Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength-Chapter 1266 - 1260: Farewell

Catherine's rejection did not make Lilu feel displeased.

On the contrary, the appreciative and joyful smile on the mermaid's face was the first time Ronald had seen Lilu express such a heartfelt emotion.

At the same time, Lilu spoke to Catherine:

"We have never interfered in the internal affairs of other civilizations."

After saying this, Lilu's expression changed again, but the smile in her eyes remained:

"However, from a personal perspective—I hope you all succeed."

Clap—

Leaving behind her final blessing, Lilu stood up from the square of her own accord.

She picked up her backpack, somewhat disdainful of the searing heat on the surface, so she slung the side like a frying pan outward.

Having done all this, Lilu composed herself and stood facing Ronald:

"Ronald, I'm going to continue my adventurer's journey next. Although brief, I really enjoyed our adventure together. According to your human customs..."

As she said this, Lilu extended her hand to Ronald.

"..."

Ronald was momentarily taken aback, then quickly got up and reached out to shake Lilu's hand.

"Lilu, I am also very glad to have met you."

"Well then, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The two shook hands in farewell, and then the mermaid did not linger.

Her slender figure, carrying her bag, set out alone toward the depths of the fiery city.

Within a few breaths.

This mermaid, whom he had encountered by chance and then traveled with, finally disappeared from Ronald's view.

"..."

"The appearance of this child was entirely outside my spell predictions."

After a long time had passed, Catherine patted the ground beside her, inviting Ronald to sit down again.

"Ronald, how did you encounter... such a unique being?"

Ronald shook his head; Lilu's departure left him feeling both the sorrow of parting and the wonder of meeting such a remarkable person:

"It's hard to say whether I encountered her or she encountered me."

"However, if you're curious, I can explain."

Catherine nodded simply: "I would love to hear all the details."

Ronald began recounting his encounter with the mermaid: "On the Barrier Mountain where I fell into the real world, I encountered a group of pirates occupying the place. Lilu appeared during my attempt to drive away the pirates..."

"..."

As Ronald narrated this experience, Catherine remained silent throughout, playing the role of the most attentive listener.

Once everything was over.

Ronald cleared his throat, and as he reminisced, he couldn't help but feel:

"Catherine, last time this happened, it was you telling me history on Barrier Mountain. I didn't expect that upon meeting again, the roles of storyteller and listener would be reversed."

The two exchanged a few teasing remarks before returning to the fundamental issue.

Based on the information obtained earlier, Ronald asked Catherine:

"Catherine, you mentioned waiting for a day—are we really just going to sit here doing nothing?"

"What did you expect?" Catherine shrugged at Ronald, "In my forecast, you would take a bit longer to get here, and I was meant to be the only one waiting."

"Pfft—"

At this, Catherine couldn't help but laugh.

The Astrology Tower Master pointed to the sky, her gaze at Ronald full of teasing: 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Honestly, you have you and your group to thank for coming down so boldly from above."

"Had it been some less noticeable manner, I might not have known to retrieve you all from the fireball."

Ronald was unfazed, replying calmly:

"I don't possess predictive spells, so I had to use rather straightforward means."

"But Catherine, is this day of waiting necessary? What's the reason?"

Catherine had already investigated the situation within the fiery city and had anticipated Ronald's question.

So the moment Ronald asked, she confidently explained:

"The wait, of course, is necessary because this is a genuine Demigod, not some man-made deity. Analyzing from any angle, striking when he is at his weakest state is undeniably the right choice."

Ronald continued, asking:

"How do you determine this weakest state?"

Catherine looked toward the central lava lake of the city, although the goal wasn't visible, her gaze suggested she had already struck down the opponent.

"Ronald, listen carefully."

"Due to a world-level conflict involving great expenditure, the activity cycle of this Fire Element Demigod is, like human breathing, rhythmic and uninterruptible."

"This manifests within the city as the state of those Flame Rivers. At the moment he most needs 'fuel,' the Flame Rivers will actively gather it, which is his weakest moment."

Catherine described everything very clearly, and Ronald understood perfectly:

"So, this cycle occurs in a day?"

"To be precise, in twenty-one hours and sixteen minutes."

Catherine was quite certain about this timeline, and when she informed Ronald, her tone was serious and earnest:

"When the Flame Rivers gather fuel, we strike to interrupt. The Demigod usually hidden within security barriers will suffer significant depletion, perhaps even forcing him to emerge to seek fuel to prevent further decline in his state."

Ronald followed up on Catherine's words:

"And that would be the optimal time for us to attack?"

Catherine nodded and then added more detail:

"Exactly. And further explaining, we only have five minutes to interrupt the Flame River. If this action succeeds, after a three-minute wait, the real target will appear on its own from below."

The timing was meticulously laid out, and any further inquiry would pertain to the details of the combat arrangements.

Ronald, of course, wouldn't miss this, so he asked cautiously:

"Then, Catherine, do you have the ability to discern the Fire Element Demigod's powers?"

"And what about the plan for our subsequent battle?"

The red-haired Astrology Tower Master shook her head in denial, her tone somewhat regretful:

"The Demigod's sense for Magic Fluctuation is extremely sharp, especially in this magic-infused world. Even the power of the original is likely to alert a Demigod when scouting."

"As for the battle plan, we can discuss it over this day."

At this point, Catherine's gaze swept over Ronald, quickly revealing a keen interest:

"After all, judging by your appearance and the powers you're now wielding, you're entirely different from before."

Ronald naturally nodded in agreement.

However, just then, he recalled something that might be crucial to Catherine, so he immediately spoke up:

"By the way, Catherine."

"Do you still remember... having a sister?"