When reality struck Ning'er she felt ridiculous, how naive can one get?
They have met for a little over a day and all she could think of was getting his attention in a way or another.
She acted like a spoiled brat who knew nothing about the world and its schemes, even though she is one of those schemers herself.
Everyone was dumbfounded by Noire's choice of words. Time entered a trance of standstill until Ning'er choked on her breath.
Subconsciously she bit her bottom lip tightly, closed her eyes, unable to show the cluster of sadness that flooded them.
Warm columns of tears ran down her cheek, she was tired of people discarding her whenever she went. Her family, friends, and now even the first person she believed to be a ticket to normal life.
Whilst Ning'er slowly drifted into a cage of negative thoughts, the kidnapper looked at Noire angrily, she barked her teeth at him to shout almost a moment after Ning'er closed her eyes.
Then, a wave of brilliant light struck her.
Noire's eyes seemed to release a tide of the bestial influx of energies.
His pupils morphed into a reptile-like diagram whilst his iris released a wave that eclipsed over the female's senses.
She seemed to see a human, then a monster, then a human, then a monster...
Her brain was processing information beyond the capacity of her neurons at a rate beyond the comprehension of humans.
She wanted to close her eyes but Noire's pupils were beyond hypnotic.
Her optic nerves couldn't handle the strain one bit, both her eyes popped like two bubbles of boiling oil as her brain experienced a hideous 'short-circuit'.
It was only a split second till then the situation subsided.
Noire placed his mask on again before letting out a short sigh... Yue was shaking like a rattle unable to bear witnesses to Ning'er dying so she hid in Noire's back.
Ning'er still had her eyes closed awaited death as she lost all hope, that until Noire's voice breached her darkness.
"Don't mind my remark, I had to teach her that everyone can act in this world."
"...?"
"...?"
Both Ning'er and Yue opened their eyes simultaneously, Ning'er noticed that if she wanted to escape she'd face no resistance whatsoever. Yue, on the other hand, paled with horror after seeing the grotesque expression of the woman.
Of course, she saw dead people, but not in such fashion.
Under the minimal effort of Ning'er, the corpse fell back allowing her to look back. Her pupils contracted rapidly as she saw blood strolling down like a fountain from the eye sockets.
She subconsciously took hurried back-steps before tripping over-sand.
Then she felt a muscular frame that she could rely on, Noire stood behind her like an iron wall yet it felt like the warm secluded place she never had.
Something about the way he caught her, wrapped his arms around her delicate shoulders, made her feel like whatever he said was plain nonsense. His touch conveyed the opposite message to his previous words.
Still, even though they were cold, she knew his words packed some truth in them.
She secretly made her resolve to improve her mindset. Now...
"Heh, guess I also owe him my life now?"
Ning'er muttered to herself. Before she could indulge in the sensation of Noire's embrace, he had to shatter her dreams.
"Moving on ahead like this is a waste of time, it's better if we took flight."
"Took flight?..."
Both Ning'er and Yue looked at each other in confusion, how will they fly?
- - - -
A dozen kilometers ahead from Noire's former encounter, a group of bandits hid in the crater, one of them using a technique similar to binoculars, his eyes emitted a dark hue as his vision breached through space-time to scout the situation with their first line of defense.
His face was pale and veins bulged from his forehead, the technique seemed to put a load on his body and mind.
Just when a string of blood oozed down his chin, he coughed loudly and fell onto his rear in horror...
"T-they're all dead!"
"What?!"
"How?!"
"The information said three people at the Ether realm, don't bullshit us! How can they escape Reisa's trap!"
"I'm telling the truth! Senior sister... her state..." The poor bandit's brain was already under the backlash of his prowess, he couldn't handle the shock from what he had witnessed and thus fell unconscious with vomit foaming from his mouth.
- - - -
Unknown distance above in the clouds, the griffin soared through the sky. Unlike before, although she was taking the front seat, Ning'er was oddly content. Nothing changed, yet she felt a subtle difference in the way Noire held her, perhaps he was feeling guilty for making her cry back then? She doesn't know, nor she cared, she just enjoyed the warm attention.
"Still, I can't believe you could reverse the beast taming technique on the griffin's wings..."
Yue muttered in some disbelief. Sure, she doesn't know much about beasts, but if a family like the Yu Household was using it, it must be creditable to an extent...
"Why are you treating it as something so impressive? Silly. These restrictions work because beasts have low intelligence, they're not strong. It simply brings no benefits if anyone would remove it, no one dares to offend the Yu Household by releasing their belongings."
Yue nodded in understanding. Anyway, she decided to enjoy the sensation of misty clouds and watching the ever-stretching horizon whilst she could.
The journey was peaceful for the remaining days until the party breached the periphery of Four Seasons City.
Yue and Ning'er had mouths as open as a cave when they witnessed the Four Seasons City.
It stretched almost beyond the horizon, columns of world energy mingled like misty substance above its range.
This was only the peripheral boundary yet the density of world energy was so enticing Yue and Ning'er wanted to cultivate as soon as possible.
Noire could feel their hearts racing, especially Ning'er as he knew her aspirations. He smiled gently as he thought about her future, 'I'll part her a technique like Yue once we settle in an apartment.'
Whilst Noire set his mind on gifting a cultivation technique, Ning'er had her mindset on how she could gift her virginity...