Chapter 213 ·There Are Good Treasures

Buzz.

A soft sound.

Like a plucked string.

That white figure, which had remained completely motionless, suddenly raised a hand.

Just a simple motion of lifting a hand.

The entire Black Sea seemed to freeze in time at that very moment.

The deathly stillness that had shrouded the palace suddenly came alive.

Countless white bone fragments peeled away from the palace, spinning rapidly in midair and instantly forming a massive white bone shield.

The dark green beam slammed fiercely into the shield.

That terrifying energy, enough to flatten a mountain, was swallowed completely by the bone shield as if sinking into the sea.

Not even a ripple was stirred.

Silence returned between heaven and earth.

Only the bone shield slowly dispersed, reverting into ordinary fragments and reattaching themselves to the palace walls.

And that white figure still maintained the same sitting posture, as if nothing had happened.

On the cliff by the shore.

Lilia stood with her mouth wide open, feeling like her jaw was about to drop to the ground.

Dora’s scream also got stuck in her throat as she stared blankly at the scene.

“Didn’t you say she was dead?”

Dora blinked twice, looking innocent.

“But… she really didn’t have any breath.” Dora scratched her dragon horns. “Could it be a last burst before death?”

On the sea, the several “coffin ships” of the Immortality Society were clearly also caught off guard by this.

The fleet fell into brief chaos.

But soon, that nauseating dark green light lit up again.

This time, not only the flagship—even the four escort ships opened their cannons simultaneously.

Five beams were charging.

A low hum filled the air, and even the cliff beneath their feet trembled slightly with the vibration.

“These lunatics.”

Lilia cursed under her breath.

Regardless of whether that white figure was dead or alive, the Immortality Society was clearly planning to blow that palace—and everything beneath it—into oblivion.

These perverts obsessed with bio-engineering not only had twisted aesthetics, but their methods were just as extreme.

Run?

Or stay and observe?

Lilia stroked her chin, weighing the pros and cons.

Rationality told her that in a situation where gods were fighting, a mere maid like her should stay as far away as possible.

But that palace was far too strange, and the Immortality Society’s large-scale operation…

Just as Lilia hesitated—

That annoying electronic voice sounded.

Lilia raised an eyebrow.

【Host, your observation skills really need improvement. That is not a corpse—that is a high-tier mermaid undergoing ‘transformation’.】

【Just like a snake shedding its skin, she is discarding her old body and evolving into a higher lifeform.】

【That defensive move just now was her instinctive protective reaction. But it was only a fleeting moment. Right now, she is in the weakest ‘Petrification Phase’. Moving even a finger is difficult, let alone resisting bombardment of this scale.】

So that’s it.

Lilia suddenly understood.

No wonder she looked like a corpse—she was in the middle of a critical evolution phase and couldn’t move.

The timing chosen by the Immortality Society was indeed precise and vicious.

Strike when the opponent is weak.

Very villain-like.

“So?” Lilia crossed her arms, looking at the fleet charging in the distance. “You popping out now—don’t tell me you want me to play the knight in shining armor? I may have some ability, but I can’t withstand a simultaneous barrage from five magic cannons.”

She was very self-aware.

Her “Time Stop” was indeed a bug-level skill, but it only lasted one minute.

That was a carpet bombardment on the other side.

Unless she could stop time for half an hour and shove all those shells back into their cannons, going over would just be suicide.

【Host, don’t be so pessimistic.】

There was a hint of a profiteer’s temptation in the system’s voice.

【This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That mermaid is currently a sitting target, but at the same time, she is also a massive treasure trove.】

【Think about it—a deep-sea queen who has lived for thousands of years. How many good things must be in her residence?】

【Her treasury contains…】

“Stop.”

Lilia cut off the system’s attempt to lure her.

“Get to the point. What can I gain?”

【Tear of the Deep Sea.】

The system dropped a term.

【A divine item that can greatly enhance mental power and even allow your ‘Time Stop’ skill to advance. And countless high-tier magical beast crystal cores.】

Lilia’s breathing paused for half a second.

Time Stop advancement?

Right now, “Time Stop” could only last one minute. If it advanced… five minutes? Ten minutes?

“I’m in.”

Lilia made her decision instantly.

Fortune favors the bold.

As long as it wasn’t certain death, it was absolutely worth the risk for these rewards.

“But…” Lilia glanced at the black ships on the sea that were nearly done charging. “How do I get there? I’ll be blasted to dust before I even get close.”

【Host, have you forgotten that there’s already a ready-made nuclear weapon right beside you?】

The system reminded meaningfully.

Lilia froze, then turned to look at Dora beside her.

This humanoid tyrannosaurus was lying at the edge of the cliff, drooling at the sea, muttering “my fish, my braised fish.”

Right.

Wasn’t this the strongest hitter available?

“Dora.”

Lilia’s expression instantly shifted to one of deep sorrow.

She walked over and patted Dora’s shoulder, her tone heavy as if she had just learned the world would end tomorrow.

“What?”

Dora turned back blankly, a glistening strand of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth.

“Look over there.”

Lilia pointed at the fleet on the sea, her voice filled with anger and regret.

“Those guys are too much.”

“They’re stealing your fish.”

Lilia spoke nonsense with a straight face.

“Stealing fish?” Dora’s eyes instantly sharpened.

“Not just stealing fish.” Lilia continued to exaggerate. “Look at that green light—that’s highly toxic. They’re going to blow your braised fish to pieces and poison it! After they’re done, that fish will turn into a stinking pile of rotten sludge—not even bone fragments will be left!”

“Think about it—that’s hundreds of years of aged meat… no, hundreds of years of essence! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, bursting with oil in every bite—and now it’s about to be ruined by these people!”

The more Lilia spoke, the more emotional she became, as if she herself were the victim losing the delicacy.

Dora’s pupils began to contract violently.

Her originally round pupils instantly turned into vertical slits.

A terrifying heatwave erupted from her body, instantly turning the surrounding ice into steam.

“Ruining… food?”

Dora squeezed out those words through clenched teeth.

In dragon values, stealing treasure was a grave sin—but ruining top-tier food that was about to be eaten was an unforgivable capital offense!

That was an insult to dragon dignity!

“Unforgivable.”

Dora slowly straightened her body.

Her brown hair moved without wind, and arcs of dangerous electricity began flickering on her dark golden dragon horns.

“They deserve to die.”

“Exactly! Totally deserve it!” Lilia fanned the flames from the side. “Can you tolerate this? I definitely can’t! Dora, show them what you’ve got! Protect our dinner!”

“ROAR——!”

A deafening roar shattered the ice within a hundred meters.

The next second—

Dora’s figure vanished.

Lilia only felt a gust of wind slam into her face, nearly blowing her away.

When she looked up again, that small figure in the black leather cloak had already turned into a black meteor, carrying a shrill tearing sound as it smashed toward the fleet on the sea.