Chapter 312: Beauty Levels Up [II]
On the other side, the enchanting and dangerously alluring Vixen Queen Camillo, the eight-tailed fox spirit, was suddenly swallowed by a swirling storm of peach blossom petals.
Layer upon layer of soft pink drifted around her, wrapping her form until she seemed to flicker in and out of sight, half-hidden behind a veil of blossoms. The air grew thick with their fragrance, sweet and intoxicating, almost enough to dull the senses.
Camillo moved within it all as if she were part of the storm itself.
Every step she took was light, every turn of her body fluid and deliberate. The petals followed her, dancing in rhythm with her movements, as though drawn to her presence.
Her full, graceful figure, her soft features reminiscent of blooming peach blossoms, and the natural charm she exuded made it impossible to look away. Wrapped in that haze of drifting petals, she seemed less like a creature of flesh and more like a spirit born from spring itself.
A goddess of blossoms.
"...Stone... she’s beautiful..."
Even Gloomy Arrow, usually quiet and composed, couldn’t help but murmur under his breath, his eyes fixed on Camillo as though pulled in by the same invisible force.
At last, Camillo’s gaze shifted.
Her eyes, warm and shimmering with a gentle, almost teasing light, found Marcus without hesitation. There was something playful in them, something deeply inviting. Stepping lightly across the drifting petals, her slender waist swaying with each step, her eight tails fanning out behind her in soft, elegant arcs, she moved to his side.
Then, without a word, she settled at his left, close and obedient, as though that position had always belonged to her.
At the same time, Lyanna let out a soft, almost imperceptible sound.
The radiant clash of icy blue and blazing red surrounding her began to withdraw, the opposing forces of frost and flame sinking back into her body. With a gentle motion, she guided the Glacier Ice Dragon forward, descending with effortless grace before coming to a stop at Marcus’s right.
She was still the same Lyanna, cold and composed, her flawless face calm and distant as ever.
But something had changed. For the first time, her gaze shifted. Her clear, bright eyes moved toward Marcus, lingering for just a moment, before sliding across to Camillo at his left.
Camillo did not retreat.
The softness in her expression sharpened slightly as she met Lyanna’s gaze head-on, a faint, provocative smile playing at her lips. Without breaking eye contact, she stepped just a little closer to Marcus, her intent obvious even without words.
It was a silent challenge.
Marcus blinked once, then let out a quiet breath.
As their levels rose, his pets were changing in more ways than one. They were no longer just obedient summons. They were beginning to show emotion, awareness, even a sense of individuality.
And they could already communicate with him.
"...This is getting interesting."
Standing between them, Marcus couldn’t help the swell of satisfaction rising in his chest.
One was cold, dignified, and untouchable. The other was warm, seductive, and impossible to ignore. Both were breathtaking in completely different ways, and both belonged to him.
Bound to him, and dependent on him. The thought alone stirred a quiet sense of pride.
A shame their Intimacy Levels weren’t high enough yet. Otherwise...
He clicked his tongue softly, suppressing the thought, though the hint of anticipation lingered. If anything, it only made him look forward to what came next.
The strange phenomena surrounding Lyanna and Camillo gradually faded, and almost immediately, system notifications followed.
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. Your pet, Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna, has reached Level 30 and luckily triggered Pet Evolution. HP +300, MP +300, Attack +50, Defense +50. All existing skills have increased by 1 level. New skills learned: ’Wyvern Explosive Lance,’ ’Divine Light,’ and ’Saintly Light.’]
—
Wyvern Explosive Lance (Active, Level 1/10, 200 MP): A unique skill derived from ’Wyvern Javelin.’ While mounted on the Glacier Ice Dragon and wielding a lance-type weapon, Lyanna creates 30 energy lances and launches them forward. Damage = 2x normal damage. Covers a 180-degree area. Crit Rate +20%. Each hit deals 800 water damage and 800 fire damage. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
Divine Light (Active, Level 1/10, 150 MP): Calls upon divine light for protection. HP +20%. Increased HP regeneration.
Saintly Light (Active, Level 1/10, 150 MP): Calls upon saintly power. Defense +15%. All elemental resistances +10%.
—
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. Your pet, Vixen Queen Camillo, has reached Level 30 and luckily triggered Pet Evolution. HP +200, MP +500, Attack +30, Defense +30. All existing skills have increased by 1 level. Automatically learned Intermediate elemental magic. New skills learned from the ’Jade Seduction Scripture’: ’Peach Blossom Dance,’ ’Peach Blossom Intoxication,’ and ’Peach Blossom Demon Blade.’]
—
Peach Blossom Dance (Active, Level 1/10, 100 MP): Releases dancing petals that absorb 20% of incoming damage. Movement Speed +3.
Peach Blossom Intoxication (Active, Level 1/10, 200 MP): Uses floral fragrance to restore 20% HP to both Camillo and her master. Cooldown: 3 minutes.
Peach Blossom Demon Blade (Active, Level 1/10, 150 MP): A high-level offensive skill with two forms:
Horizontal Slash: Sweeping attack in a 180-degree arc, dealing 150% damage. 30% Crit Rate. 20% armor penetration.
Vertical Slash: Focused strike in a straight line, dealing 200% damage. 30% Crit Rate. 20% armor penetration.
—
"Heh..."
Marcus let out a low, satisfied chuckle.
Neither Lyanna nor Camillo had disappointed him. Both had successfully completed their first evolution, and the increase in strength was obvious. More importantly, their potential had only widened from here.
And they were changing, growing more responsive and more alive.
That alone made everything worth it.
Just as he was enjoying the moment, standing between two women who could easily overturn kingdoms with their beauty alone, another system notification appeared.
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. Due to your pets, Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna and Vixen Queen Camillo, successfully triggering Pet Evolution, their moods are elevated. Intimacy with you has increased by 3 points each.]
Marcus froze.
"...Wait, that’s a thing?"
He immediately checked.
Both Lyanna and Camillo had reached 87 Intimacy. For a brief second, he actually felt like tearing up.
’Just a little more.’
Once it hit 90, according to system rules, he would be able to initiate... more personal interactions with his pets.
His gaze drifted unconsciously to the two of them. Beautiful, powerful, and becoming more captivating with every passing moment. And yet, just out of reach.
The frustration was real. He exhaled slowly, forcing his thoughts back on track.
Right now, what he really wanted was to test their new abilities, to dive back into the remaining White Dog Rats and watch them in action. But the increasing number of approaching players made that impossible.
Reluctantly, he recalled both Lyanna and Camillo.
Then he turned and sprinted straight toward the White Dog Rat King’s corpse.
Without wasting a second, Marcus pulled out the Bat Dragon Cloud Sword and activated Gathering.
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. You have obtained High-Quality White Rat Fur. Gathering proficiency increased.]
—
White Rat Fur (High-Grade Material): Obtained from the White Dog Rat King. Requires Advanced Gathering. Can be used to craft high-quality cloaks. Proper crafting may grant abilities such as Flight or Glide. The tailor shop owner, Madam Jane in Ironstone Citadel is rumored to be seeking this material.
—
Marcus blinked. His Gathering skill could pull quest-related items?
’Interesting.’
He stored the fur, already making a mental note to visit this Madam Jane later, then continued.
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. You have obtained Mouse-Ear Fruit seeds. Gathering proficiency increased.]
So the Seed Extraction skill Alana had taught him finally triggered.
—
Mouse-Ear Fruit: A rare fruit that requires spiritually rich land to grow. Nearly extinct due to strict conditions.
—
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. You have obtained White Dog Rat King’s Eye. Gathering proficiency increased.]
—
White Dog Rat King’s Eye (Intermediate Material): Can be socketed into weapons to increase Attack Accuracy and Attack Speed.
—
Marcus stared at the results for a moment.
"...Not exactly impressive."
With the gathering complete, the corpse dissolved, leaving behind the actual drops.
"Heh..."
A faintly mischievous grin appeared on his face as he crouched down to loot. First, naturally, were the Flame Explosive Arrows.
All five, a complete set.
He clicked his tongue lightly. Shame he couldn’t use them himself. Still, they wouldn’t go to waste. Amber would make good use of them.
After that came two Gold-tier items: the White Dog Bow and the White Dog Demon Staff.
He ran a quick Identification on both; Solid stats. Well above average, but Level 40 requirements.
They were useless for him at the moment. Without hesitation, he handed the bow to Gloomy Arrow and the staff to Fate’s Trial.
Besides those, there was an Intermediate Treasure Map and two Dreamland Gems.
—
Treasure Map (Intermediate): Effects unknown. Cannot be used.
—
Marcus raised a brow Finally, a treasure map.
Might be for exploration, hidden rewards, or maybe something interesting for once. Unfortunately, it required Intermediate Identification to unlock its details. He would have to take it to the Old Man later for appraisal.
After packing everything away, Marcus stood up. The rhythmic sound of hooves was getting closer.
He turned his head.
The incoming squad had already reached the outer edge of the White Dog Rat territory.
At the front, a knight mounted on a red Flame Charger was actively drawing aggro, skillfully controlling the battlefield while the rest dismounted and began attacking.
Their coordination was tight, efficient, and disciplined. They were strong players.
"Stone, look," Invincible Strong called out, his voice carrying a hint of surprise. "The squad leader’s a female knight."