Chapter 58: Gear Explosion

Luozining went to the entrance to greet her.

The moment she saw Luoyou, her attention was immediately drawn to those pale, delicate legs and bare feet.

“…Where are your socks? Who wears shoes without socks?”

Socks?

They’d been taken as spoils of war…

Of course, Luoyou wasn’t going to say that.

Time rewinds a bit.

“Hehe… this duel is my victory!”

Luoyou struggled to rise from the muddy floor, her legs weak and trembling.

She knelt down several times before barely standing.

She looked toward Xingyue, who was kneeling on the ground ahead, trembling, and asked, “Are you… still human? (panting)”

“Then I’ll take that as your silent concession.”

Luoyou limped, supporting herself against the wall as she headed to the bathroom to wash up, a hint of fear in her eyes.

Unbelievable—that woman’s health bar.

After being berserked by the Scholar all night, she was still able to fight her for so long, battling fiercely in a no-rules free-for-all for three days straight.

What kind of spring water spirit was that woman?

Her health bar wasn’t some sixty thousand, but six hundred thousand!

If it hadn’t been for the previous use of Tentacle—no, Absolute Spirit Coral to Scholar her, this duel would’ve been a disaster!

【No, next time the official duel rules have to be changed—to whoever reaches the top first a few times loses…】

Luoyou was just thinking this when Xingyue suddenly moved behind her.

Then she let out a low voice, “Wait… wait.”

Luoyou ignored her and reached the bathroom door.

“I told you, wait… You’re not leaving without dropping some spoils, are you?”

Xingyue barely propped up her upper body, eyes struggling to stay open.

“Heh, heh heh… still talking tough… You already admitted defeat, what else is there to say?”

Luoyou faced her, equally exhausted.

“Admit defeat…? I never said that with my own mouth… At least, I’m not planning to leave empty-handed.”

“Sounds impressive, but what can you really do?”

“Will you give it or not? If not… I’ll fight you to the death…”

At that moment!

Xingyue was like a hero standing at the center of the world, possessed simultaneously by “Bonds” and “Friendship”!

Radiating the light of a shared dream from behind!

No way…

Luoyou was sweating bullets, truly understanding for the first time the terror bosses in those hot-blooded anime feel when overpowered by the protagonists’ friendship and bonds!

In the end, she backed down.

“What spoils do you want? Want me to write the character for ‘Correct’ on you? Take it, just take it.”

“You know what I want…”

Xingyue stepped forward.

“Alright, alright, it’s about that thing with Liyun, right? I was already planning to handle it. No need for you to butt in! Don’t come any closer!”

“Since you were already planning to handle it…”

Plop!

Xingyue swayed and knelt down on one knee.

“Then as a substitute, just give me that.”

She pointed to the white long socks Luoyou was wearing.

The pristine silk socks were stained dark and slightly transparent, dripping with water at every twist.

Luoyou paused, then said angrily, “How perverted can you be?!”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, the ‘big sister who likes to suffocate herself with her own chest,’ and I don’t mean anything else—I just want a trophy to prove this duel.”

“What if I don’t give it?”

Friendship! Bonds!

“Fine, fine, this is yours too, happy now?!”

Luoyou snapped in anger.

She took off the silk socks, as if they’d been soaked in water, threw them at Xingyue’s face, knocking her backwards, and she never got back up.

“Let’s go!”

***

Back to the present.

Exhausted beyond belief, Luoyou didn’t even notice Jimo drinking tea in the living room and collapsed onto the sofa, sore all over.

“Ah… it hurts, it hurts… my dear daughter, where’s my dear daughter? Come rub my hands and legs…”

“Really… how do you end up like this after a business trip?”

Luozining complained but still brought a bucket of hot water and a warm towel.

“Lie down nicely.”

“Mm…”

“Wuhu… yes, yes, right there, press harder…”

“Stop stop stop stop! Don’t touch there!”

Luoyou closed her eyes in relief.

Having a daughter was useful at times like this.

Just then, a small figure appeared before her.

“Um…”

“Hm?”

Luoyou opened her eyes.

Her breath nearly caught.

The war motor!

After fighting Xingyue until the very roads were worn away, she was completely drained.

If another Apricot Rain showed up, she’d truly be mercilessly punished by the magical shrews!

Jimo smiled bashfully.

“Youyou, hello, I’ve been staying at your place these past few days. Sorry for the trouble…”

“Oh, oh, it’s Jimo…”

Luoyou finally remembered—the person in front of her was Jimo, not the explosively busty Apricot Rain.

“You said you’ve been staying here for days? What’s going on?”

“Mengmeng had something to do, don’t ask.”

Luozining patted Luoyou’s butt, forgetting she was present.

Suddenly, a sharp explosive scream sounded inside.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Eh, eh? I just lightly tapped you!”

Luozining covered her ears, not understanding why.

“That’s no excuse!”

Luoyou’s reaction immediately aroused Luozining’s suspicion.

Going on a business trip and talking with other gym people was normal.

Coming back so sore was normal—after all, it was fitness.

But getting that loud a scream just from a pat on the butt was not normal!

Could it be that when Old Deng said she went on a business trip, she was actually being held down and… severely spanked?!

Luozining’s face darkened. Ignoring Jimo’s presence, she demanded, “Where exactly did you go?”

“Huh? I told you—it was a fitness exchange.”

“Huh? You yell like that after a fitness exchange?”

Hearing the tone, Luoyou knew she was suspecting all sorts of things, so she replied sarcastically, “Obviously! You’d yell too if you sat on a cactus!”

“Eh, eh? Cactus? Wait… you said cactus??”

“Yeah, the floor there was too slippery, so I sat right on a cactus!”

“Ah… uh… my condolences?”

“Condolences my foot! Now hurry up and take good care of me!”

For now, she managed to dispel Luozining’s doubts.

Of course, the cactus was a lie.

“Jimo, really sorry. Could you make me some honey citrus tea? It’s on that table.”

“Oh, okay.”

Jimo didn’t understand the subtlety and obediently went to brew the tea.

But…

When she turned back, she heard Luoyou on the sofa, enjoying the massage and making satisfied noises, which made her frown.

{Strange, that sound is just like that girl early this morning upstairs…}

Jimo tilted her head thoughtfully.

“♩♭♪~♯~”

Jimo pulled out her phone, and her pupils contracted slightly when she saw the caller ID.

“Sorry, Zining, can you bring the tea over? I have something urgent and need to go out.”

Magic Alliance, Flower Sea Branch

Xingyue sat in the office, as if she’d been wiped out, motionless for a long time.

After a while, she frowned deeply and rubbed her aching waist.

“My waist hurts so much… I clearly felt it had gotten stronger…”

Could it be that seven years of Erelra’s abstinence training also strengthened her waist and hips?

If not for what they did to her body at the gym, this official duel would have been a disaster.