Recognizing this, Shuna pulled her pockets in a little tighter.
Lis touched her chin, then spoke as if suddenly remembering something. “However, I am curious what kind of person she took a liking to. What? Are you in a hurry? If you’re not, stop for a moment and let me take a good look.”
“…Are you talking about Will?” Lis asked, walking step by step towards Shuna. Despite her short stature, her pace was aggressive. Was she going to kill her and silence her? Facing a fully powered, experienced witch at this moment, she felt… Shuna instinctively tried to distance herself, only to find her body seemingly frozen by the opponent. Was it some kind of magic? But Lis walked over, ignoring Shuna who was carrying Will, as if Shuna and the machine holding Liya behind her were invisible.
“Yes. Hmm… I remember his name is Will Systom, right?” Lis reached out and pinched Will’s chin. Like an elderly shopper with presbyopia examining cabbage on a shelf, she leaned in, then twisted Will’s head left and right, examining him carefully. She even wiped away the mixture of blood and Blood Mint Essential Oil from his lips. Oh, because she wasn’t tall enough, she used a little elevation magic to lift herself, appearing to look down at Will from a “superior” position.
“His appearance… he’s not bad looking if you don’t count the glasses. As for his family, the Hysterm Family, although detestable, is incredibly rich. It’s a good thing to be able to get in with such a family. Mmhmm, the weapon he fashioned is also quite interesting. I thought he was all talk and no action, but he has some skill.” She commented as thoroughly as if picking a future husband for her own daughter. “Alright, I can only say Liya has decent taste. I’ll tentatively approve.”
Then, using some unknown magic, she reached out and pushed aside the damp hair hanging over Will’s forehead, lightly tapping his forehead. A faint red light spread slowly along the veins on his forehead.
“And you. You’re quite strong. I apologize to our Liya, who still needs training. As for next time, if there’s a chance, please be her sparring partner again.” Lis brushed against Shuna’s arm, and Shuna instantly felt the burn on her arm lessen significantly. Was this a witch’s own healing method? It was far more effective than a Goddess’s.
“What about Liya…”
“Her…” Lis, who had been angry earlier, showed a slight smile after observing Will’s situation. “Pay off her debts, get stronger, and then you can try to forcefully take back your man.” Lis said this jokingly and walked past Shuna. This might be the last chance. Should she try to subtly probe for information about the Green Ghost Stone from her? But would that provoke her directly?
To Shuna’s surprise, while she was still thinking: “Speaking of which, you seem to be looking for a clue…” Lis was more direct than Shuna had anticipated. As if seeing through her thoughts, she said only one sentence: “Go to the ‘Tenth Demon City’; you’ll find what you’re looking for there.”
“You’re going to tell me this information?” Shuna was surprised. Was it because she and Liya were somewhat teammates, and Lis wanted to save Liya? Or was it because she herself wasn’t aligned with those working behind the scenes? However, the Tenth Demon City… Shuna remembered that was where the currently most popular “Demon Series” monsters resided. The location of this place was towards the capital.
“Thanks. I’ll check it out after I get out.” Shuna nodded. Then, Lis, with her back to Shuna, waved a certain item in her hand. An hourglass. But this hourglass in Lis’s hand was held horizontally and wasn’t leaking sand in any direction like before. The item seemed to have been on the table with a pile of other items, but it fell down when Liya climbed onto the table.
“Oh, right. This girl used a time-altering item to adjust the flow of time in the Dungeon rooms. She probably calculated that you would come here after defeating Clodell and wanted to buy herself some time.”
“Don’t you witches’ things get a little too flashy?” Shuna didn’t know how to react. “However… it seems like it got knocked over during your fight just now.”
“Ah?”
“When you go out later, you won’t know what time it is. Be prepared.” Lis tossed the hourglass into the air and clasped it with her fist as it fell. Finally, she waved goodbye to them behind her. “We’ll… definitely meet again in the future.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“However… with this method, will Will have the same experience as me?”
In a hazy consciousness, Will seemed to hear Liya’s soft hair tickling his chest as she whispered. For Will, although it felt like his consciousness had been taken over, all sensations—touch, perception, even pleasure—remained clear. It was like surfing, where his surfboard could only follow the ups and downs of the ocean, but the person standing on the board could still feel the surge of the waves. Even… perhaps Liya was the same; as she received pleasure from the blood, different sensations would be transmitted to Will from their shared bloodline.
But… he couldn’t answer Liya’s question with his own consciousness. At that time… she had untied her Twin Tails. Although her loose hair and face full of longing made her look a bit sickly… she was indeed quite cute.
“When I knew I was going to lose you, Will, I was so scared.”
“At first, it was a physical reaction, and then a mental one.”
“I kept wondering what I did wrong to make you leave me.”
“Will can embrace me again…”
“I’m so glad.”
…
“Sleep, sleep. My good student, Will~” This was the last thing Liya said to him that lingered in his ears. In Will’s dream, he saw Liya turn her back towards Shuna. In his eyes, her figure, with her blond hair tinged with a slight red gradient, gradually blurred into blocks of color.
He opened his eyes. The ceiling was unfamiliar. The ceiling, with a somewhat blurry chandelier, was hard to make out. Forgive me, but this is what it’s like for someone with poor eyesight to wake up. The surroundings were cool, with a refreshing chill that penetrated to the bone. Perhaps it was this coolness… Will felt surprisingly calm. Maybe the stimulation from the Blood Mint Essential Oil and the witch’s blood injected earlier was too intense; now, as long as his heartbeat was normal, he felt much “calmer” than usual.
He was probably not in the Dungeon anymore. As expected… He turned his head and saw Shuna sitting nearby, holding a book. The serious look in her eyes as she read was the same as when he first met her.
