Chapter 417 The Devourer
After the war ended, Steven asked Elinor to treat Lily.
The others rested in the living room to regain their strength.
The cozy, well-lit hideout always felt like a warm hug, especially after a major showdown. Kicking back on the plush couch in this swanky villa, sipping on a fresh cup of coffee? That was the good stuff.
But soon, there was a commotion outside.
Sebastian returned to demand the food Steven had promised.
At this time, Steven and his team had exhausted a lot of their strength and supernatural abilities.
However, Frostwood Base alone could not possibly break through the shelter.
So Steven calmly went out with his people and handed the remaining food to Sebastian.
Seeing the almost uncontrollable smile on Sebastian's face, Steven knew he had made a good deal this time.
"From now on, Frostwood Base will be the strongest in Starlight City! Congratulations!" Steven said to his old classmate Sebastian.
Sebastian laughed, "You guys held your ground too. No one's gonna mess with you after this! Honestly, I didn't see you leveling up like this. Impressive!"
Sebastian's admiration was genuine.
Pulling off a defense against Emberwick and Silverlake Bases with just a handful of people, wiping out nearly half their forces? That made Sebastian nervous as hell.
"From now on, West Mountain Base's territory is yours. Emberwick and Silverlake got wrecked in this fight—they might never bounce back," Sebastian said with a grin. "Of course, we're old classmates. I'm not looking for any drama with you!"
He definitely didn't want to end up like West Mountain Base.
Steven smiled and nodded. "Peace works for me."
Sebastian was about to leave but turned back and said, "Oh, and one more thing."
"Hmm?" Steven gave him a curious look, wondering what was coming.
Sebastian's expression turned serious. "You've got skills, I'll give you that—collaborating with Snowfall Cult without me knowing. But watch out for those guys. In times like these, cults thrive on messing with people's heads. Without checks and balances, who knows how far they'll go."
Steven thought of those cultists charging while shouting the name of the Snow God and felt a bit apprehensive.
If there were many people unafraid of death, it would indeed become a big problem.
Although Steven had a shelter and didn't need to worry about such things, the thought of being targeted by these people still made his spine tingle.
"I understand, thank you for the reminder."
Sebastian led the Frostwood Base army away from the battlefield.
Steven looked at the devastation outside the shelter and fell into deep thought.
The battle had been brutal—bodies were scattered everywhere, and the ground was soaked in blood. The once pristine snow was now a mess of red and grime.
The ice fortifications they'd worked so hard to build—over seventy percent of them were wrecked.
War didn't pull any punches.
"Cleanup can wait," Steven muttered, glancing at the sea of corpses. There was no time for that now.
He turned back into the shelter and announced to everyone, "The war is over!"
It wasn't until Steven personally said this that everyone showed a relieved expression.
Aubrey pushed Cindy, and the two exchanged a glance, their joy evident.
Nora, who'd been using her powers to whip up food, was completely drained.
Steven didn't push her to cook. Instead, he pulled out a feast from his extradimensional space, covering a huge table with fresh, mouthwatering dishes and top-shelf booze.
The thrill of victory and the sheer relief of making it through the fight had everyone's hunger kicking into overdrive.
Even the folks who usually stuck to water were now tossing back glasses of wine like it was nothing.
Steven took two beef burgers and a cup of hot coffee to the medical room.
Elinor had just finished surgery on Lily.
Lily had a severe neck injury, which looked horrifying.
Elinor was startled when she undressed her.
She could hardly believe that Lily had fought for so long in such a condition!
But Steven understood Lily.
Her fighting on the battlefield was purely driven by a sense of revenge.
So after the battle, she immediately collapsed.
Steven walked over and handed the food to Elinor. "How's Lily's injury? Bad?"
Elinor took a sip of coffee. "The cut's deep, but I stitched it up. She's a Strengthening System Psychic—her body's tougher and heals faster than regular folks. She'll be fine."
She glanced at Steven, a hint of envy in her eyes. "Being a Psychic must be nice. So many perks."
Steven laughed.
He knew Elinor was still thinking about the Frostheart he had.
But considering the various mysteries of the Snowfall Cult, Steven still couldn't be completely at ease.
"Isn't your medical skill way more practical than some supernatural power?" Steven hugged her, grinning. "We can manage without a Psychic, but we're screwed without a doctor. Don't sell yourself short—you're very important to us."
Elinor's lips curved into a smile, soaking up Steven's praise.
"After this fight, do you think we'll finally catch a break?" she asked.
Steven thought for a moment and said, "At least there will be a period of peace. But how long it will last, no one can say for sure."
Emberwick Base and Silverlake Base were severely weakened, and they would definitely need to recover their strength first, making it impossible for them to come after Steven again.
To be honest, what they needed to worry about most now wasn't Steven, but the other two major forces in Starlight City.
Frostwood Base made a pure profit this time, not only without any loss of troops but also gaining benefits from both sides.
Snowfall Cult suffered heavy casualties, but with their religious influence, as long as they weren't suppressed by other forces, they would quickly attract more followers.
So next, it would be a game of power between these forces.
Steven's team, being the smallest in number, would be feared but not considered a primary competitor.
Because having fewer people also meant they didn't need too many resources.
Elinor rested her head on Steven's shoulder.
But after thinking for a moment, she stood up and started massaging Steven from behind.
She had only performed a minor surgery, but Steven had fought a major battle.
Steven didn't hold back and lazily lay on the bed, letting her give him a full massage.
Just as Steven was about to fall asleep, Lily on the hospital bed slowly opened her eyes.
The recovery speed of a Strengthening System Psychic was indeed astonishing.
Seeing Elinor massaging Steven, Lily couldn't help but roll her eyes. Seriously, read the room—I'm still laid up here!
Seeing Lily awake, Elinor felt a bit embarrassed and patted Steven's back to remind him.
Steven, however, skillfully turned over and said, "Continue."
"Um... Ms. Evans is awake!" Elinor signaled with her eyes.
"Already?" Steven sat up, surprised.
Lily's face was a bit pale, and her neck was tightly bandaged.
"Steven, we need to talk," she said, cutting straight to it.
Seeing the vibe, Elinor flashed a smile. "You two chat. I'll grab a drink with the others!"
After Elinor left the room, Steven asked, "What do you want to say?"
Lily met his gaze. "During the fight, I took out a Psychic and absorbed his power. Since we're in this together, I figured you should know. It felt... important."
She'd heard about this trick from the Psychics at West Mountain Base before, but this was her first time pulling it off.
The rush of getting stronger was addictive, and she didn't want to keep it from Steven.
Steven raised an eyebrow. "So that's how it is!"
The ability to devour wasn't something every Psychic possessed.
He had already confirmed this.
Henry and Earl didn't have this ability, but he, Fluffy, and Charles did.
By now, he had figured out some of its implications.
Perhaps it was related to the potential of the Psychic.
Whether it was him, Fluffy, or Charles, their supernatural abilities were clearly stronger than those of Henry and Earl.
So the fact that Lily also had this ability made Steven very happy.
It indicated that Lily had great potential for growth in the future.
"Congratulations! This is a good thing." Steven smiled at her and said, "We've been through life and death together, and from now on, we are the closest partners! You becoming stronger is a good thing for us."
Steven slapped his thigh, remembering something he was concerned about.
"You killed so many people from Emberwick Base, avenging your students. Do you feel better now?"
Lily looked up at the ceiling, slowly closed her eyes, and didn't answer Steven's question.
Steven just smiled.
No answer was the best answer.
Maybe she couldn't shake it off yet, but time fixes everything.
Whether it's a love that's supposed to last forever or a friendship that feels unbreakable, it all fades eventually.
People gotta keep moving forward.
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