Chapter 702: Forcible Seizure

Shattered crystal clusters lay inverted in the ground.

The crystallized trees that once shifted colors with the moonlight now left only a few broken trunks, their fractured surfaces congealed with murky dark-purple crystal tumors, like solidified pus and blood.

The ground emitted a crisp sound; every step stirred up fine crystal dust.

The maze altar hidden within the crystal tree forest on the east side—the very place where Fatima, the clan chief of the Winged Crystal Blue Ice Clan, and the mother of the bitter-smiling Winged Crystal boy, Xiti, personally granted Rod and others the manual maze pass.

Now half collapsed, its exposed internal structure resembled a molar hollowed out by insects.

Black filamentous substances hung between the crystal walls, swaying slowly with the airflow.

"The ritual controlling the maze has failed."

Lady Kali had already been quite interested in the Winged Crystal clan's technology; now being able to observe it directly, she was even more enthusiastic.

"What about those little Winged Crystal sprites?"

"I'm afraid they have already left; the current state of the maze does not meet the Winged Crystal clan's living conditions."

"Is that so? I thought they would at least say goodbye before leaving."

The early hunting of mutated monsters within the 【Flawless Crystal Land】 had been of some benefit to Rod, and it was here that he met Lady Kali, the Tiefling Cecile, the zombie Selena, and others, leaving a deep impression.

The silent departure of the sprites also left the gentleman Rod feeling somewhat lonely.

"Rod."

The tree spirit Vivian behind him suddenly stepped forward, hooking her index finger on his belt and giving it a tug.

When Rod turned around, she pointed with an innocent expression at a broken, half-human-high tree trunk not far away.

Everyone focused their gaze.

Inside the translucent crystal trunk, a sprite in a flying posture could be vaguely seen, sealed within like amber.

"Oh?"

Lady Kali stepped forward quickly, performed a simple check, and her expression grew Ning Zhong.

"It has only the appearance; the interior has already been drained dry. The maze's abnormal suction isn't strong; it shouldn't be impossible to escape."

Rod was about to lean in for a closer look when he suddenly paused.

He glanced at the panel; the words 【Flawless Crystal Land】 Maze Pass on it were slowly fading.

"The pass is failing."

"Yah-ha, Tally is just like Master~"

"Is this something to be happy about, you stupid succubus? Without the pass, it means we might not be able to get out of the 【Flawless Crystal Land】."

"Tally doesn't care; if I'm with Master, even dying is fine... Perhaps before dying, Tally can even taste what Master tastes like after death~~"

Lady Kali snorted coldly and glanced at Rod.

As if to say, 'Look at the succubus you spoiled yourself.'

Rod waved his hand: "I might know the reason; come with me to take a look first."

The Young Lady naturally had no desire to argue with the succubus.

Silence fell, and the group moved from the Flawless Crystal Land to the front of the easternmost demonic cave.

The maze wasn't large, but the cool and desolate environment made one unable to help but raise their guard; all in all, the pace was still a bit slow.

As they advanced, the degree of decay in the crystal land worsened.

In some places, the ground had lost its crystal covering entirely; the black filamentous substances were dense, looking like black soil.

Not long after.

The group finally saw the rose bush that Rod had triggered 【Forcible Seizure】 upon.

It stood in the center of the shattered crystal plain; its original deep-blue translucent crystal body was dyed bright red by the gorgeous rose blossoms.

Like a burning crimson torch, it pierced through this silent glass wasteland.

The petals were not soft silk, but translucent blood-red crystal shards with edges as sharp as knives. Deep within the flower's heart, fine crystal filaments writhed, refracting an eerie rainbow in the sunlight.

Its roots did not anchor underground but wound across the surface; wherever they passed, the originally gray and desolate cracks of the crystal land were dyed with scarlet veins.

"Although the naked eye cannot see clearly, there are many Winged Crystal clan members inside the trunk; good news, many are not yet completely dead."

Lady Kali scowled, looking the giant rose bush up and down.

Then she looked at Rod. "How did you know it was this tree causing the trouble?"

"Bad news, I'm the one who caused this tree to happen. Do you remember the 【Two-Handed Casting】 I helped you create?"

During the battle against the plague caster Amel, Rod had personally fed the Young Lady a mouthful of fresh blood mixed with growth vitality, so she was one of those who knew.

Although he had added quite a bit to her during the 'catching frogs' incident as well.

Lady Kali seemed to recall something; a faint pink crept up her sharp, long, beautiful elf ears, yet her expression remained foul beyond description.

"What did you trigger on it?"

"【Forcible Seizure】, a spiritual technique that absorbs surrounding vitality. I didn't expect it to have such power."

Rod felt some regret and pinched his temples.

"Just that? You didn't do anything else to it?"

"Of course not; it's a tree. What else could I do to a tree?"

At this moment, Tally's small head poked over, looking at her Master with a mischievous grin.

The scene from a month ago, maintaining the space of the Ancient Tree Eva in the Dry Sky, was still vivid in memory; Tally's juice had even been used as lubricant.

Master's mouth is a lying ghost.

"..."

Rod made a zipping motion across his lips toward her.

Tally's smile didn't fade; she lowered her voice: "I'll forget it~~ if Master is willing to coax Tally happy with his mouth in bed~~ only with his mouth~~"

"Hm?"

"If you don't want to, then forget it. Tally would forget anyway."

The succubus shrank her shoulders, recalling the unequal nature of their relationship, and did not dare to bargain.

"Then it's settled."

"R-really?!"

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

"I do!"

Stars sparkled in Tally's eyes, glittering and shimmering, and even her obedience went up by two points.

She shoved Vivian aside with her backside, hugged Rod's arm, and giggled foolishly.

Lady Kali clearly had not noticed the two of them roughhousing.

She was still gazing at the crimson-firework-like rose tree before her, the magic spreading from her hands never pausing.

"It's just a spiritual plunder — 【Strong Seizure】? That's strange. The things mixed inside this rose tree are far more than mere spirituality."

Rod was also taken aback.

"What else is there?"

"Purified tree-spirit bloodline factors, at least five or more parasitic bodies, three different domain powers, and... divine power."

The words had barely fallen.

The entire crystal plain seemed to fall into silence; the wind stopped, and even those twisted-growing crystal clusters ceased their humming.

The grand-firework-like rose tree suddenly erupted with dazzling light.

Lady Kali was already an eighth-tier expert, reacting extremely fast; with a spatial shift, she took Rod and the three others and leaped to pull away the distance.

Rod stepped forward, shielding the three women behind him.

"This is—"

The entire crystal plain began to wail; even the remaining, broken crystals began to twist and flake off in the light, like filth being burned away.

The next moment.

The light died.

A figure floated in midair; the suspended crimson petals immediately gathered toward her, weaving into a robe of light gauze.

Her exquisitely painted features had eyes tightly shut, yet one could still clearly see the expression of anger upon her face.

"I am Daphne! Who are the disturbers!"

(End of chapter)