Chapter 164: It's Over! Our Little Stelle was Finished Off by that Wicked Woman Again!
「 After resolving the matters with the Realm-Keeping Commission, Stelle and March 7th indulged in a two-day feast across the Xianzhou. As evening approached and they prepared to return to their inn, Stelle suddenly received a text message from Kafka.
/Anonymous: Stelle, come to the Divination Commission alone. I'll send you the coordinates.
/Anonymous:Don't tell anyone - Sincerely Yours, Kafka.
/Stelle: You claim to be Kafka. Where's your proof?
A selfie swiftly arrived. The image showcased Kafka's striking white shirt, along with her subtly upturned, vibrant lips—seductive and alluring. Undeniably, it was Kafka herself.
/Anonymous: Is that enough? Blade's Mara-Struck state is severe. I cannot leave until he recovers.
/Anonymous: But you know, the Xianzhou's warrant for his arrest hasn't been revoked. He is still the top wanted criminal in Xianzhou.
/Anonymous: I need you, Stelle. Come find me.
Stelle was contemplating whether to refuse, but Kafka sent the coordinates the very next second, confident that Stelle would come.
Stelle consulted Welt for his opinion on the matter, and Welt advised her to investigate the situation. Based solely on his intuition, Kafka wouldn't harm Stelle; if she truly encountered trouble, it would be better to go in person.
"Understood." Stelle nodded, immediately hailing a starskiff to take her to the Divination Commission.
Following Kafka's pinpointed location, Stelle easily found her. Kafka was currently standing guard outside a small hut, while the Mara-Struck Blade sat silently within. 」
「 .....」
〜Overlord World〜
Nazarick Underground Great Tomb—
"Huh? Is this what Blade looks like when he's Mara-Struck? He seems… quite docile!"
Aura's eyes lit up.
"But his Mara-Struck state is completely different from Jingliu's and other Xianzhou people's. He's just sitting there, motionless…"
"Heh heh, Aura… from your tone, it sounds like you're a little disappointed?"
Demiurge, standing beside her, adjusted the round spectacles on his nose and offered a slight smile.
"Yes, just a little."
Aura didn't deny it. She lifted her head, her gaze quickly sweeping over Demiurge, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips.
"But compared to me, Demiurge, you're even more disappointed, aren't you?"
Aura spoke bluntly, with an expression that saw through everything.
"You were hoping Blade's Mara-Struck state would cause him to go on a rampage within the Divination Commission, weren't you? The absence of a bloodbath here… displeases you?"
Demiurge's nature had always been cruel; the smile on his face and his gentlemanly demeanor were reserved solely for the Guardians and the Supreme One. Compared to the other Guardians in the Great Tomb, Demiurge was undoubtedly the one with the greatest contrast.
"Indeed. To be honest, the first time I met Blade, I sensed that his danger level far surpassed that of us Guardians. But at the time, I wasn't sure who was stronger, him or Jing Yuan."
"Now, after witnessing Jing Yuan and the others' battle with Phantylia, the answer is clear. That battle—"
Mid-sentence, Demiurge suddenly noticed Aura's face abruptly turn pale, followed by an uncontrollable, violent tremor throughout her body. The dark elf's emerald eyes now quivered like an earthquake in a forest, as if his words had triggered some profoundly terrifying memory.
Demiurge understood very well what the Forest King feared. After all, having witnessed that world-shaking battle, he himself had forcefully cast several mental stabilization spells to avoid losing composure during his subsequent audience with the Supreme One.
Several blue lights materialized above Aura's head, and only then did the elf, trapped in her horrific memory, cease her trembling.
"Thank you, Demiurge."
Aura's face showed a hint of shame as she recovered.
"I was truly derelict in my duty. As Ainz-Sama's servant, I shouldn't have felt fear towards another's power…"
"No need to dwell on it, Aura. Ainz-Sama would not pursue such a matter."
Demiurge wore a serene smile. In truth, Aura wasn't the first Guardian who needed his mental magic to stabilize her emotions—what he didn't explicitly state was that he had applied similar magic to almost all the other Guardians throughout the Great Tomb.
The aftershocks of that battle, though seemingly distant, had left severe psychological trauma on all the Guardians—this, of course, was also why Ainz-Sama had secretly summoned him.
—
「 "I knew you'd come." Kafka smiled, her lips curving, as she turned to Stelle. "Is this your choice, then? To accept my request and help me?"
"I'm here to refuse you." Stelle's specialty was pure defiance.
"Oh? Really? You would refuse me?" Kafka showed no hint of panic, gently placing a hand over her heart. "If you intended to refuse me, why, at this very moment, are you here?"
"Hmm…" Just as Stelle pondered her reply, her vision suddenly narrowed, replaced by a field of pure white.
Kafka had leaned in closer. But what invaded Stelle's senses before sight was a fragrance—not March 7th's sweet, girlish scent, but the aroma of ripe peaches, mingled with an almost aggressive gaze, seeping in like tendrils.
Feeling Kafka's faint breath brush lightly against her cheek, Stelle instinctively took a step back. It was like a summer night's breeze skimming across a lake, stirring a multitude of tiny shivers.
"Alright, then let's keep that option open—Stelle, will you stay? …For me."
Stelle quickly averted her gaze elsewhere. "Fine… I'll stay and help you."
"Thank you. On this Xianzhou… you're the only one I can rely on." Kafka merely smiled, her lips curving slightly, her eyes reflecting fragmented light, as if she had already seen through this silent capitulation. 」
「 .....」
〜Dragon Raja World〜
"Damn it, Stelle's been charmed by another bad woman! Why does she never learn!?"
On the other end of the phone, Finger sent Lu Mingfei his lament, brimming with exasperation. However, to call it mere exasperation… it was hard to say how much envy was mixed in.
"Does she even need to learn that lesson? You'd be begging for more of those lessons, wouldn't you? If a sexy, mature senior from the Enforcement Division sat at your table, you'd probably surrender with both hands before she even thought about charming you!"
Lu Mingfei retorted.
"Well, that's true… After all, I'm not a passive type. When I'm with a girl I like, I have to take the initiative, go all out! But if a girl is really proactive about charming you, it's either because she's already built a deep connection with you, or she just wants to devour you."
"So, when will a sexy, mature older sister come and charm me, huh!"
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