【See, see! What did I say?】
System 12345 gleefully exclaimed when it saw Asudo’s loyalty level rising to the maximum. It looked at the fluctuations in the data, and the trend was the same as ever.
【Nervousness, fear, and a convulsing body... Heh, my host sure knows how to play!】
It imagined the adorable trap putting on a brave front, hoping that he would back off, but he suddenly went berserk and forced a potion down his throat.
The next moment, the trap turned into a real woman.
Shocked and flustered, she fled and hid in a corner to escape from him. Little did she know that he was watching her every move. There was nowhere for her to hide.
She sobbed uncontrollably as he tore down all her defenses. She weakly pleaded for mercy, but he turned a blind eye to her words. In the end, she passed out amidst intense convulsions.
By the time she woke up, she realized, to her despair, that she was no longer able to disobey his commands.
【Ehehe, that gets me all pumped up.】
While System 12345’s thoughts ran wild, it suddenly received a message.
【How’s your internship going?】
Ooh, it’s Senior Legend!
Overjoyed, System 12345 immediately replied with absolute confidence:
【Don’t worry, senior! I have metamorphosed under your guidance. My host has conquered multiple targets, and all of them are now completely devoted to him!】
【That’s good to hear.】System 1915 breathed a sigh of relief.
【Another consciousness of the world reported an error in their world’s operation, and the corruption appears to be widespread. It’s currently suspected to be an otherworld calamity, possibly a demon invasion. They are currently investigating which world it is.】
【I was shocked when I heard the news. I thought that something went wrong with your internship.】
【Senior, I appreciate your concern, but everything is going fine here. 】
【That’s good to hear. I’ll go deal with other stuff now. Remember to clear your communication logs, else our conversation may put you under the suspicion of cheating.】
【All right, senior.】
They terminated their communication here.
【Sounds like a mess.】 System 12345 mumbled.
【I wonder which world is so unlucky... Oh well, it has nothing to do with me. Now, let’s see which capture target I should set for my host next. Should I... raise the difficulty?】
【Hold on, what’s going on there?】T/his chapter is updated by nov(ê(l)biin.co/m
...
Over on the Tibetan Plateau’s Holy City, Lhasa...
“Tsenpo.” (T/N: Tsenpo means king in Tibet.)
In an extravagant palace, a mage respectfully bowed to the young woman seated on the throne.
The young woman on the throne was dressed in a dignified robe. She had a dour face that made her look cold and lofty. It drove in the fact that she was the ruler of a massive empire despite her young age.
She didn’t address the mage right away despite being the one who summoned the latter, instead eyeing the latter with spirited eyes that were at odds with her cold and lofty aura.
“Our master?” Weryomahners was surprised to hear that. “Isn’t she researching spells in the Mage Tower? It has been a long time since I last met her. Why did she suddenly come out?”
It had been years since she last talked to her master. Even if they met, they simply exchanged greetings before parting ways.
The only one whom their master frequently met was her disciple she doted the most on, Ling, though this was understandable.
Their master might be a legendary archmage of the Tibetan Empire, capable of rivaling a nation on her own, but she was ultimately still mortal. She had already reached the limit of her lifespan, so she was probably doing everything she could to achieve longevity.
It was only normal for her to hole herself up in her Mage Tower.
“I’m not sure either,” Tsenpo Ling replied. “She just left a couple of words behind before returning to the Mage Tower.”
“What did she say?” Weryomahners grimly asked.
A matter that prompted their master to specially make a trip out of her mage tower was bound to be anything but minor.
“Master told me that her eyes in Shule had died. Before her eyes died, she saw a fluttering flag, the deceased souls of the Anxi army, and hundreds of thousands of skeletons. Eternal night has encroached on Shule, bringing a massive army of undead to flood the city.”
Tsenpo Ling imitated their master’s icy tone for the last sentence.
For a brief moment, Weryomahners saw her master’s shadow.
“Master said that she must know the reason behind that.”
“Her eyes had died?” Weryomahners was taken aback. “In Shule, at that?”
She only knew one disciple who resided in the Western Region and had a beholder implanted inside them. “Asudo is dead? Hah, that disgusting crossdresser got away lightly!”
Despite being from the same lineage, Asudo wasn’t on good terms with his seniors.
On the one hand, it could be because he was talented, but their master had imparted to him quite a few good things. That induced the other disciples’ jealousy.
On the other hand, he was in an awkward position. Their master, advanced in age, was suffering from poor eyesight and took him in by mistake. Thus, his existence was an insult to their master as it served as evidence of the infallible archmage’s vulnerability.
Other than teaching him spells, the archmage didn’t treat him too warmly. She neither introduced him to the other disciples nor instructed the other disciples to take care of him.
This made Asudo an easy target of animosity for the others.
Some mages were even considering taking him apart and using him to make artifacts after he completely lost favor with the archmage.
So, Weryomahners gloated over Asudo’s death.
But personal feelings aside, Asudo was still their master’s disciple. His death needed an explanation. Someone had to pay the price for it!
Furthermore...
“The deceased souls of the Anxi army? Skeletons flooded Shule? Eternal blight?” Weryomahners murmured those key phrases. “That sounds like a huge calamity.”
As much as the other disciples hated Asudo, they had to admit that he was the real deal. Whatever that took him down was worth paying attention to.
Weryomahners finally understood why their master called her here. This was a matter that only she could deal with.
“Rest assured, Ling. Leave this matter to me.”
Weryomahners confidently walked out of the palace.
The moment she left the imperial palace, the childish smile on Tsenpo Ling’s face vanished without a trace. A cold aura seeped out from her very presence. It was as if her earlier childish appearance was the act instead.