Placidusax's Ruin

After discussing their next move with Blaidd, Lin Luo set off from Ranni's Sorcerer's Tower.

Just as Lin Luo was about to head for Caelid, he remembered that traitor Seluvis.

"Heh, I almost forgot about you..."

The Warrior's Festival was not urgent anyway.

Lin Luo truly could not understand how a pathetic mage like him had the nerve to build his Sorcerer's Tower here.

Was it because he never bathed?

After thinking it over to no avail, Lin Luo decided to see that traitor for himself.

Following the cliff downward, Seluvis's Sorcerer's Tower stood below.

After the lesson he had learned in Liurnia last time, Lin Luo certainly was not going to jump down again.

So, Torrent, this was up to you!

Torrent: ???

Poor Torrent had ended up with such a master. Thankfully, his leg muscles were strong; if another horse made that jump, it would probably break several legs.

Landing steadily, Lin Luo struck what he thought was a very cool pose, though Torrent's trembling legs did not quite match his imposing aura.

So he returned Torrent to the Spectral Steed Whistle.

Well... mainly because he did not want Torrent to get tired...

Torrent: I star your star!

Melina covered her mouth and smiled, then lightly punched Lin Luo on the shoulder.

"Don't be so excessive with Torrent..."

"How can you say that..."

Lin Luo guiltily rubbed his nose, his voice growing quieter and quieter.

"Ahem, we're here!"

His eyes darted around before he hurriedly pointed at Seluvis's Sorcerer's Tower and strode over.

Melina smiled and slowly followed behind Lin Luo.

Seluvis's Sorcerer's Tower.

Seluvis stood at the bottom of the long staircase, his hands behind his back. He wore a pale gold mask and an enormous sorcerer's hat, looking utterly ridiculous. Unlike Ranni, who looked good in anything... Ahem, getting off track.

Lin Luo's arrival immediately caught Seluvis's attention.

"Oh? It's you?"

Seluvis spoke in a strange, mocking tone.

"Where is that rude witch of yours? How dare she attack me? A mere lowly—"

"Clang!"

Before Seluvis could finish, Lin Luo swiftly drew his sword and hurled the Moonveil Katana at him. The blade scraped across Seluvis's mask, leaving a long gash.

The sharp blade instantly sank into the hard wall behind him, its exposed hilt swaying continuously and ringing with metallic tremors.

"The last person who called her a witch was nailed to Stormveil Castle long ago. Who knows how many times wild dogs have bitten his body by now..."

Seluvis was furious at first, but fear soon followed.

A bone-chilling cold swept over him like a sharp blade, forcing Seluvis to squint involuntarily.

"Gulp..."

Seluvis swallowed unconsciously. The pressure Lin Luo had just given him was no less than Ranni's. It had nearly made him forget that the one standing before Lin Luo was merely a puppet body...

Only after a long while did Seluvis realize this.

His confidence hardened again.

Seluvis paced away from the Moonveil Katana embedded in the wall, but inadvertently caught sight of Melina nearby.

"Oh, fuck!"

Startled again, Seluvis jerked back and took a step away, returning to where he had been.

"What does the little mage think he's doing?"

"Watch your words, Tarnished!"

Seluvis lacked some confidence, but he still said it.

"Oh? You've got some nerve."

Lin Luo folded his arms, watching with interest.

"Ahem..."

Who knew what Seluvis's expression was beneath his mask? He coughed twice and said,

"I hope you can do something for me. After all, we are both serving Ranni... Lady Ranni."

"Find me a warrior woman named Nepheli and make her drink this potion. You can do that, can't you?"

"?"

"Do you perhaps not understand your own situation..."

Lin Luo stared at Seluvis in disbelief. He had no idea how this person could be so shameless.

He had just cursed him out, and now he wanted Lin Luo to do something for him. Did he think too highly of himself?

However, Lin Luo did not attack. Naturally, he knew this was only one of Seluvis's puppet bodies. As for his true body... Lin Luo naturally knew where it was.

"Who? Who did you say?"

Lin Luo sneered as he pulled the Moonveil Katana from the wall.

"Eunuch... Ahem, don't you know Nepheli is my woman?"

"Nepheli is now the lord of Stormveil Castle, and I was the one who conquered Stormveil Castle..."

"What the hell are you talking about? Can you think before you speak?"

Lin Luo did not hide his disgust for Seluvis in the slightest and cursed directly.

If I weren't worried about upsetting Ranni, I'd kill you right now!

"What!?"

Seluvis froze. He did not know about this. When had Nepheli become the lord of Stormveil Castle? Damn it, that would make it even harder to act against her!

Sir Gideon Ofnir, you really did acknowledge a good daughter...

Seluvis glared viciously at Lin Luo from behind his mask, his eyes filled with killing intent.

Suddenly, an absurd and bold idea surfaced in his mind.

The consequences of failure would be dire, but if he succeeded... Heh heh, what place in the Lands Between could possibly threaten him?

Besides, wasn't there a pawn delivering himself right to his door...

Seluvis fixed his gaze on Lin Luo again.

"Tarnished..."

"There is a secret. I wonder if you would be interested in hearing it?"

"It is a secret about personally savoring the beauty of a superior puppet, though it would also involve deceiving Ranni..."

"What do you say? I imagine you'd be interested."

Seluvis spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of... lechery.

Lin Luo narrowed his eyes. A deep cyan hue gradually spread through his pupils as intense killing intent filled the air.

"Speak."

The smile on Lin Luo's face gradually vanished, replaced by a calm expression.

Melina, who knew Lin Luo well, understood that this time, he was truly enraged.

Melina pressed her lips together and slowly walked out of the Sorcerer's Tower.

Yet Seluvis mistook the change in Lin Luo's expression for growing curiosity.

He could not help speaking with a smile.

"Ah... I knew you were this kind of person, as fascinated by it as I am."

Seluvis looked like someone speaking from experience, unable to suppress the smile in his words.

"I need you to find something."

"A special Starlight Shard that shines with amber light."

"With it, my potion can emit a soft, beautiful glow... Even a demigod's heart would tremble before it!"

"You want this..."

Lin Luo held out his hand. In it was Amber Starlight.

"Oh? You found it?"

Seluvis froze for a moment, then was overcome with joy.

"Though it is somewhat incomplete, it won't matter..."

Seluvis eagerly took it and added the Amber Starlight to the potion.

"This is what I have dreamed of..."

"Oh, ohh, what an enchanting light... This was once the fate of a demigod..."

"Haha..."

Seluvis let out a low, hoarse laugh.

"Take it... Make Ranni drink it..."

"There's nothing to worry about. For some reason, that cold little doll of hers cares about you especially deeply..."

"Even if she bears sin and acts righteous—she is nothing more than a delicate, adorable girl."

"Do you understand? Make Ranni drink the potion, and the 'secret' can be realized."

"Then we can... obtain a superior puppet... and savor her beauty to our hearts' content... Just imagine how delightful that would be!"

Lin Luo took the potion without saying anything and walked straight out of the Sorcerer's Tower.

However, what Seluvis did not know was that Ranni had been watching all along...

Seeing this, Ranni could not help feeling extreme anger, along with... heartache... Did she not have no heart?

Ranni took out the bouquet Lin Luo had given her and was about to throw it away...

"Idiot. You'll learn what it means to wish you were dead."

Lin Luo stood before Seluvis's Sorcerer's Tower, cold killing intent spreading around him.

He gripped the Dragon Communion Seal in his hand.

"Die..."

"The ancient dragon's lament, the Dragonlord's supremacy!"

"Placidusax's Ruin!"

(It was the Dragonlord's laser. Not very useful in actual combat, but here... heh heh, wasn't this more spectacular than Astel?)