Chapter 371: Feeling?!

Chapter 371: Feeling?!

The Academy turned a blind eye to Karin’s actions mainly because she wasn’t seen as a threat. She was a covert guardian similar to a bodyguard. Such protectors were not uncommon in the Academy. Although bringing personal servants was forbidden for students, some influential families remained uneasy. Unable to deploy them openly, they resorted to sending them secretly.

The low-skilled ones got caught and were all sent back. But the powerful ones, like Carlin, wouldn’t necessarily return even if expelled. They might just adopt new methods to keep doing their jobs. Thus, the Academy chose tacit acceptance. After some unspoken agreement formed, these guardians became controllable.

Carlin was among the strongest of these covert guardians. As for who he guarded, Lily… well, the connection was Zheng Yichen. Zheng Yichen’s identity in Kaja held some uniqueness. After all, he was a rather distinctive Magic Pharmacist and had close ties with the Sanctuary Church. Even if he couldn’t obtain a strong covert guardian himself, seeking help from the Sanctuary Church or hiring a suitable one through their channels was entirely possible.

Naturally, regarding the Sanctuary Church, the Academy absolutely had no desire to investigate. It was unnecessary, and probing their affairs would only invite trouble.

“So, how’s your progress mastering that power lately?” Zheng Yichen asked across the table from Lily in a restaurant. During meals, he mostly just watched her eat. This made Lily hesitant to start. She wanted to dine with Zheng Yichen, but the one sitting opposite was just an Alchemical Avatar.

Even though it had the appearance of eating, it felt terribly fake.

“It’s alright… I can’t use that power too openly inside the Academy,” Lily said, disappointment tinging her voice. Zheng Yichen noticed she kept staring at his hands, which weren’t holding utensils. He immediately realized the source of her disappointment.

Eating… ah, that was the most inconvenient part of being a dragon. First! Using chopsticks felt awkward. Then, a normal-sized meal, even a whole table loaded with food, wouldn’t be enough for him to gulp down in one go. Finally, eating so much… well, Zheng Yichen accepted the huge appetite. If he had a human body, eating a lot would still be enjoyable.

With his Dragon Body, eating was fast and involved massive quantities. Preparing his meals was a hassle too. Even though the Ghost Maids handled it and not him, making his food always took double or even much longer time. Unless they were rushed, then the Ghost Maids would use magic to roast the food quickly.

“Sigh~ Alright then.” Zheng Yichen cleared his throat. He pulled out the Magic Weapon Summoning Book and placed it on the table. Under Lily’s puzzled gaze, the book projected a glowing screen like an Image Retention Spell. The image displayed showed Zheng Yichen’s real body back in his Laboratory. He sat before an enormous table, holding two deadly poles as chopsticks. “Okay, as for that power… for now, treat it as a substitute. Don’t use it unless it’s critical. It’s the Demonic Sword Evil God’s power after all; it can be addictive.”

“You don’t need to rely on it.”

“…” Lily stared in astonishment at the Alchemical Avatar before her. It was now merely a mouthpiece. Yet… there was a sense of having dinner together now. Even if watching wasn’t ideal, Zheng Yichen had gone this far. What more could she reasonably expect? She nodded softly and made a soft sound of agreement.

She tried to enjoy this phase of ‘gentle closeness.’ It would have been even better if that screen hadn’t shown Loris joining now… Regarding her dependence on the Demonic Sword Evil God’s power, if anyone else had spoken against it, Lily might not have cared. But since Zheng Ychen mentioned it, she genuinely thought about it. She realized she truly had become a bit dependent on this power recently.

The Demonic Sword Evil God’s power replaced her Soul, producing effects similar to having one. Simultaneously, this power possessed characteristics exceeding what a Soul should have. The power concerning Blood Essence, the Bloodline Power, was inherently something tied to her own body. After trying it, Lily found it was incredibly suited to her. It felt like it was custom-built just for her.

Relying on Bloodline Power, she could understand her body with far greater precision. The ‘martial framework’ she previously couldn’t grasp clearly now had a basic outline forming, all thanks to thoroughly mastering every state of her being. Her understanding of physical force application deepened significantly.

Skilled Warriors controlled their physical power well, avoiding wastage in combat. But this control was just one aspect, not the fullest utilization. After all, they also possessed Mana, including Battle Qi Warriors. Regardless of how explosively physical power was used, it still differed significantly compared to special energies.

But with her new insight, Lily no longer saw this difference as unbridgeable. It existed due to a gap, but the gap wasn’t insurmountable. Excellent control of physical power was foundational. Yet, developing more diverse methods based on that control, with sufficient expertise – that was the core development she aimed for.

For instance, that concept of ‘multiple layered force’ Zheng Yichen once mentioned… she used to find it baffling—how could one achieve that without explosions of Mana or Battle Qi? Now, however, she was certain it was wholly possible. During her own attempts, she had accidentally produced it a few times. Though the second pulse of power might only be a third of the first strike’s strength, the force was layered. If she mastered this method, each burst of force could match the first strike’s power, and the layering wouldn’t just be twice, but ten or eight times… Then a single punch…

Well, she’d keep this as a wonderful aspiration for now.

At least there was a promising start already.

Yet, all these achievements rested on the foundation provided by the Demonic Sword Evil God’s power. Without it, Lily pondered, even if she could eventually figure things out slowly on her own, she wouldn’t progress nearly this fast. The detailed self-awareness gained through Bloodline Power was incredibly convenient, like a cheat tool. Without it, she’d lose her current state of rapid advancement.

“What’s wrong?” Zheng Yichen asked, seeing the conflicted look on Lily’s face.

“Um… it’s like this.” After a hesitation, Lily explained her current situation. Zheng Yichen’s eyes lit up. Wow! That framework born from wanting to comfort someone—a vague aspiration mentioned long ago—was this little girl, likely an eternal Loli too, really figuring it out from scratch?

“It must have been very difficult…” Zheng Yichen inquired. He hadn’t experienced much of the hardships of starting from zero firsthand—most of his skills came from established systems. Lily, however, was building an entire foundation based purely on theory, with no existing base to rely on, solely through her own effort.

“It wasn’t too bad. When I made progress, I felt really happy.”

“About the Demonic Sword Evil God’s power…” Zheng Yichen scratched his head, troubled. He hadn’t anticipated Lily gaining such benefits through that power. Under these circumstances, taking back his previous warning felt almost like admitting he was wrong. Whatever, being wrong was okay. Zheng Yichen now deeply desired to leave significant Earthly traces on this Otherworld.

The possibility of returning to Earth… hmph, seemed highly unlikely. His once-unrealistic wish was long replaced by a new goal: magically modifying this world—Magical Modification. The very thought held immense anticipation.

“In that case… go ahead and use it. But,” Zheng Yichen added, still concerned, “if you encounter any problems, you must notify me immediately.” That power bore his imprint after all; it wasn’t truly Lily’s. Any arising issues needed immediate knowing to solve them promptly. Plus… some prior discoveries made him rather interested in the nature of the Demonic Sword Evil God’s power too.

“Yes!” Lily nodded vigorously. Then a flicker of confusion crossed her face as she looked around. Briefly, her expression seemed lost, but it quickly returned to normal.

Outside the restaurant where Zheng Yichen and Lily ate, a woman and a child cloaked in a hood watched silently. As Zheng Yichen and Lily exited, the cloaked child, features obscured, took half an involuntary step forward. The woman instantly clamped a firm hand on their shoulder, stopping them entirely.

Many people filled the street, yet no one seemed to notice the pair.

“What’s the matter?” Zheng Yichen asked as they left the eatery. Lily held a hand tightly against her chest, her expression panicked, eyes darting anxiously around. Without hesitation, Zheng Yichen controlled his Alchemical Avatar to immediately cast a triggered protective Magic Barrier—concerns about Law Enforcement Team reactions to casting Magic openly on the street could wait.

“I—I don’t know. I feel… terrified panic. It’s like something vitally important is nearby… but I’m so scared…” Lily clung desperately to Zheng Yichen’s leg, her voice urgent and tight. Her small face turned deathly pale.

“A… feeling?!” Zheng Yichen froze for a brief instant. He immediately scooped her up and changed direction. Forget taking her back to the Academy; they were heading straight to his residence in Kaja. Fast.

A feeling caused by something physical? Zheng Yichen wouldn’t question that. But any extrasensory type of feeling arising within Lily—that was a massive problem. Without a Soul, where would body-independent intuition like ‘premonitions’ originate? She was famously insensitive to the pressure of powerful auras. Such external sensations were fundamentally alien to her experience.