feels off—save your magic."

"Off?"

Haley paused, focused her perception, then paled: "The mist is absorbing my magic."

"Same with me."

"That's impossible—the Pale Corridor doesn't have rules like this!"

Rod glanced at the dungeon environment on his panel.

【Mist: Greatly reduces perception, magical sensing, magical vision, dark vision, and other spiritual effects.】

It didn't mention absorbing magic or spiritual energy.

"Perhaps the dungeon's rules are changing."

"That's possible—the appearance of the Mana Web Veil has caused many changes."

Haley didn't dwell on it—the rate of magic absorption was extremely slow.

She walked toward Bouvillon.

The blue dragon coiled and growled threateningly, its face radiating pride and disdain.

If I can't beat that guy, can't I beat you?

"Hm?"

Rod let out a cold snort.

The blue dragon reluctantly turned its head away, angrily spitting two streams of nostril smoke—crackling arcs of lightning scorched the fallen leaves and soil beneath it.

Haley didn't see it; she assumed the dragon had been subdued by their victory.

With a smug smile, she skipped over to Bouvillon and plucked from his waist a black metal chain with a crystal pendant.

She gently activated it with magic—the crystal pendant shattered.

Hum—

The teleportation array's spell lines began automatically drawing themselves on the ground beneath the blue dragon and Bouvillon, rapidly taking shape.

A pillar of light rose from below, ascending upward.

As the pillar of light extinguished, the blue dragon and Buwa Luo vanished.

After all, this was not a life-or-death trial where one must die for the other to live; the Star Association distributed items to exit the labyrinth, and once activated, they signified disqualification.

And at the same time.

A clear, cold female voice echoed in the sky, obviously amplified in volume by the 【Phantom Sound Technique】.

【Trialist Number 12, Buwa Luo Vagra, has been eliminated. Please, all trialists, continue the tri—zzz—】

The announcing voice cut off abruptly, covered by a harsh static noise.

Rod frowned: "It seems the Star Association's repairs to this labyrinth are incomplete."

Haley was also somewhat awkward: "I heard it's because a new position urgently needs manpower; I'm not entirely clear, but given the haste, it's understandable. However, since they've opened it up, there should be no safety issues."

Saying this, she calmly extended her hand toward Rod.

"Come on, hold hands."

"I just went through a battle; the Ke Yin is even hotter, so holding hands might not be enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Come, let's hug."

Haley's face stiffened, somewhat panicked: "A hug? Isn't that too fast?"

"What are you saying? Aren't we here for the trial?" Rod's expression was serious.

"True... then... come on."

She opened her arms, her fingertips trembling slightly.

The feeling of a heart pounding wildly returned.

What's wrong, Haley! When I deliberately exposed myself before, I wasn't this panicked! What the hell is this feeling!?

Rod smiled and pulled her into his embrace.

One arm went over her waist, the other pressed against her back, pushing her deep in.

At the same time, the heart-stopping sensation on his chest wildly invaded Rod's mind.

Haley's scent had a slight metallic taste, but more of it was a blend of woody fragrance.

She was about 1.75 meters tall, considered tall for a girl, but held in Rod's arms, she seemed much smaller.

"Is it done yet?"

Haley's voice trembled, her face hidden beneath her slightly wavy, shoulder-length hair.

Damn it!

Why does this guy smell so good?! Why is he so hot!

It feels like I'm about to be conquered by him!

Counterattack! Counterattack!

Damn it, I'm going to counterattack!!

Uh, crap, my legs are a bit weak.

【Trialist Number 12, Buwa Luo Vagra, has been eliminated. Please, all trialists, continue the tri—zzz—】

Medlin looked up at the sky where the harsh static announcement came from, unable to help but be shocked:

"Buwa Luo? Didn't he just get a new blue dragon? Yet he's the first to be eliminated..."

Before entering the Pale Corridor, she had specifically hinted to him about Haley's whereabouts.

Given this suitor's nature, he would surely seek trouble with Haley and that man immediately.

"Could it be... impossible..."

A magical doll wearing an emerald green velvet corset dress gracefully floated down from mid-air, threads in her hands flying everywhere.

Medlin still gazed at the mid-air, but the Shou Zhong De Fa in her hand roared with mana, triggering a 【Disintegration Spell】.

The mana light points instantly transferred onto the massive cleaver held by the charging golem ahead.

Boom!

The cleaver flashed with dazzling mana light, cracking apart into tiny fragments.

At the same time, the threads dancing in the sky suddenly contracted, instantly binding a stone golem tightly.

"Damn it!"

The crystal polyhedron's eyes held no emotion; the doll's finger, with its obvious joint structure, suddenly clenched shut.

With a sizzle, the golem was sliced into pieces in an instant under extreme compression.

The trialist opposite showed reluctance, dejectedly lowering the hands that were about to Yao Shi Fa.

"Unlucky, to run into Medlin right from the start."

Medlin blinked, quietly leaping to the trialist's side, and executed a close-range "Little Fragrance Wind" move.

She even added a seductive smile: "Any news on the token? Later, I can compensate you with a two-headed ogre."

The other party's heart indeed raced.

Their eyes were panicked, daring not to look at her.

Medlin secretly clenched her fist.

My close-range "Little Fragrance Wind" still works!

No doubt, that man of Haley's must be a castrated eunuch! It definitely has nothing to do with my charm!

"... Really?"

"Of course."

A two-headed ogre is larger in size than a normal ogre, reaching up to 4 meters at most.

They also possess higher intelligence, meaning they can execute more commands.

More importantly, there have been cases of two-headed ogres learning simple spells.

A sturdy, perceptive (thanks to two heads), dual-wielding (also thanks to two heads), spell-capable vanguard!

Just thinking about it is wonderful.

The Trialist hesitated no longer, pointing to a location: "That is the Silent Wang Zuo, where one of the tokens lies; I just passed it."

Medlin asked strangely, "Why don't you go in yourself?"

Then she saw genuine fear appear on the other's face.

"It's different. The Silent Wang Zuo has changed; it's unlike any record from before. You'll know once you go in."

"Perhaps it's the influence of the Mana Web Canopy. The maze has been repaired by the Great Lord Motas, the Prophet of Return. It should be fine."

"I don't know. Anyway, be careful."

"Thanks for the reminder. The two-headed ogre will be delivered to your home soon."

The defeated Trialist nodded and crushed the teleportation crystal.

A beam of teleportation light descended, and he vanished into silence along with the light.

The sky's announcement voice came again, but this time the static was even more outrageous.

【Trialist Number 8, 'BEEP—Zzzzt+-*/*' has been eliminated. Please, everyone, '. *--/BEEP—' continue with BEEP—】

As the mist crawled forward, the dim forest was completely bathed by the pale moon in the sky into a deathly cyan-gray.

An evil wind blew through the pores of the skin, raising goosebumps in patches.

Medlin frowned, scanning the empty, chilling forest, and muttered in dissatisfaction:

"What on earth is the person who repaired the maze up to?"

But retreating is impossible.

She called the magical doll over and, somewhat afraid, linked arms with it.

Heading toward the location of one of the tokens, the 'Silent Wang Zuo'.

As Medlin walked into the mist and vanished completely, a figure trembled its way out from the bushes.

The superstar Cloud Elf Lyla Starwhisper stared in terror, her eyes wide and her face deathly pale.

Her slender hands, with veins showing, gripped tightly the pendant hanging around her neck, like a startled bird aiming at every place that might make a sound.

"R-Rod, where are you—"

(End of this chapter)