Chapter 452: Love Juice Can Be Used As Bait?

Julie, who had been frozen in disbelief this entire time, finally shook herself and stormed up to Cassius.

"W-What is going on here?!" She demanded. "Why in the world would you bring something like that here? Is this some kind of game to you? Cassius, we have a Leviathan to catch, this is not the time for whatever this is!"

"I’m not playing games, Julie." Cassius lifted his free hand and shook it to show his innocence. "Believe me, this is the real thing, or at least, I hope it is...Nala can vouch for that, right?"

But Nala immediately shook her head so fast it was almost a blur.

"No, no, no!" She cried. "I said it was a theory! Not a solution! This is your idea, not mine! If it doesn’t work, don’t blame me!"

Julie stared at them both, completely overwhelmed and the way Nala’s tail drooped and how exhausted she looked finally made sense, and only made her blush harder.

"You mean to tell me..." She said slowly, pressing a hand to her forehead. "...that you two went through all that this morning to get...this?" She pointed accusingly at the bucket. "Cassius, what even is this ’theory’ you’re talking about? Please explain before my head explodes. I’ve never heard of a plan this insane."

Nala groaned softly.

"Please...just be vague." She begged Cassius, hiding her face behind her hands. "No big details. Please. I can’t handle that much humiliation."

Cassius gave her a sympathetic smile. "Alright, alright. I’ll keep it simple."

He turned back to Julie and began, his voice steady.

"You see, Nala’s species sheds its skin every month. That’s why her scales always look so smooth and fresh. And when that happens, her body becomes...sensitive. Very sensitive."

Nala’s tail curled tightly in embarrassment as Julie listened, her eyes narrowing with dawning comprehension.

"And, well..." Cassius continued. "...to deal with that sensitivity, she...handles it. Like any person would when they’re under that kind of pressure."

Julie went crimson again. "Oh my god..."

Cassius coughed lightly and kept going.

"During that process, her body produces a certain kind of fluid, let’s just call it...a byproduct. It has a distinct smell and composition. She usually, uh, cleans up by the shore so she doesn’t make a mess at home and so that her Grandma doesn’t hear anything. Everything washes straight into the lake."

Julie just stared at him, speechless.

"But here’s the strange part." Cassius went on. "Last month, right after she went through that...routine—the Leviathan appeared."

"It surfaced from the lake only a few minutes later. Nala thought it was a coincidence at first. She was terrified, of course, but the creature just looked around and left. She tried to forget it."

He paused for emphasis.

"Then, two days ago—the same thing happened again. Same process, same lake, and the Leviathan showed up again, right after she released that liquid into the water."

"Twice might be coincidence—but twice in a row, with the exact same timing? That’s not chance anymore."

Julie blinked several times. "You’re...telling me the Leviathan is attracted to that liquid?"

Cassius shrugged. "It’s the best lead we’ve got. Maybe it’s pheromones, maybe it’s some biological reaction, who knows?...But whatever it is, the thing seems to come running whenever that scent hits the water."

Aisha, still knee-deep in the lake, shouted back incredulously. "You can’t be serious!"

Skadi came up for air, sputtering. "There’s no way that’s true, Master! That’s ridiculous even for my dumb mind!"

"Hey, I’m not saying it makes sense." Cassius spread his hands. "I’m saying it’s worth testing."

"Unbelievable. Completely unbelievable." Julie pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling hard. "To think that the solution you come up with is this...as expected of someone like who’s whole reputation revolves around your depravity."

Then Aisha suddenly froze and looked over her shoulder.

"Wait a second." She said, realization dawning. "Cassius, how did you even get so much of it? That bucket’s full to the brim! Don’t tell me—"

Cassius simply smiled, that infuriating, smug, mysterious smile that meant he was about to say something that would make everyone either faint or scream.

"Let’s just say..." He said, voice cool as ever. "...that both my fingers and my mouth were working quite a lot this morning. Working overtime, actually."

Nala froze. Her whole body went rigid, while Cassius kept going, utterly unfazed by the collective horror building in the air.

"I was doing my absolute best to help Nala out." He continued cheerfully. "It went on and on until she finally passed out. Poor thing. We had quite a...vigorous session together. I even caught every drop she released into this bucket, of course. Didn’t waste a single bit."

Hearing this, Julie just stared at him, mouth open, face red as an apple. Aisha and Skadi had gone completely still, both blinking as though trying to process what they’d just heard.

It didn’t take long for realization to hit them fully, followed immediately by their faces turning crimson.

"You mean..." Aisha began slowly, her voice rising. "You mean you actually, with your hands and your mouth—"

Cassius only smiled wider.

"AND SHE PASSED OUT?!" Aisha’s shout echoed through the trees.

"Wha—?!" Skadi’s tail bristled like a wolf’s fur, and she threw her hands over her head. "Master, that’s, that’s way too much information!!"

Cassius only laughed, looking amused by their horror. "Don’t worry, don’t worry." He said lightly. "Nala enjoyed it very much. It was quite the time for her."

"NO I DID NOT!!" Nala shouted immediately, lowering her hands just enough to glare at him with watery eyes. "I did not enjoy it at all! You—You monster!"

"If it were just the two of us and no one ever had to know, maybe it would’ve been fine! But knowing everyone here is talking about it, I feel like I’m living a nightmare!"

She pressed her face back into her palms, her voice muffled in despair. "I’m never going to recover from this...this humiliation. How will I ever get married after this...?"

Cassius chuckled softly, stepping closer and placing a comforting hand atop her head. "Don’t worry about that." He said warmly. "You’re already engaged to me, remember? And I’m marrying you no matter what."

Nala whimpered like a small animal, her tail tightening around his ankle in flustered protest, but she didn’t argue further.

Cassius turned back to the others, sighing deeply.

"Anyway...." He said. "...like I told you all before, we’ve got nothing left to try. I know it’s a bit far-fetched, and maybe just a coincidence, but it’s worth a shot. Especially considering how much hard work Nala put into this."

"Unless..." Cassius shrugged. "...any of you want to dive into the lake yourselves and take a more personal approach." He said with mocking seriousness. "I suggest we go with this. Otherwise, Nala’s efforts will go to waste."

That shut them all up immediately.

They exchanged glances, each one filled with resigned disbelief, until finally, Julie sighed heavily.

"Fine." She said, rubbing her temples. "Fine, Cassius. As ridiculous as it is...whatever you say somehow always works out. Maybe this will too."

Cassius grinned. "That’s the spirit."

Julie looked at Nala sympathetically. "You stay here, alright? Rest. We’ll handle the rest from here."

Nala nodded weakly, still hiding her face.

Cassius then motioned toward the others. "Alright then. Let’s do this."

The four of them walked down toward the water’s edge. Cassius held the heavy bucket carefully in both hands, the sunlight glinting off its faintly shimmering contents.

He stopped at the shore and turned toward them.

"Alright." He said, smiling. "On my mark, we’ll toss it in. Three...two—"

"Oh, for heaven’s sake." Aisha cut in, rolling her eyes. "Stop being dramatic, Cassius. Just throw it already! I want this cursed thing gone before I lose my sanity."

"Yeah, Master." Skadi added quickly, backing away from the bucket as if it were radioactive. "It’s a cursed bucket! I don’t want to see it anymore! Toss it, please!"

Cassius chuckled. "That’s a pity. I was getting quite fond of it."

"CASSIUS!"

"Alright, alright." He said, holding up one hand in surrender. "Oh well."

And with that, he lifted the bucket high and flung its contents into the lake.

The thick, translucent liquid arced through the air before splashing into the water with a loud splashhhh. Ripples spread out in perfect circles across the surface, glittering for a moment before disappearing as the substance dissolved into the depths.

And then, there was silence.

"Now what?" Skadi frowned.

"Now we wait." Aisha replied grimly. "We wait to see if Nala’s...theory is true."

Cassius folded his arms, smiling faintly. "Or if I’ve just thrown the strangest liquid in the world into a lake for no reason."

Julie glared at him but said nothing. Her hand drifted to her sword. Aisha gripped her staff tightly. Skadi cracked her knuckles, crouching low.

Even Nala, still blushing furiously, had slithered up a tree a few meters away, peeking nervously through the branches.

They waited.

The seconds dragged on.

One minute passed. Then two. And then a couple more.

Nothing.

No sound except the wind rustling through the leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird.

Seeing nothing was happening, Julie exhaled through her nose, lowering her sword slightly.

"I knew it. This is pointless. Nala’s first encounters were probably just coincidences."

Aisha nodded. "Told you. There’s no way something that absurd would—"

"Wait—look!" Skadi suddenly shouted, pointing toward the water. "Look over there!"

Everyone’s heads snapped in the direction she was pointing and—

—the surface of the lake had actually begun to ripple violently.

Waves rolled outward from a single point, growing larger, stronger, until the entire shoreline began to quiver. The ground beneath their feet trembled faintly.

"What the..." Julie breathed.

A shadow was moving beneath the surface, a massive shape, serpentine and coiling.

The water began to churn like a whirlpool.

Then, without warning, the lake erupted.

A colossal white shape burst through the surface, sending a tower of spray high into the air. The shockwave of the splash hit them seconds later, spraying mist and rippling the trees.

And there it was.

The Leviathan.

Its massive body gleamed white and silver, scales shimmering like polished glass. Its face was long, terrifying, somewhere between a dragon and a serpent, with fanged jaws and eyes that glowed an icy blue. Water poured down its body as it rose higher, coiling and twisting above the lake like an unholy mountain come alive.

It was even larger than the stories said, easily three times the height of the tallest trees around them. Its presence alone made the air feel heavy, oppressive, electric.

For a moment, everyone stood frozen in awe, and terror.

"It actually worked." Julie whispered in disbelief.

Cassius’s grin widened. "Of course it did."

The Leviathan’s eyes scanned the group, narrowing with unmistakable fury. Its massive body coiled, sending waves crashing against the shore.

And seeing that right was about to break out, Julie raised her sword. "Everyone, get ready!"

Aisha’s staff ignited with light. "Finally, something we can hit!"

"I’ve been waiting for this!" Skadi bared her teeth, cracking her neck.

Even Nala from her perch gasped. "It—It came! It really came!"

But just as the battle was about to erupt, something...strange happened.

The Leviathan’s eyes swept over the group, glowing menacingly—until they fell on Cassius.

And the instant its gaze locked on him, its entire demeanor changed.

Its eyes dilated. The slithering tongue that had flicked in and out of its mouth froze midair, then retreated hastily back inside. Its massive jaw closed tight, hiding its rows of dagger-like teeth.

Then, to everyone’s absolute shock—the beast recoiled slightly.

The mighty Leviathan, the legendary terror of the lakes, backed away.

Julie’s mouth fell open. "What...What is it doing?"

Aisha blinked. "Is it...running away?"

Skadi’s ears twitched. "No way. It can’t be scared of Master!"

But it was.

The monstrous creature stared at Cassius one last time, then turned, slithering backward with unnatural speed. Its massive body rolled through the water, creating waves so large they crashed against the shore.

Then, with one final thunderous splash, it disappeared beneath the surface and vanished into the depths.

Silence fell.

All eyes turned slowly toward Cassius, who was standing there with that same easy look, his hands tucked casually in his pockets.

He blinked innocently.

"...What?" He said at last. "Why are you all looking at me as if I did something wrong?"