Chapter 201: Stelle: What Do You Mean, Your Boss Is Clearing Monsters Herself?
As they continued their flight, Stelle quickly spotted the quarry where Lumine and Paimon were holding their ground.
The scene below was a world away from her own chaotic battle. Several massive, glowing Geo constructs—Lumine's Starfell Swords—were skillfully stacked and interlocked, forming a sturdy rock cage. The beast, Nikador, was trapped securely within, its presence marked only by the muffled thuds and furious roars that echoed from inside the prison.
Paimon hovered anxiously above the cage, occasionally stomping her feet in mid-air as if to express her deep dissatisfaction with the creature below.
"Lumine's sealing technique is pretty solid, too!" Stelle commented, instinctively trying to swing with one hand again. The motion sent Phainon, who she was still carrying, into another violent shudder.
Phainon couldn't help but plead, "Stelle, I'm begging you, please be a little steadier!"
A helpless Stelle had to abandon her theatrics once more and focused on the chat group.
[Stelle]: "I see you guys, Lumine and Paimon! That seal is amazing! You're both incredible! But Paimon, are you trying to annoy Nikador to death with all that stomping?"
[Paimon]: "What do you mean! My Stand contributed a lot! How dare you look down on Paimon? Just you wait, I'll have my Stand give you an 'Ora Ora' barrage later!"
Only then did it click for Stelle. The muscular version of Paimon she had been so envious of was actually inside the rock cage, battling Nikador directly. Was Paimon's Stand really that powerful?
[Stelle]: "I'm sorry, I was wrong! Your Stand is truly amazing! Please, I absolutely have to get a photo with her later!!!"
Although Stelle's apology was swift and utterly sincere, Paimon was still a bit taken aback by her intense admiration. 'Is a muscular Paimon really that cute?' she wondered.
Finally, their flight path took them over the old military camp where Zhongli, Wise, and Belle were stationed. The sight there was the most staggering of all. Several colossal Stone Steles reached for the sky like ancient mountains, forming an impossibly stable grand sealing array. Brilliant Geo power materialized into shimmering golden chains, coiling around Nikador layer by layer, pinning it so completely that it could not budge an inch, no matter how much it roared and struggled.
Zhongli stood just outside the array with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression as calm and unruffled as if he had just completed a trivial chore. Nearby, Wise and Belle were taking the opportunity to rest and recover.
"Mr. Zhongli is as steady as ever…" Stelle sighed, having learned her lesson this time and refraining from any dangerous acrobatics. She quickly typed out another message.
[Stelle]: "Oh, right! Mydei is holding another Nikador back all by himself in the arena! The situation is really bad! If anyone has their situation under control and can spare a moment, please go help him! I left an anchor point there!"
After sending the message, Stelle picked up the pace, dragging the pale-faced Phainon through the air. They finally arrived at the secluded rock wall where Trianne was hiding.
The little pixie was cautiously peeking out from her hiding spot. When she saw Stelle descend from the sky, still carrying Phainon, her eyes immediately filled with surprise and admiration.
"Trianne! Are you alright? You didn't run into any enemies, did you?" Stelle asked, releasing her grip on Phainon as soon as her feet touched the ground.
"Everything's fine!" Trianne nodded, then immediately flew forward and circled Stelle once, her tone laced with awe. "But, Little Gray, you're amazing! We can't carry anything too heavy when we fly, but you can even carry a person!"
Hearing this, Stelle immediately put her hands on her hips, her chest puffing out with pride. "This is nothing! A piece of cake! Just wait until I formally begin cultivating immortality and learn to fly on a sword. Now that's when it'll be truly cool! I'll invite you all to ride my flying sword then—guaranteed to be fast and stable!"
She was already lost in a daydream, picturing herself standing on a sword, carrying her friends as they soared through a sea of clouds.
"Cultivating immortality?" Trianne tilted her head, her curiosity piqued by the new term. "Is cultivating immortality that amazing? Can you teach us? We want to learn too! We want to carry more friends!"
Stelle waved her hand and made an "OK" gesture, agreeing without a second thought. "No problem! Leave it to me! After this battle is over, I'll go find some textbooks!"
Meanwhile, Phainon, finally back on solid ground, was leaning against a nearby rock. His face was ashen, and he dry-heaved a few times before finally catching his breath. This top warrior of Okhema, a veteran of countless fierce battles, had not been defeated by Nikador but had almost succumbed to Stelle's "wild" aerial journey.
Hearing the conversation between Stelle and Trianne stray further and further from the urgent matter at hand—all the way to cultivating immortality and sword-flying—Phainon had to suppress his lingering discomfort. He took a few quick steps forward, determined to bring the topic back on track.
"Cough… Stelle, Teacher Trianne, now is not the time to be talking about this." He looked at Trianne with a solemn expression, explaining in the most concise language he could manage, "Teacher Trianne, we are in serious trouble. Nikador appears to be immortal; no matter how many times we defeat her, she can revive herself almost immediately."
He continued, "We suspect this is related to a soul-splitting ritual she performed, but we cannot find the key to breaking it. We must return to Okhema at once and rendezvous with Lady Aglaea and the others to discuss countermeasures."
Although complex concepts like "soul-splitting" and "immortality" were a bit difficult for Trianne to grasp, she clearly understood the core directive: "We need to return to Okhema now."
"Return to Okhema? We can do it!" Trianne nodded vigorously, her small face a mask of seriousness.
She asked no further questions. Flying to an open space, she extended a small hand and began to focus, guiding the spatial power around her. A soft light glowed once more, and a stable Gate of a Hundred Worlds was quickly constructed. The other side of the portal revealed their departure point—the solemn and magnificent Chrysos Heirs' bathing pool in the Cloudstone Sky Palace.
"Let's go." Phainon took a deep breath and was the first to step through the gate, with Stelle and Trianne following close behind.
With a flash of light, the three of them had returned to Okhema. The bathing pool was still empty and quiet, with only the golden patterns on the walls and dome flowing like liquid light.
Castorice, who was responsible for receiving them and guarding the area, appeared silently like a shadow, only revealing herself after confirming their return. She gave Phainon a slight nod, her voice as calm and unwavering as ever. "Your Excellency, you have returned. Lady Aglaea has personally gone to clear the Black Tide contamination based on prior intelligence, to ensure Okhema's internal safety. Please wait here for a moment."
Upon hearing this, Phainon's brow furrowed slightly. Cleaning up internal threats was indeed one of the most important tasks at hand. Although he sometimes disagreed with Aglaea's policy of concealing crises from the public, he still nodded. "I understand. We will wait."
Stelle, still half-lost in her wonderful daydreams of an immortal life, didn't immediately process Castorice's calm statement. It took a few seconds for the words to register, and when they did, her eyes widened with confusion and disbelief.
She had always been a straightforward person; whatever she thought, she blurted out. A barrage of questions, fired like a string of cannonballs, shot toward Castorice.
"Wait! What did you just say, Castorice? Aglaea personally went to clear out the small fry? Isn't she Okhema's supreme leader? Doesn't she have tons of guards under her command? And even if there aren't enough guards, aren't there still all the citizens in the city?"
"Everyone knows how dangerous it is right now, with Nikador practically at our doorstep. Shouldn't they be picking up weapons to defend their own homes? Why does she, the top leader, need to personally handle something like 'clearing out small fry'?!"
Stelle's thinking was deeply influenced by her experiences in Belobog, on the Xianzhou Luofu, and in Penacony. In her view, the people always rose to the occasion. The geofire of the Underworld, the Silvermane Guards on the surface, the Cloud Knights of the Luofu, and even the desperate survivors in the Fabled Shore—they all took part in their own salvation, working together with the official forces in the face of crisis.
This model of isolating the public from danger, where a few elites silently shouldered the entire burden, felt incredibly foreign to her. It even seemed… inefficient and pointless. In her opinion, during a crisis, everyone should contribute what they could, and a leader's job was to organize and mobilize those forces, not to do everything themselves.
Castorice was caught completely off guard by Stelle's rapid-fire, direct questions. She was a woman accustomed to silence and execution, not one adept at explaining complex issues of governing philosophy. For a moment, she was at a loss for how to answer.
Just then, a faint light flashed at the entrance of the bathing pool, and Aglaea's figure appeared.
She looked slightly tired, though it was a weariness one could easily miss. Her golden dress was stained with dust from battle, but her eyes remained as clear and firm as ever.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]