"As if there could be a fake one?" Lumina retorted, meeting Phantylia's skeptical gaze.
"Meow... (Hey... are you kidding me?)"
"In my current state, how could I possibly win?"
"I know exactly what you're plotting," Lumina said, crossing her arms and chuckling softly.
How could a once-invincible Lord Ravager possibly fear a mere ant she had once crushed underfoot, simply because she had lost her power?
Phantylia's feigned timidity was nothing more than a ploy to trick Lumina into releasing her sealed power.
But... if I'm the only one in the entire Cosmos who can make a Lord Ravager show such fear, act so clingy, and look so utterly bewildered, then I've truly accomplished something extraordinary, haven't I? Lumina thought to herself, her gaze lingering on the Phantylia Kitten she had relentlessly teased and tormented. A swell of pride gradually rose within her.
But...
Just as this pride began to bloom, Lumina forcefully suppressed it.
Though her actions could already be considered unique and unparalleled in the cosmos, it wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
Phantylia Kitten's schemes—her attempts to manipulate Lumina by feigning misery, hoping to have her seal removed so she could seize an opportunity to escape—were woefully inadequate.
What Lumina truly wanted was for Phantylia Kitten to willingly remain by her side, even if she regained the full power and authority of her Lord Ravager form, content to serve as her pampered house cat...
"Mew!" Seeing Lumina's unwavering gaze and silence, Phantylia Kitten shuddered violently.
That wretched woman... what wicked scheme is she plotting now?
Though Phantylia Kitten lacked telepathy and couldn't fathom Lumina's thoughts, her observations over the past few days had taught her one thing: whenever this wretched woman wore that enigmatic, meaningful expression, nothing good ever followed!
"Mew... (Not that I couldn't beat her, though... If it's just being her sparring partner, that might not be so bad...)"
One must bow one's head under another's roof. This proverb was something Phantylia Kitten had learned on the Xianzhou.
Initially, when Phantylia Kitten first heard this saying, she scoffed at it.
If you're under someone's roof, why not just tear down the roof? Why should I bow my head?
But now, Phantylia Kitten fully understood the meaning behind those words.
Currently, she couldn't defeat Lumina, and all her Emanator powers had been sealed. Apart from relying on Lumina, there seemed to be no other way out.
After all... what could happen to a helpless little kitten if it were to wander into the wilderness?
Yet, clinging to Lumina's side also meant...
Damn it! If only my power would return a little... just a little...
"I will unlock a portion of your power, but not all of it."
"This portion of power will be used to spar with March. If you perform well, I won't reseal this part of your power after the training ends."
As if sensing—no, knowing—what Phantylia Kitten was thinking, Lumina smiled and said, "You're supposed to be a Lord Ravager, yet your memory is so poor."
When Lumina first captured her, she had kindly warned her: Whatever you think, I can hear it.
Initially, Phantylia Kitten had taken this warning to heart, setting up countless precautions and defenses to block Lumina from reading her mind.
Yet within a few months, the creature had completely forgotten Lumina's "kind reminder."
All the better for me.
Lumina secretly assigned herself a mission: During our time on the Luofu, I'll make Phantylia Kitten so utterly dependent on me that she can't even take a step without me!
It would be challenging, but Lumina thrived on challenges!
The first step in this endeavor was to gauge the current extent of Phantylia Kitten's dependence on her.
Then, let's test this achievement with the allure of power and freedom...
"Meow?! (Really?!)" Upon hearing Lumina's words, disbelief flickered in the Phantylia Kitten's eyes.
She even perked up her ears, wondering if she had misheard Lumina's words.
"Of course it's true. I have no reason to deceive you," Lumina said with a smile, flicking her fingertip toward the Phantylia Kitten, releasing a portion of the power sealed within her.
In an instant, an aura as vast as the Sea of Stars erupted from the kitten's body. But before it could fully manifest the majesty of a Lord Ravager, a surge of emerald light suppressed it entirely.
"Meow... (Familiar power, long-lost power...)"
"Meow! (Today, I shall reclaim the majesty of a Lord Ravager...)"
Seeing that Lumina had genuinely lifted a portion of the seal, the Phantylia Kitten's heart surged with excitement.
Though this fraction of power paled in comparison to her full strength, it was more than enough!
Beneath an Emanator, I am invincible!
Feeling the power surging within her, Phantylia Kitten instinctively lifted her proud Stellaron-feline head. Her entire being—no, her entire feline form—radiated confidence, an aura of peerless might!
"Hehe, all the conditions I mentioned earlier depend entirely on your obedience," Lumina chuckled softly, her eyes fixed on Phantylia Kitten's transformation. "If you obediently listen to me and diligently serve as March's sparring partner, I won't re-seal this power after the task is complete."
"But if you disobey me, refuse to train March properly, or even harbor any ill intentions, like trying to escape, don't blame me for showing you no mercy."
"In that case, you'll no longer be a cuddly little kitten who can snuggle up in my arms and sleep soundly... Hmm, let me think." Lumina lowered her head, feigning deep contemplation.
"I've decided." After a moment, Lumina reached a conclusion. She crouched down, gently stroked the Phantylia Kitten's head, and said softly, "When the time comes, I'll turn you into a Cycrane."
While a Cycrane wasn't the worst fate, it still paled in comparison to having a little kitten who could freely snuggle in her arms.
The truth was, Lumina's goal was to keep Phantylia by her side forever, turning her into someone who couldn't move a step without her...
Therefore, Lumina would never allow Phantylia's appearance to become unsightly.
There's no helping it, Lumina is simply someone who judges by looks.
Moreover, Lumina had already decided that once the "nurturing progress" reached 100%, she would transform Phantylia's body into that of a beautiful girl.
At that time...