Chapter 87: Chaos in the Front Yard

"Do you hold a grudge against me?"

"NO." Lakyus's voice was firm, without hesitation.

"Why?"

"I was unwise in this matter. I should have shown respect to a powerful being such as yourself. You have already been incredibly generous to spare my life."

After that brief conversation, the red magical light on Lakyus's body gradually faded, and she couldn't help but wear a bitter smile. Although she had seen this kind of mind-control magic on Climb before, she still found it terrifying when it happened to her. It felt as if someone had intruded into her brain and was reading all her memories at will, yet she was utterly powerless. If one had no secrets, they would almost die. (Commonly known as social death.)

"You have gained a chance to live," Kael slowly put down the magic book in his hand and said to Lakyus with a smile. "There are always some despicable fools in the world who like to challenge authority in strange ways. In the end, they fail but do not take responsibility for that failure. Instead, they blame their own incompetence and weakness on others."

"It's impressive that you haven't fallen into this bad habit."

Lakyus shook her head, the bitterness on her face deepening, and replied, "You are too kind, I am not as good as you say. Your Excellency, may I leave now?"

Although she held no grudge against Kael, Lakyus clearly didn't want to stay there any longer. Whether it was due to the complex feelings from losing her power or worry about her teammates in Blue Roses, it all urged her to leave quickly. She knew her reliable teammates; if she didn't return to the hotel by then, they might have already started taking action.

Having just resolved the Climb issue, she no longer had the strength to atone for her sins again. Now they could only hope that Gagaran and the others could stay calm.

Kael also heard the note of urgency in Lakyus's tone, but he merely thought Lakyus was in a bad mood due to the great changes she had experienced, and didn't think much of it. He didn't intend to force Lakyus to stay, so he took out a thorn-shaped crown from his spatial backpack and handed it to her.

"This item can increase training results by reducing the wearer's attribute values. It can help restore power as quickly as possible. If your talent is good enough, you might gain additional benefits. Take it," Kael said.

"Uh... this is too expensive. I can't accept it," Lakyus immediately waved her hand to refuse, startled by the offer. She didn't doubt the authenticity of the [Crown of Experience] in Kael's hand, as she had seen rarer items before and knew that the man in front of her was fully capable of producing such a thing.

"I have something to offer that no one can refuse," Kael said lightly, and then Lakyus took the [Crown of Experience] from him completely out of her control. A strange sensation overwhelmed her hand, as if an invisible compulsion forced the acceptance.

Lakyus was helpless in the face of this. If she continued to refuse, the other party might get angry, so she had no choice but to bow respectfully to Kael. "Then I will accept it shamelessly. Once I recover, I will return this valuable item to you immediately."

"...Alright," Kael fell silent after hearing this, but said nothing more. He glanced at her and picked up the book on the table again, "You may leave now."

"I'll take my leave," Lakyus nodded in greeting then turned to walk towards the door.

After she passed through a special portal and had completely left, Kael, who was sitting on the sofa, slightly raised the corner of his mouth, picked up a magic pen on the table and gently put a '√' mark on the book in his hand.

"Good meat always rots in the pot," he muttered softly.

After Lakyus exited the [Small Underground Palace], she arrived in a living space in E-Rantel. No matter how many times she experienced this change of scenery, it always gave her a very new feeling. She couldn't help but reach out and touch the palace entrance behind her. Unfortunately, without a special palace key, the palace gate could not be accessed in a normal way, and her action was just waving in the air.

"What a truly mystical existence," Not sure if she was talking about a person or an item, Lakyus muttered softly, then came to her senses and walked out of the room.

After she opened the door and stepped over the threshold, she encountered a middle-aged woman waiting there. Although her face had the weathered changes of a rural woman, she was wearing a high-quality white magic robe, and her other gear and accessories were clearly much better than those of ordinary adventurers. Without needing to guess at all, Lakyus could tell the identity of the middle-aged woman before her at a glance.

"Good evening, Miss Lakyus," the middle-aged woman greeted her warmly.

"You too," Lakyus didn't understand what was going on, so she simply replied politely.

The middle-aged woman smiled and said, "You're finally awake. I was waiting for you here under His Excellency's command, and I will escort you safely back to your residence."

"I see," Lakyus suddenly realized something and couldn't help but turn slightly back, then nodded to the middle-aged woman and said, "Thank you for your help."

The middle-aged woman merely offered a faint smile.

The two then headed towards the residence's front door. During the journey, the middle-aged woman was chatty and praised Lakyus extensively. For example, 'Your skin is so well-maintained,' 'You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,' 'No wonder His Excellency holds you in such special regard,' and so on, which forced Lakyus to smile awkwardly.

When the two arrived at the front courtyard, they suddenly heard a commotion. The middle-aged woman was startled and quickly walked around the corner, holding her magic staff in both hands like a hoe. Lakyus also tried her best to speed up and keep pace, her heart quickening.

Upon entering the open space in the front courtyard, they saw two people wearing black tights and black cloth covering their faces being surrounded by a group of Fate Worshipers.

It's Tia and Tina! Although she couldn't see their faces, Lakyus could tell from their figures that the two intruders were her teammates, and she couldn't help but be startled. Worry washed over her.

"Who are you?!" The leader of the Fate Worshipers was a middle-aged armored warrior, who held a sword and guarded against the secretly infiltrated Tia and Tina. He shouted loudly, his voice filled with vigilance.

However, it was clear that not everyone at the scene was as cautious as him. A young, brown-haired warrior who appeared to be in his early twenties rushed towards the two of them, "No matter who they are, catch them first!"

So fast! Tia and Tina were already highly alert when the young warrior moved, but as the other party lunged before them, they couldn't help but be surprised. This speed was far faster than theirs.

As if seeing the shock in their eyes, the youth grinned proudly, then drew the long sword in his hand, "[Swift Wind Slash]!"