Chapter 134: Peter's Reward

Lin Lan had no idea what effect the Clear Sky Talisman would have.

This was his first time using it, after all.

The power of talismans was beyond the scope of scientific explanation.

Watching the sky change from dark clouds to clear blue in just a short moment, he was shocked by its effectiveness. However, he forced himself to maintain a confident expression.

After all, in front of Peter, he had to be the composed and strategic commander.

As the sky cleared, the other ship girls in the port area stepped out of their rooms, looking up in surprise.

It was normal for cloudy weather to clear up, but for the sky to brighten so suddenly was unnatural.

"This... is truly unbelievable."

Peter took a deep breath as she gazed at the sky, then turned to Lin Lan with amazement.

"This is just a small trick. I have even stronger spells," Lin Lan said, acting mysteriously as he walked up to Peter.

"Now then, shouldn't I claim my reward?"

As he suddenly closed the distance between them, a faint blush appeared on Peter's fair face.

Though flustered, she was the kind of ship girl who always kept her word.

"W-What kind of reward... do you want, Commander?"

Lin Lan smiled mischievously at the sight of the shy beauty with her long black twin ponytails. 

He reached out and wrapped an arm around her slender waist.

"Let's go back to the office and discuss it in detail."

"U-Um... Commander, it's almost lunch time! Ahem, we should hurry!"

Feeling his hand on her waist, Peter recalled the time she had witnessed Lin Lan's strength on the yacht.

A familiar sensation spread through her body.

Seeing Peter's flushed face, Lin Lan didn't hesitate. He picked her up in a princess carry.

"C-Commander!"

"Peter, as my secretary ship, you have a duty to fulfill."

Holding the tall, elegant lady in his arms, Lin Lan felt his heartbeat quicken as her delicate face turned even redder.

"Commander... don't forget about the time..."

Even though Peter was about to be devoured by the big bad wolf, she still clung to her obsession with time.

"It's fine. We have plenty of time."

After placing her gently on the sofa, Lin Lan saw the shy anticipation in her eyes. His breathing became heavier.

In the game, Peter was always serious and proud.

Though her voiced lines when at high affection showed how much she doted on him—going so far as to sacrifice her own time to gain his attention—

Seeing this side of her in reality... How could Lin Lan possibly hold back?

"Hurry up, Commander... Time is precious~"

Just as Lin Lan was about to begin, the tall, iron-blooded beauty suddenly leaned toward him instead.

…

Noon arrived before he knew it.

Though Lin Lan still felt unsatisfied, he reluctantly put his clothes back on at Peter's insistence.

"Commander, I'll go prepare lunch for you. Please rest here for now."

Ship girls possessed far greater endurance than ordinary humans.

So, after tidying her slightly disheveled uniform and smoothing out her long hair, Peter—her face still flushed—left to fetch lunch.

Outside, the midday sun shone brightly.

Lin Lan walked to the window and saw that the ground was still wet from the earlier rain.

Above the port area, a beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky.

"The Clear Sky Talisman's effect is even stronger than I expected."

His gaze shifted back to the Slowdown Talisman on his desk.

Picking up the thin yellow paper, he turned it over in his hands, studying it.

"It just looks like an ordinary piece of paper... So how does drawing a few symbols on it create such powerful effects?"

No matter how closely he examined it, the talisman seemed no different from the cheap ones sold at roadside stalls in small towns on Blue Star.

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

If he couldn't see anything unusual with the naked eye, then he could use Elemental Vision instead.

After upgrading his hero skill bar's basic icon for Elemental Vision, Lin Lan could activate the ability at any time with minimal energy consumption.

A silver light flashed across his eyes.

In his altered vision, the talisman's appearance completely changed.

A thick, gray mist gathered around it.

At the center of the talisman's paper, an extremely stable, rotating black hole had formed, continuously absorbing the surrounding gray mist.

It wasn't hard to guess: if he tore the talisman, the elemental black hole would instantly expand, releasing a burst of energy that would slow everything in the vicinity.

Talismans didn't always require fire to activate.

For example, the Clear Sky Talisman he used earlier required flames to trigger its effect.

But other talismans could be activated by simply tearing the paper or soaking it in water.

The different activation methods proved that the ancient nations of Liao Continent had poured their entire country's knowledge into the hero's skill bar without reservation.

And the talismans were just a tiny fraction of the brave power that Lin Lan had already grasped.

This glimpse into the Slowdown Talisman's structure through Elemental Vision gave him insight into why talismans held such magical power.

Their effects came from the intricate magic circles drawn onto the paper.

These arrays used talismans as a medium to attract specific elemental energies, allowing the user to skip the time-consuming chants and spell formations typically needed in battle.

To put it in terms of Azure's game mechanics, it was similar to pre-loaded skills—ready to be activated instantly without any casting time.

Though some high-level talismans required a great deal of mental energy to activate...

Lin Lan had the Wisdom Cube.

With his mental power and recovery speed maxed out, he could activate dozens of practical talismans like the Slowdown Talisman—ones capable of affecting small-scale battles—without breaking a sweat.

And that wasn't even counting the mental energy he recovered in the meantime.

The power of a hero with cheats was simply terrifying.

As Lin Lan debated whether to draw more talismans, he noticed movement outside his window.

Peter had returned, accompanied by a burly, muscular cat.

Soon, she entered the office, her expression calm and composed once again.

Behind her, the towering muscular cat had to duck to pass through the doorway, carefully carrying a lunch tray.

"Akashi was outside the cafeteria, about to send this muscle cat over, so I took the opportunity to learn how to control it from her."

Peter smiled as she held out a familiar remote control—the same one Akashi had used that morning—and handed it to Lin Lan.

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