The icy energy aftereffects surged through Lin Xi's body like a startled swarm of snakes. The weakness from mental exhaustion made her vision darken in waves, but Lucifer's command lashed at her nerves like a whip. She had no time to rest.
"Sower" and "Crescent Moon."
These two words pierced her like poisoned thorns, forming a hazy yet perilous outline of conspiracy behind the "Vessel." She had to dig deeper—not just for the mission, but to carve out breathing room in Lucifer's game of "conquest."
Gripping the desk's edge, she struggled to stand straight, bending to pick up the "Shadow Eye" crystal, still glowing with an ominous, eerie light. The icy touch on her fingertips jolted her awake. She couldn't force a decryption like last time—that would be suicide. She needed a more subtle approach, to use it, not be consumed by it.
Carrying the crystal, shackles dragging behind her, she returned to that opulent prison. Closing the door, she sealed out the outside world. Instead of heading to the fireplace, she sat cross-legged on the cold floor, attempting to clear her mind. The weight of the shackles reminded her of her physical constraints, but now, she needed to transcend the limitations of this body.
She placed the crystal in her palm and closed her eyes. This time, she did not attempt to force or mimic frequencies with her psychic energy. Instead, she adjusted herself into a state of absolute calm, almost detached. She recalled the pure, domineering power of "order" within Lucifer's pheromones, and the attribute within his force that had forcibly suppressed everything during their earlier clash of energies.
She no longer sought to "understand" or 'connect' with the chaos within the crystal. Instead, she attempted to channel a faint thread of psychic energy, shaping it into an extremely fine "probe" imbued with Lucifer's energy signature. This was exceedingly difficult, like threading a needle in a raging storm. Sweat drenched her forehead, and her lips bore deep bite marks.
Finally, the slender mental probe, carrying a faint trace of "order," cautiously touched the chaotic silver veins within the crystal.
There was no violent backlash.
The chaotic energies seemed to encounter some higher-order presence, momentarily stalling and retreating. Seizing the opening, the probe advanced—no longer attempting to decipher all information, but like a precision scalpel, piercing directly toward the core region containing the energy imprints linked to the "Sower" and the "Crescent Moon."
A sharp pang of pain struck again, though milder than before. Shattered images and fragments of information forced their way into his mind—
...A blurred figure cloaked in darkness (the Sower?), fingertips swirling with the same dark energy as the crystal...
...A blood-stained crescent symbol gleaming upon an ancient altar...
...Fragmented commands: "...Ensure the 'Vessel' survives... Guide the energy exchange... At the 'Crescent Moon'... shall be the hour of 'Harvest'..."
...Finally, an extremely brief yet crystal-clear image: Beneath the royal city, within a specific node of the intricate sewer system, a concealed energy source pulsing faintly!
"Ugh!" Lin Xi abruptly severed the mental link, gasping for breath, her face as pale as paper. Her brain felt like it had been forcibly stuffed with red-hot charcoal, the searing pain unbearable. But she had succeeded! She had obtained the crucial information: the "Crescent" was a temporal marker, pointing to some 'Harvest' operation. And that subterranean energy source was likely the hiding place of the "Sower," or the pivotal node of the conspiracy!
She had to inform Lucifer immediately!
Just as she struggled to rise, propped up by her weakened body, the door slid open silently.
Lucifer stood there, having listened for an unknown duration. He wore a looser black silk robe now, its collar slightly open, revealing sharply defined collarbones. He appeared freshly bathed, the ends of his jet-black hair still damp, yet his crimson pupils remained as piercing as ever—perhaps even more intense, as if he had already seen through all her earlier struggles and gleaned every scrap of information she had gathered.
"So, progress on proving your 'qualification'?" He stepped inside slowly, his gaze sweeping over her sweat-dampened forehead and trembling hands before settling on the faintly glowing crystal stone on the floor.
Lin Xi took a deep breath, forcing herself to steady her stance as she met his gaze. "Beneath the royal city, within the sewer system, near the third hub node—there's an anomalous energy source. It's likely connected to the 'Sowers.' Their operational window is the 'New Moon,' and their objective is... 'the Harvest.'"
She omitted the details concerning the 'vessel,' reporting only the location and their intended action.
Lucifer stepped before her and halted. He showed no surprise at the intelligence, merely raising a hand to brush the back of his finger lightly across her icy cheek—a gesture as casual as examining an object.
"Underground, huh... They know how to pick spots," he murmured. His fingertip slid downward, pinching her jaw with an unyielding grip. "Well done."
It wasn't praise, but the master's acknowledgment of a hound bringing in its prey.
Immediately after, he leaned down and scooped her up horizontally!
Caught off guard, Lin Xi's gasp caught in her throat. His embrace wasn't gentle, carrying an absolute sense of control as he strode toward the soft, large bed in the center of the room.
"Your Majesty?!"
"You've overexerted yourself." Lucifer laid her upon the bed, his towering frame collapsing beside her. His elbow propped itself beside her ear, trapping her within his dominance. His rich, aggressive Alpha pheromones washed over her like a warm tide, completely submerging her—a stark contrast to the icy sting emanating from the crystal. "And I require my 'advisor' to remain lucid."
His other hand slipped beneath the open collar of her velvet robe, his palm scorching as it pressed against her icy abdomen. A pure, overbearing surge of Alpha energy—unquestionably dominant—slowly yet resolutely infused her nearly depleted body.
"Ugh..." Lin Xi's body arched violently. This sensation was more unbearable than the mental assault moments before. It wasn't pain, but a trembling tremor of being forcibly filled, branded. His energy raced through her, repairing the damage to her psychic energy, yet also sweeping over every inch of her meridians like a territorial patrol, bringing a nearly shameful feeling of being utterly penetrated.
She tried to struggle, but he pinned her tighter beneath him.
"Don't move," he commanded in her ear, his voice low and hoarse. "This is your deserved 'reward'... and a necessary 'supplement.'" His fangs lightly grazed the pulse at her neck, sending shivers through her. "Remember the feel of this power. Remember who gave you the means to keep 'proving' yourself."
Lin Xi bit her lower lip, resisting both her body's instinctive urge to yield and the surging humiliation mingled with an eerie dependency within her. His energy healed her, yet it also bound her to him tighter than the toughest silk thread.
Only when that overbearing energy coursed through her entire body, finally intertwining with the fragment of chaotic energy from another world within her to achieve a fragile and dangerous equilibrium, did Lucifer slowly cease the transfer.
He pushed himself up, gazing down at Lin Xi on the bed—her eyes unfocused, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural blush. His fingertips brushed her slightly parted, moist lips.
"Rest." He rose, adjusting his silk robe as his voice returned to its usual icy tone. "Tomorrow, take me to that energy source."
He walked to the doorway, pausing briefly without turning back.
"Don't even think about hiding or betraying me, Lin Xi." He spoke her name—her true name. His voice was not loud, yet it carried a chill that pierced everything. "My scent is now imprinted on your soul."
The door closed.
Lin Xi lay on the soft bed, the searing heat of that overbearing energy still lingering within her. She raised her hand, watching her fingertips tremble faintly. She felt a power unlike anything she'd known before, along with a deeper, intangible bondage.
Lucifer had not only provided her with intelligence and assigned her a mission. Now, even the power that repaired and sustained her originated from him.
This path toward "qualification" and "conquest" proved far more thorny than she had imagined, each step sinking deeper into his intricate web.