Volume 2

Chapter 51 : The Worthless Miss Zege

“The Callers of the Deep are the most mysterious divine species. Few powerful transcendents are willing to venture into the world’s most dangerous places to observe and understand them. My knowledge about the Callers of the Deep is limited, confined to some of their characteristics.”

Sitting on a floating cannon, Mingfuluo followed Hitana closely while explaining about the Callers of the Deep.

“First, the most well-known and incomprehensible trait of the Callers of the Deep, as a divine species, is that they are parasitic creatures.”

“Parasitic…”

Hitana, as Mingfuluo had predicted, looked incredulous: “How could a divine species be something like that?”

“No one knows the answer.” Mingfuluo shook her head. “But it’s true. Seven hundred and thirty-two years ago, a powerful fifth-tier adventurer ventured deep into the Lost Sea and made this record—”

“‘The terror of the Lost Sea isn’t due to the countless dangerous magical beasts living in its endless ocean. It’s because the entire sea… is the nourishment, breeding ground, and pasture for the Callers of the Deep.’”

Hitana imagined the scene, recalling the monster’s writhing mass of tentacles from earlier and shivered with disgust.

“That’s… really gross,” the girl muttered.

“So, what you’re facing isn’t just the monster it’s parasitizing. Killing the host body it’s currently in is useless… and it might have already switched to another body and escaped.”

“No need to worry about that.”

Hitana waved her hand, brimming with confidence: “I’ve memorized that strange, foul smell. It can’t escape… we’re already close.”

“Smell…”

Hitana’s talent left Mingfuluo speechless.

From a combat perspective, this girl… was undeniably an absolute genius.

“And then?”

Hitana suddenly slowed down, coming to Mingfuluo’s side.

Before the latter could react, a flash like lightning passed before her eyes. Upon closer inspection, it was Hitana’s snow-white arm.

In her hand, she held a brown-green venomous snake.

Pinching the snake, Hitana played with it while asking: “Anything else to watch out for?”

“…As you saw, it has an astonishing adaptability and learning ability, so you mustn’t underestimate it. Also… thank you.”

Mingfuluo noticed the snake was a beat slower than Hitana, but even if she hadn’t, the constant protective spells and alchemical devices on her would have shielded her from harm.

Still, that didn’t mean she was unmoved by Hitana’s kindness.

“Hm?” Hitana casually tossed the dead snake aside, surprised.

“You actually said thank you… I don’t think I’ve ever heard you thank Anselm, even though he’s helped you so much.”

The girl’s offhand remark plunged Mingfuluo into silence.

Hitana, focused on tracking the Caller of the Deep, didn’t notice, as Mingfuluo was naturally quiet anyway.

Help…

Mingfuluo was certain that most of her struggles were deliberately designed by Anselm.

Pushing someone into a trap and then offering a hand… that hardly counted as help.

But looking back now… everything was moving in a positive direction—Anselm had saved the increasingly shaky Babel Tower, provided immense support, and guided it toward its intended path.

Yet, the more beautiful reality became, the more frantic Mingfuluo’s fear grew.

She still remembered Anselm’s words, that bet he made, wagering she would destroy everything in her madness.

What would he do to make that happen, and how far had he already gone?

Thus, Mingfuluo could never feel gratitude toward Anselm, and that was where she differed from Hitana.

She could even imagine how Anselm had once toyed with this girl, who naively clung to her illusions of beauty, unaware that most of her suffering was orchestrated by him.

But the irony was… Hitana Lansmarlos, despite it all, had achieved the best outcome.

“I’ve actually been wondering for a while, Mingfuluo.”

The talkative Miss Hitana couldn’t help but glance at her: “Is there… something wrong with your mind?”

“…”

“Uh, I’m not insulting you. I mean, your whole state just… doesn’t seem normal. Not that… Well, anyway, it’s just not normal.”

Hitana recalled the memory fragments Anselm had shown her, which contained little about Mingfuluo.

Back then, Mingfuluo seemed only… slightly off, not like the current Mingfuluo, so… lifeless? Or perhaps…

Like a puppet?

A wind-up puppet that creaked along.

That’s how Hitana thought of her.

“Though I don’t know where this idea comes from,” Mingfuluo replied calmly, “my mental state has always been stable. No need to worry.”

Hitana pouted: “If you think you’re fine, I don’t care. It’s not my problem anyway.”

The girl muttered to herself, If it weren’t for Anselm, I wouldn’t bother reminding you.

The wolf girl had absolute trust in her instincts, especially after they were enhanced by the Head of Wind. She was certain her feelings were correct.

“Wait… stop!”

Hitana suddenly halted Mingfuluo, frowning slightly as she sniffed: “The smell’s wrong… it’s multiplied.”

“Multiplied?”

“Yeah, several scents spread out around us. The strongest one stopped moving.”

“It’s probably controlling other creatures,” Mingfuluo said softly. “Its parasitic ability isn’t limited to a single host.”

“Tch, that’s a bit troublesome.”

Hitana clicked her tongue: “If we kill the main body, will the others die too?”

“…Can’t be sure, but it’s worth a try.”

“Good, then that’s the plan!” Hitana said decisively.

“Bow and arrow, I’ll take care of that thing!”

Mingfuluo silently handed the bow and arrow to Hitana.

Following the girl’s gaze, she looked into the depths of the jungle.

Hitana had located the Caller of the Deep, but… things wouldn’t go so smoothly.

Sulun, under the guise of “observation,” was protecting the Caller of the Deep, ensuring it could parasitize freely and destroy the ecosystem here.

Her cautious nature led her to enlist Anselm for assurance, using Mingfuluo and Hitana to eliminate more threats.

Now, with Hitana hunting the Caller of the Deep, how could Sulun allow it?

The wolf, having locked onto her prey, nimbly climbed to a high vantage point.

She knelt on a sturdy branch, knocking an arrow, her eyes narrowing slightly.

The foul smell grew thicker and more oppressive, with faint traces scattered around.

“Such a disgusting scent…”

The wolf beast whispered, a deep, instinctive loathing rising within her.

She exhaled slowly, pulling the bowstring until the bow creaked, her arm’s muscles taut in a blend of grace and violence.

Even without seeing her prey, Hitana’s expression remained bold and confident.

To her, this was just a game Anselm had set up for her, and games were meant to be fun.

She was certain that with this arrow, the vile scent would vanish completely, just as her previous shot had pierced the head of her original target.

Whoosh—!

The arrow’s sharp whistle tore through the air, appearing almost instantly nearly a hundred meters away.

Hitana’s pupils reflected the arrow, now a mere black dot, and a smile spread across her face as she prepared to hear her prey’s agonized scream.

But the next second, her smile froze.

Thud!!

The arrow, crafted by Mingfuluo, easily pierced the tangled roots on the ground.

The massive, foot-thick roots were as fragile as paper under this shot.

Yet, despite the impressive effect, Hitana showed no joy.

The arrow had missed.

At almost the same moment, a strange, deep blue mass of flesh burst from beneath the dense roots, vanishing in an instant.

“What the—!”

A furious roar erupted in the jungle: “Get out here!”

The disturbance in that instant… it was definitely not the reaction of the Callers of the Deep.

Some other presence was interfering, and even though it was well-hidden, Hitana sensed the anomaly.

“Damn it… If I find you, you’re—”

Sizzle!

A blazing beam of light shot up from below, and a dazzling pillar of light flashed before Hitana’s eyes.

The next moment, half a charred wing fell to the ground in front of her.

The girl looked down and saw that the scorched edges of the wing still bore translucent blue tendrils, stubbornly growing out, until…

They were obliterated by a blast from a floating cannon that drifted over.

“Hitana.”

Four floating cannons now hovered around Mingfuluo.

She looked up at the girl standing on the branch and said calmly: “Go after it. Don’t let it escape.”

“…Huh? Wait, hold on, I can sense something around—”

“Enemies, magical beasts parasitized by it.”

A stream of light flickered across the petite sorceress’s glasses: “I may not be as strong as you, but their ranks aren’t high. Leave them to me. I can handle it.”

The rapid pace of the conversation left Hitana stunned for several seconds before she reacted: “Leave it to you… Wait, what’s—Arghhh!”

Without turning, she had smashed her fist into the tree trunk, instantly pulverizing an invisible spider the size of a human head.

But from the mangled flesh, a translucent tendril emerged, burrowing toward Hitana’s skin, making the wolf girl yelp in panic.

She smashed her fist into the trunk again, pounding it several times until cracks appeared in the sturdy wood.

Heart still pounding, she leapt down from her perch to Mingfuluo’s side.

Rubbing her hand with a shudder, Hitana asked: “You said… you’ll handle it?”

“Your prey is the Caller of the Deep, isn’t it?” Mingfuluo replied calmly.

“Then the best choice is for me to deal with these nuisances while you continue your hunt.”

“If we both get bogged down here, it could create more trouble at any moment.”

“But…”

Clutching her longbow, Hitana seemed reluctant, not wanting to leave Mingfuluo alone.

“You’re overthinking, Hitana.”

The autonomous floating cannons were already unleashing a one-sided slaughter in the jungle.

Mingfuluo pushed up her glasses: “Have you forgotten what this is? This is the game Anselm prepared for you. All you need to do is enjoy it.”

“Don’t you want to hunt that Caller of the Deep?” she countered.

“…Of course I do!”

Hitana answered immediately, her tone turning fierce: “But something’s interfering with me… It’s hiding now, but it can’t escape me. Once I deal with that Caller, I’ll find that thing, clean it up, pluck its feathers, skin it, and roast it right here!”

With that, the girl eagerly patted Mingfuluo’s shoulder: “Then I’ll leave this to you, Mingfuluo. I’m going to take care of that thing… Hmph! Think it can escape? No chance!”

“It’s fine. Anselm said,” Mingfuluo lowered her gaze slightly, “I’m your assistant.”

“Hehe, thanks! You’re not so bad after all!”

Hitana grinned, patting Mingfuluo’s shoulder again before slinging her bow over her back and sprinting toward the direction the Caller of the Deep had fled.

Roar!!!

A tiger’s roar echoed through the dense forest, its source seemingly moving to intercept Hitana.

Mingfuluo merely raised a hand, and another floating cannon appeared, its blazing light instantly blasting a corner of the jungle.

The roar turned into a wretched scream.

“Have you seen enough, Your Highness Sulun?”

The woman spoke with an impassive expression.

“Or are you afraid Hitana will find the lesser species of the Caller of the Deep, so you’re keeping watch over it?”

“…Miss Zege.”

A girl in pure white emerged from the void, floating in midair, looking down at Mingfuluo with a cold expression.

“Can you explain what you’re doing?”

“As you can see.”

Mingfuluo slipped her hands into her pockets, her tone flat: “Helping Hitana clear obstacles.”

Sulun let out a laugh, a chilling, emotionless sound that sent shivers down the spine: “So this is your task? This is how you honor your promise?”

“I’ve simply figured out what matters most.”

The petite sorceress waved a hand, directing the floating cannons to seek and destroy targets: “Compared to fulfilling our deal, pleasing Anselm is more practical.”

“…So you’ve fallen this far,” Sulun sighed. “I had such high hopes for you, Miss Zege.”

“Do you have the right to judge me?”

Mingfuluo countered expressionlessly: “If you weren’t here under Her Majesty’s authority, you wouldn’t even have the right to step through the gate. Your Highness Sulun, aren’t you a hundred times more capable than me when it comes to relying on others?”

“Otherwise, why didn’t you just tell Hitana that Her Majesty wants the Caller of the Deep to grow to stop her? Because you know Anselm is here for Hitana’s birthday. You don’t dare ruin her mood, because that would anger Anselm, and Anselm could walk away at any moment… leaving you alone to face Her Highness the Grand Princess.”

“That’s why you used me, why you had me push Hitana to hunt other creatures—because you didn’t dare risk even the slightest chance of offending Anselm.”

In just a few words, Mingfuluo dissected Sulun completely.

To someone who clashed with Anselm on a mental level almost daily, Sulun was clearly no match for her.

“Compared to the Grand Princess ruining the outcome and making you look utterly incompetent, having Hitana ‘hunt’ the Caller of the Deep is obviously more acceptable to Her Majesty.”

“So I should thank you?”

Sulun returned to her usual elegance, laughing softly: “You’re quite… interesting, Miss Zege.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued: “Do you know why I approached you for this deal? It wasn’t just to test Anselm’s stance. It was because… I was certain of you, Miss Zege.”

“I looked into your situation with Anselm three years ago. The information was scarce, but enough. Combined with what’s happened between you and Anselm recently, I was certain of one thing—you would never grovel to Anselm. In fact… you resist any help from him, not just because of the cost, but because you reject the very idea.”

“That’s why I came to you, because you wouldn’t turn to Anselm, and because you had some value.”

“But now…” Sulun tilted her head, sighing with regret, “you’re not the same Miss Zege anymore. In my eyes, you haven’t fully surrendered to Anselm, but you’ve become lost, become…”

“Defeated.”

Sulun struck back instantly—since you love dissecting me, let me dissect you.

“A powerless, resigned defeat. You haven’t sided with Anselm; you just don’t know what to do anymore. You’re probably just hypnotizing yourself.”

“Your imagination is quite vivid, Your Highness Sulun.”

“Hehe, is it?”

The petite scholar’s expression was icy, while the pure-white little princess smiled brightly.

The two stared at each other for a long time, until the floating cannons had slaughtered every parasitized magical beast in the area.

“It seems this time will be a failure,” Sulun suddenly sighed softly.

“I’ll face Mother’s punishment when I return. What a hassle.”

“You accept it quickly.”

“What? Should I throw a tantrum like my sister, who can’t stand losing at anything, and scream at you hysterically?”

Sulun raised an eyebrow: “That would be too undignified, Miss Zege. I admit I’m furious, but I’m here for revenge, not to make a fool of myself.”

“However…”

Her gaze turned chilling, like the cold eyes of a predator.

“You’re on my revenge list now, Miss Zege. I’ll remember this betrayal.”

Sulun’s lips curled slightly: “You’ll never compare to Miss Lansmarlos in Anselm’s eyes, which means you could be discarded at any moment. And when that happens—”

“When that happens, you might want to worry about whether the Grand Princess has already burned you to ashes,” Mingfuluo replied coldly.

“Oh~ Such fierce hostility. Did I hit a sore spot earlier?”

Sulun’s eyes curved: “My apologies, but it’s the truth, Miss Zege.”

“Compared to the loyal, adorable, beautiful, youthful yet irresistibly alluring Miss Lansmarlos, with her boundless potential—”

She raised her chin, unleashing venomous words without restraint:

“Paranoid, self-absorbed, cold, utterly unlikeable in personality, completely unappealing in figure, and clinging to incomprehensible delusions—you’re truly worthless.”

“Compared to the Grand Princess, you’re—”

“Hehe, goodbye, worthless Miss Zege~”

Before Mingfuluo could respond, Sulun’s figure faded into nothingness.

Mingfuluo clenched her fists, head lowered in silence for several seconds before suddenly firing several blasts from the floating cannons at the spot where Sulun had been.

Yes, in every way—personality, appearance—she couldn’t compare to Hitana in the slightest.

Mingfuluo’s only value, deemed worthless by others, was her unmatched intellect and ability in the eyes of that one companion.

But with his departure, and the distinction in their status… it had all faded to gray, leaving only her stubborn persistence.

“Defeated… ridiculous.”

Mingfuluo muttered to herself: “I’ll find the answers, whether it’s Grandfather’s death or… Anselm’s change.”

Defeated, lost? Far from it.

She had simply seen through Anselm’s true intentions and made the best choice by following his will.

That was all.