Chapter 647: Change and Intrusion

“Huh? Passed out?”

You can’t really kill him.

After all, it was just a colleague competition trial, and Luo De wasn’t the main participant, so he gave a little thought to Haley’s future career.

He picked up the body and leapt down, landing steadily.

Then he casually tossed it to his feet.

Then Luo De glared challengingly at the blue dragon screaming in pain.

The blue dragon narrowed its yellow amber eyes and growled a rumbling threat from its throat.

They locked gazes for two or three seconds.

The big beast sighed and obediently lowered its head.

He dragged the unconscious Star Spirit, Buwaluo, back to his side and lay down motionless.

Pride 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.”

Luo De reached out and caught the black slime leaping from Haley’s arms.

Little Black sent waves of grievance, warmly and excitedly crawling all over his body.

“No problem, the injury isn’t serious.”

Luo De 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 in Eagle Claw Gorge? Honestly, the lightning content was pretty weak.

Another half-month passed, and 【Thunder-Struck Tendons】 had only just reached +1, and I hadn’t even gained Lightning Resistance yet.

Forget it.

I won’t go there again.

Besides, that old thing’s bored anyway; better to stay home and interact with the other girls.

“You’re sure?”

Haley remained worried.

She saw Luo De’s shirt carbonized and now completely fallen away, revealing a sculpted, natural, muscular physique.

She wanted to look at Luo De’s face, but her eyes couldn’t help drifting downward.

In her mind, the idealized male body from shōjo manga now merged with Luo De’s sinewy form, leaving her unable to tell them apart.

Luo De noticed her gaze.

He stepped back warily and lightly shielded 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 in disbelief.

“I wouldn’t even look at you! That’s ridiculous!”

Luo De smiled, unconcerned.

He pulled out 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 has no such environmental rule!”

Luo De glanced at the labyrinth’s environmental status 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 labyrinth’s rules are changing.”

“That’s possible too—the appearance of the Magic Web Veil has caused many changes.”

Haley didn’t dwell on it; the rate of magic absorption was extremely slow.

She walked toward Buwaluo.

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

If I can’t beat that guy, can’t I at least beat you?

“Hm?”

Luo De let out a cold snort.

The blue dragon reluctantly turned its head away, snorting angrily—sparks of lightning crackled across the ground, scorching fallen leaves and soil.

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

Smiling triumphantly, she skipped over to Buwaluo and plucked a black metal-chain pendant with a crystal from his waist.

She gently activated it with magic—the crystal shattered.

Hum—

The teleportation array’s runes began auto-drawing on the ground beneath the blue dragon and Buwaluo, rapidly forming.

A column of light rose upward from below.

As the light faded, the blue dragon and Buwaluo vanished.

After all, this wasn’t a life-or-death trial—the Star Association distributed exit items; activating one meant disqualification.

And at the same time.

A cold female voice echoed from the sky, clearly amplified by 【Illusory Sound Spell】.

【Trialist #12, Buwaluo Vagla, has been eliminated. All trialists, continue the trial—zzz—】

The announcement cut off abruptly, drowned by a shrill burst of static.

Luo De frowned: “Looks like the Star Association didn’t fully repair this labyrinth.”

Haley felt awkward: “I heard it’s because a new position urgently needs staff—I’m not entirely sure, but given the rush, it’s understandable. Still, if they opened it, there should be no safety issues.”

As she spoke, she calmly extended her hand toward Luo De.

“Come on, hold hands.”

“I just finished a battle—my imprint is burning hotter. Holding hands might not be enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s hug.”

Haley froze, flustered: “Hug? That’s too fast!”

“What are you talking about? Aren’t we here for the trial?” Luo De’s expression was serious.

“True… then… alright.”

She opened her arms, her fingertips trembling slightly.

That pounding heartbeat returned.

What’s wrong with me, Haley!? I wasn’t this flustered even when I deliberately exposed myself! What the hell is this feeling!?

Luo De laughed and pulled her into his arms.

One arm wrapped around her waist, the other pressed firmly against her back, sinking deep.

Simultaneously, an astonishing sensation from his chest flooded Luo De’s mind.

Haley’s scent carried a faint metallic tang, mostly blended with a woody fragrance.

She stood about 1.75 meters tall—tall for a woman—but in Luo De’s arms, she seemed small.

“You good yet?”

Haley’s voice trembled, her face hidden in her slightly curled 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!

Counterattack! Counterattack!

To hell with it—I’m going to counterattack!!

Uh-oh, my legs are going weak.

【Trialist #12, Buwaluo Vagla, has been eliminated. All trialists, continue the trial—zzz—】

Mei Delin stared at the sky where the static announcement had blared, stunned:

“Buwaluo? Didn’t he just get a new blue dragon? And he’s the first one eliminated…?”

Before entering the Pale Corridor, she’d subtly hinted to him about Haley’s whereabouts.

Knowing his nature, he’d have rushed straight to find Haley and that man and cause trouble.

“Could it be… impossible…”

The magic puppet, clad in a dark green velvet corseted gown, floated gracefully down from midair, her silk threads dancing wildly through the air.

Medlin continued staring at the air, her staff humming with magic as she cast a [Disintegration Spell].

The magical energy instantly surged into the massive cleaver held by the charging golem ahead.

CRACK!

The cleaver blazed with blinding magical light, then shattered into countless fragments.

At the same time, the flying threads in the sky snapped taut, binding a stone golem tightly in an instant.

“Damn it!”

The crystal polyhedron’s eyes held no emotion; the doll’s fingers—clearly articulated—clenched sharply.

With a wet *pzzt*, the golem was sliced into pieces under extreme pressure.

The opposing trialist’s face twisted in frustration as he let his hands, poised to cast, fall limply.

“Lousy luck—I ran into Medlin right at the start.”

Medlin blinked, slipping silently beside the trialist and unleashing her signature [Close-Range Scent Technique].

She added a seductive smile: “Any news about the token? I’ll compensate you with a two-headed ogre.”

The trialist’s heartbeat quickened.

His eyes darted away, afraid to look at her.

Medlin clenched her fist inwardly.

My Close-Range Scent Technique still works!

No doubt about it—Healy’s man is a eunuch! This has nothing to do with my charm!

“Really?”

“Of course.”

A two-headed ogre is larger than a normal ogre, reaching up to four meters tall.

It also possesses higher intelligence, meaning it can execute more complex commands.

More importantly, there are documented cases of two-headed ogres learning basic spells.

A powerful, perceptive (thanks to two heads), dual-weapon fighter (also thanks to two heads), possibly spell-capable frontline unit!

Just imagining it was wonderful.

The trialist hesitated no longer, pointing to a location: “That’s the Throne of Silence—one of the tokens is there. I just passed by.”

Medlin frowned: “Why didn’t you go in yourself?”

Then she saw genuine fear on his face.

“The Throne of Silence… it’s changed. Nothing like the records. You’ll see when you get there.”

“Maybe it’s the effect of the Magic Web Veil. The labyrinth was repaired by the Return Prophet Motas—shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I don’t know. Just be careful.”

“Thanks for the warning. The two-headed ogre will be delivered to your home soon.”

The defeated trialist nodded and crushed the teleportation crystal.

A flash of teleportation light descended, and he vanished with it, gone without a trace.

The voice from the sky spoke again, but this time the static was even more grotesque.

【Trialist #8, ‘BEEP—ZZZT+-*/*’ eliminated. Please continue, ‘.***-/BEEP—’】

As mist crept forward, the dim forest was bathed in a lifeless, pale gray by the sky’s white moon.

A foul wind brushed through every pore of her skin, raising goosebumps.

Medlin frowned, scanning the empty, chilling forest, muttering discontentedly:

“What the hell is the one who repaired the labyrinth thinking?”

But retreating was out of the question.

She summoned her magic doll and nervously gripped its arm.

She headed toward the location of one of the tokens: the Throne of Silence.

As Medlin vanished completely into the mist, a figure emerged trembling from the underbrush.

The celebrity Cloud Elf Laila Starwhisper stared wide-eyed, her face ashen.

Her slender, veined hands clutched the pendant hanging around her neck like a startled bird, tense toward every possible sound.

“.Luo… Luode, where are you—”

(End of Chapter)