Free Web NovelChapter 193: Chapter 190: Deception (Part 2)
"It’s cold!" it exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
"Let me touch it!" "Me too!"
The fruits forgot their caution, scrambling to touch the Crystal Bottle.
Some even pressed their "faces"—their smooth skins—against it, letting out sighs of contentment.
’Now’s the time!’
A cold glint flashed in Ian’s eyes as he discreetly pointed his right index finger forward.
A thread of frosty white energy, thinner than a hair, shot out silently.
It precisely wrapped around the two small feet of Lucy, the farthest and most daring of the bunch.
The ultimate micromanagement of a Frost Ash Beam—freezing only the feet, leaving the body unharmed.
Lucy’s little feet were instantly covered in a thin layer of frost, and its movements stiffened.
"Oh no! My feet can’t move!" it shrieked in panic.
The other four fruits froze.
The next second, the shadow on Ian’s shoulder exploded.
The fist-sized Gaga shot out like a black bolt of lightning. With a flap of its wings, it left several afterimages in the dim Laboratory.
Shadow Shuttling activated!
It appeared directly above Lucy, bringing its small claws together to firmly grab the still-struggling fruit.
"Gotcha!" Gaga cried out triumphantly.
It purposely lowered its voice, making it deep and raspy with a hint of an echo.
"Puny little silver bean, you have nowhere to run from this king!"
Lucy, held in its grasp, was stunned for two seconds before bursting into tears with a "WAAAH!"
"Help! Vivian! Amy! Rice Grain! Benny! I’ve been caught by the Great Demon King!"
The small silver tree on the stone platform trembled in fear, its leaves shaking violently, but it didn’t dare to move.
The other four fruits finally snapped out of it, scared out of their wits.
"Oh no! The Great Demon King got Lucy!"
"Run! Let’s go back to Mama!"
"Burrow! Burrow!"
The four fruits took off on their little feet, running frantically toward the stone platform.
But in its panic, the largest one, Vivian, stepped right into a small puddle of Concentration Potion that Lucy had knocked over while struggling.
With a "SQUISH," its foot slipped, and the whole fruit tumbled over.
It rolled twice in the viscous liquid, its silver skin getting speckled with emerald green.
"Waaah! I’m stuck!"
Vivian, voice full of tears, scrambled to get up, but its little feet kept slipping in the Potion.
Seeing this, Gaga shoved the sobbing Lucy into Ian’s hands.
"Ian, catch! This Demon King is on the move!"
It once again turned into a black shadow, shuttled over to appear beside Vivian, and scooped it up with its claws.
"Number two, surrender! Silver bean!"
"WAAAH!" Vivian joined the chorus of wailing.
The remaining three fruits grew even more panicked.
The one called Amy was cleverer. It kicked its little feet hard and dove headfirst toward the ground, trying to burrow.
Ian was prepared. With a downward press of his left hand, his Spiritual Power formed an invisible barrier, sealing off that patch of ground.
Amy’s head hit the barrier with a "THUD." It was knocked dizzy, spinning in place a couple of times.
It plopped down on its bottom, little spinning stars appearing above its head.
"My... my eyes are spinning..." it said dazedly.
Gaga seized the opportunity to pounce and grab it.
"Number three, fall into this king’s cage of shadows!"
Rice Grain and Benny huddled together, trembling in fear.
Seeing Gaga pounce again, Rice Grain suddenly retracted its little feet, curled into a ball, and went rolling away to the side.
Benny copied it, also curling into a ball and rolling in the other direction.
"Ga? They know that trick?" Gaga paused mid-flap, then grew excited.
"Interesting! Witness this king’s ’Shadow Gale’!"
Its body zig-zagged through the air, moving so fast it created illusions.
First, it caught up to Rice Grain and pinned it with a claw.
Then, with another sharp turn, it intercepted Benny’s rolling path and swatted it to a stop with its wing.
"The fourth, and the fifth! All captured! Hahahaha!"
Gaga flew before Ian, holding the last two fruits, its little head held high, full of pride.
Ian, holding the bawling Lucy in one hand, watched Gaga’s "praise me now" chuuni antics, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He looked down at his arms.
The five silver fruits were squeezed together, each of them sobbing.
Lucy: "Waaah! The Great Demon King is so scary..."
Vivian: "My new clothes... they’ve got green spots... they won’t wash out..."
Amy: "My... my head is so dizzy."
Rice Grain: "We... we were caught... Mama, help..."
Benny: "...Hungry."
Ian: "..."
He sighed, took out a few more drops of diluted Concentration Potion from his Dimension Ring, and levitated them with his Spiritual Power over to the Five Fruits.
The fresh, herbal scent filled the air again.
The fruits’ crying quieted a little. They sniffled and raised their "faces"—if you could call their smooth skins faces.
"Is... is that for us?" Lucy asked cautiously.
"Mhm," Ian nodded. "I’m not capturing you anymore, but you have to come with me. It’s dangerous outside. There are bad people who will eat you."
The fruits "looked" at each other.
"If... if we go with you... will we get to eat our fill?" Benny asked in a small voice.
"Yes."
"We won’t get eaten by the Great Demon King, right?" Vivian asked, timidly glancing at Gaga on Ian’s shoulder.
Gaga, who had been trying hard to maintain a majestic posture, immediately puffed out its chest.
"Hmph, this king only eats Blood Essence! I would never eat tough little silver beans like you!"
Ian flicked it on the head. "It won’t eat you. Come with me. It’s safe, and there will be more tasty Potion."
The Five Fruits huddled together again, making soft rustling sounds as they discussed.
Finally, Lucy, as their representative, scooted forward, and a silver tendril touched Ian’s finger.
"Then... you can’t trick us, okay?"
"I won’t." Ian held out his pinky. "Pinky promise."
Lucy extended its thin tendril, wrapped it around his pinky, and shook it gently.
"Pinky promise!"
The other four fruits came closer, each extending a thin tendril to join in, as if completing a solemn ritual.
A flicker of a smile passed through Ian’s eyes.
He took out a Small Jade Box lined with soft flannel. The inner walls were engraved with a Constant Temperature Rune. He gently placed the Five Fruits inside.
"Rest in here for now. I’ll let you out when we get somewhere safe."
The fruits seemed quite satisfied with their new home. They rolled and snuggled against the flannel, quickly settling down.
Only Benny was still muttering softly, "Hungry..."
Ian dripped another drop of the Potion inside. Benny immediately fell silent and began to "SLUUURP" contentedly.
He closed the lid and put the box away.
Ian looked up at the small silver tree on the stone platform and the Dark Soil Core beneath it.
The small tree stood quietly, its branches and leaves drooping slightly, as if watching its children being taken away without resisting or trying to flee.
It just conveyed a faint sense of reluctance and... entrustment.
Ian walked to the edge of the stone platform and gently poured the remaining half-bottle of Concentration Potion next to the Dark Soil Core.
The silver-gray soil squirmed, absorbed the liquid Potion, and emitted a soft, faint glow.
"I’ll take good care of them," Ian said in a low voice.
The small tree’s branches and leaves swayed gently, as if nodding.
’The little tree still hasn’t fully accepted me in the end,’ Ian sighed to himself.
He didn’t linger, turning and calling to Gaga.
"Let’s go. Time to find the Void Anchor Stone."
Gaga landed back on his shoulder, licking its claws as if still savoring the moment.
"Ga, being a Great Demon King is so much fun."
Ian ignored its chuuni remark and strode toward the Laboratory’s exit.
Behind him, on the stone platform, the small silver tree quietly watched him go in the dim light.
