Chapter 667: Fear and Reception

【Nu Yi Cheng Gong】

【Enslaved Target 17: Unnamed Consciousness, Miss Lu Ka】

【Race: Puppet, Moon Shadow Spirit】

【Age: 3,??】

【Obedience: 24】

【Evaluation: None. The current enslaved target is a mixture of two consciousnesses from two different beings; symptoms such as split personality, memory confusion, and dual personality may appear. Please be aware.】

The imprint of the Nu Yi Zhou manifested on Miss Lu Ka's sound pale eyeballs, emitting a strange pink glow.

When Moon Goddess Lu Ka looked at Rod again, the arrogance and disdain from before were gone from her eyes.

The puppet body, covered in patterns, could not help but tremble; the fear deep within was self-evident.

"Th-this kind of power, I have an impression of it. You-you-"

Rod had originally wanted to mock her a couple more times.

But upon hearing she had an impression of the Nu Yi Zhou's power, he could not help raising an eyebrow.

"Tell me about it."

"No! Don't come closer! Go away! Go away!!"

The current Lu Ka was like a girl scared out of her wits; with both arms broken off, she could not get up, her feet kicking wildly as she scrambled backward.

The velvet green long dress on her body was already a mess from being dragged; silver threads had cut through her hem, revealing a pair of long legs with wooden grain and lines that were at least passably natural.

Lu Ka's drastic change in attitude was very concerning.

But whether the puppet girl's structure was complete also left a certain forest ranger puzzled.

Someone looked around.

Seeing no one around, he quickly pinned the puppet down, ignoring her shrieks and wails, and flipped up the hem that had become an ultra-short skirt.

"Tch, there's nothing here."

A smooth wooden structure connecting both thighs, with no usable organ.

【Lady Kali: Did you forget we're still sharing vision?】

The elf Young Lady's voice was ice-cold.

But then she let out a cold laugh, and with a snap hung up the 【Far Speech Chain】.

"."

Mm.

Rod felt a little awkward and lowered the hem.

Lu Ka was still shrieking in terror over there, the noise annoying.

"Shut up."

The Nu Yi Zhou activated, and the pale eyeballs emitted a pink glow.

It did not work.

Rod frowned and cranked up the force of the command.

The next instant, the shrieking abruptly stopped, leaving only a gaze still filled with terror.

He had no idea what she was afraid of.

Other girls were fine, but with Lu Ka, Rod could clearly feel the Nu Yi Zhou's power falling short.

That was only because she had been left at low health for over a hundred thousand years; otherwise, enslaving her would basically be a fairy tale.

"Although she probably can't break free of the Nu Yi Zhou, we still need to be careful to weaken her power in time."

Rod made up his mind.

He tightened the silver threads wrapped around Lu Ka and hung her from a tree.

During this, she did not struggle either, her eyes wide open in utter panic.

"Stop making noise. Tell me properly what impression you have of this Nu Yi Zhou."

Lu Ka trembled and opened her mouth; after a long while she said: "I-I don't remember... The memories in this regard were erased along with the location and information of those Kang Nu Yi Zhou bastards who sealed me. I can't find out."

"... You don't remember anything, so what are you screaming about?"

"The spirit body's... memories were removed, but the body still carries the impression. No matter what, just coming into contact with this kind of power makes me unable to stop trembling. This must be power capable of killing a deity!"

Rod shrugged.

Very unlikely; the divinity on this one's body could resist the power of the Nu Yi Zhou.

If he tried to command her to kill herself, the odds were it would not work.

Rod did not want to expose his own weakness.

He changed the subject: "I remember you said earlier something about granting me some half-god's domain or whatever? Come on, pay up."

Lu Ka glanced at him fearfully; upon seeing Rod look over, she immediately hunched her shoulders and avoided eye contact.

"The current me can't give you too much. Please... please touch my current body."

Rod did as told.

【Part of the authority of "Moon Domain" detected. Accept?】

"Yes."

【Part of "Moon Domain" has been received.】

【Domain Details: Spiritual Resistance increased, Strength/Agility/Constitution increased, Sleep Immunity.】

【Domain Skill Acquired: Moon Shadow Step】

【Details: Like the flicker of moonlight, phase shift within a certain distance (current limit 10 meters); distance doubled under moonlight.】

"That's it?"

Rod looked over coldly.

"Mm."

Miss Lu Ka gritted her teeth and transmitted again.

【Part of 'Moon Domain' received】

【Domain Skill acquired: Moon Zhi Zhou】

【Details: A binding art released by pale moonlight; only the power of a domain can counter it. Released after a domain collision fails.】

"Still not enough."

【Part of 'Moon Domain' received】

【Domain Skill acquired: Pale Touch】

【Details: A lost magic of pale moonlight that briefly crystallizes the target's flesh and blood. Once it takes effect, the crystallized body's constitution is forcibly lowered to a fixed value, and that hand cannot cast spells.】

"Not enough."

【Domain Skill acquired: Miss Lu Ka's Moonfire Art】

【Details: Summons a cylindrical moonfire with a radius of 2 meters in a designated area, continuously burning and damaging enemies; it can be moved. The first cast has a burst effect. If a creature within the beam fails its save, it will be bound by moonlight chains, its agility halved, and it cannot teleport. During the full moon, power is doubled.】

"No—"

"There's nothing left! Really, not a single bit left!"

Miss Lu Ka trembled as she gasped for breath, the Qi within her body far weaker than before.

The silver runes on the puppet's body dimmed along with her.

Rod felt it was about right too.

Each portion of authority he received from this 【Moon Domain】 strengthened his physical and spiritual resistance.

Stacked together, it had boosted them by roughly 20%.

Compared to his current physical strength, that was already quite considerable.

But he still shook his head to bluff: "Not enough."

Miss Lu Ka gnashed her teeth and pointed toward the edge of the blood pool in the crater ahead.

Another bone shard, thrust upside-down into the earth.

"That one's stained with a trace of divinity. If you set it into a staff, it'll boost the effect of moonlight-type spells. Other than that, there's really nothing of value!"

Rod nodded.

Then he stuffed the puppet Miss Lu Ka into his spell satchel. The Moon Goddess, who had been locked in a small dark room for over a hundred thousand years, was clearly used to it and offered not the slightest resistance.

After a slight pause, Rod turned his head to look at the forest to the side.

The Star Spirit Hai Li appeared at the edge of the battlefield, supporting herself against a tree. The fear and readiness to die that had filled her face vanished the instant she saw him.

"Rod!"

She cried out joyfully, but the movement pulled at her wound, and she dropped to one knee with a muffled groan.

The fact that she'd dare come over when the battle's outcome was still unknown said enough about what a loyal, true-to-her-friends sort of person she was.

Rod smiled and tossed over the divinity-stained bone shard.

"This is for you."

What a pity.

There weren't any mages in the forest who specialized in moonlight-type spells, and even if there were, they'd be the sour-faced sort who cast without relying on external aids.

Star Spirits were adept at stargazing; it should be of some help to Hai Li.

Hai Li examined the thing in her hand for a moment, then looked around the battlefield.

She couldn't help goggling: "I've been overestimating your strength again and again, I just didn't expect—"

"Hahaha—"

"Right, the connection to the Pale Corridor has been restored. The Returning Prophets are already planning to enter en masse."

Hai Li smiled bitterly, looking at the giant crater and the flesh and blood pooled on it.

"I can't hide a scene like this from them. They might come looking for me."

"Whatever, you can just tell them straight."

Rod shrugged and spread his hands, no longer caring much. "If that's the case, then there's nothing more for me here. It's about time to lift the enslavement spell between us."

Hai Li froze for a beat and didn't answer.

Instead, she deliberately changed the subject, picking up that bone shard: "What's this?"

"It can boost the effect of moonlight-type spells. It's a good thing from that Miss Lu Ka. The first thing I thought of was you. By the way, how do we lift the enslavement—"

"How much of a boost?" the Star Spirit Young Lady cut in.

"I don't know. You can set it into your staff. What I mean is, lift the enslave—"

"If it could help me advance to Tier 8, that'd be wonderful."

Rod stared at her, speechless.

Hai Li smiled, a playful look on her mature, alluring face: "Maybe there'll be more trials in the future? Let's just leave it for now. Neither of us loses out anyway."

"."

Amused by the man's helpless look.

Hai Li lowered her head, pressed a hand to her pounding heart, and murmured softly: "Mutual enslavement… does seem kind of romantic."

(End of chapter)