Chapter 740: Failed to Recognize
Chapter 740: Failed to Recognize
"Uhm-mm~" Rhea woke up from her comfortable sleep. The first sight that greeted her view was Elysia's heavenly cushion. She fell asleep in Elysia's arms while in recovery formation last night.
'I overslept last night... I hope Master Elysia and Master Elena don't stay up all night to help me absorb the recovery energy.' Rhea got out of Elysia's arms with hope. However, she paused for a moment to look at the sleeping faces of Elysia and Elena.
She was apparently lying between them. No wonder she just felt that she was hugged from behind as well.
*Chu~*
Rhea kissed Elysia and Elena's cheeks before getting out of bed. She suddenly noticed that her yukata felt cramped and tight, especially her chest.
'Has my body returned to my mature form? It's faster than I thought. Could it be... Master Elysia and Master Elena stayed up all night just for me?' Rhea wondered and felt a little guilty.
It would only have a harmful effect if Elysia was deprived of sleep. Even so, she could only heave a subtle sigh. Her mother was still there, so everything went under her mother's supervision.
"Hmm?" Elysia also woke up from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes and realized that Rhea was no longer in her arms.
"Good morning, Master Elysia. Did you get enough sleep?" Rhea greeted with a warm smile.
"Mm, I got enough sleep." Elysia nodded and got out of the bed. "You are now back as an elegant mature lady, Rhea."
"Mm, it's all thanks to you and Master Elena. However, may I know- please excuse me, hmm, you only slept for four hours?" Rhea brought her face closer and stroked Elysia's cheek.
"Can it be seen easily?" Elysia took Rhea's hand and replied with a tender smile.
"Mm, it's an easy accomplishment since our spirits are connected. You and Master Elena need seven to eight hours of sleep in this three-week training. Please heed my advice. No excuses are allowed as it's for the common good." Rhea voiced her concern while stroking Elysia's cheek.
"..." Elysia blushed slightly and immediately distanced herself with an impromptu excuse. "I need to wake up my master and Madam Lifa."
"Master Elysia, may I ask you something? Which do you prefer? Me as a mature lady or a little girl, Master Elysia?" Rhea held Elysia's arm in a gentle motion.
"I'm fine as long as it's your choice, Rhea. Either way, it's still you." Elysia chose not to answer with a definite answer because she did not have any terms or conditions for Rhea's form.
"Hmm, you're leaving me in a quandary, Master Elysia. Ah, how about this... I'm already so close to my peak strength at this point. Then, I'm a little girl when you want to pamper me, and a mature lady when I'm on duty. That's nice and fair~" Rhea dropped her fist onto her open palm because of her brilliant idea.
Elysia just smiled in response because she didn't have any complaints. She then tried to wake Elena and Lifa up.
"Mhn, good morning... Whoa, you have grown up overnight, Rhea. Uuu, our little girl has grown into a mature lady, Ely." Elena was a bit sluggish for just waking up, but Rhea's current state was a pleasant surprise for her. She held Elysia's arm and rested her head on Elysia's shoulder.
"Mm." Elysia just nodded in agreement.
"Fufu~" Lifa just chuckled and got up from the bed. However, she felt a strange premonition all of a sudden. She just assumed that she was tired and had somehow fallen asleep unknowingly.
Elysia, Elena, and Rhea left the room after taking Lifa. However, Lifa was silent in a brief daydream as she stared at the angelic faces of the three girls before her.
"..." Elysia looked at Elena and Rhea with a clueless expression. She didn't know what had happened to Lifa.
"Mother, is something bothering you?" Rhea holds her mother's arm for attention.
"Ah, nothing. Let's wake everyone up and go have breakfast. We will have a practice at the beach today. Elysia, please be prepared for it, fufu~" Lifa shook her head and walked out of the room with a light chuckle.
After a hearty breakfast, everyone left the Winged Tiger Palace and headed for the nearby beach.
"Hmm?" Elysia suddenly stopped in her steps because she felt something.
"Is there something, master?" Vanessa asked curiously.
"One or more individuals are approaching our hideout. They are steadily approaching the hilltop hut in the outside world. I guess they are Uncle Theo and Aunt Leila." Elysia could sense that and be sure of it. Her runes that she left out there gave a warning regarding the trespassers.
"Then let's meet them now. Ely, Vann, Yuuki, you will come with me to the outside world. Little one, you should also distribute the anti-curse mechanisms now. Come with us." Elena decided with an undeniable sentence. Although, no one would disobey her order.
That said, they all immediately flew away towards the realm's portal.
"..." Rhea pouted a little because she wasn't invited, but she didn't feel bothered because it was just to pick up two little cats.
"Very well, let's prepare a place for you to practice this morning. Hm, wait, I should bring Gio here first. That will make things a lot easier. Please wait a moment." Lifa stretched her hand upwards, and the surrounding leaves instantly flew into the sky.
A few seconds later, the leaves returned carrying a sleeping little brown tortoise.
Lifa and Rhea set up several formations on the beach, with the girls helping them to set up their training ground. Meanwhile, Elysia had just exited the Nature Realm.
She stroked her layered barrier and made an entrance. After that, she and her little group came out of their hideout hut, waiting for two guests to arrive.
Two brown cats were approaching from a few hundred meters away. They looked a bit hesitant and confused, but they continued to walk straight while occasionally checking a small compass on their leg. However, they decided to stop and estimate where they were now.
"Hum, they came just in time." Nell folded her arms with a hum.
"..." Vanessa was about to rush to her uncle and aunt, but she didn't do it for some reason.
"Hm, I think that hut is a bit out of place, don't you think? Is that the place the Goddess of Blessings asked us to go?" Theo scratched his head and narrowed his eyes. He tried to check what would await them in that old hut, but he couldn't detect anything other than an empty room.
"Hm, let's get closer." Leila rubbed her face with her little paw while looking left and right.
They were about to continue their steps, but a white-haired cat girl came out from the hut.
"Uncle Theo, Aunt Leila, what are you doing there? Come here quickly." Vanessa waved her hand.
"Hey, Leila, I feel that wolf girl is our Princess Vanessa. Her voice is exactly the same as her, but is this an illusion? How can she become a wolf beastkin?" Theo rubbed his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing at that moment.
"You fool, she is a tiger girl! Look, there is Elysia and the others. We have come to the right place." Leila patted her husband's head and walked briskly toward the old hut.
"We have come as you asked, the Goddess of Blessings." Leila greeted respectfully.
"Good, I'm glad you came on time. Thanks for your assistance to the humans. For now, you are released from the secret mission." Nell raised her palm with a rhetorical stance.
"We are honored." Leila and Theo answered in unison.
"Hi, it's been a while since we last saw each other, Theo, Leila." Elysia greeted with a wave and a bright smile.
"Yeah, that's about three weeks. We're glad to see you're okay." Leila responded to the greeting in a friendly manner.
"Hehe, a lot of things happened. I feel grateful that you are blessed with health and safety. By the way, please don't ignore Vanessa. Look, she's pouting because you just passed her." Elysia pointed her palm at Vanessa while chuckling in amusement.
"Eh? Holy cow! She really is our Princess Vanessa!?" Theo widened his eyes in surprise because his guess was proven right.
"Fufu, my transformation was unexpected, but I'm not a cow. What do you think? Tell me, do you see me as a lowly being? I come from the Beast Race, but my human form resembles the Beastkin Race." Vanessa pursed her lips and folded her arms. She was sulking.
"Hehe, haha, ouch!" Theo laughed awkwardly, but he suddenly received a slap in the back.
"What are you saying, my child. Forget that stupid Theo and talk to me. We never detest any living being based solely on physical appearance. You are still the Vanessa we know and love, no matter if you are a winged tiger, a cat, or a beastkin." Leila hit her husband one more time and went over to Vanessa.
"Hm, I'm relieved to hear that. I have a lot to tell you. Would you like to hear my story, aunt?" Vanessa entered the hut with her aunt in her arms, leaving her uncle behind.
"With pleasure~ it must have been a great adventure. I also have many stories about what happened when you weren't with us." Leila swung her tail left and right in excitement.
"..." Theo rubbed his head and went inside the hut. It was a reunion, and he didn't want to be left behind.
"Now is the time for you to meet those three. Please tell us via telepathy using spirit connection when you want to enter the realm." Elena stroked Nell's back with her dainty finger.
"Uh, okay. They're currently on-, hmm... the Devil Continent? Hm, alright. I'll be right back!" Nell checked her talisman before waving her hand. She flew into the sky like the wind and disappeared behind the clouds.