“Me… controlled?”
Shi Qianla blinked in confusion, a faint spiral pattern shimmering deep in her eyes.
She furrowed her brow, murmuring, “Controlled by Her Highness? Am I… really?”
“It’s not so much ‘control’ as ‘hypnosis,’” Bai Yue Ling said, arms crossed, speaking confidently. “You’re acting on her orders without realizing it… Hmm, have you ever read any hypnosis-themed doujin?”
“Hyp…nosis?” Shi Qianla’s gaze remained dazed, but she suddenly gripped Bai Yue Ling’s wrist tightly. “But Little White, you still have to help me save Her Highness. Come with me…”
“Even pointing out the hypnosis doesn’t break it?” Bai Yue Ling observed Shi Qianla’s increasingly clouded eyes and sighed. “Looks like Viki’s mental magic is far stronger than I thought.”
“Little White, come with me to see Her Highness… Save her…” Shi Qianla’s sleeves extended two vines, wrapping around Bai Yue Ling’s wrists.
“Sorry, Big Sis Shi Qianla, but if I don’t deal with you here, you’ll cause me a lot of trouble.” Bai Yue Ling stepped forward, her plump, white thighs pressing against Shi Qianla’s. “So, I’m going to use a more forceful, unreasonable method to override Viki’s mental control over you.”
As she spoke, a massive Slime—Jelly—burst forth, instantly engulfing Shi Qianla’s head.
“Mm! What… is this…?”
Shi Qianla instinctively cried for help, but Jelly released a thick, pink gas, enveloping her entirely. The gas emitted a soothing, calming aura.
Finally, Shi Qianla ceased struggling, her vines drooping limply as Jelly fully encased her body.
Bai Yue Ling locked eyes with Shi Qianla and softly chanted:
“Dark Fall!”
Under the combined effects of Viki’s mental hypnosis and Jelly’s pink gas, Shi Qianla’s mind was too weakened to resist Bai Yue Ling’s Dark Fall power.
[System: You have successfully applied the “Dark Fall” status to the target “Shi Qianla.”]
[Current Dark Fall Value for Shi Qianla: 10%.]
[Optional task in the quest “Tainted Rose”—“Corrupt Third Princess’s Secretary ‘Shi Qianla’ to the Dark Faction”—has been completed.]
Crack!
At that moment, Viki’s right hand trembled, shattering the teacup she held.
“Your Highness?” Aiya, standing nearby, asked with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just a shaky hand.” Viki wiped her hand, wrapping the teacup shards in a tissue and handing them to Aiya with a smile. “Please toss these in the trash bin at the palace’s easternmost corner, then run ten laps around the palace before returning.”
Though puzzled by the odd command, Aiya’s docile nature prevented her from questioning it. She nodded and silently headed toward the eastern side of the palace.
Once Aiya left, Viki interlaced her fingers in front of her lips, quietly awaiting her guest.
Soon, Bai Yue Ling pushed open the door, wiping sweat from her brow. “Your palace is massive. I nearly got lost on my own.”
Ignoring Viki’s gaze, she plopped onto a chair as if at home.
“Miss Priest Hero,” Viki said, crossing her long legs on the desk with a warm smile. “I’m really curious—just how many secrets are you hiding?”
“Secrets?” Bai Yue Ling’s soft hips pressed into the chair, her big eyes brimming with innocence. “I’m just an Otherworld Traveler doing this for fun.”
Viki chuckled, leaning back against her cushion. “I don’t know how you defeated the Slime Queen or broke Shi Qianla’s mental magic… but I don’t care.”
She paused, extending her right hand with a delighted smile. “Priest Hero, let’s work together.”
“Work together?” Bai Yue Ling tilted her head.
“Yes, together.” Viki’s words carried an enchanting allure. “My mental magic, combined with your dark, corrupting power, could conquer any enemy in our path.”
First, weaken their mind with mental magic, then let Bai Yue Ling apply Dark Fall—a near-guaranteed success, corrupting one target after another.
Bai Yue Ling didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she asked, “I don’t know what you mean by ‘dark, corrupting power,’ but let me ask you—what’s your deal with those black-clad people?”
“You mean the attack on the Nature Priestess?” Viki replied calmly. “Sorry, not my doing. I’ve only worked with them a few times and don’t know their origins or goals.”
“Really?” Bai Yue Ling’s lips curved slightly. “If you tell me everything you know about the black-clad people and swear to cut ties with them, accepting me as your only ally… I might consider working with you.”
Viki raised an eyebrow. “How do I know you’ll keep your word?”
“No need for guarantees. I love pretty, seductive big sisters,” Bai Yue Ling said with a mischievous grin. “Like how you hypnotized Aiya and Shi Qianla—let’s turn every big sister in the world into our loyal slaves. Doesn’t that sound amazing~?”
“Uh, well…”
Viki paused, seemingly caught off guard by Bai Yue Ling’s… intense desires, so strong they left no doubt about her willingness to cooperate.
“Your Highness Viki, I know what you’re thinking,” Bai Yue Ling said, climbing onto the desk. Her delicate, black-stockinged feet dangled as she crawled toward Viki with a sly grin.
“Because of Aiya, I’m a thorn in your side. You want to eliminate me but can’t bear to lose my abilities, so you’re testing me with this cooperation offer, not expecting me to agree so readily, right?”
Viki looked up at the busty girl looming over her and asked, “And do you know what I want?”
“Of course. Right now, you’re agonizing over the throne,” Bai Yue Ling said, drawing on her ten cycles of game experience.
“The Queen is bedridden, so we’ll set her aside. The First Princess has wide connections, backed by churches, nobles, and the people. The Second Princess has been clearing monsters abroad, earning prestige in the kingdom’s army. The Fourth Princess, though only a freshman at the Magic Academy last year, is a rare magical genius, destined to become a Grand Mage…”
“And then there’s you, Third Princess.” Bai Yue Ling’s tone sharpened. “Aside from mental magic, you’ve got nothing—no strength, no influence. You’re pinning your hopes on those shady black-clad people. Hmph… you’d be better off teaming up with me. At least your guard and secretary like me. We’d have great team chemistry.”
Feeling the Otherworld Traveler seizing the upper hand, Viki nodded thoughtfully.
“Your points are valid. We’d likely have a great partnership, but…”
Viki gently pressed Bai Yue Ling’s head, bringing their foreheads together, her eyes locking onto Bai Yue Ling’s lively gaze. Her long hair flowed as if stirred by an unseen wind.
“Why don’t I just brainwash you? That way, I can trust you completely.”