“Is this garbage all that's left in the grand Wood Elf treasury?!”
“There's a lot of stuff, but it's all fucking cheap street-vendor trash! Why isn't there a single decent divine weapon?!”
“Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!!”
The other lizardman broke out in a cold sweat, his eyes bulging so hard they looked ready to pop out of his skull.
“We planned for so long! We even exposed our precious mole! We exhausted ourselves breaking through the Hidden Gate passage and solving that complex labyrinth! And the destination is a fucking wasteland?! What kind of joke is this?!”
The massive psychological drop-off left the three thieves so furious they nearly coughed up blood on the spot, falling into a state of shock and self-doubt.
“Was our plan leaked in advance?! Did those old hags move all the good stuff?!”
“Absolutely impossible! Although tonight's plan to assassinate the Spirit Maiden and cause a distraction failed, and I might have aroused suspicion, there's no way they could have reacted this quickly!”
The loli retorted through gritted teeth.
Just as the three thieves were having a breakdown and losing their minds on the spot,
a sudden sigh echoed from a quiet corner nearby.
“Sigh...”
It was Yinzhi, who had just managed to temporarily cram and grasp the basics of the 【Hidden Gate spell】.
She opened her eyes and stood up.
Through the dim light, she locked eyes perfectly and dramatically with the trio that had suddenly barged in.
“S-Spirit Maiden?! Why are you here?!”
The loli jumped in fright, her long staff nearly slipping from her grip as she let out a pig-like squeal.
In stark contrast to her usual gentle demeanor, Yinzhi's face darkened.
She looked at the loli before her, her expression filled with disbelief.
“You... You're the spirit attendant by Eve's side! Why? As a member of our Wood Elf tribe, how could you conspire with these brutal lizardmen to sack your own home just out of greed for treasure?! How can you face the tribe that raised you??”
Yet, in the face of Yinzhi's righteous and heartbroken questioning,
the sweet-looking loli spirit attendant suddenly lowered her head after the initial shock wore off.
“Face the tribe? Sacking my home? Hahaha...”
A mature, seductive laugh erupted from her throat, completely shattering her previous image. It echoed through the empty treasury, sounding incredibly eerie.
“Spirit Maiden, your high-and-mighty, saintly attitude makes me want to vomit. You didn't actually think I was one of your kind, hatched from that rotten tree like you hypocrites, did you?”
Under Yinzhi's stunned gaze,
the loli spirit attendant's body suddenly emitted a series of bone-cracking sounds.
Crack! Crack!
Torn by violent magic power, her petite four-foot-tall frame began to shoot up and expand!
In just a few seconds, she perfectly transformed from a short-legged loli into a six-foot-tall, voluptuous elf woman!
Furthermore, her short, silver-green hair—the symbol of a Wood Elf—turned into vibrant, wavy red hair.
The leaf vein patterns in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by crimson, reptilian slit pupils!
“A closely related race... No, wait!”
Yinzhi took two steps back.
“This magic fluctuation... Demon! You're a half-demon, half-elf! You're a mole sent by the demons!!”
“My, what a sharp eye. You got it right!”
The red-haired woman stuck out her crimson tongue, suggestively licking the cold crystal of her staff, her slit pupils brimming with malice.
“Decades ago, under the banner of purifying the forest, you Wood Elves killed plenty of our demon kin. Now, it's time for payback! Having to act cowardly and cater to your whims every single day—I've long reached my limit! I thought that by taking the secret treasures and the Hidden Gate spell from here, I could secure endless wealth for myself!”
“But some bastard emptied the treasury! Oh well, it doesn't matter. Since you've delivered yourself to us, Spirit Maiden, you must know where the Hidden Gate spell is. Hand it over.”
“In your dreams!”
Yinzhi hid the inheritance scroll in her bosom, clenching her fists as the flames of anger ignited in her eyes.
The two lizardmen beside her also snorted, and the oppressive pressure of Intermediate-rank magical beasts filled the hall!
“Cut the crap! Since the treasury is empty, I can't go back empty-handed! If we can't get the treasure, capturing this juicy Spirit Maiden and selling her as a slave will still fetch a hefty price. She'd be a hot commodity in the market!”
“Hurry up and tell us where the treasure is hidden! Who the hell did this?!”
The red-haired woman also pressed forward.
“Hmph, as long as I get the Hidden Gate scroll, you can sell her however you want! Do it, cripple her first.”
A combination of two Low-tier Intermediate Ranks and one High-tier Novice Rank.
In the currently undefended underground space, this was indeed an overwhelming force.
“Never...!”
Yinzhi stepped forward, her natural magic surging as she gritted her teeth and held her ground.
“Hmph, then don't blame us for being cruel. Get her!!”
However...
The trio, currently in a tense standoff and preparing for a decisive battle, seemed completely oblivious.
In the darkness behind them, a black-haired beauty was desperately stuffing the Mother Tree's nutrients into her body, all while staring coldly at the backs of their heads with a dangerous look—like she was looking at walking bags of experience points.
Boom!!
The absolute gap in strength.
It made the ensuing battle almost entirely one-sided.
Though Yinzhi fought with all her might, under the underhanded assault of the two Intermediate-rank lizardmen and the red-haired half-demon, she was sent flying by the terrifying shockwaves, coughing up blood in just a few exchanges.
“Agh...?!”
She slid across the ground, falling right next to Qimeng, who was still busy devouring the Mother Tree's main body.
Only then did the lizardman trio notice the black-haired girl sitting before the severed roots of the Mother Tree, looking completely detached from the situation.
“What's going on? Why is there an outsider here?”
The tall lizardman's eyes darted around, a lecherous expression appearing on his face.
“But I have to say, this black-haired monster girl is really cute. If we drag her to a succubus parlor, she'll definitely sell for a great price, hehehe...”
“Cough, cough! Lady Qimeng...!”
Yinzhi clutched her chest, panting heavily as she urgently warned her.
“These guys worked from the inside out to destroy the escape route! The tree vein space was displaced, which is how they stumbled upon the Mother Tree's secret room. We're trapped underground now!”
“Hahaha! So it's just a little outsider magical beast, secretly absorbing the leftover magic power.”
The red-haired woman rested a hand on her hip, letting out a loud, arrogant villainous laugh.
“A pity! This is deep underground, a secret chamber where no one will come to save you even if you scream your lungs out! To prevent our tracks from being exposed, neither of you two Novice Rank kids is walking out of here today. Just be good and get packaged as mute, living merchandise!”
“Damn it... It's all over. What do we do...”
Yinzhi gritted her teeth in despair.
The tall lizardman walked over, looking down at them from above as he sneered with absolute confidence.
“Want to live? Sure! Unless this thousand-year Mother Tree collapses right now, there's no way the Wood Elf guards outside will notice anything and come to save you. But of course, how could a dead tree that's been withered for over a decade suddenly, for no reason—”
“What the hell are you laughing at, you rude thieves?”
Qimeng, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly cursed out of nowhere.
Rate on N.U.
