Chapter 157: Leest Has Grown Up
After a good round of coaxing from Shirazawa, Ariel finally understood the true value of the fragment in her hands.
Her core stats had maxed out long ago. The only thing keeping her from godhood was that her
She usually didn't care much about it. In a way, passing on would actually be a release for her. The only person she couldn't leave behind was the Goddess, Sariel.
"Come on, people need to be a little greedy sometimes," Shirazawa continued his sales pitch. "Look at it this way—even if we manage to save Sariel, both of your lifespans are basically spent. How much time would you two actually get together?"
"But now, your chance is right here!"
"Sign this contract. Not only do you get all kinds of perks, but it also guarantees that you and Sariel can stay together forever."
"The only trade-off is working for someone else in the future. Isn't that a great deal?"
Ariel: "..."
Though something felt a bit off, she had to admit it sounded like a good idea. She didn't have many years left to live anyway, so what if she had to work for someone? Worst case, if she got too tired, she could just end it all. She had lived long enough anyway; she wouldn't be losing out.
She reached out her right hand, squeezing a single drop of crimson blood from her fingertip and letting it fall onto the contract.
Instantly, the contract turned into a flash of black light and sank right between Ariel's brows. A soul corridor connected successfully, leading out into an unknown corner of the void.
"It's a promise, then. You'll help me fix Lord Sariel's soul." She reminded him once more.
There was another reason Ariel had agreed so readily. After Sariel was sacrificed to become the core of the System, her divine soul had been battered for countless years and was on the verge of breaking. Even if they rescued her, her remaining lifespan would be just as short as Ariel's. But since Shirazawa promised he had a way to heal the scars on Sariel's soul, she finally gave her consent.
"Don't worry. Once you become a god, you might even be able to do it yourself." After all, this was a divinity fragment that could lead straight to becoming a Mid God.
"Thank you." Ariel offered a sincere smile.
"Hey, it's just between the two of us. No need for thanks," Shirazawa waved it off casually, then added, "But just having this isn't enough. I've put together some materials, along with Shiro's and my own insights on training. Take your time to absorb it all, and try to break into the divine realm within two years."
"That way, you can settle your grudge with Potimas with your own hands."
He knew exactly how to get Ariel completely motivated. Getting to kill that old elf herself was the absolute best incentive.
"Deal!"
Ariel nodded heavily. Her eyes suddenly flashed with a brilliant golden light, and a powerful, terrifying pressure swept through the entire Demon King's castle. She called over Merazophis and the puppet spiders, dumping all her current paperwork onto them, while Shirazawa sent her down to the deepest part of the Elroe Labyrinth for her secluded training.
The divinity fragment contained a faint trace of the Abyss Law, which was D's supreme law. Even if it was just a tiny thread, the sheer amount of authority packed inside was beyond Shirazawa's imagination. Since Ariel already knew Abyss Magic, if she could fully understand it, she would likely master several authorities and step right into the ranks of a Mid God.
You really couldn't underestimate the Demon King. With just a tiny push, she was already back at the absolute ceiling. Back then, she could walk around with her hands in her pockets because she had no rivals. Now, it was exactly the same.
After sorting out Ariel's situation, Shirazawa began to think about Sophia and Leesr.
"It's about time for Sophia to level up, right?"
"Staying stuck at Lv1 forever isn't a long-term plan."
"And Leest needs to step into the sixth stage as soon as possible to evolve into a High Ogre. A Low Ogre just doesn't cut it anymore."
Muttering to himself, he walked back toward the manor. Though he had only been gone for half a day, a month and a half had already passed in this world.
The moment he stepped into the manor, he ran right into Shiraori's resentful, pouty little glare. Shirazawa couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
"...What's wrong?"
"Where did you go?" Shiraori grumbled and complained. "It's been a month and a half! Not a single word. Do you know how hard it was for me to wait?"
"Be honest, do you have some other little spider out there?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Shirazawa lightly tapped her forehead. "Stop overthinking, be good."
"Hmph~~~" Shiraori puffed out her cheeks, falling into a moody silence.
"Come on, I just got caught up in some business." Shirazawa quickly explained everything that had happened, telling her about Ariel's current situation.
"A Mid God?!" Shiraori's eyes widened, clearly shocked.
Only those who had actually been in the divine realm knew just how hard it was to level up there. The two of them were completely cheating bastards, so they didn't count. If not for the whole Zeus incident, they would probably still be stuck in the exact same spot without making any progress.
While she was shocked by Ariel's rapid progress, Shiraori couldn't help but feel a little jealous. "Hmph~ going off behind my back to see your 'fiancee,' aren't you something."
"..." Shirazawa rolled his eyes. "Can you really call that going behind your back?"
"Then what do you call it?" Shiraori asked sharply.
"Doing it right out in the open!" Shirazawa declared righteously.
"How bold! So you're admitting she's your fiancee now?!"
Though both of them knew they were just joking, Shiraori was mostly just looking for an excuse to mess with him. Next came the usual playful scuffle between couples. As they kept playing around, the curtains eventually got drawn. He knew Shiraori was just venting some pent-up frustration, so he let her have her way. A man had to learn when to yield to his girl, after all.
The next morning.
Shiraori groaned as she crawled out from under the covers, but the space beside her was already empty. After washing up and changing her clothes, she walked out of the room.
To her surprise, a striking young woman was sitting properly on the living room sofa. Her long black hair fell like a waterfall, and she wore an elegant, pale purple short skirt. She gave off a cool, aristocratic vibe, looking completely out of this world. She was an absolute beauty. The only catch was the pair of purple ogre horns on her forehead, which added a touch of exotic, dangerous charm.
"Leest?" Shiraori called out blankly.
"Ma-Master, g-good morning." Leest immediately stood up, looking incredibly flustered.
As long as she didn't move, she could maintain that aloof, cool beauty aura. But the moment she opened her mouth, she went right back to her timid, submissive maid mode.
"How... how did you grow so much?" Shiraori stared at her body, gesturing with her hands.
Leest said awkwardly, "It... it seems to be because I evolved into my adult form."
Saying that, she looked down at her own feet. The little dress meant for someone who was 150 cm tall could now only be described as tiny; it had turned straight from a long dress into a miniskirt. It used to reach her heels, but now it barely cleared the bottom of her knees.
A change like this wasn't a huge deal for her, but suddenly turning from a lolita into a mature, older-sister type of girl felt incredibly bizarre.
"..."
Shiraori felt like she had just taken a massive blow. Her happiness was gone in an instant. The adorable little girl from before suddenly wasn't there anymore, and her mind was slightly breaking down!
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