Chapter 74 — What Kind of Women Do You Like?
"Ren," he answered instinctively.
"Hey, Ren," the woman didn't seem surprised at all. She leaned forward slightly, bringing her fingers to her lips before flicking them outward—
sending him a playful air kiss.
"Nice to meet you."
"Now tell me—what kind of woman do you like?"
—
Ren blinked, momentarily stunned, staring at the bold, radiant woman before him.
He spent exactly 0.00001 seconds thinking about how to answer in a way that would keep the conversation smooth.
Then—
something felt off.
That ridiculous line.
That oddly familiar kind of opening.
He blinked again, taking a closer look at the tall, striking blonde—her presence sharp, confident, clearly not someone to take lightly.
A chill ran straight up his spine.
Oh no.
Did I just provoke someone I really shouldn't have?
Sensing danger, he immediately turned and bolted.
But before he could get far—
something strange shot toward him from the front.
A bizarre, jointed creature with countless translucent, cicada-like wings.
In an instant, it wrapped around his neck.
Ren grabbed at it instinctively, trying to pull it off—
But suddenly—
the thing became impossibly heavy.
It felt as if the weight of an entire planet had dropped onto his neck—
and it was tightening.
Creak—
"Answer my question," the woman's soft, alluring voice came from behind him.
"Ren… what kind of woman do you like?"
Ren ignored her completely.
Clutching at the creature around his neck, he forced himself forward, dragging that crushing weight with every step.
"Seriously?" her voice shifted slightly in surprise. "Someone can actually move while carrying Garuda with their neck?"
Whoosh—
A rush of wind closed in from behind.
The pressure around Ren's neck suddenly increased again.
Glancing downward, he noticed that the end of the strange creature—which had been dangling in front of him—was gone.
It must have wrapped around behind him—
and now, it was firmly held in the woman's hand.
Ren gritted his teeth and kept running.
But the next moment—
he was yanked backward effortlessly.
"Woof, woof," the woman teased playfully. "So you like this position, huh?"
"Well… it's got its own charm, I suppose."
"But—"
"You're awfully young to have such… specific tastes. That's not very healthy, you know."
She lifted her boot—
and drove it straight into his backside.
At the same time, the crushing force around his neck suddenly released.
BOOM!
A sharp pain exploded through him as he was sent flying like a cannonball.
"Pfft—! Ptoo!"
Ren scrambled back to his feet, spitting out dirt and grit, looking thoroughly disheveled.
Not far away, the golden-haired woman stood with her arms folded. Behind her, the strange insect-like creature with cicada wings hovered in the air, coiling and drifting lazily.
She looked down at Ren with a cold, imposing gaze.
"So—you're the one who beat Todo into bed, huh?"
…As expected.
Ren wiped the dust from his face and nodded slowly.
So she really did come to settle the score for Todo…
He parted his lips, about to explain that it had just been a normal sparring match, that things had gotten a bit out of hand, and that Todo himself had already forgiven him—
but seeing the icy expression on her face, he doubted any of that would help.
Then suddenly—
her expression shattered.
She broke into a bright grin, leaned forward slightly, and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Nice work, kid!"
"…Huh?"
Ren froze, completely baffled.
But just as quickly, her face turned serious again.
"Now," she said, her tone firm, "I'll ask you again."
"What kind of woman do you like?"
Ren stared at her carefully, trying to make sense of her completely unpredictable attitude.
Her hostility… didn't actually seem that strong.
He rubbed his neck thoughtfully.
Just now, he had been ready to activate his Limitless Technique to break free—but she had released him first. Sure, she'd kicked him afterward, but still… if she really wanted to, she could've handled him much more harshly.
And regarding Todo, she didn't seem particularly angry either.
Which made sense. If she was someone close to Todo, she'd probably already heard the full story from him.
More importantly—
Her presence alone, along with that crushing weight he'd just experienced, told him one thing very clearly:
Do not provoke this woman.
After a brief moment of thought, Ren decided—
to answer seriously.
And in that short window, his mind—running at twelve times a normal person's processing speed—came up with what he believed to be the perfect answer.
He quickly glanced her up and down, then said:
"Tall. Big hips."
"Blonde hair—blue eyes—uh, brown eyes."
"Great physique, athletic build, and definitely tall!"
He paused for a split second, then added, glancing at her sleeveless top and fitted jeans:
"And… good fashion sense. Like wearing sleeveless tops and jeans."
"Ha!" The woman grinned, clearly pleased.
"Kid, you've got excellent taste in women."
"Better than Todo, even."
Ren finally let out a sigh of relief.
But just as he thought he was in the clear—
her expression suddenly darkened, like storm clouds gathering.
"I don't like men who flatter me."
In the next instant—
a massive fist came crashing straight toward his face.
Wait—what?!
Ren's eyes widened in shock.
That's not fair—I answered honestly!
Without hesitation, he turned and bolted.
One, he didn't want to clash with someone this dangerous.
Two… after already knocking Todo flat, beating up someone close to him would be… awkward.
As he ran, he shouted:
"I'm telling the truth, ma'am!"
"I really do like tall women with long legs, strong arms, a fit waist, and defined abs—ma'am!"
"…Ma'am?"
Veins bulged instantly on her forehead.
Her voice dropped, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
BOOM!
Her fist tore through the air, the pressure alone enough to make his skin crawl.
Left with no choice, Ren twisted his body mid-run, gathering cursed energy into his own fist—
and met her attack head-on.