Attack

"Are you the ones who killed Doruni?" Seeing that the two Hollows before them did not seem inclined to negotiate, the three Pseudo-Adjuchas who had just arrived spoke up first.

"Do you mean that Adjuchas who looked like a gorilla?" Wien asked coldly and mockingly, trying to anger them with his words. "That's right, we killed that piece of trash. What, are you here for payback?"

"Shut up!" Kasijiade's eyes narrowed beneath his mask, and his Spiritual Pressure abruptly rose. "Since when does a mere Gillian get to speak in the presence of us Pseudo-Adjuchas?" With that, a torrent of violent Spiritual Pressure erupted from him. Two crimson Bala gathered at his hammer-like hands, then shot straight at Wien's face.

Bang! Bang!

The Bala flew toward him, but Wien remained perfectly calm, showing no trace of fear. With a sweep of his great pale hand, he sent both Bala flying to either side. They struck trees and exploded.

"Oh? You've got some skill after all." The sight sparked a trace of interest in a fight in Kasijiade. "No wonder Doruni fell to you. So you're a newly advanced Adjuchas and a Gillian whose Spiritual Power has reached its peak, on the verge of advancing." Kasijiade could clearly sense Wien's Spiritual Pressure, and his fighting spirit kept soaring. In his eyes, these two outsiders were already a fine meal.

"Good. If that weren't the case, I'd have found this boring." Kasijiade started forward, but Waruta stopped him from behind.

"Don't be rash. We need to negotiate first." After testing the Gillian, Waruta was the first to reach a conclusion. This Gillian was definitely no pushover, and it was well worth trying to recruit him along with the antelope-shaped Adjuchas.

"You two, I'm sorry. I apologize for my companion's rashness just now." With that, Waruta stepped forward and bowed to them.

Waruta was a Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande the size of an ordinary person. If not for the strange keratin growths on his mask, it would not have been an exaggeration to call him a person wearing a mask. His bow just now also led Wien to think that he was quite possibly a Hollow transformed from a human who had died in the World of the Living.

Even so, the faint fluctuations of Spiritual Pressure coming from him made Wien wary of underestimating him.

"What do you want?" Wien seemed to have realized that the three Hollows had come to negotiate. Most likely, they wanted him and Nel to join the rulers of the Central Forest. And since they had sent three Hollows at once, their purpose was obvious: submit or die!

"Ha, I imagine your Intelligence isn't low either, so let's speak frankly," Waruta said with a laugh.

"My name is Waruta, and this fellow behind me is Kasijiade. The one farther back is a newcomer who joined us not long ago. His name is Yinfeng. He may be new, but his strength is not to be underestimated.

"I imagine you already know why we're here. You and the Pseudo-Adjuchas behind you killed Doruni, our lord in this region. Naturally, we of the Central Forest have come to demand an explanation."

"Heh, a Pseudo-Adjuchas that trashy could be a lord? Seems the Central Forest isn't much after all. You think three Pseudo-Adjuchas can intimidate us? Lady Nel, why don't we leave? The Hollows here are all too weak." With that, Wien gave Nel a subtle signal.

"Indeed. A lord with abilities like that seems to be even worse than that big worm in the Northern Forest. He isn't worth serving." Nel smiled disdainfully and stepped in front of Wien. The change in how he addressed her had made Wien's meaning clear to her.

The plan had changed. They were going to launch a sneak attack.

After probing their opponents, Wien would anger them with his words, then swiftly defeat one of them before fleeing. The moment Wien called her Lady Nel, Nel knew what she had to do.

Though her current level and strength were far greater than Wien's, the commands he had instilled in her remained effective. The cues and signals engraved in her bones had not been forgotten with her evolution.

"Arrogant!" Kasijiade was furious. "You have no idea of our king's greatness!"

"Your king? So there's a master above you trash lords? Heh, I bet he's blind. Otherwise, why would he make a bunch of trash like you his lords? Hey, if you've got any sense, hurry up and come serve Lady Nel. That way, you'll still have a chance to live!"

"You insect, die!" Kasijiade's eyes turned red with rage, and waves of Spiritual Pressure erupted from him.

"Provoking us so deliberately with your words, you seem to have some purpose in mind." Waruta's Spiritual Pressure also began to fluctuate faintly. It seemed the long string of taunts had annoyed him too, but his anger had not clouded his judgment.

"We came here in goodwill. Isn't your behavior a little too tactless?"

"Heh, you're a pack of someone else's lackeys, and you've got the nerve to talk about goodwill after bringing people with you?" Wien sneered, though he was under considerable pressure himself. Kasijiade had been completely overwhelmed by reason, but the Hollow beast called Waruta remained rational. That did not favor the next part of his plan.

On top of that, Yinfeng, who had not said a word since the beginning, was still behind them. Wien could not help finding the situation troublesome.

"Lady Nel." Waruta stopped engaging with Wien and turned his gaze to Nel. "I have come on my lord's behalf to ask whether you would be willing to enter his service."

"What if I join? And what if I don't?" Nel pawed at the ground with a front hoof, giving nothing away.

"Join us, and this territory will be yours. But every year, you must offer my lord a hundred Gillians as tribute and obey his commands," Waruta said calmly. "If you don't join... Hmph."

"Heh, for all your talk of goodwill, it's nothing but a dull threat." Nel planted all four hooves firmly. Her tail swayed twice behind her, telling Wien she was ready to attack at any moment.

"Lady Nel, I think that one called Waruta has a point. He's much more reasonable than that idiot Kas-whatever." Wien continued sending his signals, confirming for Nel the target he was about to attack. "Come to think of it, we're just too weak. Otherwise..."

Hummm!!!

Before he had finished speaking, an almost colorless Cero had already burst through the air, heading straight for Waruta's face.

Boom!!!

A tremendous crash rang out as the Cero exploded before Waruta. At the same instant, Nel charged out, and Lanzador Verde appeared in her hand in an instant. She hurled it at Kasijiade in the distance.