The atmosphere was thick with tension, subtly charged.
Ling Qinghe’s ear tips flushed a deep red, her breathing ragged. She half-supported herself, pushing up to meet the gaze of Xia Naxin, who stood before her, still stretching languidly.
A wave of revulsion washed over her.
Ling Qinghe averted her gaze, a distinct sensation of nausea rising in her throat.
Just then.
Xia Naxin, ever the provocateur, didn’t forget to intimidate Ling Qinghe. She advanced a few steps, closing the distance between them.
Ling Qinghe recoiled instantly, her head snapping back.
Observing this.
Xia Naxin’s lips curved into a triumphant smile.
‘Just as I anticipated,’ she mused.
‘For Ling Qinghe, a woman who has spent so many years in the Bywing Kingdom, my current state must be utterly repulsive. It’s only natural.’
Immediately after.
Xia Naxin finally shifted her attention back to the dying Silvia.
Engaged in their contentious back-and-forth, they had completely neglected their beloved for over a minute.
Upon hearing this.
“Hmm, what do we do next?”
Ling Qinghe let out a soft breath, suppressing the sourness in her throat. She moved on her knees to Silvia’s side, then looked at Xia Naxin.
“We can begin replenishing her magic now.”
Hearing this.
Xia Naxin gave a light hum of agreement, finding the suggestion viable. She moved to Silvia’s feet, her eyes fixed intently on Silvia’s beautiful, black-stockinged legs.
However.
Witnessing Xia Naxin’s suggestive posture and movements towards Silvia, Ling Qinghe’s voice cut through the air, firm and commanding:
“This idea originated with me. Therefore, I shall go first… You, go cool off somewhere else for now.”
The moment these words registered, Xia Naxin’s displeasure flared instantly!
She was Silvia’s girlfriend; how could she possibly entrust Silvia to Ling Qinghe?
This wicked woman had not only stolen her and Silvia’s first kiss, but now, incredibly, she was still harboring designs on Silvia?
The next moment.
Xia Naxin’s face darkened ominously as she vehemently retorted:
“Don’t even dream of it! In my opinion, you’re the one who should get out of the way!”
As she spoke.
Xia Naxin, a wicked grin playing on her lips, pointed to her own—
“Do you even possess one? To be rushing to be first? How utterly laughable…”
Hearing this, Ling Qinghe’s anger stirred, igniting her fierce competitive spirit.
Immediately, her mind, too, stirred with an idea.
In an instant, Ling Qinghe utilized the localized transformation power of a magic phantom, manifesting something utterly distinct from Xia Naxin’s… a set of tentacles.
However.
Ling Qinghe, however, scoffed at these tentacles, which felt somewhat extraneous to her own being, and they dispersed after only a few moments.
She much preferred to use her own hands; she wasn’t disabled, after all, possessing both hands and feet.
“Do you truly believe I’m incapable? Who exactly are you looking down on?”
Silvia’s heartbeat, however, was now barely perceptible. In this dire emergency, Xia Naxin had no choice but to proceed.
Just then, Ling Qinghe moved with startling speed, seizing Silvia’s shoulder, intent on forcefully pulling her into an embrace.
“You wish!”
The two women confronted each other on either side of Silvia, each pulling one of her arms.
Silvia’s body swayed precariously between their tugs, and the pink mark on her body faded, its power diminishing to nine.
“Stop! She’s dying! Listen to me: press on Silvia’s heart first and begin pre-injecting magic…”
Ling Qinghe’s words rang true.
Xia Naxin cursed under her breath but knelt on the other side of the bed, simultaneously pressing her hand to Silvia’s chest.
They began transmitting magic.
Otherwise, they estimated that before they could even formally begin ‘replenishing magic’, Silvia would once again be tormented by her disobedience!
Targeted, exclusive, Silvia’s emotional and desire-based psychic power and magic merged within her dying body.
Immediately, Silvia reacted. She arched her back, a choked sob mixed with bloody foam escaping her throat.
‘Her heart is injured, she’s bleeding internally?!’
****
Thus.
The question now was—
Who would go first?
Who would step aside?
Xia Naxin and Ling Qinghe were locked in an irresolvable dispute.
Therefore, to save time, Xia Naxin pulled Ling Qinghe’s soul into the inner world for a discussion.
This way, they could save time…
****
Ultimately, it was decided… that Ling Qinghe would go first, and Xia Naxin would temporarily enter the inner world to ‘step aside’.
After all.
Within the inner world, Ling Qinghe’s threat had been too incisive.
“If you don’t let me go first, then so be it, I won’t save her. Let her rot to death on this bed…”
“After all, I would only lose a plaything, but you—”
At this point.
Ling Qinghe’s eyes narrowed, her voice lingering.
“You would lose a lover~”
“So, do you want to preserve your beloved’s purity, and then ‘take advantage’ after Silvia dies, or do you want to save her… life, after which you can do whatever you want?”
Ling Qinghe’s threatening words sent a shiver down Xia Naxin’s neck, and she cursed inwardly:
‘Damn Ling Qinghe!’
‘She’s resorting to verbal threats again… How many times has this been?’
At this moment.
In Xia Naxin’s eyes burned the urgency to save her beloved, while in Ling Qinghe’s, it was the desire to possess a plaything…
Ten minutes in the inner world passed in but an instant in reality.
Ultimately, Xia Naxin ‘yielded’, reluctantly giving up her claim. For Silvia’s life, she had no other choice.
Before long, Xia Naxin reluctantly feigned retreat into the inner world, leaving the space to Ling Qinghe.
It was ‘absolutely impossible’ for them to be together, or so she thought…
****
Meanwhile.
Ling Qinghe was admiring her manicured nails, which had already been perfectly trimmed and shaped.
And let’s not forget.
Silvia’s attire, well~ consisted of only three items: knee-high black stockings, an ultra-short hip-length skirt, and a white shirt.
****
A moment later.
Ling Qinghe knelt down and first kissed Silvia’s lips.
‘Time to begin ‘replenishing magic’~’
After all, no one else was around.
This action caused the pink heart-shaped mark to emit faint pink electrical arcs.
‘Was this a sign of ‘resurrection’?’
Xia Naxin felt Silvia’s vital signs were—
She was still sensing her vital signs~
As the ‘magic replenishment’ infused Silvia with life-giving—
Magic.
By nourishing Silvia’s magic circuits, it guided the repair of her damaged—
Heart and veins.
The pink heart-shaped mark on Silvia’s lower abdomen gradually regained its color.
Shifting from pale pink to rose red.
****
Gradually, Silvia’s vital signs returned…
Her eyelashes began to tremble slightly, and her almost-stalled heart let out—
A strong, powerful beat.
Not only that, but her body temperature also gradually warmed.
And the pink heart-shaped mark on Silvia’s lower abdomen regained its color.
Completely.
Only.
Unlike the original mark, this one seemed to be ‘evolving’?
Its outer layer had grown… a third layer of intertwining filaments?
It also gained an additional feature: a pair of small demon—
Wings~
****
Concurrently.
Silvia’s internal magic circuits had been dyed a silver-pink, and they were also—
Restructuring, revitalizing.
Like a dry riverbed awaiting a downpour.
Silvia also spontaneously began to draw elemental magic from the air.
And, following the ‘magic replenishment’ process, she was conversely absorbing psychic power—
And magic!?
****
In response.
Ling Qinghe let out a soft hum, nearly suffering a backlash from the ‘magic replenishment’—Xia—
Huangxin had already experienced this…
However, in that sound, there was both pain and ecstasy…
Feeling the immense suction from Silvia’s empty magic circuits, like a swimming pool’s drain pump.
The powerful suction, like a swimming pool’s drain pump.
It was all worth it.
“Quick, hold on, Silvia is about to wake up…”
Ling Qinghe’s hair danced wildly as magic surged, increasing her magic output.
Output~
The surrounding magic field twisted into a vortex, tearing away all the decorations in the room.
And scattering them…
****
Thus, Silvia’s heartbeat gradually returned to a strong rhythm.
Concurrently.
Ling Qinghe felt her magic depleted, partly due to Silvia’s immense magic level.
And partly due to the side effects of ‘magic replenishment’…
Her process had been abruptly interrupted.
Her knees, which she clutched, now ached, and she felt dizzy and on the verge of collapsing.
Fainting.
The last thing she saw was the fully formed mark on Silvia’s lower abdomen.
~
****
On the other side.
Xia Huangxin’s psychic power and energy were depleted. Before losing consciousness, she used her last vestiges of strength to protect the girl in her arms.
She used her last ounce of strength to shield the girl in her embrace.
Feeling her beloved’s heartbeat~ This brought her comfort; she had finally saved her…
She had been rescued…
It turned out, much earlier.
Xia Huangxin had been switching between her spiritual and physical forms, feeling her beloved’s icy body—
Temperature, and the weight of her resting in her arms.
However, she wasn’t idle. She kissed the back of Silvia’s neck, where cold sweat had seeped out.
And tasted the salty flavor~
****
After an unknown period.
When Silvia slowly opened her eyes, confusion still lingered in her violet gaze.
She instinctively tried to bite something, but was held by a hand—
She instinctively tried to sit up, but was embraced by an arm?
‘Held.’
A tearing, piercing pain shot through her————
“Eh~ What happened to me?”
Silvia was inwardly terrified. Driven by curiosity, she casually reached out, only to feel—
The already congealed blood…
‘Wait, is this wrong?’
Immediately after, she also noticed that someone seemed to be beside her.
Turning her head, she saw Xia Naxin.
This sight filled Silvia with confusion, and she softly called out her beloved’s—
Name:
“Naxin?”
Silvia simply didn’t understand why Xia Naxin was completely—
Naked?
‘Could she have fainted?’
Xia Naxin’s sleeping face was pale yet peaceful. Even unconscious, her arm was still wrapped around Silvia’s waist.
Her arm was still wrapped around Silvia’s waist.
Next, Silvia half-sat up.
With that movement.
A searing pain made Silvia groan, finally bringing her to full awareness. A profound dread washed over her.
She realized, a profound dread washing over her.
‘It seems I was unconscious… Ugh, Silvia dared not think further.’
‘Further.’
She also saw a wall of black mist, formed by a swarm of magic phantoms.
Wall?
This was their unconscious act of protecting their master.
Not far away, Ling Cheyin was standing in punishment?
But she couldn’t make a sound~ She was being punished and serving as—
‘How splendid~’
And, there was bloodstains in the other person’s fingernails.
Behind the black mist wall, Ling Qinghe lay supine. Strangely,
There were bloodstains in her fingernails.
‘This, this was a magic replenishment process, and she had seen it all. Truly—’
The evolved mark on Silvia’s lower abdomen began to ache. Only then did she—
Notice that the mark looked somewhat ‘unfamiliar’?
‘When did it gain an extra layer of filaments?’
‘And what was with these small demon wings?’
And within her own body, this surging yet ‘unfamiliar’ silver-pink—
Magic————
It wasn’t the elemental or time-based magic she was familiar with, but rather the… emotional and desire-based magic that Ling Qinghe had shown her.
The emotional and desire-based magic that Ling Qinghe had shown her?
“Ugh~ Impossible…”
In her shock, Silvia’s clear violet eyes, in a reactive response, were veiled—
By a layer of silver-pink blush~
She rubbed her lower abdomen, enduring the pain to sit up, then tumbled to the other side, frantically—
Twisting the nearby bedsheet to wrap around her body.
She realized she had lost something very important.
She had transformed from a maiden into a woman…
‘How, how could this be?’
As she thought.
Tears welled uncontrollably, and her heart surged with anger and humiliation.
She utterly detested Ling Qinghe, and once again, a malevolent thought arose:
‘To kill her while she was unconscious’—just then—
“Mm-hm~”
Silvia let out a broken whimper, clutching her lower abdomen, arching her back like a ‘shrimp’.
Into a ‘shrimp’ shape.
The heart-shaped mark on her abdomen once again tormented her with unbearable pain…
Indeed, she still couldn’t harbor any harmful thoughts towards Ling Qinghe, her ‘master’.
Any thought of harming her.