Chapter 152: Heart-to-Heart

What would happen if Li En's group had not come underground?

I fear that despite some twists and turns, the underground world would ultimately reach a "reconciliation."

Although it is unknown whether the mind flayers will enslave the dark elves and beasts in the end, or if the dark elves and beasts will unite, they will eventually reach an agreement.

Then the next target is destined to be the surface dwellers; if nothing unexpected happens, they will support the successful resurrection of the "Deer."

After all, once the "Deer" is released, it will surely focus on indiscriminately slaughtering the surface dwellers.

And when living space on the surface opens up, they will naturally try to occupy it.

In the competition for living space, different races begin their relationship with each other as imagined enemies.

"Enemies clash with enemies; why should we rush to interfere?" Li En watched the battle between the beasts and the mind flayers with great pleasure; he even saw a large number of dark elf warriors within the Beast Cult's ranks.

Fate twisted at this moment; when the Elder Brain enslaved the Beast Prince and began rebuilding the "Mind Flayer Empire," it meant that the Beast faction, the mind flayers, and the dark elves had already become mortal enemies.

The surface dwellers might look down on the underground world, but for them, this is the most important living space, a necessity for racial reproduction and development.

With the passage of time, their hatred and friction inevitably surged.

The dark elves of the various families received orders to eliminate the Elder Brain, reducing the pressure on the threat faced by Menzoberranzan.

But in daily life, just like that unlucky third daughter, they had not lacked contact with the Beast Cult; now that they are on the battlefield, it seems only natural.

The lizard riders are the elite warriors of the dark elves; some are temporarily assigned from patrol teams outside the city, while others are private troops that the various families have always maintained outside the city.

On the current battlefield, at least over a hundred have appeared; using their advantage in mobility, they attempt to bypass the battlefield to complete their strategic objectives.

The noble ladies of the various families, under the protection of their guards, are also fulfilling their duties as clerics, throwing various support magic onto the front lines.

Worth mentioning is that, since they worship the Lady of the Silver Mirror, a deity of the dark elves and the Shadow Domain, their support effects are quite subtle; conversely, various spells summoning shadow creatures and attacking with shadow energy are quite powerful.

"Awooo!" What Li En was most concerned about was the black dragon knights gliding on the battlefield.

Even counting the tail, a young black dragon might not reach four meters.

However, the area it glided over left behind trails of deadly acidic breath.

Just like the dragon wings relying on magic, that dragon breath, which seemed like "spitting," was actually powerful and deadly elemental magic damage.

As long as one was caught in it, whether a mind flayer or a slave warrior, even if not killed on the spot, they would be severely injured.

Lucile Xia Luofen, riding the black dragon, waved the war banner and halberd in her hands; while boosting morale and pointing toward the direction of the surprise attack, she roared at the giant beast—don't ask why, she just did it!

To be honest, in the eyes of the underground dark elves, at this moment she truly looked like a war god possessed, having a bit of the style of Menzoberranzan's future goddess.

"But attracting so much attention, do you think you've lived too long?"

Li En could understand that she needed more fame, needed the dark elves on the battlefield to remember her, but in a war zone where you are not even the strongest, isn't it safer to keep a low profile? After all...

"Boom!"

A visible mass of mana gathered and directly turned into artillery fire, striking the Giant Deer hard.

"Voom!" And that deformed Giant Deer, while its body bloomed and it screamed in agony, counterattacked.

The tentacles on its brain danced wildly, and the flashes on its antlers discharged electricity again and again.

"Voom, voom, voom!" And this time, it was a frantic sweep like a chain of lightning.

Everything around fell into an electric net, and countless lives were suddenly attacked.

Most of those attacked died instantly on the spot, electrocuted into charcoal, but the first to suffer from this attack were its own people closest to it!

This was psionic lightning, but reaching such an absurd intensity could only mean that on its own turf, the Elder Brain was simply too powerful.

The mind flayers scattered away from the giant beast; with their not-low intelligence, they were unwilling to become cannon fodder in this way.

But those slave warriors who were struck down obediently followed the giant beast.

In the center of the battlefield, the two magical girls and the giant beast (plus the Elder Brain) began a cruel and direct slaughter.

For a moment, magic cannons and gravity waves clashed; the Elder Brain, almost mad, converted its psychic abilities into various elemental magics.

After all, beasts and magical girls are hard to regard as beings with minds, so they basically do not take psychic damage.

Starting a war with the Elder Brain on the mind flayers' turf is as foolish as challenging a high-circle mage in a mage tower... but apparently there is no choice now.

Many mind flayers have already fallen; their psionic energy and even their souls were directly extracted by the Elder Brain, becoming fuel for it to control the giant beast in battle.

What it is controlling now are two Beast Princes that were forcibly rushed to maturity!

The giant beast fell into madness, and the magical girl, also rushed to maturity like it, could not skillfully use her "authority."

But some things do not require skill; the super-standard magic cannons, after converting life into mana, were heavier with every shot.

The Beast Prince was rushed to evolve again; the accelerated metabolism by psionics allowed its wounds to heal at high speed.

This was obviously a bit wasteful; beasts are already absurdly strong in vitality, and a giant beast that was already rushed to maturity, after being forcibly "accelerated in metabolism" again, would constantly damage its roots, making it short-lived.

But I fear no one on the battlefield would care right now.

Ironically, both sides using the power of the "Deer," under the control and drive of others, were burning their own lives to fight desperately.

And even if they won, the fruits of victory and the spoils of war would not be theirs.

The dark elves were also in action; they did not attempt to kill that Giant Deer, and even actively bypassed the battlefield... Under the crack opened by the falling boulders, the underground nest of the mind flayers had already been revealed.

"The Great Lady of the Mirror is watching us; as long as the Elder Brain is killed, it is destined to be a new chosen one of the gods!"

This, I fear, is the absolute truth.

The proud ladies either summoned demons or jumped onto the "filthy lizards," charging along with the lizard knights.

There is only one merit; no one would let others obtain it.

The cunning dark elves saw the situation clearly at the first moment; while the magical girls tied up the Giant Deer and the Elder Brain, the Elder Brain's body itself was naturally undefended.

A large number of lizard knights, carrying the noble ladies, advanced; they bypassed battlefields one by one and charged into the crack.

"Boom!"

The first lizard knight, carrying an eldest daughter, jumped into the crack of the base first, and then...

"Aaaaaah!"

The female scream echoed around, obviously she had met with misfortune.

This underground fortress, serving as the main brain's physical body, was clearly not without defenses.

"The entire underground base is likely the main brain's psychic domain. This community has at least a hundred mind flayers; the psychic energy it siphons will be terrifying. The weak cannot even approach."

Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei made her judgment; she continued to smile while watching the battlefield.

She watched the death match between the two Deer Magic Girls and the Great Deer, as if it had nothing to do with her at all.

"I cannot approach the battlefield, or they will likely drop everything they are doing and eliminate me first."

Her calm words were, however, the helplessness of the Snake Witch.

"As long as a 'Snake' appears, the 'Deer' will ignore everything around them and perish together with the 'Snake'. Tsk, we are clearly the beasts with the least destructive power; that is too much."

But Li En did not believe the latter half of her words at all; to treat the 'Snake' as a harmless beast again would make him truly foolish.

He wanted to ask even more: what exactly had you done to become the top spender with the highest hatred value?

"Are we just going to watch from here?"

Li En felt somewhat unwilling; despite the sheer amount of evil present, he also knew that throwing his group into such a battlefield would result in instant annihilation.

"I cannot approach, but you can."

Smiling, Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei leaned closer, seeming to imply something.

"Me?" Li En was somewhat dazed; was there something special about him?

He was not a thief, nor could he teleport; against a mental field of this caliber, he should be finished just by approaching.

"Don't rush, wait a moment first, give her some time. Actually, I left a teleportation point, prepared specifically for you."

"What?" Li En understood even less, but Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei was already right beside him. On the other side, the two Miss Shalimans were glaring over.

"Auntie, what do you mean? The outrageous mental field in the mind flayer nest would instantly finish anyone who isn't a high-tier professional."

"The power of the mind can be guarded by the mind." Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei had already prepared a countermeasure.

"Impossible; the intensity is not on the same level." Miss Shaliman shook her head; she could try her hardest against a single ordinary mind flayer, but this was the main brain's psychic domain.

"Idiot, I wasn't talking about you." Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei glared at her with no good temper.

Then she turned her head, rose onto her tiptoes, and extended both arms, attempting to embrace Li En.

"Auntie!"

Miss Shaliman's roar was still in his ears, yet Li En discovered he could not move at all.

Then, he stared blankly as the red lips gradually drew near!

"Auntie!!"

"Hiss hiss hiss! (You stinking woman!)"

What was bound to happen had happened; Li En's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

But he truly felt that softness he had never experienced before.

The light kiss lasted only an instant, yet it felt like an eternity.

The cute Magic Girl covered her cheeks, her face flushed as if she had just drunk alcohol.

She seemed a bit embarrassed, yet also somewhat excited.

Li En was dazed; his first kiss was gone just like that, right on the battlefield?

"This is also my first kiss, you know." Reaching the part where she felt embarrassed, she lowered her head; the next moment, she raised her head again, her pupils filled entirely with expectation.

"Can you trust me and give your heart to me?" The girl looked at the man she favored, no longer concealing her affection, and directly confessed her love in public.

Before Li En could respond, Miss Shaliman's snake hair stood up in a frenzy.

"Aunt—" But Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei merely waved her hand, and Miss Shaliman froze.

Miss Shaliman, who intended to act, discovered she could not move at all! She could only glare over with teary eyes.

Li En was dazed, but his head was directly twisted around by two hands.

The pouting girl looked up at him; at this distance, Li En could see her watery eyes and even smell a faint, pleasant floral scent.

"Now, you are only allowed to look at me." The girl no longer suppressed the emotions in her heart.

"I—" Taking a deep breath, since she had confessed, Li En was not a herbivore; he would give a clear response.

The next moment, his mouth was sealed again.

This time, something wet seemed to enter his mouth!

Then, the girl stepped back and separated, looking at him with a bright smile.

Li En had just been able to breathe and hadn't yet had the chance to speak when his mouth was sealed by a gentle finger.

The girl still smiled like a flower, but her pupils held complex emotions, as if she had seen through everything.

She knew how Li En would answer, yet she did not want to hear it.

"Just kidding; we haven't reached that step yet."

"Just give your heart to me for now; a believing heart is magic, and I will protect you."

While the silenced Li En was confused, she gently waved her staff, still murmuring in her mouth.

And at the exact same moment behind her, the Black Dragon, the most active on the battlefield, and its knight had already rushed into the underground base first.

She was the strongest among the Dark Elves on this journey, and also the most fearless Long Qishi Charger.

"Hiss hiss hiss (We have never departed.)" At this very moment, Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei completed the incantation.

The next moment, the scenery before Li En's eyes blurred, and he had already vanished from his original spot.

When he regained his ability to move and his vision, he discovered he was already on the back of the Black Dragon!

This "coordinate" was right on the Black Dragon's back!

Purple Miss Zi Qiangwei indeed did not lie; this was the "prey mark" prepared for Li En.

But at this moment, without anyone on the battlefield noticing, Li En had hitched a ride on the Long Qishi's vehicle and entered the main brain's base!

And less than a meter in front of him, that Long Qishi, Luciel Xia Luofen, was still laughing wildly.

The power of the Black Dragon, along with the "Divine Artifact" she held, indeed successfully blocked the crushing pressure of the psychic field; everything proceeded exactly as planned.

Lost in a state of ecstasy, she seemed to have already glimpsed a beautiful dream of being promoted to Mistress and becoming a candidate for the next City Lord.

And seeing the evil right before his eyes, completely unguarded, Li En began to think seriously.

"How about a righteous backstab against evil to calm my nerves first?"

(End of this chapter)