Chapter 354 Fighting Fire with Fire (1/2)

Previously with the Lize's help, Anne was clothed in a somewhat comfy top for sleeping. Her thin garments were already drenched with sweat from all the lifting she had done a while back, causing the thin layer of cloth to stick to her porcelain-like skin. When Anne threw herself into Rhode's arms, he immediately felt two soft speaks pushing against him. Her fragrance quickly assaulted Rhode's nostrils, and it was so intense that even he couldn't resist. Fortunately, Rhode managed to keep his cool — he briefly caressed Anne's head and promptly parted with her body with a gentle shove.

”Alright, I'll get something for you to eat since you've slept for the whole day. Go, lie down and conserve your energy. I'll take care of the side effects for you — but don't forget your promise to me.”

”Yes, of course, Anne will never ever disobey Leader's instructions again!”

The dainty girl slipped under the covers and snuck a look at Rhode with her big, beady round eyes like an obedient child waiting for her reward. Rhode shook his head helplessly before stepping out of the room. This was his method to deal with someone with a personality like Anne.

Similar to this time, she had acted on her own accord before even though Rhode had warned everyone to obey his instructions. He had even emphasized to Lapis of the seriousness of the Awakening Potion. However, a person with Anne's character would definitely disregard threats that hadn't occurred. For her to learn the consequences of her actions, Rhode would need her to taste the bitter fruit of fragility. If not, Anne would probably continue to commit mistakes.

Now, it seemed that Rhode's plan was highly effective, but…

”Peeping and eavesdropping aren't things a proper lady would do, Gillian.”

After leaving the room and closing the door behind him, Rhode turned towards a woman standing next to a window. Gillian was gazing out at the brightly lit moon with an elegant posture. Upon hearing Rhode's voice, the fox-eared woman shifted her attention towards him as her huge, fluffy tail swayed from left to right.

”Master, what are you saying? I'm only here to admire the moon. You see — look how beautiful the moon is right there. Isn't it a pity not to appreciate its beauty?”

”So you chose to admire the moon at this time?”

Rhode replied sarcastically and made his way towards the dining hall. Gillian let out a chuckle after seeing Rhode's reaction and withdrew her pretentious dramatic posture before quickly catching up to Rhode.

”Heh heh heh. It's truly Master indeed. That said, I thought Master would coerce Miss Anne to strip off everything and have a good time with her. Didn't Miss Anne already mention that she would obey whatever you say? Also, this is a good time to test her commitment, oh? It's such a pity for Master to give up on this opportunity. You had it in your grasp ah…”

”Unlike you, I'm not always in estrus.”

For a moment, Rhode shot a look of disdain at Gillian, but he quickly recovered his usual stern expression.

”Alright alright, enough of the tiresome jokes. Do you have any solutions for Anne's current situation?”

The Weakened debuff wasn't that hard to cure; rather, it was the lingering effects that gave Rhode the most headaches. A drop of five to ten levels would mean that Anne would drop to Apprentice. This was a huge problem and even though Rhode knew many ways to level up fast, NPCs were fundamentally different from players. NPCs didn't 'gain experience,' so Rhode couldn't drag Anne around clearing dungeons.

”Solution?” Gillian's ears twitched as she skipped around Rhode as though she was dancing.

”Hmm… The aftereffects of the Awakening Potion is indeed troublesome, but I do have a method worth trying. If it's successful, I can guarantee there will be a high success rate in counteracting the lingering effects.”

”Oh?” Rhode stood still and turned towards Gillian. ”What method?”

”It's very simple,” Gillian conceitedly lifted her index finger. ”That is to make Miss Anne continue consuming the Awakening Potion.”

”… Hello? Are you still half-asleep? Or are there problems with my ears?”