Chapter 77: The Azure Violet Lightning Prison

Hearing the crackling sounds around her and feeling her hair stand on end, Xiluo’er admitted she was terrified.

Although Eve hadn’t lost her mind, deliberately avoiding her area during the spell, Xiluo’er was still scared! She didn’t even dare to move, terrified of accidentally brushing into the attack range and being instantly charred.

And this wasn’t even aimed at her. If Eve’s attack had been directed at her, wouldn’t she have been reduced to a tiny roasted chicken in mere moments?

Xiluo’er knew exactly what spell Eve was casting; she had seen this magic before in games.

It was a mid-tier Rank Six elemental magic, an area-of-effect spell: [Azure Violet Lightning Prison].

Though Eve was currently only at early Rank Six, casting a spell a minor rank higher was simple for a Brave. This was one of Eve’s special abilities as a Brave.

Xiluo’er remembered clearly that, much like “No-Chant Casting,” “Over-Rank Casting” was a protagonist talent in the game, usable once unlocked with talent points.

However, in the game, the conditions for casting a spell above one’s rank were a doubled mana cost and a deduction of ten percent of current health.

Xiluo’er also recalled reading in a game guide that this wide-range skill Eve was using was perfect for clearing hordes of trash mobs and quickly dispatching summoned derivatives during combat.

However, at this moment, the target of [Azure Violet Lightning Prison] was only one person—

Shadow, who was attempting to defend themselves with shadows.

How should one put it? It felt a bit like using a cannon to swat a fly, didn’t it?

Soon, the ‘fly’ realized something was amiss. A mid-tier Rank Six elemental magic couldn’t be blocked by defense alone.

Shadow immediately changed tactics. Their black robe and entire body once again seemed to melt away, about to vanish into the ground. Unfortunately, Eve’s casting range was vast.

This time, Shadow couldn’t escape Eve’s attack range at all.

“Cat Tail!”

In the final moments before the magic solidified, Shadow seemed to finally understand what Xiluo’er had done. Their sharp voice, indistinguishable as male or female, was laced with fury. Before attempting to flee with shadows, Shadow glared intensely in Xiluo’er’s direction.

‘Hehe!’

If her mouth hadn’t been gagged, Xiluo’er would have loved to stick out her tongue and mock Shadow fiercely.

‘Called big sis for backup, didn’t expect that, huh!’

Actually, Xiluo’er’s plan was quite simple. She merely waited until Eve was fast asleep, then slipped a small note beside her bed.

She had also prepared cloth strips and ropes in advance—these tools for her little scheme.

Then, Xiluo’er rushed to the City Lord’s Mansion.

As for the note’s content, it was also straightforward.

“I’ve taken the little girl from the next room. If you want to see her again, come find me at the City Lord’s Mansion.”

Originally, Xiluo’er just wanted to use this trick to get Eve to the City Lord’s Mansion to help, reasonably and without suspicion. As for Shadow, they were simply unlucky enough to be branded as the kidnapper.

Shadow writhed, attempting to escape the attack range, but it was already too late. After Shadow angrily shouted at Xiluo’er, the azure-violet lightning snakes roared, wailing across the space.

Xiluo’er had initially hoped to hear Shadow’s pitiful screams, but she only heard the tremendous crash of collapsing architecture. The thunderous sound of crumbling walls and rolling stones exploded in her ears.

Xiluo’er couldn’t see the situation in the garden at that moment, only guessing…

‘Uh, did Eve just blow up the entire City Lord’s Mansion along with it?’

‘She was that angry, huh?’

[Azure Violet Lightning Prison] roared through the space for about five or six seconds, then the City Lord’s Mansion’s garden returned to peace.

She watched the Shadow struggle for a moment, and then, there was no ‘then’.

‘That’s it?’

However, Eve couldn’t be bothered with this strange black-robed person who had suddenly appeared and kidnapped her Xiluo’er. She immediately rushed to Xiluo’er, who was tied up nearby.

Pitiful little Xiluo’er was bound like a small zongzi, lying helplessly against the corner of the wall, uttering meaningless muffled sounds.

Initially, Eve was very worried about Xiluo’er, but upon seeing Xiluo’er in this state, Eve suddenly swallowed.

‘Ahem, this doesn’t seem so bad?’

‘If her limbs are tied, she won’t be able to run around, right? If her eyes and mouth are covered, she’ll have to rely on me, right? This way, I can keep Xiluo’er by my side.’

‘If she stays by my side, then I can… I can protect Xiluo’er better, right? Isn’t that also quite good?’

However, this was indeed not the time to focus on such things. Eve reluctantly suppressed her surging impulses and pulled out the cloth strip stuffed in Xiluo’er’s mouth.

‘Abba abba abba…’

As the cloth strip was pulled from her mouth, Xiluo’er let out a long sigh of relief in her heart.

The situation had been too urgent earlier, and it was stuffed a bit too forcefully. Now her mouth felt numb and sore.

Trying to move her slightly aching jaw, Xiluo’er cautiously spoke.

“E-Eve big sister, is that you…?”

There was no helping it; even though Shadow was gone, the act of being kidnapped still had to be played out.

However, Xiluo’er didn’t hear Eve’s reply. She only heard a slightly hurried, in-and-out breath?

Eve’s eyes were currently darting between Xiluo’er’s small mouth and the cloth strip.

‘So, ahem, Xiluo’er’s small mouth can fit something that big.’

The cloth strip had clearly been in Xiluo’er’s small mouth for some time. The part that had been stuffed inside was now damp, and Xiluo’er’s lips reflected a crystalline sheen under the moonlight.

“Um… Eve big sister?”

Only after Xiluo’er cautiously spoke again in a tiny voice did Eve snap back to reality, realizing she had been distracted.

Eve forcefully suppressed the urge to pocket the cloth strip. She quickly coughed twice to cover her embarrassment and began to reach out to untie the cloth strip covering Xiluo’er’s eyes.

As she untied it, she asked, “Are you hurt, Xiluo’er?”

Mainly, doing so would be a bit perverse, and while Eve herself didn’t mind being a little perverse, Xiluo’er was still here. It wouldn’t be good if she accidentally found out.

After all, this child might already be wary of her, right?

The cloth strip blocking her vision was removed, and Xiluo’er blinked her large eyes, looking at Eve with a pitiful gaze.

“I’m fine, Eve big sister…”

“I, I was sleeping in my room, but I was suddenly woken up by strange noises, and then I didn’t know anything else.”

“When I woke up again, I found myself here…”

With this fabricated sequence of events, and Shadow dead without a witness, wasn’t the logic now perfect?