"It's fine. Go ahead and jump—I'll catch you." Cecilia stood there smiling.
As if to better fit the image she was projecting, she added another line.
"I know a little magic. You won't get hurt."
Hearing that, Phantylia stood on the edge of the container, looking down at the gentle, soft-spoken white-haired woman below as her thoughts raced.
This human really didn't look like anything special.
There wasn't the slightest fluctuation of Path energy around her, and her whole bearing was as soft and harmless as a ball of cotton. She didn't look like the fighting type at all.
The woman beside her, the one called Jingliu, on the other hand…
Phantylia's gaze flicked briefly across Jingliu.
As a Lord Ravager aligned against The Hunt, she had long since memorized the noteworthy powerhouses of the Xianzhou Alliance.
And with the Nameless of the Astral Express added into the mix, it seemed the only person outside her intelligence was that other woman.
So, asking Cecilia to catch her wasn't entirely because she wanted to pick on the softest-looking target.
After all, even disguised as nothing more than a minor Foxian sky-faring envoy, a Lord Ravager still needed to be cautious.
"Th-then… little me is really going to jump?" Phantylia put on a frightened expression.
"Jump," Cecilia said with the same easy smile.
The next second, Phantylia leaped.
Amid the shrill cries of alarm from the two younger girls, the petite Foxian figure plunged straight into Cecilia's arms.
Well…
If Cecilia remembered correctly, she had just said she would use magic to catch Phantylia.
But did she actually know magic?
She did.
She simply chose not to use it.
A crisp impact sounded out, and Phantylia felt her body jolt from the collision.
She didn't care about this tiny bit of damage, of course—but hadn't this woman said there would be protective measures?!
Could it be that she had seen through something?
"Hiss—"
Phantylia sucked in a breath, clutching her shoulder where it had been knocked, and barely managed to keep the pitiful expression on her face from collapsing.
"Didn't my benefactor say… you would use magic to catch little me?"
Cecilia blinked innocently. "I did."
"Then why did little me still land so painfully?"
Cecilia answered, "Maybe because… my magic is rather special? It guarantees you won't die, but it doesn't guarantee it won't hurt."
Phantylia: "..."
She had lived a very long time, but this was the first time she had ever seen someone package deliberate mischief in such a fresh and elegant way.
Still, as a consummate infiltrator, Phantylia swiftly adjusted her expression and replaced it with grateful tears.
Yet just as she was preparing to keep playing the fool, the look on her face suddenly froze.
In that split second, she thought she had sensed something.
A faint trace of aura drifted off Cecilia—so fast she almost believed she had imagined it.
Abundance.
Phantylia's heartbeat skipped.
No, this woman was a problem.
Without showing a thing, she raised her eyes and met Cecilia's clear, spotless gaze.
"What's wrong? Did I scare you?" Cecilia asked.
Although she had no intention of exposing Phantylia here and now, a small warning tap was still necessary.
A few days from now, she might very well switch back to the Kiana account. Laying a bit of groundwork in advance wasn't a bad idea.
Hearing that, Phantylia hurriedly hid the strange light in her eyes. "N-no…"
As she spoke, she wriggled out of Cecilia's arms and, once steady on her feet, even smoothed out her clothes.
"My benefactor is quite strong. You look so gentle and delicate, yet catching little me didn't seem difficult at all."
Cecilia smiled. "You're just too light."
Given how low Phantylia's current strength was, Cecilia felt that even the pre-corrected version of this avatar might have been able to contend with her.
"Oh my, benefactor, you're too kind~" Phantylia laughed sweetly, though alarm bells were ringing in her head.
This woman was absolutely not simple.
That fleeting trace of Abundance had been gone in an instant, but with Phantylia's eyes, there was no way she could have mistaken it.
A human carrying such pure Abundance aura, appearing on the Luofu…
Interesting.
Phantylia quietly committed the matter to memory.
Her arrangements were not yet complete, and this current body was still too frail.
But that was fine. Sooner or later, she would get even.
"Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet."
"This little woman is called Tingyun, a Sky-Faring Commission envoy."
"I was trapped here by those monsters just now. Many thanks to all of you honored benefactors for saving me. Might I ask your esteemed names?"
March 7th answered before anyone else could. "We're from the Astral Express! I'm March 7th, this is Star, and this is Mr. Yang!"
"These two are Sister Cecilia and Sister Jingliu—they were just passing by and saved us!"
Phantylia's gaze swept over everyone one by one before settling once more on Cecilia.
"Cecilia… what a beautiful name."
She moved a little closer, smiling brightly. "Might I ask what brings my benefactor to the Luofu…?"
Cecilia answered openly, "I'm here to see a patient. Master Diviner Fu Xuan invited me."
"Oh my, so my benefactor is a physician?" A glint flashed through Phantylia's eyes.
"To be invited personally by Lady Fu Xuan, your medical skill must be extraordinary, surely?"
"It's all right, I suppose," Cecilia said modestly.
"I can only treat the kinds of illnesses other people can't."
Phantylia's smile stiffened just a little.
That line… why did it sound like it carried a second meaning?
She studied Cecilia's expression carefully, yet all she found was that same gentle, harmless smile.
"Then…" Phantylia had just begun to speak again when Jingliu cut in from the side.
"We should leave."
Jingliu stepped forward and placed herself between Cecilia and Phantylia, expressionless.
Her gaze swept coldly over "Tingyun."
She was effectively an unregistered black-household now—quite possibly even still on the Luofu's wanted list. The less contact she had with official personnel, the better.
But in Phantylia's heart, she gave herself a fright.
The way this woman called Jingliu was looking at her…
Had she been discovered?
No. Impossible. Her disguise was flawless—how could a mere former Sword Champion see through it?!
Just then, however, a new sound arrived from afar: the measured tread of approaching boots.
A squad of Cloud Knights rushed in and swiftly sealed off the entire area.
The leader seemed to have received orders in advance and walked straight up to Welt.
"Friends of the Astral Express, please rest assured. It's safe now. From here on, we will protect you."
Cecilia was genuinely stunned.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
Uma Musume: From Beginner 26
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