Oh?
Seeing the string of notifications before him, Kurose Akira felt a surge of excitement ripple through his chest!
The witch's magic had actually been neutralized by the Slime King's Protection—and not only that, it had absorbed a strand of the Night Witch's origin magic!
That was insane!
All praise the Slime King!
[Night Witch's Origin Magic (?): It appears to have no obvious function, yet possesses an indescribable subtle utility. As the Night Witch is also known as the Witch of Betrayal, this grants 100% special-effect damage against witch-type units!]
"This description is… pretty vague," Akira muttered, feeling slightly puzzled by the explanation of the Night Witch's origin magic. Still, since it wasn't a negative effect, he didn't dwell on it too much.
Perhaps someday in the future, some witch would suffer a crushing defeat because of this hidden strand of origin magic lurking within Akira's body.
Just… which unfortunate little princess would it be?
"Now then…"
Akira refocused his gaze on the fiery chrysalis.
With its former master gone, the taming probability of the fiery chrysalis had increased by 10%. And thanks to the combined effects of the Frost Shard and the Slime Condensate, the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly's rage and aggression had been successfully reduced, granting another 10% increase.
Twenty percent.
Wasn't that basically a guaranteed success?
"Come on."
Akira took a deep breath and once again gently pressed his hand against the surface of the fiery chrysalis.
The instant his fingertips made contact, a blazing inferno flashed through his mind, vaguely coalescing into the silhouette of a butterfly…
No—wait.
Akira's expression grew serious. His consciousness continued to probe deeper, touching the soul of the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly as he attempted to form a contract and bring it under his control.
As the image in his mind sharpened, he realized—astonished—that the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly wasn't a butterfly in the conventional sense at all.
Rather, it was a being whose body was woven entirely from raging flames, with butterfly wings spreading from its back…
A flame spirit?
Huh?
Akira observed it with curiosity, but its form remained too indistinct to see clearly.
[Proceed with taming? (Probability: 20.1%)]
A prompt appeared, awaiting his confirmation.
"Yes!"
The moment Akira confirmed, a strand of blue soul energy split off from his spirit and drifted toward the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly.
When that blue soul energy entered its fiery body, the flames suddenly trembled violently, as if the creature were enduring intense pain.
But after a brief moment of agony, the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly gradually calmed.
Then—
On that face woven entirely from fire, a mysterious smile appeared.
[Taming successful!][Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly (Legendary) has become your pet!]
"Not bad~"
Akira curled his lips slightly, a satisfied smile forming on his face.
A 0.1% chance would have been absurd—but 20%? That was perfectly reasonable. Way easier than pulling an SSR in a mobile gacha game.
As the taming process concluded, Akira slowly opened his eyes.
And at that very moment, a crack appeared in the fiery chrysalis before him.
Layer by layer, the chrysalis peeled apart, blooming outward like a flower in full blossom.
Akira watched with anticipation, eager to witness the true splendor of a legendary magical creature emerging from its cocoon.
Pop~
As the final fragment of the fiery chrysalis drifted gently to the ground, the true form of the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly finally revealed itself.
It fluttered its wings happily and flew toward Akira, circling him as if expressing pure, heartfelt joy.
And yet…
Isn't this still just a butterfly?
That said, the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly's body was woven from blazing fire, yet it gave off an unexpectedly gentle impression. It caused no harm to allied units at all—when standing close, one could even feel a faint, cozy warmth.
Its flaming wings were dazzlingly beautiful, scattering specks of light like a fairy strewing starlight across the sky.
Notably, the flames on its wings glowed a deep red-violet, radiating an unmistakable sense of danger.
In contrast, its body was composed of silver flames—far gentler than the red-violet fire. Countless tiny white points of light shimmered within it, giving it a uniquely mysterious yet perilous aura.
[Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly (Legendary)]Level: 1 (0/100)Race: Insect-type DemonStrength: 10 / Agility: 10 / Magic Power: 100 / Constitution: 10Growth: 12 (Gains +12 to all attributes per level)Skills: (Expand)Traits: [Silver Dust][Phoenix Butterfly]
[Silver Dust: A special powder produced by the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly with powerful hallucinogenic effects.][Phoenix Butterfly: Someday, even a butterfly can transform into a phoenix… right? Become that supreme, unrivaled existence!]
"This little guy's got ambitions," Akira said with a soft chuckle as he glanced over the status panel.
Butterflies and phoenixes weren't even in the same biological category—but this was a game world. Who knew what a constantly evolving Silver Phoenix Butterfly might eventually become?
"Come on up, little one."
Akira called softly, letting the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly settle lightly onto his shoulder.
It obediently landed there, weighing almost nothing, bringing him no burden at all.
"Let's go."
Akira turned toward Loserine and called to her quietly.
"Mm."
...
"Akira… he'll be okay, right…?"
Roxia stared intently at the area shrouded in icy mist. For the past two hours, the vast sea of flames had been completely swallowed by frost.
She knew all too well—this was the effect of the Frost Shard.
But had Akira succeeded… or failed?
All she could do was wait, anxiety gnawing at her heart.
The other knights watched the icy fog with equal tension. Only Ivsha remained calm, her eyes shining with unwavering trust in Akira.
And then, a few seconds later—
The snow-blue mist slowly parted, revealing the figures of Akira and Loserine.
"He really did it!"
"This is unbelievable—he came out unscathed from flames like that?"
"What's on his shoulder?"
"Is that the Flame-Silk Demonic Phoenix Butterfly?"
"He not only destroyed the fiery chrysalis, he tamed the Flame-Silk Demonic Phoenix Butterfly? No, wait—that thing shouldn't be that small… is it a juvenile?"
"Damn!"
Shock and joy swept through the crowd at Akira's safe return.
They never could have imagined that he'd actually succeeded in taming that Flame-Silk Demonic Phoenix Butterfly…
A juvenile!?
"Mr. Akira, are you injured at all? Do you need me to heal you?" Ivsha approached lightly, concern evident in her voice.
"Relax, I'm not hurt."
"You shouldn't let your guard down~ my dear Guildmaster~ Once we're back at the guild, let me give you a full-body examination. A holy nun's prayer can heal all wounds~"
"..."
Akira raised an eyebrow. Ivsha's算盘—her little scheme—was way too obvious.
"Mr. Akira, is this little one a new member of our guild?" Ivsha asked curiously, her gaze shifting to the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly.
"More or less."
As he spoke, Akira gently guided the butterfly onto Ivsha's shoulder.
Though its flames were extremely gentle, having it perch on his shoulder for so long felt… oddly uncomfortable. Almost like Loserine's little water serpent coiling around him.
Maybe it was because the game's tactile feedback was transmitted in a special way—making him a bit too… sensitive~
"Thank you so much, Mr. Akira! You've saved us once again!" Roxia stepped forward and offered him a formal knight's salute.
The way she looked at him had subtly changed—there was a trace of admiration in her eyes now.
"Let's leave this place first. The murky aura of the dungeon makes me uncomfortable," Akira said calmly.
"Mm!"
Before long, the group left the dungeon and returned to the Yerman family's castle.
After returning, Roxia immediately went to document what had happened in the dungeon—naturally omitting certain details, especially those involving Akira. This was at Akira's request.
At that moment, Akira sat in the reception room, lifting a cup of black tea and taking a light sip as he waited for Roxia to return. He planned to ask about the timing and arrangements for tomorrow's coming-of-age ceremony, as well as the matter of the beast tide.
Could Roxia's curse really have such an absurd effect?
Attracting an entire wave of beasts with scent alone was just ridiculous.
"Feels like this black tea is missing something."
Akira set the cup down. Ever since tasting Natasha's special blend of black tea last time, the flavor had lingered in his memory.
If possible, he wanted to drink it again.
And if he could—
He wouldn't mind tasting the original, unfiltered version either…
"Mr. Akira, is that you?"
At that moment, a female knight clad in golden armor entered the reception hall.
"What is it?" Akira asked.
"Her Highness the Princess requests your presence," the knight replied.
"The Princess?" Akira raised an eyebrow. Why would Princess Vivian want to see him?
Unease crept into his heart, but he stood up and followed.
The knight stopped before a door, raised her hand to signal Ivsha and Loserine to remain behind, and said to Akira, "Her Highness is waiting inside. You are to enter alone."
Akira exchanged a glance with Ivsha and Loserine, signaling them not to worry, then gently pushed the door open.
The moment he stepped inside, his gaze was instantly captured by a pair of flawless, snow-white feet—like exquisite jade sculptures. Each toe was crystal-clear, as if meticulously carved, while the faint pink at the ankles was irresistibly alluring, making one instinctively want to toy with them.
Whose food is this?
If no one wants it, I'll just pick it up, then.
At that moment, a light, graceful voice drifted over, like a spring breeze brushing against his ears.
"Mr. Akira… I have a request I'd like to ask of you…"