Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Favorability Increased?
The questioner’s companion fell silent for a few seconds, looking as if he’d seen a ghost. "Obviously the female from the Butterfly Clan. Can’t you see that the turtle female is under special protection?"
Every contestant was keeping an eye on the livestream’s popularity.
Two days had passed, and half the contestants were already dead.
The already small number of females were nearly extinct. The hunting game was a battlefield for males; the females, utterly defenseless, were doomed from the moment they were thrown in.
The handful of females who remained were mostly Talent Ability Users.
They had been absorbed into powerful teams.
Now, as per Lord 14’s instructions, their team needed a female who had awakened a Super Talent. After wandering for the better part of a day, they had finally spotted two in a single team.
They waited until Lord 91 was gone before they dared to make a move.
"Who doesn’t know Lord 91 dotes on that little turtle? You want to grab her? Do you have a death wish?"
"...Fine."
Everything was in place.
Two figures leaped down from atop the ruins. A cold sweat broke out on Leopard as he scrambled away from his spot!
Stag grabbed Ai Li, but just as he tried to dodge, one of the Beastmen sent him flying with a kick.
The White-eyed Young Boy shielded the turtle with one hand and raised his black scabbard with the other. He saw one of the young men raise his hands, an innocent smile on his face. "Hey, no fighting, no fighting. We’re just here for someone. We’ll be taking this one. No objections, right?"
Ai Li’s face was deathly pale, and she was trembling uncontrollably. "...Help me! Somebody, help me!"
The man yanked her up from the ground and frowned, displeased. "What are you shouting for?"
Lou had already injured Ai Li’s back, and with such a violent motion, she felt the wound tear open again.
Something inside her snapped. She shrieked, her voice cracking, "It’s useless to take me! Lord 91 won’t care one bit! If you want leverage over him, go get that turtle! She’s the one he treasures in the palm of his hand!—"
Tears and snot mingled on Ai Li’s face. All she wanted was to survive. ’Why me?!’
’Shouldn’t they be taking the turtle instead?!’
’If someone has to die, it should be the turtle female!’
The White-eyed Young Boy’s expression darkened. He protectively cradled the little turtle in his arms.
The young man paused, then chuckled. "Stop your howling. You’re the one we’re here for. Our Lord 14 said he needs a young, beautiful female who has awakened a talent. Don’t you fit the description perfectly?"
The point was—
Lord 91 didn’t care for her.
There was no need to worry about retaliation.
Ai Li immediately stopped crying and stared dumbfounded at the two men beside her.
The young man looked at the White-eyed Young Boy. "We’re taking her, got it? Of course, if you want to waste your energy on a fight, that’s fine by us."
The White-eyed Young Boy’s grip on his scabbard loosened slightly. He looked at Ai Li. "Do you want to go?"
Ai Li was the captain.
She had the right to choose.
Ai Li froze. She wiped the tear tracks from her face, her gaze falling upon the turtle—
Its eyes, like little black beads, were looking right at her.
’Look how well-protected she is.’
’She doesn’t have to face any storms.’
Ai Li’s gaze slowly filled with resentment. ’Back when I was the center of attention, everyone revolved around me!’
She clenched her fists at her sides, her voice crisp and firm. "—I’ll go with them."
Team 14 was ranked second in points.
Ai Li turned, her expression resolute.
Leopard’s face showed a hint of regret. Ai Li was a noble lady, beautiful and good at solving puzzles.
It was a shame she was leaving the team.
After Ai Li left with them, silence fell over the group.
They waited by the edge of the ruins, awaiting Lou’s return.
「Dusk.」
A young man in a dark green uniform returned, silhouetted against the setting sun.
"Let’s go. It’s over now."
Today in the Sixth Region, a massive brawl had erupted, and in the end, only four teams survived.
The other three scattered to the winds.
A rest area lay not far ahead. Lou took the turtle from the White-eyed Young Boy and gently tapped its shell. When the little turtle stretched its neck up, the corner of Lou’s mouth curved into a slight smile.
Leopard hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching. "Lord Lou, Ai Li was taken away by team 14."
Hearing this, Lou didn’t break his stride.
"Oh, is that so."
He hadn’t paid much attention when he returned.
’So the team was a person short.’
Leopard said nothing more.
Lord Lou’s meaning was obvious. Ai Li was insignificant; he had no intention of going after her.
The Sixth Region, where battles had raged all day, had scarcely an intact building left in sight.
The nights in Paradise were longer than the days.
The sun sank below the horizon. Down the desolate, unlit street, the wind howled like a banshee.
Lou led the way.
He led them to the resting place: a plain, one-story house with only two rooms.
Yu Zhizhi’s stomach let out a RUMBLE.
Lou glanced down at her.
Stag hurriedly said, "I’ll go make some food!"
For the most chaotic part of the Sixth Region, it had grown surprisingly quiet. Leopard scratched his head, and not daring to stay idle, he ran off to give Stag a hand.
Lou placed the little turtle on the table.
With a flicker of her will, Yu Zhizhi shifted into her human form. She sat on the wooden table, her hair slightly frizzy from the wind.
The White-eyed Young Boy was patrolling the perimeter of the rest area.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
Whether from hunger or something else, Yu Zhizhi felt weak and looked a little lethargic.
Suddenly, a noise came from behind her—
She instinctively started to turn, but Lou quickly covered her ears.
Her head held firmly in place, Lou glanced behind them, his eyes filled with a clear warning.
In the darkness, the strange presence gradually receded...
Sitting on the table, Yu Zhizhi’s nose brushed against Lou’s chest. Once the unsettling feeling subsided, she lifted her head just as Lou was looking down at her, her lips bumping against his chin.
It was soft, ticklish.
Both of them froze for an instant.
Yu Zhizhi tried to pull away, but in the next instant, Lou gripped her chin tightly, leaned in, and kissed her.
’—This was something he had long wanted to do.’
This was no light, fleeting touch, but a deep kiss, heavy with desire.
Yu Zhizhi’s mind went completely blank.
When she finally came to her senses and began to struggle, Lou only held her tighter, as if trying to merge her into his very bones.
In a daze, she was reminded of that time on the train.
On the return trip, Louis...
No, it had to be Lou. He had kissed her just as fiercely back then.
Back then, Lou’s emerald eyes had swirled with a mix of mockery, malice, arrogance, and smug triumph that Yu Zhizhi couldn’t possibly read.
The bite mark he’d left on her lip had taken days to fade.
But this time, something seemed different.
Compared to back then, Yu Zhizhi found, to her surprise, that this kiss held a trace of tenderness.
Yu Zhizhi was kissed until her lips tingled, and then the system’s voice sounded in her ear—
[System: DING! Congratulations, Host. The Lord of Paradise’s favorability has surpassed 15. Current favorability: 16.]
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