“Squeak, squeak…” Ashley squeaked happily.
“Good girl, I like little mice. Do you want a snack? I have some eraser bread here; you can treat the pencil shavings as a chocolate coating.” The girl narrowed her eyes mischievously.
“Huh?” Ashley froze, then hurriedly refused. “I don’t want to eat that stuff!”
“But you’re a little mouse. Back when I was at the street art studio, they’d snatch the bread crumbs I tossed at my feet, all covered in thick pencil dust. They ate it so eagerly, and when they scurried across my instep, I could feel their soft, slippery bellies. So nostalgic…”
The girl picked up a piece of bread smeared with eraser shavings and tossed it to the floor, right next to her delicate arch. Her snowy skin covered tender soles, with plump, enticing toes.
“If you eat your fill, I’ll specially allow you to rub your little belly against my instep,” she added.
The blue-haired loli’s eyes widened cutely as she stared at the bread. She swallowed quietly. She was so hungry—she wanted to crawl along the ground, turn her face sideways, stretch out her little tongue, roll it into her mouth, and devour it wildly. Then she could eat the “main course.”
But lolis didn’t eat handouts. She had to hold back!
“Teacher, how did you turn into a super sadist? I don’t like this side of you.” She shook her head vigorously.
“You have to leave bad habits in the past to grow.”
Letisia reached out and ruffled the blue-haired loli’s head.
The head-rubbing was different now. Before, it had been a light, rewarding pat. This time, it was like petting a small animal—firmer, rougher at times, comfortable one moment and painful the next as it tugged at her hair, constantly pressuring her mental defenses.
“Teacher… you’re so sly… only caring about your own fun…” Ashley protested with a soft hum.
The girl narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning dangerous and sadistic. Her fingers slipped through the hair to a small ear, pinched the tip, twisted it tight, and said:
“Hm? Still talking back? I haven’t even settled the score for sneaking in here. I’m going to punish you harshly!”
“Wah… Teacher… hurry and punish me with that invincible ability of yours!” Ashley chimed in eagerly.
“Huh? I’ve never heard a request like that before.” The girl was surprised instead.
Ashley wasn’t a masochist. As a Copy ninja, replicating a top-tier ability to make into bullets was far stronger than an arsonist’s flames—she could one-shot anyone.
“Hmph, still scheming against me?”
The girl snorted coldly. Her fingertips seized the little ear amid the hair and yanked it down!
Ashley’s mouth gaped wide. Suddenly, the world spun. Her bangs floated upward against gravity. The entire world inverted, and she realized her little head had been twisted 180 degrees!
Though she desperately wanted to scream, she couldn’t make a sound. Her body lost control, immobile, as she watched the girl manipulate her at will.
Her chest thrust forward, her small body arching resiliently backward. Her arms stretched rearward, twisting into an inhuman spiral, tiny hands splayed at the ends like white dove wings.
Her legs were folded to her chest, soles pressed together, plump white toes interlocking one by one.
She looked like the figurehead of a medieval three-masted ship, but so bizarrely structured it didn’t seem human.
What shocked Ashley even more was that this copied ability was completely different from the one in the interrogation room!
Last time, it had scrambled neural signals. This time, it twisted and folded space!
They weren’t even on the same level!
The bizarre pose didn’t hinder the blue-haired loli’s rapid thinking. Linking it to the teacher’s three forms, she deduced: smaller body = stronger abilities. So, the teacher’s supernatural powers peaked in loli form, while physical strength hit rock bottom!
Letisia propped her dainty chin with her right hand, admiring the artistic sculpture made from her student’s body with malicious amusement.
“Should I keep you displayed in my studio forever, or should you scram right now?”
“Wah… I’ll scram right now…”
“Hmph.”
The world spun again, and the blue-haired loli returned to normal.
Ashley was the type to push her luck. She cheekily asked:
“Teacher, are your feet cold? I’ll take off my socks and let you wear them!”
She sneaked a glance at those tiny feet on the smooth marble tiles—toes slender, arches graceful. They looked so cold; she wanted to tuck them in her arms, warm them with her belly… Hehe, this was payback, fierce payback!
“Drop dead.”
The girl rolled her eyes at her. Her slightly pursed lips were utterly adorable.
Of course, Ashley hadn’t forgotten her goal. Seizing the moment, she reported what happened with Moracha.
“Hm… Compared to God’s Lock, which provides formed gene templates, Spirituality offers infinite evolutionary potential. It’s indeed an independent path of evolution. But where does Spirituality come from?”
The girl fell into thought. She said she’d investigate and told Ashley not to act rashly.
“The Jenkins Family is still contacting you, meaning they want you to infiltrate the Tribunal as a mole. But they don’t understand you—your pride and freedom outweigh everything. A surname is just a shackle, especially since you’re not…”
The girl trailed off, pondering with her head lowered. After a moment, she continued:
“This is a good opportunity to figure out what the Jenkins Family is plotting.”
–
After work, back in the dorm, Ashley sat by the window, carefully reviewing every recent event. A sense of crisis welled up inside her.
This world was full of schemers and ambitious plotters. The barren wilderness was scarier than zombie-infested apocalyptic wastelands because thinking people were far more dangerous than brainless zombies. No wonder city-states banded together for mutual defense.
Abilities relied on luck, bodies on tech. Activating tech nodes required research teams and resources—the otherworld version of the poor mutating and the rich using technology.
Noticing Ashley’s worry, Flora approached from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Feeling a lot of pressure? I’ll make you a bento. It’ll save you some time.”
“Thanks.”
Ashley’s heart warmed. Saving fifteen minutes from the cafeteria was great. The golden-haired loli’s cooking had improved through practice to above-average, full of loving care.
Flutter, flutter!
Wingbeats sounded outside the window. Ashley jolted—it was Sasha!
The trip had taken so long; the distance was vast, and parrots weren’t migratory birds with great endurance for long flights.
Though the window was half-open, Sasha wobbled in the air and thudded into the glass.
Ashley scooped it up quickly and found its state odd: bald head and back, no wounds. In her arms, it shivered nonstop, repeating: “Crazy! All crazy!”
Ashley’s face darkened. No injuries meant no battle; this molting was from extreme stress. Strange.
Sasha had been raised by her and Little Cousin since young; she’d never seen it stress-molt before.
“Don’t be scared. What happened?”
The blue-haired loli gently combed the big red parrot’s feathers with a fingertip, soothing it nonstop.
The parrot barely opened its beak, tilted its head, and spat out a tiny cassette tape. Then it burrowed into its nest, huddled with the hamster, eyes closed as if fleeing a nightmare.
Ashley eyed the plain cassette—no case or label. Instruments showed no supernatural reaction, so she fetched a player, loaded the tape and batteries, and hit play.
Click.
It wouldn’t play; Little Cousin hadn’t rewound after recording.
“Not even time for that?”
