Chapter 109: Little dog...

There was no explosion to conceal what was happening, nor was there a sea of flames for anyone to comfort themselves with the thought that the monster was merely being burned.

Everyone could see it clearly.

The armor on the spider’s abdomen began to peel away in pieces, but every fragment turned to ash the instant it separated from its body, before it could even fall. The flesh underneath rapidly turned gray as well, exposing the three blue energy cores pulsing wildly inside.

The three cores shone so intensely that they were nearly white, clearly trying to release energy to resist the destruction.

But the white light within the cube continued to spread across them.

A layer of gray began to appear on the first core before rapidly expanding. The energy crystal was so hard that ordinary weapons could barely destroy it directly, yet countless tiny cracks now appeared across its surface. Then it slowly collapsed into a cloud of gray dust.

The second core began to change as well.

Meira watched the scene without the slightest emotion on her face. She only looked at the spider struggling frantically and spoke in a cold voice.

"You absolutely... absolutely... should not have touched my Master."

Her fingers closed completely.

The cube immediately lit up white.

No explosion spread outward. There was no shockwave. Even the ground around it did not tremble.

Yet in that instant, the entire space inside seemed to be drowned in an absolute white light, forcing the Succubi outside to squint or turn their heads away.

Several seconds later, the light faded.

The spider had disappeared.

There were no eight legs. No armor. No silk. Even the three energy cores, which were valuable enough to make many Awakened fight over them, had vanished without a trace.

Inside the enormous box, only a layer of fine white ash remained, floating in the air.

There was so much ash that it nearly retained the vague outline of the monster for several seconds before slowly collapsing.

Meira waved her hand.

The white edges of the cube immediately dissolved. The wind from outside rushed in and swept the entire layer of ash through the forest.

The monster over twenty-five meters tall, the thing that had driven more than twenty Succubi into a desperate situation, did not even leave behind a fragment of its corpse.

The captain stared at the open ground before her for a long time before saying hoarsely, "Even the crystals..."

The Succubus beside her swallowed hard and finished, "...turned to ash."

A monster that powerful was certain to have possessed extremely valuable crystals.

But no one dared mention money.

Because Meira had turned around.

The icy aura around her nearly vanished the instant her eyes found Erik.

Only a second later, the woman who had just used Ash Art to erase a gigantic monster flew straight toward him.

"Master!"

Before Erik could react, a soft body had already rushed into his arms.

Meira’s tall, mature figure pressed almost entirely against Erik. Her long arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Her full breasts pressed against his chest, which was still tense from exerting force, while Meira buried her face directly in the hollow of his neck like a large dog that had just survived a terrifying ordeal and finally found her Master.

Erik was slightly stunned before calling out, "Meira?"

Her shoulders trembled.

The voice that had been cold enough to frighten others moments ago now softened until it carried a trace of grievance.

"Your little dog is sorry..."

Erik immediately froze.

A warm tear fell onto his neck.

Meira was truly crying.

The Succubi around them were all stunned as well.

The woman who had just stood in midair and used Ash Art to turn a gigantic monster into dust without leaving anything behind was now clinging to Erik so tightly that it seemed she feared he would vanish if she loosened her arms even a little.

Erik wrapped one arm around her waist and said softly, "I’m fine."

Meira immediately shook her head, her golden hair constantly brushing against his neck. "It was my fault."

"Meira."

"I knew the pen was still on..." She raised her head, her green eyes wet, her long lashes clumped together with tears. "But your little dog wouldn’t let Master turn it off."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

"Then I missed..."

Her pointed Elven ears drooped faintly to either side.

"And then I let the spider catch me..."

Meira tightened her arms, pressing her soft body even closer against Erik. This time, there was no teasing or seduction at all. She only wanted to feel his warmth and heartbeat, as though the fear inside her would settle only after she confirmed that the man before her was truly unharmed.

Meira lowered her gaze to Erik’s slightly reddened arms, her voice beginning to tremble again.

"If that leg had been a little stronger..."

She immediately bit her lip and did not continue.

Erik looked at her face, which was truly frightened, for several seconds before letting out a breath. He placed one hand on Meira’s head and slowly stroked her soft golden hair from the crown of her head down to the nape of her neck.

"It’s enough that you know you were wrong."

Meira froze, blinking at him. "Master... you’re not going to scold me?"

Erik looked at her. "Do you want to be scolded?"

Her pointed ears immediately perked up a little. Then Meira shook her head very quickly.

"I don’t."

"Then stop thinking about it."

Erik continued to pat her head.

The tense expression on Meira’s face quickly softened. She closed her eyes. Her cheeks were still wet with tears, but she tilted her head and rubbed it against his palm, then moved closer as though the current distance was still not close enough.

"Pat me more..."

Erik asked helplessly, "You were crying just now."

Meira kept her eyes closed, rubbing her cheek against his hand as she answered softly, "That’s why I need more pats."

"What kind of logic is that?"

"Little dog logic."

Erik fell silent.

Meira immediately opened one eye to look at him, seemingly afraid that he would truly stop. "Master..."

"I know."

Erik’s hand moved through her hair again.

Meira’s lips immediately curved upward.

She lowered her head and lightly kissed his neck, then rubbed her nose against it once more before resting her head against Erik’s shoulder with relief. From beginning to end, her arms refused to let go of his waist.

The Succubi standing nearby no longer knew how to react.

One woman looked at Meira, then at the place where the spider had just vanished, then back at Meira, who was obediently letting Erik pat her head.

At last, she could not help asking the captain beside her in a quiet voice, "Lady Meira... is she really the same person?"

The captain was silent as well.

Less than a minute ago, Meira had stood amid the white light of Ash Art, her eyes so cold that the captain had felt even death was too light a punishment for the spider.

Now, that same woman was nestling in Erik’s arms, her Elven ears slightly red, her cheeks still stained with tears. Every so often, she would even rub her head against his hand to remind him to keep patting her.

Another Succubus swallowed hard and whispered, "I heard Lady Meira was very gentle..."

The captain looked at Meira, who still refused to release Erik, and answered softly, "I think... this kind of gentleness is a little different from the rumors."

Meira heard her.

Her ears immediately turned even redder.

But this time, she did not let go of Erik at all. Instead, she turned her face and buried it deeper in the crook of his neck, pretending she had heard nothing.

Only then did a white figure quickly run over.

"Erik!"

Elowen directly squeezed between the two of them, making Meira immediately frown and call out in displeasure, "Elowen."

Elowen did not care about her mother’s attitude at all. She grabbed Erik’s arm and pulled him toward herself, her voice unusually firm and leaving no room for negotiation.

"Mother, move aside."

Meira blinked. "I’m hugging Master."

"I know."

"Little dog needs comfort."

"I know that too."

"Then why are you getting in the way?"

Elowen turned to look at her. "Mother nearly got Erik hurt because of that spider. You’re a lady, an adult woman. Why would you act so recklessly?"

The scolding tone, as though Elowen were Meira’s mother instead, immediately made Meira freeze.

The pointed ears that had just lifted drooped back down.

Meira pressed her lips together and buried her head deeper into Erik’s hair. In a tiny voice, she said, "...Sorry."

The captain standing nearby silently watched the scene, feeling as though her understanding of the world had been revised far too much tonight.

Elowen did not continue scolding her mother. Instead, she immediately turned toward Erik. Both hands continuously checked his arms, shoulders, and chest, while her life-infused wind quickly surrounded his body.

Erik looked at her serious expression and said, "I’m fine."

Elowen immediately frowned. As she pulled his torn sleeve higher, she said sternly, "Don’t talk. I’m checking you."

Erik wisely shut his mouth.

Elowen slowly pressed along the slightly reddened muscles, confirming there were no deep injuries before moving to check his shoulder bones. Because she had to stand close, her soft body occasionally brushed against Erik, but Elowen paid no attention at all. Her entire focus was on every small red mark.

Meira stood behind them, watching every movement. She looked no less tense than her daughter.

Only after a while did Elowen finally let out a true sigh of relief.

"No fractures."

Meira’s shoulders immediately relaxed. Then she took the chance to wrap one arm around Erik’s waist from the other side.

Elowen glanced at her mother, but this time she did not push her away. She only looked up at Erik and said decisively, "We’re going back."

Erik was slightly surprised. "Now?"

Elowen nodded. "Yes."

"But the outpost still—"

Elowen immediately pointed at her mother. "Mother is here."

Hearing that, Meira nodded with great seriousness. "That’s right."

Erik turned to look at her. "You were crying a moment ago, and now you’re handing me over to Elowen?"

Meira immediately shook her head, making her golden hair sway along with the movement.

"I’m not handing you over."

She held Erik’s hand in both of hers, then pressed it to her cheek and gently rubbed against it. Her green eyes were still slightly wet as she looked at him, her voice so soft that the Succubi standing nearby fell silent once more.

"Little dog wants Master to go back and rest too."

She paused, then gently tightened her fingers around his.

"Master has done enough today."

Erik looked at mother and daughter on either side of him and could only let out a helpless sigh in the end.

Behind them, more than twenty Succubi were still staring at Meira.

The image of the terrifying Elemental Lord who had just used a box of light to turn a gigantic spider into ash had completely collapsed.

In its place was a truth even harder to believe.

Lady Meira—

Really was Erik’s little dog.