Chapter 657: Encounter

Luo De raised an eyebrow.

The big star, Lyla Starwhisper?

How did she get in? And how did she see through my disguise field?

Luo De looked at the panel.

【Triggered Field Collision Check!】

【Disguise Field·Basic (Luo De): 59】

【??? Field·Skyeye (Kraft Starwhisper): 91】

【Result: Failure!】

“Oh.”

As a big star, Lyla Starwhisper attracted much attention, and her private life was frequently exposed.

It had once been revealed that she was the daughter of the veteran ninth-rank powerhouse, Lord Yunzhi.

Kraft Starwhisper

That was the name of the Lord of Yunzhi City.

No wonder he was a veteran ninth-rank—his strength completely shattered Luo De’s disguise field.

The panel’s Treasure Preference had successfully activated, with seven or eight strands representing treasure levels extending from various parts of the large star’s body.

The four of them collided in an instant.

Before Luo De could even see which treasures they were.

Medlin’s face turned instantly pale with panic, her staff snapping toward Luo De.

“Haley, run!”

The 【Magic Seal Sphere】, consuming a mana network spell slot, erupted instantly—a blue magical force slammed into Luo De’s front and exploded into a spherical field, trapping him.

“?”

Blue arcs of electricity crackled within the spherical field, flickering over Luo De’s face, casting it pale.

“Medlin! What are you doing? The labyrinth is malfunctioning!” Haley snapped.

“Of course I know the labyrinth is malfunctioning! Don’t you see I’m saving you?!”

Lyla Starwhisper hesitated, then patted the star elf mage beside her. “Medlin, it’s true.”

Medlin froze, her lone eye turning toward them, squinting to focus.

After one or two seconds, she smacked her forehead in frustration and immediately canceled the spell.

“Sorry—we encountered something terrifying and mistook you for it.”

Saying this,

she finally noticed the scattered black moon shadows—limbs and severed torsos littering the ground.

Half-buried skeletons, a greatsword embedded in a tree, torn, exposed organs scattered like trash.

The stench of scorched and corrupted shadow miasma mixed with cold winds that swept up ash and shattered ice, shrouded in mist before the pale moonlight could reach them, flickering in and out of view.

Shock flashed in Medlin’s eyes, then quickly resolved into understanding.

“Oh, you encountered them too? But your shadows’ strength is clearly inferior to their originals—unlike ours.”

She glared sourly at the human man brushing black ash from his shoulder.

He looked helplessly at Lyla Starwhisper, who met his gaze with a guilty, flattered smile—like a little girl caught misbehaving.

Haley gasped in horror: “You encountered his replica—and survived?”

“You’ve met them too? But unlike the fakes you faced, his replica was likely chosen by the labyrinth’s rules as a focal point of power—far stronger than normal. If not for Lord Motas holding him back—”

Medlin’s face twisted with lingering dread.

Haley was baffled: “What are you talking about? The ones here are real, just as strong as the originals. If not for Luo De—”

“Enough, enough. This isn’t the time to boast. Let’s think about how to save ourselves.”

Seeing her old rival wave a hand dismissively,

Haley finally understood.

—She had seen Luo De’s replica, but mistook its overwhelming strength for the labyrinth’s favor.

“.”

Luo De couldn’t help tugging Lyla Starwhisper’s elfin ear, his expression impatient.

“I told you to behave.”

Lyla cried out in mock pain, stepping back with a pleading smile: “I just wandered in by accident…”

“Nonsense. Your manager has already reported you missing to Coral Bay. Everyone’s searching for you secretly—do you know how much manpower and resources that’s costing?”

“Ah, I’ll compensate you then…”

Luo De’s expression softened instantly: “You said that.”

Money is always scarce when you need it.

Starting anything is hard. Coral Bay’s reconstruction has barely lasted two months—profit is impossible this soon. The long-term project must be sustained.

This concert has helped ease our financial strain somewhat.

Lyla Starwhisper blinked, then glared at him, cheeks puffed.

Luo De ignored her.

He sent a message via 【Chain of Far Speech】 to the arachnid elf Yuna, informing her of the cloud elf’s location.

Yuna’s voice sighed in relief, but her tone hesitated, clearly wanting to ask about their position and relationship—then she withdrew with a bitter silence.

“Lyla Starwhisper?!”

Haley gasped beside them. “Luo De, you brought her in?”

“How could I? She came in on her own—who knows what treasure she used.”

Lyla Starwhisper’s eyes sparkled as she leapt excitedly before Haley.

“Miss Haley? You’re the one Luo De conquered? Oh~~~ You both have slave marks! So romantic—”

A new inspiration surged in her mind.

The mad whispers of the Silent Throne were instantly drowned out by the mental images of Luo De and Haley—like a jealous concubine denied favor, she let out a mournful wail and faded away.

Haley stiffened slightly: “What do you mean ‘conquered’? We’re partners.”

“Oh~~~ Your expression is so cute, so shy~~”

“You—”

“Miss Haley, what exactly about Luo De moved you?”

“I wasn’t moved by him.”

“So you mean Luo De is completely worthless, incapable of impressing any girl?”

“I never said that.”

Haley gave Luo De a silent look, signaling him to take the cloud elf away.

Luo De smiled and did nothing, watching with amusement.

The star elf girl grew furious, shooting him a venomous glare.

“Luo De is at least a decent man—surely there’s something about him you find appealing?”

“He’s warm, alright? Everyone’s warm.”

Haley didn’t want to say too many good things about Luo De—she didn’t want to seem like she had feelings for him.

So she gave a random answer.

But Lyla Starwhisper was unnervingly perceptive.

She scanned the gruesome battlefield, and a vision flashed in her mind: two figures back-to-back, fighting to the death, finally collapsing into a desperate embrace for warmth.

She burst out excitedly: “He hugged you?!”

“Wha—you how—um—”

Medlin turned to look, frowning as she studied Luo De and Haley.

“Can we talk about something serious? We’re still trapped here.”

“Exactly.”

Haley hurried to Medlin’s side, nodding in agreement.

Lyla Starwhisper was yanked by the collar, lifted effortlessly like a kitten.

After this brief reunion,

the two groups exchanged information.

The Hall of Peering Moon, the Silent Throne, and the most dangerous moon shadow replicas.

Medlin held a memory-transfer stone, believing the Seer of Return would come for aid, and suggested they hide to avoid being killed by the labyrinth’s Luo De-shaped monster.

Luo De, of course, planned to save himself—he’d already told Haley.

Haley had boundless faith in Luo De and supported him.

Lyla Starwhisper had no objections—where Luo De went, she went.

After brief discussion, Medlin reluctantly admitted the importance of collective action.

The rescue plan passed 3 to 1.

(End of Chapter)