"Reunion…"
So they were already closing in on Chernobog. Fast—faster than he'd expected.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Chen Mo immediately stood up. He walked to the door, smiled, and waved at Ch'en Hui-chieh.
"Alright then. I won't disturb you anymore, Ch'en. Bye."
"…Bye."
Bang.
With the door shut, Ch'en wiped her lips, puzzled.
Was Chen Mo really just here to check on her—and bring her dinner, nothing more?
She didn't dwell on it. Chewing the rice her brother had brought, she felt an unexpected warmth settle in her chest. The exhausting heaviness that had been pressing on her all day seemed, for a brief moment, to ease.
When I scold him later… maybe I should soften my tone a bit.
—
Back home, Chen Mo began sorting clothes and gear, bustling around until he'd turned the entire room into a disaster zone.
"I heard Ursus is freezing… better dress thicker."
"And canned food… uh, forget it. When I get to Chernobog, I'll just take Reunion's."
After a moment's thought, he decided not to haul a mountain of supplies. Too bulky—bad for running if he had to bolt.
Once he'd laid out tomorrow's change of clothes, Chen Mo planted his hands on his hips and nodded in satisfaction.
Ch'en had looked after him for so long. One way or another, he owed his "cheap little sister" something.
At the very least, he wanted to make sure things didn't play out like the original story—where siblings ended up drawing blades against each other.
"Alright. Everything's ready. Now I just need the wind at my back."
"Oh—right. I also need transportation."
Thinking that through, Chen Mo pulled out his bank card. After buying Ashes, he still had two hundred thousand Lungmen dollars sitting untouched—enough for a decent used vehicle.
But—
"No time. And if I go buy a car, there's no way I slip past Uncle Wei's eyes."
That was a real problem. He couldn't exactly run to Chernobog on foot.
Even if he was a Draco and didn't fear most wilderness hazards, he'd never make it in time.
By the time he arrived, Talulah would probably have already driven Chernobog like a roaring engine straight into Lungmen.
At that thought, Chen Mo pulled out his phone and carefully scrolled through his contacts—now long enough that the list actually moved.
Ping.
A new message popped to the top.
The sender's avatar was a dessert of some kind. The message itself was simple:
Good night.
Chen Mo's eyes lit up.
"Right—why not just buy one from them? That's the easiest, fastest way."
—
Ursus TerritoryOutside the desolate outskirts of Chernobog
"Where's that foul-mouthed bastard? Where'd she go?"
W tossed a bomb lazily in her hand, scanning the fully prepped formation. She still couldn't find the particular nuisance she'd been looking for.
"Don't tell me she chickened out and ran. Hah—figures. No guts. All talk."
"Shut it, W."
Ines frowned and cut her off quickly, glancing toward the Reunion cadre ahead—someone was already looking their way.
"If you don't want that creep staring at you again, then keep your mouth shut."
"Tch. That 'Mephisto' guy scares you that badly?"
W said it with contempt, but she lowered her voice anyway. Then she looked around at the surging crowd and suddenly asked:
"Where's Hoederer? Battle's about to start. You're not worried our captain gets snatched away by some thirsty woman?"
Ines's expression darkened. She didn't bother being polite—she lifted her foot and kicked W square in the rear.
"If you've got time to spew nonsense, go ask what Talulah wants us to do next."
"Yeah, no." W sidestepped, unimpressed. "That dragon woman's off. I'm pretty sure if I get too close, I'll be turned to ash on the spot."
She wasn't lying. Reunion's leader had been… wrong lately.
Hoederer probably knew it too—which was why he'd already taken the remaining people and slipped into Chernobog ahead of schedule.
And Ines had the nerve to tell her to go ask Talulah—when Ines was the one most terrified of catching that dragon's attention.
Still grumbling internally, W's eyes flicked sideways—
—and she spotted the irritating figure she'd been hunting.
With a smile that was impossible to read, she strode up and patted the blonde Feline on the shoulder.
"Well, well. Isn't this our great Lady Taren Goldas? Why the long face? You look miserable—stuck among trash like us."
Smack.
Taren slapped W's hand away hard. Her face was filled with undisguised malice.
"I've told you many times, demon. Don't speak to me without permission."
"Her Highness is announcing her return to this land. I won't tolerate distractions."
"Remember this, demon—do it again, and I'll take your head."
She turned and walked toward Talulah, forcing down her anger.
If being packed in with those Ursus barbarians was the absolute limit of what she could endure—
Then these revolting Sarkaz were something she could not tolerate at all. Filth that had already shattered the last line of restraint in her heart.
Four times.
She'd tried four times to quietly assassinate every Sarkaz in Reunion.
And every time, she'd failed before she could even begin. Her strength was lacking—and Talulah had personally come to warn her off.
Damn it. How can you build anything great while standing alongside scum like this? Why won't Her Highness understand something so simple?
But W, faced with that threat, didn't retreat.
If anything, she looked delighted.
She laughed freely, wildly—laughing until exaggerated tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
"Hahahaha! Look at you—loyal as a little lapdog. Always yapping about 'honor.' So this is Victoria's noble honor, huh? Completely clueless, following a scent and throwing yourself down to be someone else's dog. Hahaha!"
Whish—
A sword flashed up, suddenly resting at W's throat.
Cold light danced along the blade, and it spoke for Taren's fury—no longer containable.
A fraction more and it would have cut W's windpipe.
But Taren didn't dare do anything further.
"What?" W smiled, not shifting away even an inch. "Why aren't you moving? Afraid your mistress will scold you? Afraid you'll go cry in some corner afterward?"
People nearby noticed the standoff. Their voices dropped; bodies drifted away to give the two a wide berth.
Disgusting demon trash.
Out of the corner of her eye, Taren saw it—
A small bomb had been placed at her feet at some point, ticking softly.
Her pupils tightened.
She snapped her sword back and, without looking back, walked straight toward Talulah.
For Her Highness. For Victoria's future.
She could only swallow this humiliation.
Watching Taren vanish into the crowd, W's grin finally faded. She walked on slowly, thinking.
"So the stupid cat really doesn't know anything, huh. Hah—now I can practically see how ugly her death is going to be."
It was risky—but at least it ruled something out:
Whatever Talulah had brought back with her, it didn't look like some terrifying unknown.
That realization eased W's nerves—just a little.
------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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