Rowan Kai gestured at Vera with a lazy flick of his fingers. “Lilith, come out.”
In an instant, Lilith transformed into a swirl of purple smoke, emerging from Vera’s body and coalescing into her human-like form mid-air.
“Oh, oh, oh! Are you finally giving me my reward?” she asked with a teasing grin.
Rowan nodded and pulled out a small pouch filled with assorted elemental magic crystals, suspending his other hand above it.
Under Vera's stunned gaze, streams of light energy began to peel away from the crystals, leaving the semi-transparent shards stained a deep shade of purple.
Rowan tossed the pouch to Lilith, who caught it mid-air, beaming with delight. Perching herself on his shoulder, she began nibbling on the crystals as though they were flavored candy.
“So delicious!”
“Wait!”
Vera, unable to contain her shock, snatched a crystal from Lilith’s hand, turning it over and inspecting it closely.
“What did you just do? What exactly did you do to this?”
“Stripped the light element out. Now, they’re processed magic crystals fit for demons to consume,” Rowan replied flatly, adjusting a nearby ritual circle. “Now, sit in the center. We’re starting.”
“You have no idea what you just did, do you?” Vera grabbed Rowan’s collar, her voice trembling.
“I just explained it. Was it so hard to understand?” Rowan raised an eyebrow, his impatience barely concealed.
“It’s not about understanding—it’s…!”
Vera struggled to find the words, her emotions in turmoil. Yet, faced with Rowan’s indifferent expression, she couldn’t help but feel annoyed.
“You’re insane! Every time you pull off one of these ridiculous stunts, you act as if it’s no big deal, making the rest of us look like fools for even reacting!”
“Element stripping. Want to learn it?” Rowan asked casually.
Vera instantly released him, smoothing out his collar with an awkward smile before kneeling obediently within the ritual circle.
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“Yes! Please teach me!”
Magic crystals were the most common tools for mages to replenish their energy. However, natural crystals were rarely pure, often containing mixed elements. While labeled as elemental-specific, their dominant energy type was only relatively higher.
For elemental mages, absorbing impure crystals often resulted in damage to their magic circuits. This limited how much they could use them at a time. Even alchemical magic potions derived from crystal dust failed to break this limitation.
However, if one could harness pure crystals, their bodies would remain unharmed, theoretically allowing infinite absorption.
Learning this element-stripping technique would not only transform her combat effectiveness but also make her unimaginably wealthy overnight—pure crystals alone could command fortunes across the continent!
More importantly, as a mage, Vera could never resist the allure of uncovering forbidden knowledge.
Cautiously stepping into the ritual circle, she felt the runes beneath her feet begin to glow faintly, like countless eyes staring up at her. A chill ran down her spine as an oppressive aura filled the air, making it hard to breathe.
“Scared?” Rowan smirked, arms crossed, a teasing glint in his eye.
“Who said I’m scared?” Vera shot him a defiant glare, though her hands clenched nervously at the hem of her clothes.
The hum of the circle intensified, a deep resonance that seemed both like a whisper in her ear and a roar from the earth’s core.
“You’re adorably stubborn,” Rowan chuckled, raising his hand. In an instant, the circle burst to life, a column of radiant light enveloping Vera completely.
The searing brightness wrapped around her skin like a veil, its alternating warmth and chill making her shudder involuntarily.
“What… what is this?” she gasped, panic flashing in her eyes.
Rowan stepped closer, his gaze lingering on her silhouette as it glowed in the light. His tone was calm yet carried an edge of amusement. “Relax. These chains are here to protect you—and that fierce little heart of yours.”
“You!” Vera glared at him, embarrassed and indignant, her ears tinged red.
“Don’t move.” Rowan suddenly reached out, his fingers brushing her forehead as he adjusted the runes. Vera’s breath hitched as she stared at his face so close to hers, her emotions thrown into chaos.
“What are you doing?” Her voice quivered, betraying a softness she hadn’t noticed.
“Making sure you don’t explode,” Rowan replied with a chuckle, his tone teasing as his fingers continued tracing the glowing patterns. “After all, I can’t bear to lose something so beautiful.”
“Lose… what?” Vera blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
Rowan’s obsidian eyes locked onto hers, a cryptic smile curling his lips. “This beautiful ‘vessel,’ of course.”
“Bastard!” Vera’s cheeks flamed as she raised her hand to shove him away, only for the glowing chains to ensnare her arms, freezing her in place.
“Don’t struggle,” Rowan murmured, his voice a low purr, the teasing edge unmistakable. “Just endure it a little longer, and you can yell at me all you want afterward.”
“You… you!” Vera stammered, her thoughts a jumbled mess as the oppressive heat and tension rendered her speechless. She closed her eyes, determined to ignore him.
As the ritual light dimmed and the strange phenomena subsided, Vera felt the restraints lift. Glancing down, she noticed intricate light patterns covering her skin like a second layer of armor, faintly glowing with holy energy.