NOVPUBWithin the restaurant, despite the time seemingly stagnating due to the standoff, the storm outside continued to rage wildly.
Each flash of lightning cast bright bluish-white light into the restaurant, bathing everyone’s faces alternately in the violent brilliance and the profound darkness that followed.
Then, the roar of thunder, like an angry beast, echoed through the wide-open room, reverberating along with the fierce tremors of the restaurant’s windows and doors.
The storm swept across the entire street, droplets hammering against the windows, like a thousand horde eager to storm into the restaurant. The rain slid down the windows, blurring the views outside, and the world was cut off, leaving only them within the restaurant.
Hyperion was completely taken by surprise, only instinctively feeling an intense sense of crisis.
Phoenix, seated by the corridor Hyperion just passed, moved with swift aggression.
The blade was aimed for Hyperion’s vulnerable neck in an attempt to nab her life for the second time.
But as soon as he lunged at Hyperion, a heavy pressure locked him in place, immobilising him.
It was not a physical restraint, but a bone-chilling dread, a warning from the depths of hell.
Following his gut instinct, he traced the roots of his fear, locking eyes with Talia’s deep and frosty golden pupils.
At this moment, he felt like he was staring death in the face.
In her eyes, indifference dominated, but beneath it, an unpredictable rage was brewing.
Talia’s actions appeared calm and measured, but in reality, she moved much quicker than Phoenix.
She gently wrapped her arms around Hyperion, pulling her close to protect her. Subsequently, Talia’s fingers grabbed Phoenix’s sword, effectively stopping his assault.
Phoenix could feel the oppressive aura emitted from Talia. No matter how hard he gripped his sword, it was frozen in mid-air, unable to tremble in the slightest.
This meant that he was not in the same league as her when it came to raw strength.
Why is Lanci’s Great Love Poet so strong?!
Phoenix couldn’t understand how a first-order summon that appeared mundane just a moment ago turned into an awe-inspiring being akin to the Great Demon Clan.
His heart was pounding, sweat soaking his forehead, as his muscles trembled wildly. The dread he felt surpassed any experience in his life.
Suddenly, multiple curses seemed to travel along the blade, causing Phoenix’s veins to ache with an unprecedented agony, weakening him to the point of a disabled, severely ill individual.
Something was definitely off about this Great Love Poet!!
And there was something suspicious about Lanci too!
Phoenix ripped his panicked gaze from Talia, scanning the entire restaurant in a desperate attempt to find an escape route.
However, he couldn’t manage to take a single step without struggle.
In front of Talia, all his actions seemed insignificant, akin to a child’s game.
Just as he attempted to fight back, a wave of immense mental pressure overwhelmed him, and with a brief bout of dizziness, he collapsed onto the ground.
The force was so great it almost eliminated his breathing, as if a huge anvil was placed on his legs.
Talia stood before him, lifting her index finger nonchalantly, yet her gaze was enough to chill one’s heart.
To her, fending off this fifth-order assassin was as easy as swatting away a bug.
At that moment, Phoenix had entirely lost his former confidence. He looked pale, and his eyes flashed with profound fear.
The strength of his opponent far surpassed his imagination. The difference between them was like comparing an ant to a giant.
"Did you think you could harm her?"
Each of Talia’s words sounded as if she were berating garbage.
"What are you…"
Just as Phoenix tried to speak, a pain as if being scraped by a knife shot through his throat, rendering him voiceless no matter how hard he tried.
Then, using her spiritual magic, Talia made him completely lose consciousness.
The magic effect of the Big Puppet Theater was thus lifted.
The people in the restaurant looked confused, glancing at each other, not knowing what had just happened, and why everyone had stood up.
"Eh, Miss Tata, what just happened?"
The waitress looked at Talia and Hyperion standing in the aisle as if she had just woken from a dream.
"The thunder just now was so loud that it scared everyone."
Talia explained calmly.
And the Phoenix on the ground had already been swiftly dragged to the second-floor storeroom by Talia’s summon.
That place was usually vacant, so she borrowed it from the cat boss for a day.
She wasn’t very good at interrogation, but soon there would be a specialist coming over for mop-up work.
"Oh, I see."
The waitress looked at the customers and thought that this was indeed the case.
The restaurant quickly resumed its normal operation, as if nothing had happened.
Talia reflected on the [Basic Etiquette] she had just tried, feeling that Lanci’s magic was indeed useful.
She wasn’t as inexperienced as Lanci. Having high Spiritual Magic affinity and being skilled in spell use, she directly mastered this first-order Spiritual Magic after Lanci taught her the principle of [Basic Etiquette], and could even cast it without Magic Cards.
Then Talia suddenly shook her head.
Because she noticed that Hyperion was looking at her with a face full of admiration.
I couldn’t lead the child astray.
"I’m sorry, I won’t use it in the future."
Talia released Hyperion, her tone was still devoid of emotion, plain yet serious.
"No, Miss Tata, you looked really cool when you used that spell. You had a kind of majestic aura of a king commanding his subjects to kneel. I even began to doubt for a moment if you were a noble empress."
Hyperion shook her head, her eyes fluttering with admiration. n𝚘𝚟𝚙𝚞𝚋.𝚌o𝚖
Although she had just awoken from a brief stupor, she felt not at all afraid under Talia’s protection, which was a sense of security she hadn’t even had when her father was by her side.
"...Is that so?"
Talia distinctly remembered Lanci releasing these two spells, and he was purely a fool.
Could it be that the same spell, when used by different practitioners, gives different impressions?
"If you want to learn, I can teach you a few spells."
Talia looked at Hyperion and said.
Since she was Isatia’s daughter, it must be that her magical talent wouldn’t be bad, especially in Spiritual Magic and curse magic.
But her learning of human magic might not be that outstanding. The magic of the Demon Clan was more suitable for her.
Talia remembered that Lanci had introduced to Hyperion that she was a scholar with a bit of research in Demon Magic Text, so teaching Hyperion some low-order Demon Clan Magic should not be a problem.
"I want to learn from you, Miss Tata."
Hyperion nodded earnestly.
Talia nodded, then expressionlessly touched her stomach.
"Let’s eat first."
From sleeping with Hyperion in the morning until now, she hadn’t eaten anything, and was starving.
