Chapter 35: So Fierce
Qin Huai had just finished showering and walked out wrapped in a bath towel.
Duan Ke wasn’t there, so he had no interest in cold showers. Hot steam filled the bathroom.
Qin Huai was rarely in a rush. Without dressing properly, he walked to the bedside table to grab something. His steps weren’t messy, but clearly hurried.
His temples were shaved clean and neat. A droplet of water slid down from his hair tips, disappearing into the defined grooves of his chest and abdomen. His sexy veins appeared more prominent due to the hot water.
Qin Huai frowned unconsciously, picked up the wristband that displayed location, and turned it on.
The red dot marking Duan Ke was still at “The Banquet”. He checked the time; it was already eleven-thirty.
…Does he plan to sleep in that kind of place directly?
Qin Huai’s communicator vibrated. He opened it quickly, only to find a message from Lin Jiangli.
“…”
What is he doing in the middle of the night? Annoying.
Qin Huai had absolutely no patience to look, but he knew that being contacted at this hour meant work, so he had to look.
His heart felt heavy, as if a string had been pulling him tightly ever since Duan Ke stopped replying to WeChat messagesāpulling for almost a day now, making him restless and impatient even with work.
Qin Huai opened the communicator while considering whether to decline overtime in the middle of the night for the first time in his career.
Lin Jiangli: [The magic sample analysis results are out. Not looking good.]
Lin Jiangli: [Image]
Qin Huai opened what Lin Jiangli sent, his frown deepening.
That monster’s magic composition was too complex. Just the functional branches numbered over thirty, possessing both mental attack capabilities and physical attack capabilities.
Qin Huai: [What is its most primal ability? Can you analyze it?]
Lin Jiangli: [Haven’t you already guessed it?]
Lin Jiangli: [It’s “Devour”. This thing isn’t a Dream Demon; it’s a stitch monster that can copy other monsters’ skills.]
Lin Jiangli: [The ability to make people lose memory was probably stolen from some other Progenitor monster.]
Qin Huai held the communicator, silent.
Succubi were generally not strong in physical attacks, but in terms of mental power, no monster was stronger. A little charm magic could completely bewitch a human mind, even making a keeper willingly give up their life for pleasure.
Unfortunately, succubus charm magic usually had no effect on monsters, only working on humans. Otherwise, the Demon Realm would be ruled by the Succubus race.
But, among so many succubi, could there be a special caseāone whose charm magic could not only charm humans but also attack monsters and modify memories?
Qin Huai thought, after all, what was tampered with wasn’t just memory, but also certain consciousness. Influence of this magnitude could only be achieved by a top-tier mental-type monster.
Qin Huai’s heart throbbed faintly due to this cruel conjecture. His already irritable mood worsened, and he almost couldn’t breathe.
He pressed his canine tooth and typed with a bit of force.
Qin Huai: [In a while, I will send you another magic sample. Analyze if there are any overlaps between the two samples.]
Qin Huai: [Also, research if the memory modification skill can be replicated. I need to remember as soon as possible.]
Lin Jiangli replied “Received” and went back to work. Perhaps realizing this matter was no small feat, he didn’t chatter anymore.
Qin Huai wrapped the towel around himself, his expression rarely showing fatigue.
After a few seconds, he sat on the edge of the bed after dressing. He waited another two minutes but couldn’t hold back, sending a message to Duan Ke.
[When are you coming home?]
[Shall I pick you up?]
[Message retracted.]
[It’s unsafe to take a taxi so late. Tell me when you want to come home; I’ll pick you up.]
Qin Huai stared calmly at the message interface, but no one replied for a long time.
He put the phone aside expressionlessly, stood up to change clothes, preparing to go grab the person directly. At this moment, Duan Ke’s message arrived just in time.
“Wow, truly a one-cup drop, Lord Duan Ke…”
Duan Ke was completely slumped over the luxuriously decorated long table in front of him. His small face was buried in the crook of his arm, the standard posture for students sleeping in class. Next to him was the empty cocktail glass.
Not only was Duan Ke’s tolerance terrible, but the alcohol also went straight to his face. His entire fair face was flushed a peach pink, the corners of his eyes redder than if he had cried, and his exhaled breath was hot.
He was very thin and small, but his cheeks were plump. The curve of his cheek flesh bulged under the pressure of his arm, looking like a daifuku that would leak filling if poked.
Duan Ke was also humming and talking in his sleep, making the surrounding succubi blush as they whispered among themselves.
“Lord Duan Ke is too cute…”
“Being a one-cup drop as a succubus is too moe…”
“Who exactly is his keeper? Eating so well behind everyone’s back?!”
“Can I take a picture? I feel like if I use it as a wallpaper and look at it every day, I won’t have to try so hard to hide from the Bureau just to eat…”
Xu Jue watched in a trance for a few seconds, but being the older one, he quickly snapped out of it.
Letting Lord Duan Ke sleep here was definitely not okay; it was too uncomfortable. Besides, Lord Duan Ke’s keeper had already been marked, so he must take responsibility as a keeper.
And… Xu Jue harbored a selfish motive.
He was really curious about what kind of person the keeper Lord Duan Ke had hand-picked actually was.
“Lord Duan Ke, may I use your phone?” Xu Jue asked softly. “Which one is your keeper? I’ll ask him to pick you up.”
Duan Ke didn’t respond, appearing to be fast asleep.
Xu Jue nudged him gently. Still no reaction. He had to try unlocking the phone with Duan Ke’s fingerprint.
But before he even tried, Xu Jue opened Duan Ke’s phone and stared blankly at a screen full of apps.
…Lord Duan Ke is too defenseless. Does he not even have a password? What if someone with bad intentions checks his info?
Xu Jue was filled with worry. Their King truly possessed a simplicity incompatible with his monster identity.
He opened the contacts, saw a screen full of “Brother XX,” and fell silent again.
Lord Duan Ke… why do you always give out rewards randomly??!!
Can you just call anyone “Brother”??
Although Xu Jue himself was called that, he was still deeply pained. Scrolling down a bit, his sharp eyes spotted a contact named “Brother,” standing out abruptly amidst a bunch of four or five-character nicknames.
Should be this one, right? Special benefits.
Xu Jue tried calling. Probably less than 0.5 seconds later, the other side picked up.
“Duan Ke.” The man’s voice was deep and gentle. “Coming home? I’ll be there soon.”
Xu Jue: “…Oh hello, I am Lord Duan Ke… cough, Little Ke’s friend.”
He couldn’t even say “Can you come pick him up”. Isn’t he already halfway there?? Can this person fly??
“Okay.”
The response on the other end was polite, but devoid of any warmth. “I will arrive in five minutes. Thank you.” After saying that, he hung up.
Wait… he hasn’t even said where Lord Duan Ke is yet??
Xu Jue was speechless, his beautiful face twisted. Changing faces like flipping a bookātoo lazy to say a single extra word once he hears it’s someone else on the phone?
“Done so fast?”
The person next to him was baffled. “Didn’t seem to say where. How is he coming to pick him up?”
“How should I know.” Xu Jue’s face was still dark. “Maybe Lord Duan Ke agreed with him beforehand… Tsk.”
It felt like his best cabbage had been rooted by a pig. So unhappy, yet he couldn’t object to the King’s decision.
Who is the succubus here! Clearly, that person used some slanderous charm on Lord Duan Ke!
The succubi waited with mixed feelings.
In less than three minutes, the sound of a sports car engine appeared at the entrance. A black car parked steadily in the spot, and a figure in black got out.
“…So fast?”
Everyone muttered. The figure was tall and long-legged, wearing a long black coat. He walked fast but not hurriedly. Before long, he appeared in the main hall.
Xu Jue sat next to Duan Ke, looking up with displeasure, and abruptly met the man’s eyes.
The man had a cold appearance. A pair of eyes, black as ink, swept over Xu Jue without any emotion, seemingly inorganic, as if looking at an inanimate object.
“Hello.” Qin Huai spoke politely. “I am Duan Ke’s roommate. I’m here to take him back. Sorry to trouble you all.”
The surroundings were silent, as if he wasn’t welcome. Qin Huai didn’t care at allāor rather, he didn’t pay attention to anything else.
He walked straight to Duan Ke, knelt on one knee, and brought his face close to Duan Ke’s ear.
“Time to go home,” Qin Huai whispered. His nose twitched slightly, and he paused. “Drinking?”
Qin Huai’s sentence was very calm, carrying no emotion, yet the surrounding succubi inexplicably felt a chill for Lord Duan Ke’s butt.
The person who couldn’t be woken up just now finally stirred, as if smelling someone’s scent.
Duan Ke dazedly lifted his face from his arm, revealing pressure marks on his face. He met Qin Huai’s face, his eyes and brows still flushed from the alcohol.
“…”
“You still dare to come,” Duan Ke said fiercely.
Qin Huai laughed low.
So fierce. Is this what happens when he drinks? Much more honest.
This laugh startled the surrounding succubi again. Qin Huai straightened up, lowering one hand to support Duan Ke’s bottom.
“Let’s go home. We’ll talk properly when you wake up, okay?”
“…No!”
Duan Ke said this very loudly, carrying one hundred percent unhappiness. Qin Huai was a bit stunned by the shout. Before he could react, his narrow waist was tightly entangled by a thin thing.
…It was Duan Ke’s original form’s tail.
The strength was immense, a force difficult for even a well-trained officer to resist. Qin Huai fell unprepared, urgently bracing his hand on the armrest to avoid crushing Duan Ke, but he still couldn’t stop.
[Translator’s Note] And that’s the cliffhanger! Qin Huai finally meets the “in-laws” (the succubus gathering). Also, drunk Duan Ke with his tail out is going to be a handful. Thanks for reading!
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