CHAPTER 471: 471. PERSUADING MYRTLE

Three Days Later

The morning light spilled lazily over the island, filtering through the canopy of giant trees that rustled with the soft sea breeze. The salty tang of the ocean lingered in the air, mixing with the earthy fragrance of dew-soaked moss.

On a carved wooden terrace overlooking the waves, Zuzia stretched her arms like a cat waking from a nap. She was in high spirits, humming to herself as she braided her long obsidian hair into a loose tail.

Mathilda and others already left to the ship. They even took many things from her dragon Nest. Zuzia happily gave everything.

Myrtle sat nearby, her face clouded with hesitation. She tugged at the hem of her robe, finally working up the courage to ask:

"Princess... you really want to leave?" Her voice was small, almost pleading.

Zuzia tilted her head, blinking her molten-orange eyes in confusion. "What do you mean ? I ’m leaving?"

Myrtle’s heart leapt. "So... you’re not leaving with them? You’ll stay here with me?" A hopeful smile spread across her face.

Zuzia paused, then put her hands on her hips. "Hmmm... not like that. ’We’ are leaving."

Myrtle blinked. "We? You mean... me too? Together?"

---

While the two girls were talking, Tyler was elsewhere, inside his pocket dimension where he spared against Zuzia three days ago.

The world within was quiet — a vast, cold expanse of flat stone plains under a sky of dark clouds. The aftermath of battle is still present there are many places are still burning.

In his hand, he held a strange artifact — a flat small disk that resembled a fidget spinner but pulsed faintly with runic light. The three blades popped from sides when he pressed it in the centre.

He tossed it into the air. The Spinner spun, caught the wind, and then — with a faint shimmer — vanished from sight.

Tyler stiffened. Though his divine sense could track most things, the Fidget Spinner thingy blurred itself from his awareness. Still, because it was attuned to him, he could just barely sense the pull of its direction.

A grin touched his lips. "So that’s how it works..."

To test it, he sculpted a statue of ice — a faceless humanoid double, solid and gleaming in the dim flames’ light. He willed the Fidget Spinner thingy forward.

It zipped invisibly through the air, then reappeared for a split second as it pierced clean through the statue’s chest. The ice cracked, a neat hole drilled straight through. But the moment it finished its strike, the ring broke apart into shimmering dust, vanishing into nothing.

Tyler frowned. "That’s it? One attack, then gone?"

He tried the second, then the third. Same result.

Disappointed, he left the pocket dimension and sought out Zuzia.

---

He found her mid-conversation with Myrtle, who looked embarrassed beyond belief.

"You see," Zuzia was saying in a very serious, explanatory tone, "you can mate him. He’s very strong, and that thing is this big—"

"P-Princess" Myrtle squeaked, her face red as she frantically waved her hands.

Tyler’s eyes twitched. Before Zuzia could elaborate on her scandalous lecture, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her away, ignoring Myrtle’s flustered expression.

---

Inside the pocket dimension again, Zuzia stood with her arms crossed while Tyler shoved the Fidget Spinner like thing into her hands.

"So. How these things works??" he asked.

Zuzia spun one on her finger like a coin, smirking. "Huh. Guiding Rings are ready, then?"

"Guiding Ring?" Tyler echoed, raising a brow. "So that’s what they’re called. Why’s it even called a ring though?"

"Hmmm..." Zuzia tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It was actually like ammo fired from a ring that was probably worn by giants. These disks would shoot out from the ring and strike the target. At least... that’s what Myrtle told me." She leaned closer, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "We found it in an old underwater temple. Creepy place. I even saw many mermaid skeletons."

Tyler whistled softly. "Giants with magical jewelry that shoots flying blades... sounds about right for this world."

Zuzia suddenly hugged his arm, her voice turning playful. "Hey... Tyler... can you please persuade Myrtle? I really want her to come with us."

"Why persuade?" Tyler smirked. "We could just knock her out and drag her aboard."

Zuzia puffed her cheeks. "Nooo... she’d be upset. How about..." she leaned in, whispering wickedly into his ear, "...you push her down and do the same things you did with me yesterday. She’ll enjoy it."

Tyler nearly choked. "Zuzia!" He quickly shook his head. "No. Just ask her why she doesn’t want to leave. We can talk her around, not traumatize her."

Zuzia gave a reluctant nod, though her mischievous grin remained. "Fine... boring persuasion it is."

Tyler rubbed his temple with a sigh. "Where is my Cute Zuzia who barely speaks any words?"

"Mmhm. Am I not cute now?" She winked proudly.

He decided to change the subject before she came up with more outrageous ideas. "Anyway, can you demonstrate this ’Guiding Ring’? I want to see how it works.."

Zuzia’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Of course! ". Her mischievous grin widened. "Want to know? Run. Try to dodge."

Tyler raised a brow but stepped backward, wings flickering open as he prepared to move. "Fine. But make sure you are controlling it properly."

Without warning, Zuzia flicked the ring into the air. It spun once and vanished.

Tyler immediately lost track of it. His divine sense reached, but it was gone — cloaked in a veil sharper than stealth techniques he’d faced before. His instincts screamed danger, but he couldn’t locate the source.

"Attack me!" Zuzia shouted.

Tyler obeyed, conjuring an icicle spear in his hand. Just as he hurled it, something invisible slammed into his palm.

Shhk!

The icicle shattered mid-throw. Tyler hissed in pain, clutching his hand as blood welled up. The Guiding Ring appeared, piercing through his scales with insulting ease before breaking apart into dust.

"Holy—! That hurt!" He glared at her.

Zuzia winked. "Told you. It can pierce through skulls if I lock onto your head. That was just your palm."

Tyler’s brows drew together. "Stealthy, accurate, armor-piercing... That’s dangerous."

"It has flaws," she admitted, holding up another ring. "First, one-time use. Once it hits, it breaks."

Tyler flexed his hand, already pouring a potion over it. The flesh knitted together in seconds. "Still worth it for assassination attempts."

Zuzia nodded. "Second flaw: if something else intercepts it mid-flight, it self-destructs."

Tyler narrowed his eyes. "But with that stealth, nobody’s intercepting unless they’re absurdly cautious. And uses barriers or like ’Area of Effect’ attacks."

"Exactly," she said. "Which makes it superb boring. I just want to smash things. But Myrtle said I should keep these things."

Tyler shook his head. " This is better than smashing around. I am glad you met Myrtle."

She gave him a dazzling, toothy grin. "Guess that means you’ll have to keep her close to me. She won’t resist that much. I can hold her hands if you want."

Tyler sighed. He wasn’t sure if she was joking or dead serious. With Zuzia, it was always both.

---

Later that evening, the three regrouped on the top of the Dragon Tree, the sun dipping low across the ocean horizon. Myrtle was still frowning, chewing her lip nervously.

"Well, here is the territory of the Dragon Princess herself," she said, motioning around them. The island was full of different species, dotted with many Dragon Trees. "If Princess leaves... those bastards from the Sea Dragon Palace will occupy this place. You know they’re just waiting for the chance."

Her tone was bitter.

Zuzia only laughed, spinning lazily on one heel. "No, no, no. I can’t stay in one place. It’s boring."

"Boring?" Myrtle’s voice rose. "But this land is—"

Zuzia waved her off, then suddenly gasped as an idea struck her. "Ooooh! How about we pay for protection through the Dragon Boat?"

Myrtle blinked. "The Dragon Boat?"

Zuzia nodded eagerly. "Yes! We just hire them. Lay their banner over the island, and poof! Instant protection."

Dragon Boat also offers protection. Nobody dares touch it, not even Sky Dragon Palace or Sea Dragon Palace.Most of those ships have a loose Immortal as a shareholder. Even those another Loose Immortal doesn’t want to poke that nest.

But there is one problem. They are so expensive.

Myrtle’s tatoo on her back stirred again, anxious. "Princess... do you know how expensive that is? Millions of Lydia just for a month of protection." She shook her head, despairing. "We don’t have that kind of money."

"Oh, don’t worry," Zuzia chirped, her smile turning sly. She jabbed a thumb toward Tyler, who was just standing and looking at the sunset. "Our mate can pay."

Tyler nearly fell off the tree.

Myrtle nearly choked on her own breath. Her face flushed beet red as she flailed her hands. "W-Wait! What do you mean our mate? I never agreed—!"

Her voice cracked, and she nearly summoned her turtle shell to cover herself out of embarrassment.