Chapter 235: The Defeat of the Sword Saintess CG Unlocked; Mary Sue Gets Jealous and Reignites Love (1)
All her bargaining chips had been dismissed, even the last shred of dignity torn away. She no longer carried any of her previous pride. Instead, she looked timid and unsure, her confidence utterly shaken.
It seemed… perhaps… she really could only freeload?
But for a proud deity to stoop to freeloading off a mere human boy—wasn't that a bit embarrassing?
"Oh well, who told me to be such a soft-hearted nice guy?"
Shia sighed lightly.
"Even though you can't offer proper compensation, I've decided to settle for less. Divine power it is—I can accept that."
The boy wore an expression that seemed reluctantly satisfied.
Lust paused, her eyes welling up with grateful tears.
"Really? Thank you so much!"
She clasped Shia's hand, earnestly expressing her gratitude.
Shia smiled faintly.
"It's my pleasure to help others!"
Was he really reluctant?
Not at all.
Shia's true goal was to treat this goddess in front of him as a perpetual motion machine of divine power!
Though her divine power was limited now, it would gradually strengthen as her divine soul was nurtured and her lost authority restored.
And divine power had plenty of uses.
What he mentioned earlier was only part of it.
Once he unlocked the second layer of his ring's seal, he could convert divine power to enhance himself.
The aftereffects of his last projection incident were severe and had sounded a warning bell for him.
Strengthening his body was imperative.
As Lust gazed at the kind-looking boy in front of her, her heart filled with gratitude, yet her back felt strangely cold.
It was as if she'd been sold without realizing it.
The naive goddess, of course, couldn't comprehend that from the start, she'd walked right into the trap of a cunning capitalist overlord.
"Cough, since you're now my tenant, there's no need for us to be too… uh…"
His words turned into gibberish, rendering them unintelligible.
"So, what should I call you?"
"Lust, the Goddess!"
"But you're not Lust, are you? Shouldn't you have a different nickname?"
Shia spread his hands.
"Call me…"
Lust froze, falling silent.
Who was she, anyway?
Because her true self had been sealed, her divine soul fractured, and she'd become overly consumed by her obsession with Lust, she had long forgotten her original self.
All that remained was one singular obsession: to become an independent self and seize her original position.
The silence lasted only a moment. She never truly cared about her original name.
Soon, her confidence returned, and she stood proudly with her hands on her hips.
"Just call me Goddess… Ow!"
The goddess clutched her head, looking pitiful as she continuously pleaded.
"Stop! Don't hit me!"
For her insolence, the deity received another round of discipline.
Ten minutes later.
Shia calmly wiped his hands, casting a faint glance at the trembling goddess in her black veil.
"Have you figured out how to speak properly now?"
The goddess pouted, feeling a chill in her heart. She couldn't help but think she was incredibly pitiful.
But it was clear she had learned her lesson.
"Whatever you call me, I'll answer to that."
She didn't want another beating.
This human boy was simply unpredictable. Faced with her enchanting beauty, he didn't show even a shred of mercy!
"Then I'll call you Mei."
Shia crouched in front of her, smiling as he patted her head.
Mei's delicate body trembled several times. She pouted unhappily.
"What kind of stupid name is that? It's not majestic at all for a goddess… But fine, fine, it's a great name!"
Seeing Shia's hand clench into a fist again, Mei quickly changed her tone.
Still, her alluring face couldn't hide her disdain.
Though deep inside, she was elated. The little person in her heart was already spinning in joy.
Mei?
Didn't that mean she was incredibly charming?
It turned out this human boy had been pretending all along!
The name was absolutely perfect for her!
From that moment on, she was no longer the nameless god posing as Lust. She had her own name—Mei!
Mei was slowly falling into the web spun by the mortal, entirely unaware of her descent.
But the naive goddess wasn't the only one losing herself; the same fate awaited the girls of Seven Shields Academy.
After the goblin incident, Shia's reputation in the academy finally reached an unprecedented level.
Whether it was the girls he personally saved, the upperclassmen who participated in the rescue, or even those who merely heard about the events, they were all deeply intrigued by the rising star of a boy.
The most noticeable change was that, unlike before, when Shia walked through the academy, he wasn't as easily ignored.
"Good morning, Shia!"
Three passing senior girls simultaneously smiled at him with unconcealed admiration on their faces.
Shia glanced at them, offering a faint smile and a slight nod in response.
Even such a simple reaction elicited squeals of delight from behind him after they passed.
These lessons had been paid for with blood and sweat.
Initially, when approached by senior girls, Shia had responded warmly.
But that only resulted in even more fervent pursuit.
If it had just been one or two, it wouldn't have been much of an issue. But when every outing turned into a chase, it became overwhelming.
Thus, Shia instinctively learned how to balance friendliness with reserved responses, mastering the art of polite detachment.
Yet, this didn't dampen the upperclassmen's enthusiasm.
Who wouldn't admire such a talented, handsome, and elegant young man?
Sending love letters was the conservative approach. Some brought him home-cooked meals, while others attended his classes just to be near him.
Everyone wanted to get closer to the young prodigy.
But since they weren't in the same grade as Shia, it posed certain difficulties.
So… Lilith, as Shia's fiancée, became the perfect intermediary.
"Lilith, I'm hosting a birthday party in a few days. Could you and Shia join us?"
A tall, elegant woman tucked her hair behind her ear, her shy smile both reserved and captivating.
"Lilith, could I invite Shia to visit my home?"
"I have some questions about cultivation that I'd like to discuss with him."
A lively girl with a ponytail blinked her bright, charming eyes, her demeanor sweet and alluring.
"Lilith, these are chocolates I made myself. I admire Shia so much—could you give them to him for me?"
"Lilith…"
A blonde, elegant young lady smiled gracefully, though the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
Being surrounded by so many beautiful girls was supposed to be a pleasant experience for Lilith. But right now, she wasn't happy at all.
These girls weren't approaching her because of her charm—they only wanted to use her as a bridge to get closer to Shia.
It felt like an affront to her dignity and sovereignty.
You all know he's my fiancé, yet you're blatantly trying to poach him!?
Why should my fiancé go to your birthday party?