Chapter 133: Different, yet Stronger?
"So, that's the story," Leon said, a thin, proud smile on his lips.
In his embrace, Liliana froze as she absorbed the entirety of the story.
It turned out that Leon's success was due to accidentally mixing his blood into the alchemy furnace, which was beyond her expectations.
"So, does that mean your blood is the missing ingredient to concoct the antidote for the devouring poison?" Liliana asked, her voice tinged with hesitation.
"Yes, it's my blood, or rather, it's my blood essence," Leon confirmed with a slight nod, then continued, "fundamentally, the devouring poison currently within my body has severed my connection with the Holy Sword of Zenith and rendered me unable to wield my holy power."
"However, it's crucial to note that holy power doesn't solely reside within my magic circuits, which are currently suppressed by the poison, but also exists within my blood, though in a small amount."
"Therefore, when my blood inadvertently mixes into the antidote for the devouring poison, it's as though my hero's holy power is infused into it."
After Leon finished explaining, admiration and astonishment remained evident on her face.
He had anticipated a massive explosion resulting from the infusion of his blood, which harbored a trace of the hero's holy power.
The potential for such a colossal blast wasn't solely due to the introduction of an unusual ingredient into the concoction process—namely, his blood—but also because the alchemy furnace contained Liliana's Demon Emperor's blood essence!
If the two conflicting powerful forces—the power of the Demon Emperor's blood and the power of his hero's blood—were to meet and mix, who knew what misfortune would occur?
Therefore, at that moment, he had indeed resigned himself to fate, anticipating the explosion that would likely destroy the entire room.
Fortunately, instead of the misfortune he expected, it was a blessing that he ended up concocting an antidote to the devouring poison!
With this stroke of luck, Leon regained his confidence, feeling even more convinced that he was indeed the protagonist of this world!
Listening to his explanation, Liliana sighed and nodded.
Though it sounded absurd, she chose to believe it.
And as to why her ancestors neglected to include the essence of the hero's blood in the formula, Liliana neither knew nor showed interest in finding out.
All that mattered was that Leon succeeded, and that was enough to make her happy.
Liliana closed her eyes, pressing her right cheek against Leon's broad chest, as she asked, "Leon, can you show me the antidote for the devouring poison?"
"Of course! Just give me a moment, okay?" Leon smiled softly, affectionately stroking her head.
"Okay~" Liliana nodded and slowly withdrew from Leon's embrace.
With a swift movement, Leon slid off the bed, then bent down, reaching under it with his hand.
Immediately, he retrieved a palm-sized white chest and dusted off its top and bottom.
At the sight of the small white chest in his hand, a proud smile inevitably bloomed on Leon's lips.
Inside the chest lay tangible proof of his hard work during four consecutive sleepless nights and his success after enduring 499 failures!
Suffice it to say, aside from the Holy Sword of Zenith, this small chest was his most treasured possession!
With a smile lingering on his lips, Leon slowly returned to the bed and approached Liliana, handing her the small white chest.
"The antidote for the devouring poison is inside," Leon said softly.
Carefully taking the small chest from Leon's hand, Liliana slowly opened it and found a small bottle containing a light gray liquid.
She picked it up and observed it for a few moments.
Suddenly, her initially cold and indifferent expression shifted, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Naturally, this change did not escape Leon's notice as he sat in front of her, observing her closely.
"Why do you look like that, Liliana? Is there something wrong with the antidote?" Leon asked, his expression reflecting doubt.
Observing Liliana's reaction, Leon felt a wave of discomfort, fearing that the antidote he had made might fail, which would shatter his soaring spirits.
Liliana was momentarily silent before pursing her lips.
"This antidote is very different from the one recorded in the little inheritance passed down by my ancestor, Demon Emperor Jared Crimson," Liliana remarked, blinking a few times, her voice filled with doubt and astonishment.
"What? Different? How is that possible?" Leon gasped in surprise, staring at the antidote for the devouring poison in Liliana's hand with a frown.
If it were indeed different, wouldn't that render all his efforts futile?
Liliana nodded and replied, "Yes, according to the records left by my ancestor, Demon Emperor Jared Crimson, the antidote for devouring poison is supposed to be bright red, not gray like this."
"Moreover," she continued, "this antidote you made is very strange. I can sense a very strong force in it; I even feel a faint pressure."
Listening to her words, Leon was dumbfounded, especially by Liliana's second and third statements.
Feeling an extremely strong force and a faint pressure from it?
Damn! Did he concoct an antidote for the devouring poison, or did he create something dangerous instead?
Inevitably, Leon felt a surge of unease, realizing that what he made might not be an antidote for the devouring poison but something entirely different.
With a crumpled expression, Leon asked in a slightly annoyed tone, "So, does that mean I failed?"
Liliana didn't answer his question immediately. Instead, she unscrewed the lid of the antidote bottle and inhaled the scent of the gray liquid inside.
Instantaneously, her expression stiffened, and she hurriedly closed the bottle.
"So powerful! This antidote is probably even better than the one for devouring poison!" Liliana took a deep breath and muttered in disbelief.
Still shocked, she looked at Leon with excitement and continued, "Leon, you really are quite miraculous!"
"Huh? Miraculous? Why miraculous?" Leon inquired, his tone tinged with confusion.
"This antidote might be better than the one for devouring poison! Although I've never seen the antidote for devouring poison in person, I'm very confident in this." Liliana placed the small bottle back into the chest and handed it to Leon, continuing, "If I were to conclude, this is a stronger version of the antidote for devouring poison."
Taking the small chest from Liliana, Leon breathed a sigh of relief as her words reassured him.
He had thought he had failed, but it turned out he had succeeded beyond his expectations.
"So, will drinking it cure me of the devouring poison?" With a curious tone, Leon sought reassurance as he carefully placed the small chest in the drawer of the cabinet beside his bed.
"Yes, of course. You will definitely be cured; I guarantee it," Liliana assured him confidently.
Suddenly, her eyebrows raised slightly, and she looked at Leon with a wary expression.
"If your strength returns, do you intend to attack me?" Liliana asked cautiously.
Faced with such a question, Leon was naturally surprised and cast a strange look at her.
"Why are you suddenly asking me something like this?" Leon asked, scratching his head in confusion.
The thought of attacking Liliana never even crossed his mind, let alone doing it.
After all, Liliana is his current partner, and he couldn't fathom being that cruel.
With furrowed brows, Liliana explained, "Do you remember our time in the Desert of Chaos? I was afraid you might seek vengeance for that."
Upon grasping her concern, Leon couldn't help but release a chuckle.
"Pfft! How could you even entertain such a notion?" Leon retorted, a playful grin tugging at his lips.
He then continued with a slight shake of his head, "Back in the Desert of Chaos, our roles were completely reversed. I was humanity's sword hero, and you were the Demon Emperor. It was only natural for us to clash then."
"Moreover, my loss of consciousness in the desert of chaos wasn't due to your attack, but rather the devouring poison within me. There's no need to dwell on such misconceptions."
Leon explained gently, his hand softly stroking her head as he ran his fingers through her long, silky hair.
Liliana let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Leon's words, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist.
"Then I feel relieved," she murmured softly, closing her eyes and pressing her face against Leon's broad chest.
Her spoiled, cat-like demeanor, a stark contrast to the cold, queen-like facade she presented when they first met, brought a smile to Leon's lips.
The two of them savored their affectionate moment for a while, until suddenly Liliana, nestled in his arms, said something unexpected.
"Leon, hasn't it been a while since we indulged in that?" Liliana raised her head, her lips curving into a seductive smile.
Upon hearing her words, Leon, initially stunned, immediately broke into a lopsided smile. "✔"
...
As the two started their spring inside, outside Leon's bedroom door, a little girl stood with a happy expression on her small, chubby face, gazing at the door before her.
This little girl was none other than Fiona, the youngest of the triplets.
After her mother's declaration that she and her two sisters couldn't come with her to their daddy's room, Fiona agreed on the surface, but deep down, she was very dissatisfied!
Over five days had passed since she last saw her dad, and she missed him terribly, especially while lying on her belly.
Hence, she sneakily visited her daddy's room without her sisters or mother knowing!
"Hehehe! It's daytime already, and Mommy must have left!" Fiona exclaimed and jumped up and down, her round face beaming with happiness.
She was already imagining the moment of reuniting with her daddy later, filling her with excitement!
Without hesitating further, Fiona retrieved a pink key from her dress pocket and inserted it into the keyhole of Leon's room door.
*Cack! Cack!*
As she turned the key, her expression shifted to confusion as it became stuck, as if obstructed by something.
"Huh? It won't open?" Fiona's expression morphed into a pout.
Growing slightly annoyed, she exerted more force on the pink key, and suddenly...
*Crack!*
The key in her hand snapped in two, causing her round face to pale instantly. (: ౦ ‸ ౦ :)
Fiona: "No! My key!!!"