Meow!
Lilia stood at the entrance of the central Study.
Her palms were drenched in sweat.
The game of “hide and seek” from last night was still vivid in her mind—
The Maze of Lightning, hopscotch, nearly being fried to a crisp.
Now, even the sight of purple light made her want to vomit.
But if she didn’t go?
That pervert had said it.
If you don’t come, extra “seasoning” will be added—Lightning Balls that chase you, traps that explode when stepped on.
And the Heartbeat Sensing Electric Grid, which adjusts voltage based on your heartbeat.
Tch.
Either way, it’s death.
Lilia gritted her teeth.
She pushed open the heavy ebony door.
Inside the Study, Lucia was already seated on a chair.
She had changed into a black imperial formal suit, her long hair draped casually.
She wasn’t reading.
Her blood-red pupils stared directly at the entrance.
“Master… good morning, meow…”
Lilia forced a strained smile.
“Nine oh one AM.”
Lucia’s voice was calm.
“You’re one minute late.”
Lilia’s heart plummeted.
It’s over.
“I’m sorry, Master! I—
“Come here.”
Lucia interrupted her.
Lilia shuffled over, head lowered.
“Raise your head.”
Lilia looked up, meeting those blood-red eyes.
“Last night, the thing you used to attack me.”
Lucia suddenly spoke.
“It was interesting.”
Lilia’s mind buzzed.
It’s over. Retribution after the fact.
“Th—that was just an accident, meow…”
“Its energy structure doesn’t belong to any Magic System in this world.”
Lucia ignored her excuses and continued on her own.
“How did you come up with it?”
“I… I just sort of mashed it together, meow…”
Cold sweat poured down Lilia’s back.
She couldn’t possibly say she learned it from a fire safety drill video on Earth in her previous life, right?
“Mashed it together?”
Lucia stood up, walked over, and bent down.
That perfect face came close, their noses nearly touching.
Lilia held her breath, catching that cool, faint scent.
“My little pet….”
Lucia’s voice was low.
“Is an unpolished magical genius.”
Lilia froze.
This pervert… was complimenting her?
No.
Something’s off.
This woman never does anything meaningless.
What exactly does she want?
“Since that’s the case.”
Lucia straightened and snapped her fingers.
In the center of the Study, a massive Alchemy Laboratory table appeared out of thin air.
Obsidian material, its surface etched with magic runes.
Various bottles and jars crowded the top.
Colorful liquids bubbled in glass containers—some fizzed, some glowed, some… moved.
Lilia’s scalp tingled as she stared at the things.
“Today’s first lesson.”
Lucia walked to the laboratory table, pointing at a glass jar on the far left.
“Learn to control your power.”
Inside the jar was a mass of semi-transparent, sticky substance, constantly writhing.
The thing crawled slowly along the glass wall, leaving trails of goo behind.
“Slime Mucus.”
Lucia’s introduction was brief.
“Extremely active. A little heat and it violently expands until it explodes.”
Lilia swallowed.
Explode?
Isn’t this just a bomb?
Lucia pointed at a crystal bottle beside it.
Inside was a plant shaped like a carrot, but pitch black.
The plant trembled, its roots writhing.
“Screaming Carrot.”
Lucia continued.
“Any physical or energy stimulus will trigger a high-frequency sound wave capable of tearing through the mind.”
Lilia’s legs went weak.
Tearing through the mind?
Isn’t this a biochemical weapon?!
Finally, Lucia’s gaze fell on an ink bottle sealed with black runes.
The liquid inside churned as if breathing.
Each time it rolled, the sealing runes flickered, emitting a “zzzz” sound.
“Abyssal Octopus Ink.”
Lucia paused.
“It contains chaotic laws and can corrode most materials, including magic shields.”
At this point, Lilia’s legs completely gave out.
This isn’t a lesson.
It’s clearly an arms demonstration!
And it’s a three-piece set capable of blowing people up, deafening, and corroding them!
“Now.”
Lucia turned, her blood-red eyes locking onto Lilia.
“Using your magic, mix these three items together by hand.”
“Wha—what?!”
Lilia’s voice cracked.
“By hand?! Meow?!”
Are you kidding?!
None of these three are harmless, and mixing them together?
She’d be blown up, deafened, and corroded to mush—a full-service combo!
“Yes, by hand.”
“No alchemy tools allowed. No protective gear either.”
Lucia walked up to Lilia, raising her hand and touching her fingertip to Lilia’s palm.
“Your hand is the best container.”
“Your Magic Energy Network is the most precise stirring rod.”
Lilia looked at her hand, then at the pile of hazardous materials, her face pale.
“I…I can’t do it, meow…”
“Can’t do it?”
Lucia moved behind her, pressing both hands onto Lilia’s shoulders.
Icy fingertips touched her skin.
“Then let me help you.”
The next second, a massive surge of magic power poured into Lilia’s body from Lucia’s fingertips.
The force was violent—
It rushed straight into Lilia’s Magic Energy Network, seizing control of her body.
“No! Don’t! Meow!”
Lilia watched in horror as her own hand stretched out.
Uncontrollably, it opened the jar of Slime Mucus.
Then, her fingers… reached in.
A sticky, slippery sensation spread.
The thing was still warm, clinging to her fingers and seeping under her nails.
Lilia’s stomach churned.
“Feel it.”
Lucia’s voice echoed in her ear, low.
“Feel its activity, its energy flow.”
Lilia was forced to wrap the blob in her magic, lifting it from the jar into midair.
The mucus floated under her magical control, writhing nonstop.
Then, her other hand, out of her control, pulled out the Screaming Carrot.
The moment the carrot left the crystal bottle, it began to shake violently.
“Steady.”
Lucia warned.
“A little more fluctuation in your magic and it will start screaming.”
Terrified, Lilia desperately steadied her focus.
With the gentlest magic, she cradled the carrot that could “sing” at any moment.
Her hand trembled.
Her heart trembled.
Even her Magic Energy Network trembled.
Lastly, the most dangerous—Abyssal Octopus Ink.
Under Lucia’s control,
Lilia carefully unraveled the seal at the bottle’s mouth with magic.
The sealing runes snapped apart with a “pa pa”.
A wisp of black, corrosive ink was drawn out by her magic.
As soon as it left the bottle,
The air around it began to distort, sizzling with corrosion.
“Now, fuse them.”
Lucia commanded.
Three highly unstable substances, under Lilia’s magical manipulation, slowly drew closer.
Lilia’s heart leapt to her throat.
She could feel
The energy fields of the three substances repelling and clashing.
Slime Mucus swelled furiously.
The Screaming Carrot shuddered violently, and the Abyssal Ink churned even more fiercely.
If her magical control slipped for even a second,
This room—no, half the Evernight Palace—would be blasted sky-high!
“Your control is too poor.”
Lucia sounded dissatisfied.
“Your energy output is unstable, and your mental wrapping is uneven.”
Lilia was on the verge of tears.
Big sis, if you’re so good, you do it!
How is this any different from asking a baby who just learned to walk to tightrope?
“You need a little motivation.”
Lucia released her grip on Lilia’s shoulders.
Lilia was about to sigh in relief, thinking the torment was over.
But she realized her body’s control hadn’t been returned.
She remained in that high-difficulty pose, magically juggling three hazards.
And Lucia, meanwhile, walked slowly to stand in front of her.
She reached out, pointing at the nearly unstable mixture in midair.
With a light touch.
“Bzzz—”
The energies of the three substances detonated!
But there was no explosion.
All the power was compressed by Lucia’s finger into a fist-sized Energy Ball.
Currents crackled across its surface.
Black ink and mucus rolled inside.
The Screaming Carrot’s roots twisted and struggled within the Energy Ball.
“Zzz! Zzz!”
The sphere emitted a harsh noise, ready to collapse at any moment.
Then, Lucia grabbed Lilia’s hand.
She pressed the Energy Ball… into her palm.
“Until you learn to fully control it.”
Lucia’s voice was icy.
“Don’t take it off your hand.”
Lilia looked down at the sizzling Energy Ball in her palm.
Her mind went blank.
The sphere was hot.
Sticky mucus seeped out through the energy barrier.
Corrosive ink left burning trails on her skin.
She could sense the Screaming Carrot struggling within the ball, on the verge of unleashing that mind-shredding scream.
If she relaxed even slightly, the thing would explode.
She’d be blown up, deafened, and corroded all at once.
“Master… I… I really……. ”
“Today’s homework.”
Lucia cut her off.
She stepped back, a glint of amusement in her blood-red eyes.
“Use this to make me a dish.”