Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

W, who used to dig for food in the ruins of Kazdel every day, never imagined that one day he would be able to play and frolic with his lover at the Requiem Festival, nor could he imagine that Kazdel, no longer a ruin, was also celebrating the Requiem Festival at this moment.

Since the main area of ​​the next celebration was still a bit far away, Lotin called a taxi. Syracuse is known for its understated luxury, composure, and safety, and the black sedan in front of him was indeed unremarkable in appearance.

At least until the driver spoke, it was unremarkable.

Loting was feeding W a piece of holiday-limited tiramisu, while W, still wanting more, licked the part that was on Loting's fingertips as well. Such a cloying scene naturally displeased the driver.

"Hey Sarkaz mercenary, when did you become so favored by your master?"

The rearview mirror reflected the face of a scarred Rupert woman, her fluffy white hair bobbing with the car's jolts.

The driver was Lappland, who was speechless because the two of them were treating their date as a honeymoon.

"What, do I need a crazy woman like you to tell me what to do with my husband and me?"

As Lappland floored the accelerator, the two rivals, who had only met once, began their showdown to settle old scores.

Compared to W, who was vying for the steering wheel with Lapland, Lotin appeared much calmer.

With the support of equipment, level, and talents, Lotin's physical strength is higher than that of the car itself. Moreover, he can use his W to flash away, so he is more concerned about whether Lappland will hit any unrelated pedestrians.

Lappland's driving skills were indeed very proficient. She didn't hit any innocent bystanders, and even managed to throw W and Lotin out of the car at a sharp turn. Lotin easily caught W and completed the fall, after all, his physical strength was purely numerical.

This is the location of an open-air stage where Lappland intends to begin her duel with W. W jumps down from Lotin's arms, ready to accept Lappland's challenge, while the audience below seems to think it's part of a performance.

Chapter 317: Props Race

Lappland drove from Vorcinny to New Vorcinny, where she began to settle old scores on a makeshift stage on the street.

To be fair, from the most rational perspective, neither of the parties involved could gain any substantial benefit from this duel, and they still chose to settle the score they had formed at Longmen.

Both women are hot-tempered and easily angered, and settling an old grudge would at least provide enough emotional value to make them feel better.

W's preferred explosives are too dangerous to use in the city, so Lotin doesn't intend to let W use her favorite bombs in the duel. She only allows W to use flashbangs and stun grenades. As compensation, Lotin takes out the [Imperial Order] from the system's storage space and gives it to W to use.

The Demon King's standard bearer took the battle flag. This battle flag was not only a buff item that provided an area-of-effect buff, but it was also a casting medium that provided a spell power boost. Although the 55 spell power it provided was not very high, it was still quite powerful.

Additionally, its unique passive ability, [Coordinated Fire], allows attackers' slowing and immobilizing abilities to deal additional damage and mark the target.

In the original work, W gained greater power because he obtained the "Ancestor Launcher" possessed by the dead soul. Lotin's W has been by his side as his standard-bearer for a long time. The [Imperial Order] has replaced the role of the "Ancestor Launcher" in the original work to some extent, becoming a key item for W to improve his combat power.

"This rag can be used as a weapon? That's laughable!"

Lappland drew her prized twin swords, the "Sundial," whose Originium Arts could interfere with the opponent's Originium Arts release, making them quite deadly to casters.

Lappland's dual blades may seem ferocious and chaotic, but they are actually highly efficient killing techniques honed through long-term bloody battles within her family's gang. Accustomed to hunting in the steel jungle of the city, the hungry wolf accurately bites at the neck of its prey.

Direct confrontation is not W's forte. Compared to close combat, using explosive traps and grenade launchers to ambush is her specialty. However, years of mercenary life have forced her to learn the skill of escaping when she has to engage in close combat.

Forged in the crucible of war, W possesses a graceful figure no less impressive than that of a ballerina. Her body is incredibly flexible; the tip of a knife slices through a lock of W's hair before cleaving open a stone statue in front of a restaurant.

W's mind raced. This was Lappland's home turf, making it even more difficult for her to create an advantage using the terrain. But she still had to do it. She quickly devised a route that would allow her to fight and retreat simultaneously.

Lappland's explosive power surpasses W's. It would be impossible for W to simply rely on the terrain to shake off Lappland and hide herself. However, W calculated Lappland's pursuit route and threw the stun grenade at the right time.

One stun grenade was split in two by Lappland, while the other was successfully detonated, releasing noise exceeding 170 decibels in a very short time. The instantaneous shockwave generated by the combustion of its chemical components temporarily halted Lappland's pursuit of W.

"Sigh~"

Lappland felt a burning pain, as if she had been hit by a spell; this was clearly not damage that the stun grenade itself could cause.

Since the stun grenade fulfills the slowing condition of the Imperial Command passive effect, additional damage is applied to Lappland, and a mark that can only be seen by W and Lothing is also generated.

Using the opportunity created by the stun grenade, W successfully concealed himself, while Lappland, relying on her familiarity with New Vorsini, also hid in an even more secluded place.

Unfortunately, W gained near-clairvoyance thanks to the Imperial Orders. Although she couldn't see the specific terrain of Lappland's hiding place, she could confirm Lappland's exact location by marking it.

"Damn it, my darling won't let me use the bomb, otherwise, I would have prepared a surprise for that she-wolf."

While the Imperial Orders are powerful, her W attack methods, which prohibit the use of bombs, are somewhat lacking. Furthermore, her Originium Arts are limited to remotely controlling bombs. If she were to release them through the Imperial Orders, although they would have some power, they would still be crude and inefficient.

Furthermore, Lappland's Originium Arts can disrupt the opponent's Originium Arts release, so the chances of W attacking safely are extremely slim. She must use the advantage of ambushes to deliver the final blow.

Lappland was already scouting W's location. W knew she couldn't hide in Lappland's home turf forever; she had to seize the limited window of opportunity to launch an attack that would secure victory.

However, the stun grenade used to escape Lappland's pursuit had already alerted the enemy, making it more difficult to create an opportunity using the same method.

The more formidable the enemy, the more excited W became. She knew that to lure the wolf out of its den, she had to offer a sufficiently sincere bait.

So W decided to use herself as bait to create an opportunity to attack. She often devised such crazy and dangerous plans, a risky gamble that could tip the scales of victory in her favor.

After putting on her anti-flash goggles, W threw out several stun grenades. Lappland perfectly deflected all the stun grenades with the back of her blade this time, and like a wolf, she turned around quickly and slashed at W who jumped out from behind. This slash was imbued with her Originium Arts, giving it a greater actual killing distance than the blade itself.

If hit by this attack, W's Originium Arts attack will be sealed, and she will lose her only means of victory.

Lappland saw that W was wearing protective goggles, thus guarding against flashbangs that might have been set up as booby traps in advance. But the moment Lappland drew her knife, W's hand behind his back directly activated a flashbang at point-blank range. Its intense light was even more powerful than a stun grenade. The huge noise and flash engulfed both of them at the same time, and W's hand was severely burned. However, Lappland, who was not adequately protected, was blinded.

The burning pain from the [Imperial Command] passive effect slowed Lappland's sword-wielding motion by half a beat. In that instant, W had already completed the charging of Originium Arts. Ignoring the depletion of her own energy, she quickly gathered the magical impact in the most savage and brutal way.

The crimson magical energy transformed into a gigantic phantom of a battle banner, engulfing Lappland and slamming her heavily against the wall.

The outcome was already decided at this point. Lappland admitted her defeat with a bitter smile, as she was too weak to move her body any further.

The ringing in their ears from the flashbang explosion still lingered, when Loting stood between them and gave each of them a life potion.

After drinking the potion, the physical damage caused by the fight was quickly and gradually healed, so Lappland stood up and said:

"I originally thought you won that gentleman's favor because of your posture, but now I have to admit, you are a ferocious hellhound."

"Holding a flashbang in your hand and then detonating it is indeed a pretty crazy way to fight."

W, having vented her frustrations and won the battle, was in a very good mood. With the gravitas of a victor, she acknowledged her opponent, whom she had only met once.

"You're not bad either. If I hadn't taken that gamble, I really wouldn't have been able to find any other breakthrough."

The two men exchanged a glance and burst into a rough, sinister laugh.

"However, now I'm going to spend some private time with my dear."

The only thing that upset W was that her clothes got dirty.

"I wish you and your loved one a wonderful night, Miss Mercenary."

As soon as Lappland finished speaking, Lotin tossed her a heavy bag of gold coins.

"W had a lot of fun, and you'll still have plenty of coins left after you complete all the items that require compensation."

Lappland did not refuse the small amount of help that Lottin offered out of kindness. She recommended a clothing store to Lottin and then quietly left, while Lottin took W to choose a new dress.

Back by the taxi, Lappland looked at the gold coins in her hand and finally realized—she had been nothing more than a pawn in their game from the very beginning.

Chapter 318: Vishdel

As a former heiress of the Syracuse family, Lappland has excellent taste in clothing. The clothing store she recommended is of extremely high quality and provides meticulous service. Although it was custom-made, the production was still very fast due to the excellent performance of the equipment.

However, it still can't compare to the self-service machines on the streets of Argonaut.

Lotin also commissioned a dress to match W's gown. After he finished changing, W emerged from the dressing room wearing a newly commissioned backless black gown. The black base and shimmering fragments created a starry sky effect, which, while not dazzling, appeared profound and elegant.

The necklace-like gold tassel embellishment around the neck adds a touch of sophistication and luxury, while the silver trim wraps around the entire dress, outlining W's graceful figure like that of a ballerina.

During her time with Lotin, W's material life improved dramatically. Her fair skin shone softly under the lights, making her even more radiant than during her mercenary days.

Beneath the leather corset was a short skirt that connected to the top, using the same fabric and design style, while below were black silk pantyhose that perfectly outlined W's long and shapely legs.

"Honey, what do you think?"

This was the first time W had dressed herself up so elaborately, so she was very concerned about what Lotin thought of her.

This was the first time Lotin had ever seen W dressed so flamboyantly, a stark contrast to her usual image as a female mercenary. However, this version of W had its own unique charm.

“W, even the most beautiful banshee in the Banshee Valley cannot compare to you in the slightest.”

Lotte gently took W's hand and led her back into the revelry of Requiem.

"Did you use such sweet talk to win over Laurentina and Skadi?"

W was certainly pleased with the compliment, but she still couldn't resist making a joke at Lotte's.

"Words are still too weak. What we give each other, whether between me and them or between you and me, is something much heavier and more persistent, isn't it?"

Loting gently cradled W's face, enjoying the feeling of holding his collection tightly in his hands. Only in this kind of relationship could he open his heart to the other person.

"Ha, what a smooth-talking man."

Tonight, W has shed her role as a subject. To her, Loting is not a demon king but a partner, so she can flirt with Loting more freely.

Before leaving, Lappland recommended many popular attractions and activities in New Vorsini to Lotin, including the Syracuse film "Death of Texas," which was being re-released in cinemas.

Of course, the Texas in this movie is not the Penguin Logistics Texas who met Lotin once in Lungmen, but her father.

Lappland recommended this movie to him, and there was definitely a touch of morbid humor in it.

The fact that popcorn wasn't allowed in the Syracuse movie disappointed W somewhat—a Sakota priest had once been kicked out of a movie theater for eating popcorn.

However, she did really like the movie. The bloody and violent scenes of family feuds in the movie suited W's taste, and the destruction of the Texas family also gave W a sense of schadenfreude. She hated those superiors who treated their subordinates as pawns and discarded them at will.

"Looks like that crazy she-wolf does have some taste."

W thoroughly enjoyed the movie, while Lotin felt a strong sense of déjà vu, which reminded him of a cultural work depicting a mafia godfather from before his time travel.

Considering the actual accommodation experience, Lotin booked a hotel for one night in New Vorcinny in advance. The infrastructure and security environment here are worlds apart from Vorcinny on the other side of the river. New Vorcinny, which regards tourism as one of its pillar industries, has the most modern and high-standard hotels in all of Syracuse.

Although W didn't think the service here was much better than the "little helper" service at Lottin's estate, she was still very happy to have dinner alone with Lottin.

She couldn't quite recall the taste of the food, but it was definitely the hearty meats and cloyingly sweet desserts she preferred. The crimson wine in her flute-shaped stemmed glass had been refilled many times, and she loved the crisp sound of her and Lotin clinking glasses.

All her whims and desires were meticulously fulfilled tonight. When she gave everything to Luo Ting, Luo Ting would cherish her as a precious treasure, even though she had once been determined to kill him.

The high-rise hotel rooms offer panoramic views of the entire new Vorcinny, a city that represents the future of Syracuse, where the old family-run system is gradually crumbling.

The cold wind didn't completely dispel W's drunkenness, but she wasn't as terrified as she had been during the mercenary incident, even when she slept. She could enjoy her drunkenness because there were people she could rely on here.

The fireworks of the Requiem Night celebrations soared into the sky and exploded, making up for W's regret of not being able to create the explosion himself.

"How I long to possess you forever. I envy those who can share your affection with me, even if it means bearing all of you, even if this overwhelming love will shatter me to pieces."

Even if you put shackles on me, even if you bind me to the other end of the rope...

W nestled somewhat forlornly in Loting's arms, greedily savoring his warmth and presence. Like the deep-sea hunters, W, accustomed to loneliness and fear, also found herself immersed in the sense of security that Loting provided.

She looked up at Luo Ting's face, and he was enjoying the attachment and longing beneath her jealousy.

"Forget it, this isn't the last chance to have you all to myself. Who told you to be such a greedy and fickle man?"

W knew that even with a large group of Skadis at her disposal, she couldn't possess all of Loting by herself; none of them could fill the void in Loting's heart.

Besides, this isn't the last time she'll be alone with Luo Ting. It's not like she can't be with Luo Ting outside of those times.

“I will not abandon any of you. That is my promise. We will still have time to be alone together, W. That is true for each of you.”

On this point, Loting truly lived up to his word; he did not exclude or neglect any of them, and he built a harmonious relationship among them by satisfying everyone at the same time.

The only conflict between them is that they might get a little jealous and competitive when they're not satisfied. Even so, they adhere to a certain tacit bottom line and follow a consensus—although they might argue and bicker, they are basically friends.

"At least tonight I can have it all to myself."

The little devil's pranks escalated, and she had completely freed herself from her subordinate role. Their fingers intertwined, and on the night of Requiem's ​​revelry, W gave her a surprise prank kiss.

W, still savoring the afterglow of the kiss, was determined to take her prank to the next level.

"Do you want a name? It's really inappropriate to keep using a single letter as a substitute."

"You want to give me a real name?"

The Sarkaz orphans in the ruins certainly wouldn't have real names, and W never cared about that, since names were just code names anyway.

But if it's your lover who wants to give you a name, then the meaning is completely different.

This is a name bestowed by the Demon King, and also an affectionate term used by lovers.

“Vishdel, in Sarkaz, means the desire for a home.”

The name originally given to W by Theresa is now bestowed by Lotin, the Demon Lord who sheltered the new home of Sarkaz and the lover who fulfilled W's longing for "home." He is qualified to entrust this name to W.

"What a cheesy name."

Today, W didn't obediently follow orders just because he was the Demon King. This coy attitude, which showed disdain on the surface but liked it in his heart, made Lotin find it quite cute.

“Vishdel…”

When Luo Ting first started using this name to refer to W, he felt a little awkward. This term, which was associated with strength before his transmigration, really ruined the atmosphere of the emotional scene. However, after getting used to it, Luo Ting felt it was okay.