Chapter 159 : A Toy
Chapter 159: A Toy?
The vine was severed.
A foul-smelling green liquid sprayed out from the cut.
Lilia felt the restraint on her leg loosen, and she plunged downward headfirst.
Midair, she forcefully twisted her waist, turning what should have been a face-first crash into a stylish landing—one knee on the ground, both blades supporting her.
However—
“Ugh…”
The moment she landed, before she could even strike a pose, the lingering aftereffects of teleportation surged up again from her stomach.
Supporting herself on the ground, Lilia dry-heaved once, failing to stay cool for even three seconds.
But the surrounding plants gave her no chance to recover.
The severed vine seemed to have stirred a hornet’s nest. The previously trembling bushes completely erupted.
“Rustle—”
Accompanied by a grating sound, the ground began to shake violently. Dozens, hundreds of dark green vines burst out from the soil, intertwining and twisting like a pack of pythons that had starved for centuries, opening their toothless yet terrifying “maws” as they pressed down upon the two from all directions.
Lilia stomped hard against the ground, blasting two deep craters beneath her feet.
Her figure vanished.
In the next instant, a streak of white lightning crashed into the surging mass of dark green.
Lilia’s figure darted through the gaps between the vines, so fast it left only afterimages. Every swing of her blade was accompanied by splashes of green liquid and the crisp sound of plants being cut apart.
“Die, you shameless weeds!”
“Do you even know who you’re messing with?!”
“You want meat? Eat dirt!”
Lilia vented all the frustration she couldn’t release in Dark Moon Canyon onto these plants. She was like a lawnmower gone berserk—wherever she passed, severed pieces flew and sap splattered.
The previously aggressive vines seemed unaccustomed to this “rabid dog” fighting style, their assault stalling for a brief moment.
Now!
Lilia’s eyes sharpened as she locked onto the source node where all the vines converged—a bizarre plant hidden behind the bushes, bearing a massive red bud.
“Get lost!”
Her figure surged forward, transforming into a black drill that pierced straight through the vine blockade.
Blade raised, blade fell.
“Crack!”
The giant man-eating flower didn’t even have time to open its mouth before its head was cleanly severed by Lilia, rolling to the ground like a ball, the cut surface still twitching.
The wildly dancing vines instantly collapsed as if their spine had been removed, slumping to the ground and turning into a pile of actual withered weeds.
Lilia panted heavily, shaking the sticky green fluid off her blade before kicking the still-twitching flower bud away.
She turned around. Before she could even wipe the sweat off her face, she quickly adjusted her expression and ran back toward Hera.
“Master! Are you alright?”
Lilia sized Hera up from head to toe. Although she knew full well that this level of attack couldn’t even scratch Hera, the act still had to be performed. “These plants are far too rude, daring to disturb your enjoyment! I might have been a bit too rough just now—was that inappropriate?”
She blinked, her face clearly saying, “Praise me.”
Hera looked down at this figure covered in grass debris and unknown liquids, with a few drops of green sap still clinging to her face, yet still trying to maintain the image of an “elegant maid.”
The coldness in those golden eyes softened slightly.
She raised her hand.
Lilia instinctively shrank her neck, thinking she was about to get flicked on the forehead again.
But the hand, clad in a black lace glove, merely landed gently on her head, removing a small leaf tangled in her hair.
“Not bad.”
Hera spoke indifferently, “Your reaction was barely passable. At least you didn’t embarrass me.”
That’s it?
Lilia felt a bit disappointed, but quickly comforted herself. Hearing “didn’t embarrass me” from this person was practically equivalent to “well done, I love you.”
“Hehe, it’s all thanks to Master’s excellent guidance.” Lilia climbed the ladder shamelessly, grinning widely.
However, before this warm master-servant interaction could last even three seconds—
A lazy, hoarse, yet strangely alluring voice suddenly drifted out from the depths of the bush that Lilia had just reduced to ruins.
“Oh my… where did this little wildcat come from?”
“Not only are her claws sharp, but her mouth is quite sweet too.”
The voice seemed to carry hooks, curling through the air and slipping into one’s ears, making half the body go numb.
But every hair on Lilia’s body stood on end.
There was another expert!?
Her 【Absolute Senses】 hadn’t detected a third presence at all!
Almost reflexively, Lilia stepped forward. The short blade that hadn’t yet been sheathed rose again, positioned in front of her as she stood between Hera and the unseen speaker.
“Who’s there?!”
Lilia shouted sharply, her gaze locked onto the direction of the voice, her entire body tensed to the extreme.
Even though she knew the boss behind her didn’t need protection—she could probably crush the opponent with a single finger—this was attitude! This was loyalty! This was the secret to doubling her year-end bonus!
“No need to be so tense, little one.”
With a soft rustling sound, a tall figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
The moment Lilia saw her clearly, her breath caught.
It was a woman.
If not for her dark green hair cascading to her ankles like seaweed, and her overly sharp ears, she would have been almost indistinguishable from a human.
Only a few sparse vines wrapped around her body, barely covering key areas, leaving large expanses of ivory-like smooth skin exposed. Her emerald eyes swirled with a vortex-like glow.
The aura she emitted blended perfectly with every blade of grass and tree around her.
If she hadn’t spoken first, Lilia might have mistaken her for a tree that had gained sentience.
Barefoot, she stepped on the ground littered with broken branches and leaves as if walking on the softest carpet. Completely ignoring the blade in Lilia’s hand, she walked straight forward and stopped less than five meters away.
First, she scanned Lilia from head to toe with a critical yet intrigued gaze.
That look was like she was examining a newly unearthed curiosity.
“Tsk tsk… so this is the little toy you’ve been secretly raising at home instead of coming to see me all these years?”
The woman extended her crimson tongue, licking her full lips as her gaze passed over the wary Lilia and landed directly on the silent figure behind her.
“Hera, when did your taste become so… ‘unique’?”
Her tone was so familiar it was unsettling, even carrying a teasing edge. “You didn’t care for those high-tier demons before, so why are you suddenly interested in this… human girl who only has brute strength?”
A toy?
Lilia tightened her grip on the blade, irritation rising in her chest.
Sure, she worked for the boss, and occasionally handled some rather… intimate personal services, but being called a “toy” was way too degrading! She was a skilled professional earning her keep!
Just as she was about to retort and defend the dignity of the Palace of Eternal Night’s head maid—
A hand gently rested on her shoulder from behind.
In that instant, the invisible pressure weighing down on Lilia receded like a tide.
Hera stepped forward from behind her.
She didn’t even spare the alluring woman a proper glance, casually adjusting Lilia’s slightly disheveled collar as if there were no third person present at all.
“Not a toy.”
The green-haired woman, who had been posing seductively, froze for a moment. A flicker of surprise flashed through her emerald eyes, as if she hadn’t expected that answer at all.
Not a toy?
Then what?
A pet? A subordinate?
Or…
The woman narrowed her eyes, her gaze returning to Lilia. This time, there was less disdain and more curiosity—and something deeper.
Hera offered no explanation, nor did she care to.
She simply kept her hand resting on Lilia’s shoulder. Compared to a “master,” that posture felt more like a domineering declaration of ownership and protection.
Feeling the warmth from her shoulder, Lilia’s previously agitated heart suddenly calmed down.
And even… felt a bit secretly pleased.
The green-haired woman fell silent for a moment before shrugging, letting out a meaningful chuckle.
“Fine then.”