Chapter 79: My silly little cat

A stream of smoke floated in the air, then condensed into a sphere with two glowing red points like eyes staring at Lathel. "So... you did all of this just to make me appear?" Lilith’s voice rang out—feminine, yet filled with power and authority. "Hahaha..." Lathel chuckled softly, hands clasped behind his back, appearing completely relaxed. "If I hadn’t pushed him to the point of losing control, would you have shown yourself?" "So, what do you say? Have you considered my offer?" "Lathel..." Lilith spoke slowly, "I will never betray my disciple." "Ah! It seems you’re misunderstanding something." Lathel stepped forward a few paces, eyes glancing at Lucien as he smiled. "Our cooperation has nothing to do with him." "You and I. Me and him. Those are entirely separate matters—can’t you see that?" "What do you mean...?" Lilith asked in confusion. Lathel let out a long sigh and shook his head. "Lilith, after all the years you’ve lived, do you really not understand such a simple principle?" "If you follow me, if you work for me, then you become my subordinate. Naturally, according to our terms of cooperation, I wouldn’t force you to go against your disciple." "Which means, you’re not betraying him. You’re simply choosing to work with someone who can offer you more. Better rewards. Better prospects." "Lilith, do you really believe he’ll be able to resurrect you using just his power and your faith in him—faith that he’s a Fate Holder?" "What?!" Lilith was shocked, the smoke surrounding her trembling violently as if completely caught off guard by his words. "How do you know about Fate Holder?" "Enough..." Lathel waved his hand, not intending to explain further. He simply said in a soft voice, "Just answer me. Do you want this or not?" "Look." At that moment, the space behind Lathel rippled violently. Then, two enormous hands—like those of some great marionette—extended forward. These hands were forged from a peculiar material, constructed with countless joints, intricately carved as though they were abstract works of art. The massive hands hovered in front of Lathel—one descending to form a seat for him, the other rising to support his back like a reclining chair. Lathel spoke with ease, "You see now? She’s like you—only a soul. But unlike you... she chose the right person to serve." "I..." Lilith wanted to argue, but she could clearly feel it—the soul energy from that presence was far beyond her own. So powerful that, if it wished, it could instantly seize and consume her like a nutrient-rich meal. Lilith paused in thought, her heart filled with both shock and hesitation. Not just from the strength of the soul Lathel controlled... but from the secret he had just spoken aloud. Fate Holder. A phrase more powerful than any explosive spell in existence. Lilith knew all too well the weight that term carried. And so, she began to waver. "Can I have more time to think?" "Of course." Lathel shrugged. "But I don’t want to wait too long. When the duel between me and him begins... I want your answer." "Oh, and one more thing. You should remember this—if your answer pleases me, then..." Snap! Lathel didn’t finish the sentence. He simply snapped his fingers—and in that moment... "This... you..." Lilith was startled as she realized she was being tightly grasped by a hand that had suddenly appeared from behind. Lilith was now just a ball of smoke the size of a basketball, but the hand that had appeared was massive—larger than a full-grown man. She had no idea when it had emerged, which meant she had no time to defend herself. Added to that, her energy had already been depleted. She could only enter a dormant state to conserve what little she had left—so being captured this easily by Evelyn wasn’t surprising. But Evelyn was far from weak. After absorbing Lazarok and the soul-nourishing pill, she had become several times more powerful. Seeing Lilith being restrained, Lathel stood and slowly walked toward her, reaching out a hand to gently stir the smoke as if toying with it. "You... take your filthy hand off me." Lilith gritted her teeth and shouted. "Huh!" Lathel scoffed, then slapped the smoke hard. "Um!" Lilith cried out in pain. Even though she was just smoke, the slap from Lathel still hurt immensely, as though he had struck her real body. "No way!" Lilith whispered in disbelief, "You... how can you cause me pain?" Lathel sneered and said, "Remember, I don’t like waiting. Besides, you know what should be said—and what shouldn’t—don’t you?" Lilith shivered at his words, suddenly feeling that the man before her wasn’t human—but a devil, a terrifying demon. Not just powerful, but someone who knew exactly how to manipulate others. "I... I understand," Lilith stammered. Hearing that, Lathel’s demeanor changed completely. He returned to his warm smile and gentle expression—like the sunlight itself. "Good! Go back. Heal him properly. If he’s too injured, it won’t be fun anymore." With that, Lathel turned and walked back into the house. Evelyn’s hands disappeared, and Lilith let out a deep sigh of relief. Looking down at Lucien lying unconscious on the ground, she could only sigh and mutter, "Lucien... facing such a terrifying monster—can you really win?" Inside the room, Lathel sat back down on his chair and poured himself a cup of tea. "You’re not going to capture her?" Evelyn’s voice suddenly echoed, as two slender, delicate hands appeared behind him. Completely different from the puppet-like hands that had shown up before, these were human—no, more beautiful and refined than any human hands, like the perfect creation of nature itself. The hands gently rested on his shoulders, softly massaging them like a devoted servant. Lathel leaned back, enjoying the tender massage. "There’s no rush. We still have plenty of time," Lathel said with a chuckle. "Besides, what I want is her—her loyalty and talent. Not just another useless soul." "I understand..." Evelyn replied simply. Her hands didn’t stop at massaging. They began to caress Lathel’s neck, slipping down inside his shirt. "Where did you learn this?" Lathel laughed and asked. "Do you not like it?" "No, I’m just surprised, that’s all," he replied, his gaze drifting toward the distance. "Lilith... I hope you make the right choice. Because if not..." He didn’t finish the sentence, but the sharp gleam in his eyes said everything. ... Afternoon. "Ah! Still not right..." Mira sat in front of five stones, each radiating a different color and shape, pouting with a face full of frustration. "Where did I go wrong? I followed everything Master told me to do." At this moment, Mira was still wearing her maid outfit. Her face, already adorably cute, had become even more enchanting after becoming an Awakened One. Her chubby cheeks were so soft they made anyone looking want to reach out and touch them. Her eyes sparkled like glass, filled with a hint of mischief and curiosity. Mira closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then exhaled, trying to sense the flow of energy within her body. "Ha... ha..." She exhaled, then inhaled again, and exhaled once more. Her breathing echoed through the quiet room. Then, she opened her eyes wide, staring at the five stones in front of her. "That is..." Mira seemed to see something, but it was vague, like being covered by a thick fog, hard to see clearly. "Ack!" Immediately after, a terrible headache struck her, making her frown and give up instantly. "Ha..." Mira let out a long sigh, pouted again as she stared at the five stones in front of her, her expression both discouraged and disappointed. "When will I finally be useful to the Prince?" "Feeling frustrated?" "Ah!" Suddenly, a familiar voice startled her. But right after, she was filled with joy. She turned toward the door. "Prince!" Mira threw herself at him, hugging him tightly like a little kitten clinging affectionately. She rubbed her head against his chest out of habit. Lathel smiled warmly and gently knocked on her head. "You’re having trouble with something?" Mira didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she took a greedy whiff of Lathel’s scent, then looked up and smiled, saying, "Prince... kiss... kiss..." Lathel sighed, but still lowered his head and placed a kiss on her lips. But Mira was a cunning and greedy kitten. She didn’t just want a kiss—she wanted more. She extended her fragrant, wet tongue into his mouth, exploring every corner inside it. The two of them hugged and kissed for a long time until Mira could no longer breathe and pulled away, leaving a glistening string of saliva between their mouths that slowly fell to the ground. "Ha... ha... Prince..." Mira panted, her face flushed bright red with excitement. Lathel gently tapped her forehead with his index finger and smiled. "Alright now, focus on your training." Mira pouted, sulking, and said, "Tonight, I definitely won’t lose." Lathel shook his head and chuckled. Mira seemed to enjoy this new world full of desire, so every night she would bring Selvia along to "battle" Lathel. But each time, they were utterly defeated—though it was a sweet kind of defeat. Lathel shook his head again and said, "Alright, you still haven’t told me what you’re struggling with." Mira scratched her head and giggled foolishly. "Prince, you know my innate ability lets me identify anything, even sealed items." "But right now, I can’t even identify five ordinary stones. Could it be... my talent is useless?" Lathel smiled and gently patted her head. Mira didn’t shy away, instead enjoying the warmth of his hand. He explained, "Silly little cat, your talent is Rank B. You could be called a genius even within this academy. How could that be useless?" "You just need to be patient, alright? You’ve only recently awakened, so it’s completely normal that you can’t wield that power just yet." "You have to understand, other students spent a long time—some even years—before they could start using magic." Hearing that, Mira pouted and said, "But Prince reached Level 1 – Late Stage in just a few days, and I..." Lathel shook his head, laughing. "Hahaha... I’m a special case. But I’ll find a way to help you quickly adapt to magic." "Really?" Mira jumped up with joy, wrapping both arms around Lathel’s and pressing it into the deep valley between her twin peaks. Lathel only smiled and nodded, saying nothing more. ’Of course...’ he thought to himself, ’You need to level up quickly so you can help me steal the protagonist’s opportunities, my silly little cat.’