Oh no, Shrinking Ground can't be used, I can't go back!

Huh?

Wait... doesn't this mean... I lost again?!

He instinctively turned his head, wanting to take one last look at that cunning adversary, but what entered his view were several entwining fungal tendrils.

[Entanglement Level 6]

Kill Shi Wu? The Pink Puki is still watching, entangle him, knock him out, and use him as a human shield to challenge the Sword Saint!

However, halfway through their extension, all six tendrils suddenly altered their direction.

Their target had abruptly changed to that ghostly figure who had somehow appeared by the edge of the space Rift—

Sword Saint Elvyn!

He was clearly far away just a moment ago!

What is this?

The one-time-use Ultimate Instant Teleportation?!

"It's been so long since I sprinted like this... my waist is almost strained."

With his left hand, the Sword Saint held the sheathed longsword horizontally. The scabbard precisely slipped through Shi Wu's necklace ring, suspending him in mid-air like a hanging doll.

His right hand swiftly drew another shortsword from his waist, and with a casual slash, the six resilient fungal tendrils snapped in response!

Simultaneously, a paralyzing stiffness swept through Knight Puki's body, rendering it frozen like ice!

[Status: Paralysis]

Ignoring Knight Puki at his feet, the Sword Saint, quite interested, looked at Shi Wu hung on the scabbard, his face filled with despair, tongue-in-cheek, saying: "My fault, my fault. Busy teaching you how to wield a sword, forgot to teach you how to use your brain. Look, now even a demon is smarter than you."

With a slight flick of his wrist, the ashamed Shi Wu was tossed beside the paralyzed Knight Puki.

Once everything was settled, the Sword Saint calmly shouted towards the distance: "Little Inanna—! It's your turn to work now!"

"Coming, coming!" Inanna's response was tinged with a bit of confusion.

Just now, she merely glimpsed a silver light beside her, and then the Sword Saint uncle vanished, followed by... it seemed... it was over?

What happened?

Did the boss's plan succeed?

Inanna trotted over, seeing Shi Wu standing dejectedly behind the Sword Saint, as well as a large mushroom wrapped in a red cape on the ground!

After the knight's legs and fungal tendrils were severed, it indeed resembled a large mushroom.

"Come, try if you can subdue it with your dagger." The Sword Saint Elvyn nodded towards the "mushroom" on the ground, speaking casually, "If it doesn't work... tonight we'll taste what's the flavor of this 'King of Puki.'

Inanna took a deep breath and pulled out the Gem Dagger—"Stone Heart Binding" from her bosom.

Her gaze fell on the Knight Puki, ready for slaughter, and her breathing involuntarily grew heavier.

Although all of this was according to the boss's plan, a thought she couldn't suppress still quietly crept into her mind:

Will this dagger really control the boss?

If... if it indeed controls him... what should be done?

A boss that obeys her every command?!

The impact of these thoughts was so strong that Inanna's hand gripping the dagger began to tremble slightly, out of her control.

The Sword Saint beside her caught sight of her trembling hand, assuming she was scared, he consoled: "Fear not. Hit by my 'Song of Silence,' it's just like a wooden lump now, can't bounce up. Tsk, really unlike Alama's child, such a timid one?"

Inanna didn't explain, steadied herself, her magic power flowed like a gentle stream into the gemstone dagger.

Azure blue runes instantly lit up on the dagger's surface, flowing and circulating like a living entity.

Without hesitation, she sliced her palm, letting the blood flow, yet it didn't drip but was strangely absorbed entirely by the greedy gemstone on the dagger, deepening the gem's eerie glow.

Then, under everyone's gaze, Inanna squatted, aimed the dagger infused with her blood, emanating ominous blue light, steadily... stabbed it into the sliced part of Knight Puki!

...

Would I be controlled by a magical item?

If it were my main body directly affected, perhaps it's possible. But through a Puki?

Impossible!

Though thinking this, in reality Lin Jun's answer to this issue is—unknown.

In this strange and unreasonable world, it might actually be achievable?

Yet Lin Jun still chose to let Inanna proceed.

The reason is simple.

If any magic item can easily control him through Puki... this deadly weakness would hang like a sword overhead, unavoidable!

Having such a significant and indefensible flaw, how could one talk about growing powerful in secrecy and dominating a region?

Sooner or later, he'd end up as somebody's toy, caught in one's grasp by some unexpected foe.

Rather than facing an unknown enemy using him as a tool someday, wouldn't it be better to "yield" to Inanna now?

At least this silly girl has a kind heart, living under her care with some hope for peace.

When the dagger pierced down, Lin Jun felt a tiny bit anxious.

Shortly, Knight Puki acquired a new status.

[Fixed State: Intermediate Magic Covenant (Inanna. Saint Claire)]

Lin Jun immediately checked his panel—no change whatsoever!

Thus... neither completely ineffective nor fully controlling, merely locking this Knight Puki avatar!

Can I still control the knight now?

...

"How is it?" The Sword Saint Elvyn, watching amusingly with his arms crossed, asked with interest.

Feeling the new layer of connection between herself and the Puki, Inanna replied: "Seems it's working!"

"Oh? Make it move a bit and see?" The Sword Saint raised an eyebrow, evidently curious about the result.

Stand up!

With Inanna's thought commanded, Knight Puki, having cleared the paralyzed status, strained to move its body, yet couldn't comply with the command...

As Inanna pondered her next command, Lin Jun subtly attempted control, and Knight Puki suddenly emitted a burst of Hallucinogenic Spores.

Tier Two Magic—Gale Technique!

Guge reacted promptly, almost instantly dispersing the poisonous fog with a gust of wind.

He remained silent, just gently cast his gaze on Inanna.

"Sorry! I'm still not familiar with it..." Although it wasn't her doing, she tearfully claimed responsibility for the "operational error."

Meanwhile, the little fantasy bubble about "controlling the boss" burst completely.

Efficiently resolving the so-called "King of Puki," the Sword Saint had no reason to linger, leading the team back to the surface.

Without its fungal tendrils and short legs, Knight Puki required time for regeneration, currently resembling a round bundle nestled in Inanna's arms.

But as they turned and left, Inanna discreetly dropped a pocket-sized notebook on the ground.

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