[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu":3,"chapter-i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-chapter-88":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm a Forest Warden—Why Am I Enslaving a Succubus?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2329132,4555,"Chapter 88: Discussion and Imagery","i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-chapter-88",88,"\u003Cp>Thick fog stretched out monstrous arms with bared fangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the conical temple built of massive stones, a glowing orb of Bright Art rotated above the central chamber, casting a soft blue-white light that turned the faces of the five robed figures bone-white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the altar beside it lay a clay bowl and a segment of a serpent-person’s leg bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clay bowl held clear water, its center sedimented with blood and rotting flesh, now boiling and emitting magical luminescence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The serpent-person’s leg bone also glowed, but slowly grew flesh and muscle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone triggered the array—[Erosion Rain] and [Fear Mist Concealment].”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man with short golden hair spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black vertical line marked his face; he wore a faint smile and occasionally glanced at the woman beside him with a ponytail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it Bert?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tall woman with the ponytail spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone revealed clear tension and concern when mentioning Bert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, the activation sequence differs slightly from what we agreed upon—the second array’s magical supply was clearly insufficient; it only succeeded after supplemental input triggered the dual-array linkage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another man gave her the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and analyzed calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s Cecile, then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Most likely her. Though she didn’t directly participate in our ritual, observing us and listening to our conversations would have let her learn the activation process.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Is that girl really that smart?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another bald man rebutted the glasses-wearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If she can’t trigger the process even from such close observation, what right does she have to join our Dragon Fun Society?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glasses-wearer frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wanna bet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you have that I’d want, Baldy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t call me Baldy! One [Corrupted Heart Stone]—I want your [Soul Dust]. Dare you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You actually found this thing? Interesting. Fine, let’s do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fifth person was a half-elf woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pointed ears were much shorter than those of true elves; her appearance lacked the flawless, divine grace of elves, yet she still qualified as breathtakingly beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Bahadur Magic Academy, where human supremacy was dogma, a half-elf infiltrating the Dragon Fun Society seemed unimaginable to outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fff—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of magic—[Spatial Shift] rippled into existence at one side of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All five turned to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mage Cecile landed, then collapsed weakly onto the floor, her expression filled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cecile, who triggered the ritual?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald robed man asked first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tall woman with the ponytail asked: “Where’s Bert? Where is Bert?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the name “Bert” struck Cecile first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slowly lifted her head, still shaken, and spoke with difficulty:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“B-Bert is dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell utterly silent—not a pin could drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ponytail woman raised her hand and cast a spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic trailed through the air, speeding into Cecile’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh—aaaaah nooooo!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Cecile screamed in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“[Heart-Tearing]? The magical resonance and pain simulation are pristine. Impressive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man with the vertical mark on his face praised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Heart-Tearing].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mental spell of the Illusion school—it does not directly affect the body, but penetrates the target’s soul and mind, inflicting unprecedented psychic torment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This spell is cruel and complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its casting process alone has three steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emotional resonance, memory distortion, physical pain simulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three are indispensable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That the ponytail woman completed casting in an instant proves her to be an exceptional mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald man feared Cecile might die or go mad, invalidating the bet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly cast a spell to dispel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cecile trembled violently, curled on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her screams faded slowly; she gasped for breath, a puddle of urine odor forming beneath her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say another word, and I’ll kill you right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ponytail woman’s face was as dark as ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cecile lowered her head, her bangs casting shadows over her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression was unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hand pressed against her head, the other raised her staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She channeled magic; the staff, held aloft, projected a magical image, then she slumped, drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image clearly showed them fighting Luo Deli.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“[Memory Recall]? Using it on yourself will severely weaken your spellcasting for the next few days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man with the vertical mark commented again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others stared at the magical image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first casually, then frowning, finally their faces twisted in shock as they saw Bert reduced to nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bert… my Bert…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ponytail woman stepped back, staring at the image in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What spell was that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I felt an ancient presence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hand over the [Corrupted Heart Stone].”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You got lucky.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cecile scanned the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at the bald mage who had dispelled her spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I advise you all to leave now. That man is far more terrifying than the image showed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald mage was reluctantly pulling the [Corrupted Heart Stone] from his spell satchel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, he sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let him remove [Erosion Rain] first. A half-elf mage and a spirit warrior? Hah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp *ping* echoed from the altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clay bowl, the material for [Erosion Rain], split in two; foul-smelling liquid dripped onto the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glasses-wearer muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew his staff and began constructing [Spatial Shift].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re going?” asked the bald mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I’m fleeing. From the image, my chance of victory against him is under thirty percent—and that sword piercing the sky? Even you and I together couldn’t stop it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Coward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he too drew his staff and began constructing [Spatial Shift].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? You’re going too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I’m fleeing as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man with the vertical mark frowned and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about Lu En? He’s a rare talent for Dragon Fun Society. I hate to admit it, but his potential is the strongest I’ve ever seen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even the strongest potential isn’t mine. Building him a temple to excavate dragon souls was already more than enough. Besides, our strongest member, Bert, got one-shot. What’s the point of me going? To die? Lu En didn’t pay enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man with the vertical mark sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to persuade them further, but in a flash, both vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to the ponytail mage and the silent half-elf—mainly to the ponytail mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about you? Leave or stay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment of silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The half-elf spoke first:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to capture that female halfling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want to use her for biological weaving? Halflings are everywhere. That spiritual warrior is far too strong—none of us here can withstand that sword strike. It’s not worth it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the ponytail mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first rule for surviving at Bahadur Magic Academy: there is always someone stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had seen countless geniuses; stronger individuals always appeared. Direct confrontation was never their first choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Halfling mages of her strength are rare. Her magical pathways and brain anatomy could aid my 'racial research.' I want to try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bit her lip lightly, eyes lowered, looking pitiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the words she spoke were brutal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1158,"2026-06-20T19:55:30.170Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a8a67a4d056815aa03f0aaf07406cb4b66bb6a1a03e45d20ed2734cea2bd80ff","i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-chapter-89","i-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-chapter-87",704,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-a-forest-warden-why-am-i-enslaving-a-succubu-cover.jpg"]