Chapter 659: Between Purchase and the Blood Pool

"How could that be? Leila and I both saw it with our own eyes."

Medlin was startled, looked toward the mist, but did not dare go forward.

The big star raised her hand again: "Could it be that some other Trial-taker took it?"

Rod shook his head: "This magical puppet has been strengthened. Apart from your Homecoming Prophet Mortas possibly being able to do it, I don't think any other Trial-taker could."

"But Lord Mortas encountered that Moon Shadow replica, and was heavily wounded while fleeing to buy us space—he shouldn't have."

Medlin suddenly realized, her eyes horrified.

A thread of thought surfaced in her mind, yet no matter what she found it hard to believe.

Leila Star-Tongue had no psychological block and crisply spoke out her guess:

"Then it was taken by Rod's Moon Shadow replica!"

"But why…"

Haili pondered for a moment: "According to what eyeball Miss Lu Ka said about the four organs being separated… the Moon Shadow replica wants to gather all four organs to resurrect the Moon God!"

Rod noticed the puppet Young Lady beneath his feet struggling again and pressed down harder.

Its neck let out a teeth-grinding creak, looking as if it was about to snap.

In the previous standoff, eyeball Miss Lu Ka had constantly hoped Rod would become Her proxy and gather the remaining three organs here.

And at this moment.

The Moon Shadow replica was clearly doing the proxy's work.

Rod had initially thought the new rules of 【Moon Shadow】 were due to the influence of Moon God Miss Lu Ka.

But now that a replica had become the proxy of some organ's consciousness, he felt something was off.

Think carefully.

The four organs were scattered, having only just awakened, and only acted within their own zones.

A large-scale rule that could fully replicate flesh and magical power—did they truly have control over it?

Rod looked at the 【Despair Mycelium】 panel.

【【Despair Mycelium】 successfully used.】

【Target: Moon God Miss Lu Ka (Eye)】

【Additional skill effects:

1. Despair Heart (conditions not met);

2. Life Drain;

3. Summon Evil God;

4. Despair Domain (conditions not met).】

【Begin manufacturing 'Mycelium Core'?】

【Mycelium Core: Gnaws at the target's soul and spiritual power within, forming a Mycelium Core, to be extracted by the caster. Depending on its size and quality, the Mycelium Core can raise the consumer's energy tier by varying degrees.】

Although Despair Heart and Despair Domain could not be used,

the activation of Life Drain, Summon Evil God, and Mycelium Core all steadied Rod.

Eyeball Miss Lu Ka's current state was definitely not good.

That was also why Rod dared to leave it alone for now.

"Should we go back? Mr. Rod, please step a little lighter…"

Medlin glanced at the magical puppet under Rod's foot, her face aching with heartache.

It wasn't just that making it had cost a great deal.

The puppet had been carved in the likeness of her childhood best friend. Though it had no life, at night when bored it would chat with her from time to time—she'd grown attached.

Rod shook his head: "No need. We're going to the next location. Do you know where it is?"

"When we were fleeing earlier we passed the location of the token 'Blood of Delusion'—'Between the Blood Pools'. I can lead the way, really, my lord, step lighter, it's really about to break."

"Alright, alright, alright."

Rod eased his foot and tightened the wrapped silver threads.

A wild tangle, thoroughly binding the puppet's movements.

At this moment he couldn't help but miss Tally's technique.

The succubus's shadow magic could always hang a girl mid-air, without losing aesthetic and artistic allure.

Speaking of which, why hasn't that damned Chastity Pill worn off yet?

Haili's relationship with Medlin had eased somewhat; they moved the puppet onto the cloud.

"Alright, hurry up and fix your thing—at least it's one more combatant, right?"

"So annoying, I'm fixing it."

"Hmph."

Haili came to Rod's side.

Her lovely deep-blue face raised its eyes to look at him.

"Does the Nu Yi Ke Yin sting? Want to hold hands?"

The girl's collar was slightly loosened; from Rod's angle he could just see the high, rounded curve of a crack, and felt it seemed to be swaying.

He glanced at the message before him—

【Unknown Nu Yi Coexistence Time: 5 hours 11 minutes】

【Spiritual Intensity Increase: 5%】

Pretty weak, that.

Five hours for 5%.

"Aren't you afraid your little bestie will see?"

"Pah, who's besties with her — she's so ungrateful. Forget the hand-holding, how about I loop my arm through yours and pretend I'm supporting you? Help me recover my magic while you're at it."

"Suit yourself."

Rod's face was utterly indifferent, holding fast to an attitude of no responsibility, no initiative, no refusal.

". If you don't want to, forget it."

Hailey's expression soured — this stinking man was getting a free feel and still acting like he didn't want it.

"If you don't want to recover your magic, then forget it."

"."

Hailey, in a fit of pique, grabbed his arm, pinched him hard, then pressed it forcefully into her own chest.

"I'm just hugging you — were you about to say I'm dead weight?"

The four of them moved on once more.

This time Rod and Hailey walked in front, while Medlin and Leila sat on the cloud and traveled along.

"I wanted to ask earlier — why does your puppet look a bit like Miss Hailey?"

Leila Star-Tongue's eye for art and facial features was extremely sharp.

She was curiously sizing up the resemblance between Hailey and the puppet.

Medlin was working on the magical ritual on the puppet.

A flicker of fluorescence crossed her face as she said stubbornly, "Really? Just a coincidence."

Hailey turned her head to interrogate, "You didn't take her for me and practice arguing with her every day, did you? No wonder she tries to attack you the moment she sees you."

"As if you qualify! Hmph, damn it — the magical ritual on the puppet has failed!"

"Oh right, forgot to tell you."

Rod suddenly turned his head. "Quite a few artifacts over on Wang Zuo have awakened consciousness — maybe your puppet is the same."

Medlin wailed, "Why didn't you say so earlier!"

"Maybe you could try to win her over."

"An Enchanted Item's first instinct is to bear malice and hatred toward its former master! How could I win her over! Aaaahhhh!!! My puppet!"

Big star Leila snuck a glance at Rod, recalling how he had casually killed people at Coral Bay.

She tugged at Medlin's clothes and whispered, "You'd better be polite to Rod — his temper isn't great."

"My puppet is ruined! How am I supposed to be polite! Argh—"

Rod rubbed his chin. "How about I buy her from you? I'm quite interested in puppets."

Hailey whipped her head around in horror, looking at him in disbelief.

Leila's face lit up with delight as she mumbled things like "puppet," "human," "forbidden love" — hard to make out.

Medlin's wailing cut off short as she asked suspiciously, "Buy? Do you have the money? This thing cost me a fortune."

"A little, I suppose."

"I should warn you — I've spent years with this puppet. She has no life, but every night I chat with her; in practice we're as close as sisters."

"Just tell me the price, you don't have to tell me all this."

Rod didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He suddenly froze, turning his head to look not far ahead.

Through the 【Pack Hunt】's "Keen Sense of Smell," a cloying, rusty scent drilled into his nose.

It was the smell of honey mingled with blood — overwhelmingly rich.

Clearly, only a place where a great deal of blood had gathered could give off such a scent.

Through the mist, a Moon Shadow Replica holding a Shou Chi Fa stood silently, its body's magical fluctuation clearly reaching the Ninth Tier.

"'Between the Blood Pools.' The Returning Prophet, then."

(End of this chapter)