Chapter 419: Chapter 231: Conversation by the Lake (Part 2)

“But, if it causes trouble for my companions, I do care,” Alulu said.

“Earlier, when Fan Gen and others said I had a bad influence on them, I put on armor seriously.”

Alulu stood up, and the waves made even the experienced Li Ang feel a bit at a loss.

“They’ve grown again.”

“Mm, mm…”

“Brother, make me new equipment.”

“Alright, the old ones can be modified, but we should make new ones indeed.”

Li Ang tried not to let his gaze be swallowed by the valley, “After our adventure on Mengze Island, we need to get everyone equipped with Water Attribute Equipment to deal with the volcanic terrain of Lupus, and then we can tailor it anew.”

After Li Ang finished speaking, Alulu chuckled softly.

“I knew you’d say that, brother.”

“Why’s that?”

“Nothing, it’s just that it made me more certain of some thoughts.”

Alulu leaned in very close, then hugged Li Ang. She used to thank him like this in the past, but back then, Li Ang was sure her heart was different.

“Although I don’t care about others’ opinions, growing like this is sometimes troublesome. It can bring a sense of pressure to friends and companions, so sometimes I don’t like it myself either.

“But when I’m with everyone in the Star Flower Travel Corps, they don’t care about the pressure I bring.”

Li Ang said, “Because they are troublemakers themselves and don’t have time to blame others?”

“I think it’s because you don’t care, brother, and they always listen to you.”

Li Ang felt uncomfortable being squeezed harder, not mainly because of the arms, but the intense compression pressing against the position due to Xiaoniu’s petite height.

“What I want to say today is, is to say…”

Alulu’s voice carried a hint of hesitation and quivering.

“Actually, when you weren’t around before, we talked about some things.”

“Before you started wearing the same clothes?”

“Yes, that matter’s a secret of ours, so I can’t tell you.”

“Alright.”

“But, I’m kind of angry.”

“Did they say something wrong?”

Alulu pressed her forehead against Li Ang’s body.

“I’m not bad-mouthing anyone, but when everyone was talking about why they liked you, someone said I didn’t have my own reason, I, I…”

Xiaoniu’s voice carried a note of grievance.

Ah, indeed, there were arguments behind their backs. Even Li Ang could guess who might have said that, as that person tends to blurt things out when agitated.

“Don’t worry about it. Some of them are just used to talking nonsense.”

“Although I think you wouldn’t think that way, brother, I’m still a bit scared. So I want to tell you, the feeling of being by your side can’t be found elsewhere. Before, you were helping them cultivate and didn’t have time apart, so I was very anxious.”

Alulu raised her head, her tear-filled violet eyes more exquisite and captivating than any treasure.

Her body started to exert force, and purely from strength, Li Ang couldn’t resist, being pressed tightly against the tree root behind him at a 45-degree angle.

Xiaoniu imitated certain motions, starting to press up and down.

“What, what are you doing…” Li Ang struggled miserably, finding it extremely hard to control.

Her face blushed as if bleeding, and she lowered her voice without responding.

Li Ang knew what she wanted, but obviously, it couldn’t compare to those two massive problems before. Without knowing how to proceed, Alulu finally spoke.

“After defeating the Bloody Hand, that time when you couldn’t move, I was scared by Dorothy. But later, I understood why they did that.”

“I still remember Dorothy’s moves. I, I think I have an advantage over her!”

“That’s more than just an advantage, you completely overshadow her in this aspect…”

Previously, he was hard-controlled by a DEBUFF, and now Li Ang couldn’t even evade, not at all in the same league.

Although Xiaoniu didn’t completely understand how it worked, even feeling the pressure alone had a significant effect.

“I want to learn to do it, just like Andasu said, this is a proof!”

Her hands began to restlessly get familiar with Li Ang’s new equipment infused with the Power of Nature.

The learning session lasted until just before sunset.

On his way back, Li Ang tried to conceal his unsteady steps.

This cow’s gluttonous nature hadn’t moderated at all. At this time, the water of Mengze Island’s Island Heart Lake was also getting cold.

Not until he sat by the campfire, seeing her in high spirits humming as she began to cook, did the layer of soft, delicate new tactile sensation in his hands fade away.

However, the other three weren’t around the campfire either.

He sat on a mat catching his breath, while Alulu occasionally looked back at him with a gentle smile.

Learning from the half-elf and White Wolf, a hint of charm surfaced on her always innocent child’s face.

Before long, a cat and a wolf returned covered in lake mud and moss. They asked Li Ang to open a Dimensional Rift, took clean clothes, and went to the lake to wash up. Dorothy, who had been napping, emerged from her tent only when the aroma of dinner wafted through the air.

“Where’s Meimei?”

Li Ang suddenly remembered the white-haired little girl who had run off somewhere when they were setting up camp.

Zoe held the wooden bowl full of meat broth that Alulu had just handed her, furiously blowing on it due to hunger, and said indistinctly, “She was here when we set up the tent and came over to watch us duel.”

“Is that so?”

Li Ang subconsciously wasn’t too worried about Meimei’s safety. Perhaps it was because he sensed a strange power within her, or maybe it was due to the previous impression Meluna left on him.

Just as he was thinking, the little girl’s figure suddenly appeared from behind a high tree root in the distance, holding a pale pink Moon Concealing Rabbit, and reached the top.

With a gentle leap, she landed as light as if weightless.

Seeing her return, Li Ang’s attention shifted back to the earlier topic.

“Who won the duel?”

These two, truly gifted, with their so-called duels actually turning into fights, had their magic power surging.

“Me!” Zoe exclaimed.

“Me.” Andasu said calmly.

“Seems like a draw.” Li Ang nodded.

“No! She cheated!”

Zoe shouted, “That wolf ear suddenly used a shadow trick; my transformation got interrupted!”

“Shadow?” Li Ang looked at Andasu, the beast-eared girl twitched her erect ears in response, which Li Ang recognized as a sign of her pride.

“My tribal heritage has progressed further.”

Indeed, it was the power of the Evil Assassin. Li Ang thought.

At the Flowing Silver Arena, Andasu had utilized the Evil Assassin’s inherited Power of Darkness, but felt she didn’t wield it proficiently.

Now that Li Ang himself possessed Orichalcum and had used Dark Element a few times, it was the only one among the six high-tier magics he exercised utmost caution with, still in the process of understanding it.

Thousand Tower City’s scholars concluded that the nature of the Dark Element is the residue after everything vanishes, inherently destructive. If misused, it could result in irreparable severe consequences.

Upon personally experiencing the Dark Element, Li Ang became more certain of his previous feeling, that the dark attribute grasped by the Evil Assassin was special. Its distinct name, “Power of Retribution,” had its reasons. It shared similar effects with those produced by the Dark Element but had constraints and improvements.

Baal stated that this power’s source stems from the Beast God, obtaining a type of darkness manipulating force from beyond the Star Dome, distinct from Nebis’. An existence among them once obliterated the ancient prosperous civilization of “Stargazers.”

Besides the destructive force comparable to the Dark Element, the Power of Retribution also disrupts energy balance. Andasu likely employed this energy aspect to affect Zoe’s Star Soul Light transformation moment.

“Initially, I deliberately left an opening to switch postures for a counterattack, ensuring victory, she couldn’t escape the freezing range,” Zoe devoured the meat broth, “but the interruption of my transformation left us both defeated, falling into the lake.”

“So, I won,” Andasu declared.

“You fell in too!”

Li Ang understood that the result was a draw. Zoe’s genius fighting instinct must have perceived that, just refusing to acknowledge and acting out of dissatisfaction.

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