“Was I controlled?”
Li Huayu closed her eyes, waiting for Luo Tianyou’s slap.
“Probably, but your behavior seemed normal.”
Luo Tianyou lightly patted Li Huayu’s cheek.
It felt good, like patting a well-used scapegoat.
“Uu…”
Scenes of spending two yuan to rob the lady boss flashed through Li Huayu’s mind.
Her small fist clenched unconsciously.
She opened her eyes and noticed Luo Tianyou seemed a bit different.
The battle suit on her body shimmered with starlight, giving off a comforting aura.
But it was okay.
Those violet eyes held no disgust or fear—only a clear emotion with a special feeling.
“I… just now…”
Li Huayu wanted to explain the wrongdoing she almost committed.
“Did you know those kids from earlier?”
Luo Tianyou interrupted.
“Yes, they’re from my organization. I used to teach them how to act like disabled children and how to steal.”
Li Huayu replied softly.
“That was in the past. Come with me.”
Luo Tianyou didn’t ask more.
Now wasn’t the time.
Someone else would handle Li Huayu’s matters.
“Okay.”
Li Huayu nodded obediently, closely following behind Luo Tianyou.
The street became increasingly chaotic—abandoned vehicles, scattered debris, even a few shattered shops.
The Mental Pollution in the air grew heavier, the whispers and illusions trying to invade Luo Tianyou’s mind, but the gentle starlight from her battle suit kept them at bay.
Luo Tianyou realized she seemed to be affected by the surrounding magic pressure.
It allowed her to vaguely sense the magic within her body—just lacking a bit more force to fully connect.
“Ugh…”
A suppressed groan came from behind.
Li Huayu stumbled, resisting with difficulty.
Her face grew paler, her eyes bulging further.
Luo Tianyou paused, slowed her pace, and reached out a hand.
Right now, she could help Li Huayu resist.
BOOM!!
A thunderous roar exploded in the clouds above.
A suffocating blaze erupted, and a figure plummeted from within.
The vast dark-purple clouds scattered, churning and roaring as they struggled to reform.
Crimson light crashed down just meters in front of Luo Tianyou, kicking up a heavy cloud of dust.
“….Master, cough, why are you here?”
Yuexia Liuli knelt on one knee.
Her crimson battle skirt was scorched and smeared with black, a few golden strands stuck to her sweaty forehead.
Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and her breathing was ragged.
She looked up, and the instant she saw Luo Tianyou’s hand reaching for Li Huayu, a dark, unreadable glint flashed in her eyes—concern, but more displeasure.
“Master, it’s dangerous outside. Why did you come out?”
Luo Tianyou jumped at her sudden appearance and quickly withdrew her hand from Li Huayu.
Seeing Yuexia Liuli’s disheveled state—
“Are… are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Yuexia Liuli’s gaze shifted to Li Huayu behind her—face pale, eyes filled with struggle.
She narrowed her eyes.
“Was she affected?”
She directed this question at Li Huayu.
Luo Tianyou instinctively stepped half a pace sideways, half-hiding Li Huayu behind her.
“She’s fine. I met her on the way. She was acting normal and even protected a shop.”
For some reason, Luo Tianyou felt inexplicably guilty, as if she’d secretly picked up a stray cat behind her big dog at home.
Yuexia Liuli took in Luo Tianyou’s small movements.
She braced herself on her knee, stood tall—her height giving her a natural air of superiority.
Instead of pressing about Li Huayu, she stepped forward and gently brushed a smudge of dust from Luo Tianyou’s cheek.
“So, Master came out especially to find me?”
Luo Tianyou’s face flushed.
She turned away, dodging that burning gaze.
“Who’s looking for you! I just came back to the hotel to get something!”
“Oh? To get something?”
Yuexia Liuli raised an eyebrow.
Her fingers slid down and, quite naturally, intertwined with Luo Tianyou’s hanging hand—her grip firm and unyielding.
“What could be more important than Master’s safety? Hmm?”
“It’s none of your business… it’s a Relic of Mother.”
Luo Tianyou tried to pull her hand back, but Yuexia Liuli only gripped tighter.
With a red face, she explained,
“Let go. An S-class monster is invading. There might be a way to resolve it in my mother’s relic.”
Yuexia Liuli’s thumb gently rubbed the back of Luo Tianyou’s hand, a trace of satisfaction flickering in her eyes.
In front of her, Luo Tianyou was like a magnet.
If she approached, or acted intimately, Luo Tianyou would try to run.
The harder she pushed, the faster Luo Tianyou fled.
But once she got close enough—really close—Luo Tianyou would stay still, obedient.
Just like two opposing magnets forced together until they became one.
Li Huayu held her head, watching the two figures in front of her, their hands tightly clasped—nothing could pull them apart.
Even as monsters invaded, they could still be so sweet together.
How nice.
They looked just like End Times Lovers.
Maybe she should just go back to the sewers and be a rat.
At that moment, The dark purple clouds above churned violently again.
A massive, twisted tentacle tore through the sky, brimming with malice, and smashed down towards them!
Shadows swallowed the three of them.
“Watch out!”
Yuexia Liuli tried to activate her power, but was struck by some special force.
Blood spilled from her lips as she pulled Luo Tianyou into her arms.
Crimson magic surged before her, forming a massive Iris Shield.
But the tentacle’s strength was unimaginable.
Just the force of its descent made the surrounding buildings groan.
Li Huayu couldn’t even shield herself.
The immense power caused blood to burst from all her orifices.
“….”
Yuexia Liuli’s gaze hardened.
She split her magic to cover Li Huayu, bringing her within the shield.
But in that moment, a gap appeared.
The monstrous tentacle shattered the shield and crashed onto Yuexia Liuli and Luo Tianyou.
Death descended!!
Luo Tianyou’s body trembled.
She opened her eyes.
Yuexia Liuli still held her fingers, gently stroking her hand.
The pain from the tentacle’s strike lingered.
The shadow of death left her pale.
But the repeated brushes with death and overwhelming pressure made Luo Tianyou finally grasp the essence of her mother’s power.
She sensed the magic within.
The reason she couldn’t sense or use magic was simple—she was like a newly dug artificial canal, with no water flowing, ignorant of how to carry a ship.
Now that water flowed, ships could finally pass through.
Vast magic surged through her body like a sea of stars.
So this was her mother’s power? Terrifying.
She even felt the magic inside her was several times greater than Yuexia Liuli’s.
“Yuexia Liuli, be careful, Kiriel will ambush you….”
Before she could finish, Yuexia Liuli’s eyes dimmed.
Blood poured from her mouth as another tentacle struck from the sky.
The second awakening.
Luo Tianyou took a deep breath.
She couldn’t warn her.
She couldn’t break the rules.
Otherwise, events would trigger ahead of time—just like when she tried to sneak out the window at Yuexia Liuli’s house.
Each violation brought earlier encounters.
The essence of Infinite Parsing was to [analyze] and [reconstruct] countless future possibilities based on current information, seeking the optimal outcome.
Now, facing the S-class Kiriel, her own power—this vast magic—was still beyond her ability to fully Dominate….
Domination!!
Wasn’t Yuexia Liuli’s magic the power of Domination?
In her domain, she could control everything.
Luo Tianyou unconsciously touched the mark on her neck.
Trust her.
To resolve this situation, she had to trust this troublesome dog completely.
Even if that dog was going to pounce and lick her all over.
Luo Tianyou rose on tiptoes, grabbed Yuexia Liuli’s chin, and under those stunned, wide eyes, bit down hard on her moist lips.
“Yuexia Liuli!”
“Dominate me!!”
The only thing she could do now was bite the softest part of Yuexia Liuli, venting her anger for the corruption to come.