The colorless concrete walls kept the room stuffy despite increasing chill from the encroaching night.
Eleonor looked coldly at the green panel in the Drone Hounds' eyes sensors. The three four-legged drones showed a green 'Roger!' sign.
She was about to sigh in relief when the sound of wind being cut through resounded and her steady long black hair went astray. She held in any expression as annoyance surged on her chest. Without turning, she asked:
"Bosco, what do you want?"
The short green-haired Bosco gave her a bright, friendly smile. Not caring for the mess his speed did when he arrived.
"I"m ordered by your father, Mr. Popov, To input some instructions on the drones."
Her squinting eyes peered eerily at him.
He sighed.
"It's just some adjustments, nothing that'll get in the way to save little Lila"
and has an
Her black eyes enlarged and the air grew cold. And even though the man in front of her was stronger, with an A-class innate ability, he stepped back with a forced laugh.
"Do not call her that, it doesn't matter how my family orders, she'll not marry if she doesn't wish so." She stated.
The young man's sheepish face instantly crumbled into a distorted smirk. "Eleonor, you might be on the neutral forces now, but your father is still Mr, Popov. If you could go against him, you'd already have. besides, Lila is in that state. It's her blessing I'm willing to mar- Whoa!"
His time slowed down as the gun on her holster fired an abnormally strong bullet. as it was made with the materials extracted from the beasts, it was simply on another level than a normal weapon. Yet he watched it with a smile as the bullet passed by his cheek. His body was not faster than that bullet, but he knew where it was aimed and moved earlier, dodging it with ease.
He smiled without showing his teeth
She visibly clenched hers but knew anymore talk was useless and walked away brusquely
He watched her back as she left, a fine woman. The thick black military uniform can't seem to restrain her form. As a soldier, she has muscles form but she was tall; a good 1,77meters tall. So the muscles only made the soft on her stand out more. Forming a feminine body that women envy and man desire. He was one of them, but more than a taste, he wanted to own. She dared to deny him when he was a nobody, now that he'd become A high-class hunter, he'd not give her an option!
His green eyes landed on the drones.
"Edit orders, First priority is to kill Ricon Nascent, last priority, secondary mission; kill Lila Popov."
The orders recorded, the drones went away, disappearing into the forest.
He brought his wrist to his mouth and whispered.
"Mr. Popov, the orders are edited. With this, our deal is settled."
He sighed deeply in pleasure picturing his future.
"The father casually ordering the death of the youngest, while The drones exchanging the oldest for a connection with a high-class hunter. Ha~"
He rested his hands on his sides and laughed with mirth.
"Such a screwed up family, I might fit in just nice"
*****
The best repellent is running out. Not counting the amount used to camp, I have barely enough for tomorrow.
"Don't worry, by the third day even if there are still beasts we'll handle them easily, as we're nearing the edge of the forest the beast's levels are lowering."
Rogo nodded and simply walked away.
Alone in his corner, Ricon's smile faded. He brought his wrist to his mouth before looking around with attention. The forest was too dark at night and it filled him with dread.
"Mr.Popov, we have a deal." After sending the message he switched tremble to another contact on the wrist smartwatch, "Brother as you expected I made the deal with Popov, he'll be sending the Hound drones to 'Save me.' You can use the orders imprinted as leverage against him."
His words went silently and steady but after the main topic was done he spoke an almost begging whisper. " Now, please, save me! This forest is filled with beasts, I don't want to die!" Unlike his earlier tone, tremble his voice cracked and showed panic.
He was terrified.
A rustle of leaves came to his side and he cut horizontally with his hand. But only giggles reached his ears.
"Little Nascent boy, you should just go on, the path ahead is clean, well clean enough fo you to be the hero who braved the wilderness and saved the majority. So, just keep on. We'll search for Larissa."
"T-That slut!? I'm Ricon! His brother. I should get priority!"
Both women in tight concealing black suits were used to his true face, thus they giggled away, ignoring him. But Ricon did not protest again, He knew that Larissa must be dead already. But if those two discovered he used misleading dust so that the beasts would hunt down Larissa. He'd suffer in the hands of his brother. He repeatedly stated the Value of Larissa for their future.
Ricon's black eye half-closed in a venomous gaze. "Too bad for you all."
I rather sacrifice the family's future and that slut's life than to ever risk my own!
*****
The smell of roasted meat spread in their camp.
Lucas fiddled with the torn shield. While Larissa took care of Lila's head injury beside an unconscious Silver. Gerald went about their tent as Sophia was awkwardly stood around, she felt bad for not helping in the critical time.
Lazaro observed all of that. He looked down at his fist who still shoed the burst small blood vessels. The idea of falling into a trance by such weak poison never occurred to him. 'I thought the essence I gathered with that heart would be enough to fend off these things.'
(You're crippled, Your three dantians and meridians have no defensive propriety against this kind of attack..) Hyera said.
His body felt weak again, the fullness from before was gone. instead, it became riddled with burst blood vessels and overexerted muscles. The purple color faded but the red pigment of the blood vessels remained.
He clenched and released his fists. He promised to protect and almost failed. Others can afford to fail one promise or another, but he cannot. 'I'm Lazaro of Superbia. I cannot let these people die and tarnish the prestige of my word.' He looked at the injured Lila being taken care by Larissa, then at Lucas who now sat down to rest and ended up sleeping like a dead person, he turned back to the roasting meat 'They did better than I thought they could.'
instead i
"Are you happy we almost died?"
'..?'
The soft voice came to from a small blooming flower on the lower part of the tree beside him.
He blinked.
"You were smiling." Larissa continued.
His teeth showed as he smiled. "I kind of am, I wouldn't be able to see your shortcomings otherwise." He turned the meat on the skill again as he continued "I don't need more healing. after those two go to sleep. we'll rise one hour earlier."
"I want your heart." She suddenly said.
"Are you proposing marriage?"
The small flower suddenly trembled as if pointing at the hearts he collected by the side, Maybe it was just him but the flower showed annoyance too.
His lips went up in a thin smile.
"You deny it, but the next thing you do is unreasonably demand what's mine. If that isn't a wife's behavior than what is?"
(What kind of wives are you marrying!?) Hyera exclaimed.
Larissa squinted her eyes, a smirk came up her elegant lips, as she took care of Lila.
"You know, I have a great tale to tell today, about a guy who's supposed to lead everybody to safety but instead fell sleep because of a common poison."
Lazaro sighed and shook his head. "And when denied, resorts to extortion and other tricks. It's like we're married for years."
''Divorce! Whoever you married; divorce her!" Larissa retorted and the flower trembled up and down fervently.
"She died before I ever could." His calm smiling face turned to her eyes in the distance, coincidently she was staring back at him. "You can't eat another until tomorrow, you still have to process the remaining essence of the one before."
She looked at the five hearts on the firepit and stared at him wordlessly.
"My case is different from yo-"
"Your dantians are broken." She cut him off.
His eyebrows locked together 'She can feel it?' He then remembered how she used the extraction method to manipulate essence, and how she used vines and the surrounding green life. 'Opposite to me, she's blessed with extreme talent.' He thought.
"It's the second time you mentioned a flaw of mine, you're starting to lose the points your lap pillow earned."
She squinted. "That! That exact attitude! I discovered you're susceptible for the weakest mind manipulations, I found out your Dantians are broken. Disabling you to use essence like any other living being. You only have brute strength which isn't much right now. Yet when I, someone who's currently stronger than you, just demonstrated to know two of the fatal flaws that can be easily used against you. You showed no reaction, you didn't even try to silence me. How can you be so casual about your situation?"
He stopped and laughed at her. He as laughing so casually and calm that Larissa was surprised, she heard pure amusement on his laugh.
He sighed and took the rare meat from the fire. as he took one by one from the skewer, he spoke.
"In the orphanage, my enemies were our caretakers who wanted us to work the most with minimum food. eventually, I suffered, fought and won. As a teen, my enemies were thief lords, then nobles and then mercenary troops. My enemies only escalated, from there. But, not a single time I was the stronger party."
As he had turned there was no more eye son him, only the listening flower on the branch. But even so, she could hear the sheer pride in his tone as he went on.
"Do you get it? I only fought the strong, and they always knew who I was, what hurt me, and what they need to do to win. Yet, even if I needed to crawl in the mud and suffer defeats, I always end up sinking my blade in their hearts. Well, except for one." His eyes went somber for a moment but he smiled again.
"I"m Lazaro of Superbia, one or two levels higher isn't enough for me to consider anyone a threat."