CHAPTER 55
The Beginning Of A New Arc: Drawing Curiosity
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•Ω•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Lu Xie's heart dropped, fearing she had been discovered before the game had even truly begun.
Her heart raced against her ribs. In her panic to blend in, she had forgotten a deadly detail.
Her eyes! Her hair!
Lu Xie's eyes were a stunning shade of grey that seemed to reflect the ancient Cosmos. But unfortunately, the memories she had stolen told her that Alia's eyes were a deep, warm brown.
It was the same for her unusual hair—half jet-black, half snowy-white. Alia had possessed simple black hair.
'Think, Lu Xie, think!'
Lu Xie chuckled dryly, forcing her voice not to tremble.
"I guess I must have hurt my soul very badly. It must have caused my appearance to alter slightly. Whatever happened to me... it must have been so traumatic that my very essence shifted. Perhaps that is why I still don't remember anything from back then."
The words left her lips faster than her brain could process them. It was a reflex lie—clumsy and desperate—one that even she would hardly believe if someone told it to her.
She braced herself for exposure.
"I see!" Lela said simply, dropping her hand without probing any further.
Lu Xie blinked. 'She bought it? Or is she playing with me?'
Even with ten thousand years worth of experience, Lu Xie still found herself shaken when thrown into a new world where she had no idea of the rules.
"You seem to have become even more stunning in your uniform than the last time," Lela continued, her tone lighter now. "Your grey eyes are even clearer than before. It suits you."
Lela turned away, signaling the interrogation was over—for now.
"Let's go on a stroll. You must have been bored being bound up in there all day long. You can ask me any question you have along the way."
Lela gave Lu Xie a friendly smile, though her eyes remained sharp.
Without giving Lu Xie a chance to refuse, Lela closed her eyes. She held the small black pendant on her chest with one hand and grabbed Lu Xie's wrist with the other as she muttered a mantra beneath her breath.
Splurge!
With the wet sound of something sticky hitting the floor, black living goo poured out of the pendant. It squirmed on the rocky ground, morphing forms rapidly. It only stopped when it finally took the form of a faceless, undulating python once again.
This sight almost made Lu Xie's face turn green.
"Climb on," Lela gestured toward the sludge.
However, Lu Xie quickly pointed out a crucial problem, stepping back in disgust. "Isn't it too... I don't know... inappropriate? It looks like vomit."
"Wait for the magic to happen," Lela said with a wink.
She turned to the faceless python, which was barely two meters long and an arm thick. Lela rotated the small black pendant on her neck.
Click.
A tiny green rune glowed on the pendant's surface.
The effect was immediate.
Dark blue runes came to life on the black python's body, consuming it in a roar of frosty flames.
Within the cold blue fire, Lu Xie could see scales emerging from the goo as it became substantial. Its form grew rapidly, expanding from a couple of meters to several tens of meters in length, its girth thickening into a beast of war.
HISS!
With a magnificent hiss that shook the dust from the ground, it reared its head to the sky before lowering it to Lela's feet in submission.
By now, the blue flame had died off, revealing its true form.
It had become a Frost Python—a creature that seemed to be sculpted from blue glass and living ice. Its scales glistened under the sun like diamonds. But the most striking features were the thumb-sized, jade-white horn protruding from its forehead and the two pairs of massive, bat-like wings on its sides.
"How is it now? Is it to your liking?" Lela asked proudly.
However, Lu Xie was hardly impressed. 'I have seen better,' she replied mentally, thinking of the grand beasts of the Nine Realms.
But when she turned to face Lela, she gave a small nod. "It is passable. Though, it could be better."
"Oh! Such high taste, Milady," Lela said, giving a playful bow with one arm across her chest.
"As always," Lu Xie played along, raising her nose in a haughty, aristocratic princess style.
With a short leap, they both climbed onto the creature's cold back.
Boom!
Lela and Lu Xie flew towards the northwestern horizon in a flash. The beast moved so quickly that the world below became a blur of green and brown.
Lu Xie's senses were assaulted by the rushing wind, which spared no grace in pounding against her ears and stinging her eyes. This was accompanied by the sonic boom produced by each flap of the Frost Python's massive wings.
In contrast, Lela stood at the front, her hair whipping beautifully in the wind, seemingly untroubled by the gale force.
Over several mountain peaks, deep valleys, gushing waterfalls, and mysterious ruins, the Frost Python finally began its descent.
It was then that Lu Xie learned she had been kept in a secluded part of the Coven's territory. The scene below was incredibly lively.
A massive settlement sprawled out beneath them. There were various tall buildings with strange architectural structures—some made of stone, bricks, and strange metals, but mostly polished wood that curved organically.
But the building that caught her attention the most was a magnificent structure that resembled a Spider with a massive golden rump.
It spanned over a kilometer in length and a hundred meters in height. As expected, it was the busiest place, with countless people streaming in and out of the structure like ants servicing a queen.
The Frost Python landed in a designated square with a heavy thud.
Dismounting, Lu Xie watched as the majestic beast quickly reverted to its gooey black form before disappearing back into Lela's small pendant with a squelch.
The appearance of the Frost Python in the sky had already garnered the attention of everyone in the vicinity. It was well known to be the mount of one of the Coven's Demonesses, and sure enough, upon its descent, the crowd quickly affirmed it to be Menlela.
However, what drew everyone's curiosity wasn't the Demoness they already knew.
It was the younger lady in red standing beside her.
Her face was veiled, leaving only her starry, ancient grey eyes visible to the world.
A hush fell over the crowd. The mystery had arrived.