This is definitely Lilith!
For real?
Does Lilith even have this kind of evolution branch?
Wang Yue was incredulous. She had thought that Lilith’s mental collapse would lead to some dark transformation, but it seemed she had overthought it.
“We’re going down.”
Upon reaching the edge of the Academy, Wang Yue gave a warning. The Chameleon vehicle suddenly tilted ninety degrees downward, diving vertically along a cliff wall that looked as if it had been carved by a giant axe!
The octopus bottle floated in zero gravity, spinning slowly in the air. As the vehicle hit the ground and leveled out again, it landed with a thud, firmly planting itself back on the dashboard.
The complex terrain made the Little Hand difficult to track, but the Low-Crawler Colin was an all-terrain master. Whether it was high mountain crags or deep ravines, it swept over them in a flash.
Half a day later, the vehicle stopped before a river.
Wang Yue had suspected that a mysterious entity trading with Prima was hiding in the river. She used her instruments to scan from a distance, only to find it was an ordinary river. Even Audara Ias showed no reaction.
Prepared to investigate, she habitually pushed the door open and jumped. While still in mid-air before touching the ground, the air surged slightly, and a figure appeared beneath her!
Oof!
She fell straight into someone’s arms.
Lilith caught her steadily. Her expression was calm, a playful smile curling at the corners of her lips as she looked down at the startled face of the young black-haired girl. Their noses were almost touching.
The young Miko held the young Goddess, one hand cradling the crook of her knees and the other supporting her back. Her square sleeves hung low, and her collar-band looked like a streak of blood.
A sense of panic welled up in Wang Yue’s heart. The slightly pungent smell of the dye from the new clothes, the cold fragrance wafting from the collar, the firm support against her back and legs, and the sense of security from being curled in Lilith’s arms… a surge of complex sensory and psychological stimuli rushed in, battering her inner composure.
“Lilith?”
After a long silence, Wang Yue asked tentatively.
“My Goddess, please do not jump from such high places. Be careful not to get hurt,” Lilith whispered with a squinted smile, her voice gentle.
“Don’t do unnecessary things! Why… why would I get hurt jumping just two or three meters?!”
Being held like this felt strange. Wang Yue’s nerves were taut as she squirmed slightly, trying to break free from Lilith’s embrace.
“Put me down!”
“You must be careful. If you jump from high places too often, your legs will become short and stubby. Your legs are the perfect length right now, My Goddess. I like them very much.” Lilith gently set Wang Yue down.
“Ugh, what a weird fetish, liking legs and whatnot,” Wang Yue grumbled as she walked toward the riverbank. “The Little Hand connected to Prima has disappeared into the water. Be careful and prepare for combat… By the way, the map shows we’re near Oak Town. I remember you and Prima ran into trouble near here, right?”
“Yes,” Lilith said, bowing slightly. She pointed toward the opposite bank. “The battle took place in the ruins of a village about two kilometers away.”
Wang Yue stepped onto the damp mud of the riverbank. Her gaze pierced through the murky water, spotting a faint, glowing coin at the bottom.
The end of the deep-blue Little Hand on Prima was connected to it.
A coin?
Wang Yue frowned. She flicked her wand, and an invisible force parted the river, pushing the water back to reveal the rotting silt of the riverbed.
She didn’t touch the coin recklessly, testing it with her instruments first. No contamination was detected, though there were fluctuations of transcendent power.
Wang Yue’s palm was quickly covered in a silver coating, and with a flick of her wand tip, the coin flew into her hand.
The Amorphous Sheath could be used as an isolation glove.
The coin was cold and eerie, carrying a strange sliminess and dampness, like a relic from a cursed shipwreck. It was made of a brass-like transcendent material and was well-preserved, showing no rust or dents, only a sense of age.
She flipped it over, but found no denomination. It was likely a commemorative token or a bullion coin not meant for circulation.
The front featured a low-relief bust of a peculiar creature. Its head resembled both a fish and a human, with large, bulging eyes that seemed to stare in perpetual confusion. Its boney mouth was wide open, revealing rows of densely packed, razor-sharp teeth—a terrifying sight.
Two prominent gill slits marked its neck. Its back was hunched, sporting sharp fin spines, and its body was covered in slimy, hard scales.
The reverse side depicted a geometric structure made of disorganized stones—an altar of sorts—engraved with fish-like pictograms.
The shallow relief on the coin couldn’t convey every detail, but this was undoubtedly a depiction of a predatory aquatic species possessing a degree of civilization and intelligence.
