The next second! Undine’s vision was shrouded in a layer of deep shadow, cutting her off from the scene entirely.
This was, of course, Eros’s doing. He looked at Undine—standing at the entrance with her face veiled in darkness—and then at the Weird Girl in his arms. He felt a massive headache coming on. The negative side-effects of the Soul Ring had demanded so much of his focus that he hadn’t been sensing his surroundings. Otherwise, he certainly would have noticed someone as prominent as Undine approaching.
What now? Eros felt conflicted. After a moment, he made a decision. Forget it, finish the task at hand first. One thing at a time, otherwise everything will descend into chaos.
And so, an hour passed.
During that time, Undine’s muffled indignation reached him: "What are you doing covering my eyes? Let me go this instant!"
Eros could only offer a strained, apologetic smile while staying busy: "I'll uncover them in a second, just wait a little longer!"
However, once the business was concluded, Eros faced a new dilemma: he had no clothes. Was he really supposed to stand before Undine completely bare-chested?
As if sensing his predicament, Barbara suddenly spoke up: "Want me to manifest some clothes for you?"
Eros blinked in surprise. "Do you have any Ling left in you?"
He remembered that after discovering the trick of devouring the Spirit Worms, he had drained Barbara dry to sustain the Descent of the Tree Realm forbidden spell. That was exactly why he hadn't asked her for clothes the moment he woke up—he was certain she didn't have a single drop left.
Barbara took a moment to organize her explanation. "The Spirit Worms were forged from the fusion of that Beyonder spirit’s mind and essence. By devouring them all, you essentially consumed the vast majority of a Beyonder's spirituality."
"Obviously, as a Sequence 7, you couldn't digest such a massive amount of high-level energy. Any other Sequence 7 would have been blown to bits on the spot; you were lucky to only be knocked unconscious. While you were out, the undigested energy began leaking into the air. I figured rather than letting it go to waste, it was better to take it for myself. So, I absorbed the excess for you."
Eros: "..."
"So you mean your Ling is restored now?"
Barbara nodded. "Mm. It's not back to its peak, but manifesting a set of clothes is child's play."
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Then why didn't you say so from the start!" Eros grumbled. He’d been sitting there thinking she was still in a weakened state.
"You didn't ask!"
Eros: "..." Fine. He sighed, feeling helpless. At that moment, fabric began to rapidly take shape over his skin.
As he felt the weight of the new clothes, a thought struck him, and he complained, "Since you’re back to normal, why didn't you warn me when Undine was approaching?"
Barbara replied with a tone that suggested it was the most natural thing in the world: "She’s not a stranger. Besides, it’s not like she hasn't seen it before."
Eros’s mouth twitched. True, she had accidentally walked in on him once before, but did one accidental viewing mean he never had to worry about modesty again? He wanted to argue, but then a suspicion crept into his mind. Was Barbara intentionally keeping quiet just to see him squirm?
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Given Barbara’s penchant for enjoying his "misfortunes," she had almost certainly let Undine walk in on purpose.
Oh, you like watching the show, do you? Eros thought with a huff. Just wait until I use those 'three requests' to bully you later.
Sensing the shift in his mood, Barbara went silent. Eros snorted once more before turning his attention to the shadow-veiled Undine. As the darkness vanished, her vision returned.
She saw Eros standing before her, fully dressed. Her face flushed a light pink, and she let out a small, quiet sigh of relief. She opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, and finally squeezed out a sentence:
"How could you... with that monster again..."
Eros let out a deep, weary sigh, putting on a melancholic front. "The battle was beyond brutal. I had to borrow her power, and as a result, I must pay the price."
Hearing this, Undine’s eyes immediately filled with heartache. Judging by the thousands of spirit corpses outside, the battle must have been terrifyingly dangerous. And she was certain that a large part of why Eros had fought so hard was for her.
Her nose wrinkled and her voice wobbled as she choked back a sob. "Are you hurt?"
Eros reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling. "Do I look like someone who's hurt?"
The question reminded Undine of exactly what she had seen when she first broke through the roots, and her face turned a deep crimson. Seeing her reaction, Eros coughed and quickly changed the subject.
"Why are you here?"
As expected, her attention shifted. She pouted, looking a bit aggrieved. "You were gone for hours and didn't come back. I was worried, so I found a chance to enter the fog myself."
Then she remembered something and added hurriedly, "The Holy Artifact brought me here!" She looked around her in confusion. "Where is the Artifact? It appeared before me after I entered the fog and led me straight to you, but now it’s gone."
Eros smiled. "It has returned to me."
The projection of the Moon of Eternal Slumber was something Eros had placed on Undine specifically to protect her. He feared that after he lured the Beyonder spirit away, she might encounter danger without him. It was his insurance policy. If she truly got into trouble, Tervine would intervene—though the cost in Ling would be sucked directly from his own body.
What he hadn't expected was for the girl to charge into the mist to find him. Tervine likely knew the battle was over and decided to play guide.
Wait. The attack that broke open the root-cage earlier... that was Tervine’s doing, wasn't it?
Eros: "=="
One by one, they all just want to see me make a fool of myself! How hateful!