Chapter 165: Snake

Violet Rose is an honest person; Li En is a physically honest person—say a few days, and it's exactly a few days.

He had her, and they spent three dreamlike days together.

Before the Snake Witch, who mastered human hearts and instincts, Li En's own instincts and consciousness could not stop.

For the first time, he tasted the beauty and strangeness of the magical world.

The girl, the younger girl, the adult woman, the half-human half-snake, the giant snake—of these, the last one, Li En firmly refused.

In short, before Violet Rose, who wielded transformation power, and the Snake Magic Girl who could toy with hearts and consciousness, he had fully surrendered. From the moment the snake locked onto him, what was meant to happen was destined to happen.

"Uh… what day is it now?"

Waking from a bed steeped in heavy floral fragrance, Li En was numb—he had expected to be dragged back into the illusion soon again.

But this time, unlike previous awakenings where he immediately received sweet kisses and breakfast offered by the snake tail,

when he awoke this time, his pillow was empty.

He struggled to rise, gripping the wall from bedside to wall, slowly standing upright.

After only two steps, even his True Dragon bloodline felt a deep, inner emptiness.

And indeed, Violet Rose's figure was gone from the room.

The once-disheveled chamber had been cleaned spotless; even the bed had been replaced with a new one. Aside from the lingering floral scent, the room was unchanged from days ago.

"Has she left?"

On the nightstand, Li En found his breakfast and a note.

Madness often has its reasons; Li En had sensed her intense reluctance—now it was confirmed.

【A temporary departure is only for a better reunion. Next time we meet, my dear will see an even prettier little Violet Rose.】

【There are several reasons for my leaving—like returning to report and request reinforcements—but I'm too lazy to list them. The main reason is that the two little ones are collapsing badly; I must return quickly to secure other contract beasts for stability, so I have no choice but to leave reluctantly.】

【Love requires time and life to ferment. I know the fire isn't quite there yet, but I have no regrets. Choosing you, seeing you as mine—this will be my lifelong happiness.】 (Three thousand words of love confession omitted.)

【I will return—faster than ever—yours, Lilian.】 The signature was slanted, with visible, thick resentment.

Li En folded the fragrant purple paper and carefully placed it in his chest.

He sat for a while longer before pushing open the window, seeing sunlight and wind for the first time in days.

"Finally… I'm alive again." His pupils held no excess desire—only the Jiaoxing of survival.

"If you don't stop, you'll actually kill him!"

Meanwhile, in the wilderness, a giant serpent, dozens of meters long, carried the still-struggling Violet Rose in its jaws, running while scolding her for her recklessness.

"My little Li En, my little Li En—he'll be heartbroken when he wakes. He'll think he met a bad woman. Your little Violet Rose is returning to you now." Pouting, Violet Rose swung endlessly in the serpent's mouth—and tears truly rolled down her cheeks.

"Reckless! Do you really want to kill him? I told you before—you can't control it yet. Controlling instinct is the most vital thing for a Snake Witch." Mentor Melur scolded her Qiyuezhe 's recklessness.

She revealed her true form for the first time—only then could she calm the runaway Magic Girl.

Beasts act on desire and instinct; snakes are no different at their core.

What sets humans apart is control and suppression of instinct—but if one has no intention to control, then a person overwhelmed by desire is no different from an ordinary beast.

Delicious desire is the key that breaks the valve. If Violet Rose continues like this, someone might truly perish.

In nature, snakes reproduce over long periods. "Snakes" are especially cruel and greedy.

Those who master hearts and instincts can nearly infinitely awaken and respond to their partner's cravings.

"Reckless! Two little ones are waiting urgently for your healing, and you've delayed the Cola City reinforcement request!" Melur scolded Violet Rose for letting beauty interfere with duty—but even her serpent eyes held a trace of envy.

Magic Girls are, after all, Beast Witches—and the root lies in the fact that women can better control and suppress desire than men. But once the dam breaks, they may become even more insane.

Most Magic Girls end up alone for life.

"Male counterparts and kin" are too precious to them—many may never encounter a mate whose "scent" suits them (inter-species marriages exist, but are rare and usually end poorly).

Especially Snake Magic Girls, who effortlessly read hearts, are even more picky.

They generally prefer clean, pure white beings—but their beast instincts only recognize strength. This is a contradiction. Finding a "pure hero" who matches their feeling is nearly impossible; their clan is full of aging, single Qianbei snakes.

Violet Rose's approach—grabbing what she likes first, securing the bond before falling in love—is already relatively mild. The truly radical ones scan their target upon meeting, then immediately strike, kidnapping them on the spot.

"I know, let me go—I'll work hard."

Taking a deep breath, wiping away snot and tears, Violet Rose regained her usual composure.

She knew well that work could be delayed, that the two juniors weren't so dire they couldn't wait a month—the real reason she had to leave was herself.

She had to control her desires and instincts, or she might truly kill her partner. After returning, it wouldn't just be the two juniors who needed to retake Magic Girl basics—she would too. The shattered valve must be reinstalled with a stronger control system than before.

"Wait for me, my dear—I'll control myself quickly, then come back to you."

Meanwhile, Li En himself lay back, his mind calm as still water.

Rest first. Then lunch. After that, tea and a book—he was, for now, utterly devoid of desire.

"Ah… it's good to be alive."

Li En lay still nearly the entire day before truly recovering—this was thanks to his Dragon bloodline.

"Should I be grateful for this gift?"

But another new item might be the real reason he recovered so fast.

It was a heart-shaped pendant—not a stylized heart, but a realistic "heart."

Yet it had been dried and coated with red crystal granules, appearing stunningly beautiful, like a meteor fallen to earth.

Holding it, one felt warmth; wearing it on the chest, one sensed heat flowing through the body.

It was a processed artifact of the Deer Prince's heart—the source of its power.

From Li En's understanding of "Deer," their extraordinary recovery, immunity, desire, and burst power all stemmed from their blood.

In fact, in another world, deer blood was regarded as a rare tonic, even used in modern pharmaceuticals for cardiovascular diseases.

And the origin of all these secrets was, ultimately, its heart.

"It's probably rarer and more precious than the Fire Giant's Gauntlets."

This pendant grants the user a degree of the Deer's essence.

It greatly increases physical recovery, stamina recovery, immune and metabolic speed—and naturally, vitality restoration—making it a comprehensive life-activating agent.

The only issue, like most "Beast" material gear, is accelerated beastification. But for Li En, it didn't seem like a problem—perhaps even a positive state.

This pendant was the "gift" Violet Rose personally placed on him when their shopping date ended.

Honestly, Li En had felt he owed her more, and hesitated whether to accept it.

But the item was simply too good—stamina recovery and faster healing were exactly what he lacked (embarrassing Holy Knight)—he couldn't refuse.

"Looking back now, it must've helped me last longer… no wonder she wouldn't let me take it off even then."

Li En sighed, remembering again the strange woman—floral and delicate, yet as cunning as a snake.

She stormed into his life like a storm, then vanished as swiftly, leaving only the heavy scent of flowers.

"Time for real business. Four days without contact—someone must be anxious. By the way, where's my Spirit Catalog?"

Only now did Li En remember he had another urgent matter to handle—the Spirit Cards needed prompt attention.

"Here it is."

"Oh, thanks."

Li En took the catalog, flipped through it—and instantly turned pale!

"Wait, where's my Spirit Card? Why is it gone!"

The slot that should've held the "Random Spirit Card" was now completely blank!

Had he unconsciously drawn a card in his sleep? But even then, there should've been a physical card—why was there nothing at all?

"Here it is. I kept it safe for you, so you wouldn't lose it."

"Oh, you're really kind, thank you." Li En took the card, glanced at it—and froze.

This Spirit Card had truly been activated!

The image on the card was a vivid, living little black snake, waving at him.

No label, no classification—just a little snake that could run, jump, and make faces.

"This card… when did it get dynamic 3D effects?" Li En was confused. Su Er and Ku Ku's cards were ordinary—why does this one have special effects?

"Pretty, isn't it? How does it compare to your new girlfriend?"

"What are you talking about? This is clearly a male snake!"—never mind how Li En could tell male from female snakes, even now he still hadn't noticed the problem.

This room had never been occupied by him alone—from the very beginning.

"Snap." Finally, with the flick of a tail, the dream shattered.

The vivid little black snake appeared before Li En.

"Hey, junior." The snake, less than a meter long, was utterly smug.

"Hey—wait, who are you?!" Finally, Li En realized something was wrong!

"Me? I'm a snake. Just an ordinary snake." The snake grinned, flicking its tongue.

(End of Chapter)