<h4>Chapter 153: Viin Simtor, Ch 152</h4>


    She was none other than the mastermind behind this "kidnapping incident" and the Hydro Abyss Mage who had inscribed the contract on Endora—Kulechet.


    In general, Abyss Mages were the lowest-ranking members of the Abyss Order. Though they could wield troublesome elemental magic, their individualbat strength wasn''t particrly high.


    But Kulechet was different. Thanks to her exceptional talent and superior capabilities, she had quickly distinguished herself among her peers, even earning a ce by the side of the Abyss Order''s leader—the "Prince."


    This mission was personally assigned to her by the Prince: to stop this golden-haired girl from participating in the operation to subdue Stormterror.


    The Stormterror''s madness was itself a part of the Abyss Order''s schemes. However, the Prince didn''t seem concerned about the Knights of Favonius'' n to defeat the dragon. Perhaps he believed their mission was doomed to fail, nothing more than a futile act of martyrdom.


    But why did he insist on stopping this particr girl? Even Kulechet didn''t know the answer.


    "What a beautiful girl..." Kulechet murmured as she studied the wless features of the unconscious Lumine, resting inside the giant shell. "Why is the Prince so intent on saving you? Could it be... that he fancies you?"


    The Abyssal remnants of Khaenri''ah, having long since transformed into Abyssal creatures, gradually lost their human emotions over time.


    But Kulechet was different. She had always secretly admired the Prince, harboring a peculiar affection for him. Lumine''s sudden appearance stirred a faint, inexplicable jealousy within her nonexistent "heart."


    If only the Prince''s eyes saw me and no one else...


    The thought sparked a fleeting glint of murderous intent in Kulechet''s eyes.


    At this moment, she was still unaware that the golden-haired girl before her was, in fact, the Prince''s younger sister.


    "Stop!"


    A sharp shout rang out from behind her. Startled, Kulechet turned around abruptly, only to see a human male standing there.


    "How could a human be here?" Kulechet eximed in shock. "Who are you?!"


    This underwater pce was crafted using her unique elemental magic. Ordinary humans couldn''t possibly dive to such depths, let alone breach the water bubble protecting the pce.


    "Master, that''s the bad person!" Endora''s form materialized beside Lucas, pointing an usatory finger at Kulechet. "She''s the one who forced me to do bad things!"


    "So it was you who brought an outsider here." Kulechet sneered, recovering herposure. "No matter. After I kill your new master, I''ll deal with you properly. I''ll lock you in a dirty water tank and flush you down the toilet!"


    "No! I don''t want to be flushed down the toilet!" Endora whimpered, shrinking behind Lucas, trembling.


    Although pure-water elementals didn''t have physical bodies and were immune to physical pain, they required extremely clean environments to survive. Being forced to live in polluted water was the cruelest torture for them. It was clear Endora had suffered greatly under Kulechet''s control.


    "No one will hurt you," Lucas said coldly, fixing Kulechet with a piercing re. "Return the girl to me."


    "That''s not going to happen." Kulechet raised her hand, and the shell housing Lumine snapped shut with a resounding <i>ng</i>. "If you want to take her, you''ll have to step over my—"


    Before she could finish, Lucas closed the distance between them in an instant, gripping her head and mming her forcefully into the ground.


    Pain shot through Kulechet''s skull, leaving her momentarily stunned. Instinctively, she activated her teleportation magic, escaping from Lucas''s grasp and reappearing several meters away.


    Lucas had deliberately held back. If he had used his full strength, her head would have been reduced to a bloody pulp against the pce floor.


    Abyss Mages were not particrly strong, but their ability to teleport made them difficult adversaries. Even if overpowered, they could quickly flee to safety.


    But the sheer power Lucas had just disyed exceeded Kulechet''s expectations.


    As an Abyss Order officer, she was familiar with thebat prowess of Mondstadt''s forces. The Grand Master, Varka, was currently away, and among the younger generation, even Diluc, despite leaving the Knights, was considered their most formidable fighter.


    But this man didn''t match any of the known profiles of Mondstadt''s elitebatants.


    "Return Lumine to me," Lucas said, his expression cold and unyielding. "And I might spare your life."


    For reasons she couldn''tprehend, Endora sensed an oppressive aura radiating from her master. It was as if the carefree man from earlier had transformed into something entirely different.


    In truth, Lucas usually suppressed his darker emotions to avoid unnerving those around him. But now, with no one but the enemy present, he felt no need to hold back.


    "Onnd, perhaps I''d feel more threatened," Kulechet retorted, regaining her confidence. "But here, in the depths of theke, you stand no chance. Consider yourself lucky—you''ll die witnessing my true form!"


    With those words, a whirlpool of water surrounded Kulechet. As it dispersed, her figure transformed.


    Her new appearance resembled a humanoid mage, her bodyrger and her features more defined. The once-billowing robes were now snug against her figure, entuating her form in a way that was difficult to ignore.


    What the... she can transform?


    This wasn''t something Lucas remembered from the game.


    But he could tell her power had increased substantially. She was clearly no ordinary Abyss Mage.


    "Well, I guess I have no choice," Lucas muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Time to take you down."


    "Stop talking big!" Kulechet waved her wand, which resembled a tree branch, and chanted in an odd tone, "<strong>Rite of Mortal Water</strong>!"


    At her words, several enormous water bubbles materialized around Lucas, surrounding him entirely.


    Lucas immediately recognized this move—if he touched one of the bubbles, he would be trapped inside. Even in the game, it was an incredibly annoying skill to deal with.


    "Be careful, Master!" Endora said anxiously. "I was caught by that move back then!"


    "Child''s y!"


    Lucas drew his katana, <strong>[Broken Mistsplliter]</strong>, and with a sharp sh, one of the bubbles burst instantly, shattering into countless droplets.


    More bubbles floated toward him, but Lucas''s flowing swordsmanship left no opening. Each bubble was cut down before it could reach him.


    "Master is amazing!" Endora cheered as Lucas deftly destroyed the bubbles.


    In less than a minute, every bubble around him had been popped.


    "It seems I underestimated you," Kulechet said, pping her hands, though her tone remained calm. "But it''s a pity—you missed one bubble."


    "Wait, could it be..."


    Lucas''s face changed as he realized something, but it was toote. The massive bubble that had encased the pce was shrinking, tightening rapidly.


    "So all those bubbles were just distractions?" Lucas muttered.


    "Your observation skills aren''t bad, but you''re toote!" Kulechet stepped back, leaving the shrinking bubble to envelop Lucas entirely. Itpressed down to a sphere barely two meters in diameter, trapping him inside.


    "Hahaha!"


    Kulechet approached the bubble, her face smug as she observed Lucas trapped within. "Caught you, didn''t I? Now, let me think. Should I fill the bubble with water and drown you, or bury you in theke and imprison you here forever?"


    But before she could continue gloating, Lucas smiled—a strange, unnerving smile.


    Raising his hand, Lucas extended it beyond the edge of the bubble as if the barrier weren''t even there. He grabbed one of the rabbit-like adornments on Kulechet''s hood.


    "H-How is this possible?"


    Kulechet was so startled she froze. Before she could react, Lucas pulled her inside the bubble with a firm tug.


    "Get in here!"


    With a cold grin, Lucas watched as Kulechet, still in shock, was yanked into the bubble by her hood.


    "Now, who''s caught whom?" Lucas sneered.


    What kind of monster is this?!


    Kulechet''s <strong>Rite of Mortal Water</strong> was her signature move. While not invincible, it was highly effective, and she had never encountered anyone who could physically break through it, let alone pull someone else inside.


    Moreover, her teleportation spell had a cooldown of an hour. For now, there was no escaping Lucas''s grasp.


    "Dispel the bubble," Lucas said tly. "Don''t you think it''s a little cramped in here?"


    Reluctantly, Kulechet nodded and released the spell. The surrounding water returned to normal, and the pce was once again free from the bubble''s confines.


    "D-Don''t do anything reckless!" Kulechet''s confidence began to waver, and a trace of fear crept into her voice. "If you kill me, the shell will crush that girl to death instantly!"


    "I don''t have time for games," Lucas said, his patience wearing thin. "Tell me how to open the shell, or I''ll make you wish you were never born."


    "Don''t underestimate the loyalty of the Abyss Order," Kulechet sneered. "No matter what you do to me, I won''t betray the Prince. I will never let him down."


    Her resolve was admirable. The Abyss Order''s members were known for their unshakable faith. Even when captured, they rarely divulged any valuable information. It was likely that any betrayal would lead to consequences far worse than death.


    "You won''t be able to hide anything from me."


    Lucas reached out and ced a hand on Kulechet''s forehead. "<strong>Interrogation Technique</strong>! Tell me how to open the shell!"


    <strong>[Interrogation Technique]: Forces the target to answer one question truthfully. Sess rate depends on the target''s mental strength. Usable once per day.</strong>


    Kulechet''s eyes flickered with a faint pink glow. A momentter, she murmured as ifpelled, "If the water content in my body drops below 40%, I won''t be able to sustain even basic magic..."


    Her voice trailed off, and when she realized what she had just revealed, her eyes widened in disbelief. "How... how could I reveal my weakness?!"


    Abyss Mages didn''t possess Visions; they likely drew elemental energy from ley lines. However, some Abyss Mages, like Kulechet, enhanced their powers by linking elemental energy directly to their bodies.


    For Hydro Abyss Mages, this meant using the water in their bodies as a conduit for elemental maniption. While this method granted greater control, it came with a ring w—if their internal water content fell too low, they couldn''t use magic at all.


    The human body typically consists of 60-70% water. For Abyss Mages, the threshold was simr. At 50%, dehydration began, and at 40% or lower, severe dehydration rendered them powerless.


    "So, killing you would seal the shell forever," Lucas mused. "But dehydrating you would open it. Isn''t that right?"


    "Hmph. So what?" Kulechet remained defiant. "You can''t control water elements. How do you n to drain the water from my body?"


    "Endora, can you do it?" Lucas asked.


    "I... I can''t," Endora said apologetically. "To control water within a body requires precise elemental maniption. If I identally extract too much, she''ll die instantly."


    "Hahaha!" Kulechetughed, her confidence restored. "Looks like you''re out of options. Keep wasting time, and reinforcements from the Abyss Order will arrive soon. If you don''t want to die, you''d better run."


    "So, I just need to dehydrate you?" Lucas''s eyes narrowed as an idea struck him. A faint smile yed across his lips. "Who says I need elemental maniption to make that happen?"


    "What do you mean?" Kulechet scoffed. "If you think cutting off my water intake will work, think again. I can go weeks without drinking a drop and still function perfectly."


    Lucas didn''t respond. Instead, he reached out and removed Kulechet''s mask.


    He paused briefly, then chuckled. "I didn''t expect Abyss Mages to look so human after transforming. You''re quite cute, actually. Fortunately you''re female; otherwise, I might''ve been at a loss."


    Kulechet''s face, unmasked, was strikingly simr to a human''s, with exotic features reminiscent of Kaeya''s. She had an otherworldly charm that was both alluring and disarming.


    (AN: Thats the best I could fine.. Excluding the lolis)


    "What... what are you nning?" Kulechet stammered, sensing danger in Lucas''s gaze. "If you dare try anything, I''ll bite my tongue and—mmph!"


    Before she could finish, Lucas summoned an ice pop and stuffed it into her mouth, preventing her from speaking—or biting her tongue.


    "Master, do you have a n?" Endora asked eagerly.


    "You''re still too young to understand," Lucas said gently. "Close your eyes and rest for now."


    This version of Master is so kind...


    Endora nodded and retreated. "Alright. I''ll leave it to you, Master. Call me if you need me."


    "Take your time sleeping," Lucas said with a wry smile, licking his lips. "This... might take a while."


    .....


    Kulechet''s heart raced with panic, but with her mouth gagged, she could only make muffled sounds of protest. "Mmmph! Mmmph!"


    "This is all your doing, little one," Lucas said with a calm smile, lifting his hand to unfasten the sp of her mage''s robe. "I need to release your ''valves'' to reduce the water content in your body. Do you know where those ''valves'' are?"


    The <strong>"Ring of Maniption"</strong> on Lucas''s wrist began to emit a familiar pinkish glow. The aura, tied to the <strong>"Sin of Lust"</strong>, started to seep into Lucas''s consciousness, subtly influencing his actions.


    Kulechet shook her head frantically. Though she understood his words individually, theirbined meaning eluded her.


    "It seems you''ve only managed to mimic a human form, but you don''t truly understand the human body," Lucas said, continuing his motions without much concern. "Then let me exin. There are four valves in total."


    Four?


    Is that even possible?


    Kulechet''s face showed a look of utter disbelief. She had assumed, at most, there might be two.


    "Still unwilling to dispel the magic?" Lucas''s tone turned firm, as if issuing a final ultimatum. "As a gentleman, I''d rather not resort to such messy methods."


    "Stop trying to intimidate me..." Kulechet''s voice, though stifled, was resolute, her expression steadfast. "No matter what, I won''t betray the Prince. And besides, there''s no way... no way that method will actually make me lose my water content. It''s impossible!"


    "Impossible or not, we''ll find out," Lucas said coolly, gripping her chin to force her gaze upward. "Tell me your name. My sword never strikes the nameless."


    "K-Kulechet..." the girl stammered, almost involuntarily revealing her name.


    Abyss creatures'' true names were deeply tied to their previous lives, a remnant of their former humanity. Most Abyss creatures concealed their real names, using only aliases or titles. It was said that when an Abyss creature forgot even their true name, they would have fully sumbed to the abyss, abandoning their former selves entirely.


    ---