Before Lillian was completely sealed away, Atiste saw “Faith” in her eyes.
He had no intention of saving her, even as she transformed entirely into a crystal sculpture.
Eileen appeared by Atiste’s side.
She looked at Lillian inside the sculpture and asked, “Is this the art Master desired? I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen.”
Black lightning began to crackle inside the crystal sculpture.
Black tears flowed from the eyes of the trapped Lillian, yet her expression remained unchanged.
Atiste and Eileen simultaneously sensed a powerful force beginning to manifest.
[System Warning! System Warning! Host, please evacuate this area immediately. The target’s high-energy crisis level has reached the maximum. This system will initiate automatic defense and will no longer respond.]
Atiste gave a contemptuous smirk.
“The damn system has already warned me, but how could I possibly give up on observing the evolution of ‘art’?”
Seeing the determination in Atiste’s eyes and his rising excitement, Eileen maintained her usual composure and said, “No matter what happens, I will stay by Master’s side.”
“If I were to stroke her now, what do you think would happen?”
“Master? Are you sure? That crystal sculpture looks as though it is about to come to life.”
Lillian remained expressionless within the sculpture.
She was still dressed in her magnificent attire, maintaining a divine beauty.
However, the “crystal sculpture” that had sealed her had indeed come to life.
Black lightning surged around it, likely venting Lillian’s suppressed emotions.
Atiste did not flinch.
He walked straight toward the living sculpture and reached out to touch it.
The sensation he felt was not only cold and hard; the black lightning struck his arm, leaving a scar, but Atiste did not mind.
Eileen, on the other hand, looked ready to fly into a rage.
Atiste raised his other hand, signaling for Eileen to stop.
“Master, ê·¸ things are hurting you!”
There were very few things in the world that could truly harm her master!
Yet that black lightning dared to create scars on Master’s perfect arm!
It was unforgivable!
“Eileen, stay calm. The unknown is the very source of artistic creation.”
At this moment, Atiste was extremely happy, yet also incredibly serious.
Eileen could not stand it anymore and pleaded once more, “Master, let me destroy that thing! It is a hidden danger!”
Atiste remained silent, focused only on his continuous stroking.
From her head to her neck, and from her neck to her chest.
No matter how he touched or felt it, it was merely a cold crystal emitting lightning.
Furthermore, the shape was highly irregular and rough against his hands.
He continued his exploration further down, reaching the waist and abdomen of the humanoid statue, and then moved along to the hips and thighs.
Atiste leaned in close to “Lillian,” looking at her inside the sculpture while ignoring the strikes of the black lightning.
Eileen could not understand Atiste’s behavior.
Even though his body was covered in scars from the lightning, he insisted on touching that crystal sculpture.
‘Master must have his reasons for doing this,’ Eileen told herself as she tried to stay calm.
She pressed her right hand against her left arm, her expression tense as she suppressed the urge to charge forward.
Inside the sculpture, Lillian was experiencing something unprecedented.
‘Lord Atiste is touching me… feeling me… shaping me?’
‘It feels so good…’
‘I truly want to be touched by him like this forever.’
‘Every place he touches feels as if a “link” is being established with him.’
‘I am so happy.’
‘Is he transmitting some kind of power to me?’
‘I don’t know… but my body is feeling this power…’
Indeed, Atiste was not simply “touching” Lillian.
From the moment the sculpture began to erupt with lightning and the system issued its warning, he had already sensed it.
That was Lillian’s “emotion.”
What Atiste wanted to do was eliminate those useless emotions.
“The artwork I want is something that does not possess any emotion and can walk freely through this world.”
Eileen could not understand Atiste’s words.
In this world, even small animals possessed emotions.
How could something exist that could both act and move freely through time?
Lillian, however, understood a little.
She had always believed this world was boring; therefore, in the past, she had only known the emotion of “boredom.”
It was not until Atiste appeared that the longing in her heart was ignited, an emotion that had been buried for a long time.
Therefore, what Lord Atiste desired must be that “boring” version of her.
If that was the case, she would perform as that “thing” for Lord Atiste’s sake.
The fear in her heart was gradually vanishing.
Was it vanishing?
Or was it being “exterminated”?
Regardless, Lillian had now calmed down.
The black lightning on the exterior of the crystal also began to dissipate.
[System Notification: The high-energy target is gradually weakening.]
Atiste believed the system’s judgment this time because, through direct contact with Lillian, he had indeed felt her emotions.
However, Atiste did not intend to have any empathy for her.
He was a lofty artist.
Everything he did was merely to complete the most brilliant piece of art.
This experiment proved that Lillian’s emotions could indeed be eliminated.
Eileen watched everything happen from the side, her only concern being Atiste’s physical condition.
She quickly walked to Atiste’s side and cast the Full Recovery Art.
“Master! I will heal you immediately!”
The light-green healing magic enveloped Atiste’s entire body, yet the scars on him did not recover at all.
“How can this be… the Full Recovery Art failed? Is my mana output insufficient?”
Eileen panicked.
Her master’s safety was what she cared about most.
She increased her mana, but Master showed no signs of improvement.
Atiste took her hand and said, “Stop. The influence caused by the Crystal of Myriad Splendor is not that easy to recover from. This is simply a repeat of what happened when we defeated the Demon King.”
Eileen began to cry.
She gently hugged Atiste, her heart overflowing with emotion, but she could not say a single word.
Atiste stroked her hair and comforted her, saying, “I’m fine. These wounds will heal after a bit of rest. After all, it wasn’t the Demon King himself, just the externalization of the emotional power of a ‘work of art.'”
“But… but I didn’t help Master at all. I could only stand by and watch you get hurt!”
Eileen was filled with self-reproach.
She could have shattered that sculpture with a single kick, but she could not defy her master’s orders.
Atiste continued to comfort her, “Now, now, stop acting spoiled, or I will have to give you an order.”
Only then did Eileen leave Atiste’s embrace and wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Looking at the maid who was weeping for him with all her heart, even Atiste’s heart softened.
There was only one woman in the whole world who was so beautiful, cute, and absolutely loyal.
However, he soon returned to his usual high-and-mighty artist persona.
He said, “Eileen, release the artwork from the crystal. I am going to rest.”
“Yes, Master.”
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