She Talked Tough, but the Rest of Her Was Soft!

"Rover, what's this?"

Abu came closer, its wide, innocent eyes full of curiosity.

The object before it was square, with lines crisscrossing its surface. Its wooden grain gave off a faint, indescribable air.

"There are words on it. I know them: Chu River, Han Border..."

Abu immediately grabbed the board and fiddled with it in its arms.

With a clatter, the board opened and thirty-two large pieces spilled out. The smooth, round pieces rolled across the ground with crisp clicking sounds.

"Chariots, horses, cannons, elephants, advisors, generals, soldiers... what are these?"

"It's Chinese chess."

Rover looked thoughtful. His gaze fell on the pieces as his mind raced.

The requirements for becoming a Fullbringer were extremely strict. One had to be attacked by a Hollow as a fetus, then develop strong feelings for an object after birth, imprinting one's imagination and spirit upon it. Only then was there a chance of awakening Fullbring.

And this chess set was evidently the object of attachment, directly bypassing those complicated and dangerous steps.

"Rover, this smells so good. The frequency inside is so tempting..."

Abu's eyes shone wide, and glistening drool hung from the corner of its mouth. It was practically salivating.

"Really? Then eat it!"

"Can I really?"

Before Rover could answer, it pounced eagerly, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed a chess piece whole.

"Boo-hoo..."

Abu cried.

"What? Does it taste that bad?"

"It's not bad, it's too delicious! Compared to this, what have I been eating all this time?"

"Hehe..."

Rover laughed awkwardly, feeling a little sorry for Abu.

After all, he'd previously had it wolf down lumps of that disgusting black mud. It really was time to treat it to something good.

After eating its fill, it had swallowed the entire chess set: all thirty-two pieces, without a single one left.

"I'm full, and now my whole body is bursting with power! From now on, I'm Shuaibu!"

Hearing that, Rover raised an eyebrow. Had Abu become the "general" in Chinese chess? If so, what did the other pieces do? He decided to test it.

With a casual wave, he sent a boulder flying toward Abu, whistling through the air.

"Advisor, defend!"

Abu shouted on instinct. A figure holding a long dagger-axe appeared out of thin air and stood directly in front of it. The figure swept the weapon across, forcibly stopping the boulder.

"Hyah!"

Abu roared and swung its little fist at the boulder. It instantly shattered, sending stone chips flying everywhere!

"Rover, I've gotten this strong too!"

Rover narrowed his eyes, delighted. This matched the rules of Chinese chess perfectly.

It was turn-based, and each piece had support. If one piece was attacked, the attacker would face a fierce counterattack. This Fullbring was far more ingenious than he'd imagined.

Meanwhile, Triss and Phrolova had composed themselves.

The two females, one grown and one little, looked at Rover with shining eyes, as though they had spotted some rare treasure.

Phrolova shuffled over to Rover, bashful, red-faced, and a little timid. She looked as though she wanted to say something but couldn't, a comical sight.

Her fingers were intertwined, and her toe traced circles on the ground. She seemed like a completely different person from the madwoman who had just pounced on him and bitten him.

"Who are you? Where's that madwoman who was biting people just now?"

Phrolova said nothing. She held her hands together, palms up, and extended them toward Rover.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hand it over!"

"Hand what over?"

"Book of the End!"

"So you just expect me to hand it over? Who was it that called me treacherous and shameless just now?"

"I was wrong!"

Phrolova admitted her mistake at once, but her gaze wandered. Clearly, she'd submitted in words but not in her heart.

Rover's lips curled upward. He decided to get a good hold over her.

"My back's aching from standing. Is this how you treat a guest?"

"You... just wait!"

Phrolova flushed, stamped her foot, and turned to run into the cabin to prepare things for her guest.

Her retreating figure radiated a sulky air, but her steps were unusually light.

Triss came over, looking first at Abu with stars in her eyes. Clearly, she couldn't resist cute things.

She reached out a little hand and poked Abu's belly. Abu squirmed, making her giggle.

Only then did she turn to Rover. She lifted her little face and solemnly held out a button to him.

"Big brother... thank you for saving me, and thank you for saving Sister Phrolova too. I don't have anything to repay you with, so please take this."

Rover took the button. It felt heavy in his hand and seemed to still carry the little girl's body warmth.

"All these years, whenever Sister Lolo was lonely, she'd always tell me what was on her mind. I couldn't talk to her, but I remembered everything she said. It's all in this button."

Triss lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret.

"I know, big brother. You're the hero with the golden eyes. Sister always talks about you. Is this what grown-ups call liking someone?"

"Hehe..."

Rover scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. "She probably doesn't have those kinds of feelings for me."

"That's not true! Sister Phrolova's mouth is the only hard part of her. Everywhere else is soft. If you don't believe me, go hug her!"

"Triss!!"

Phrolova's furious voice came from a distance. She charged over aggressively, carrying a teapot in one hand and a table and chairs in the other, her face so red it looked ready to bleed.

"Sister's angry! Big brother, save me!"

Triss stuck out her tongue and darted behind Rover, peeking out with half her head.

After some horsing around, they sat down. Phrolova arranged the tea set neatly, deliberately making her movements gentle, but her fingertips trembled slightly.

She rubbed her fingers along the rim of a cup, hesitant to speak. Every so often, she stole a glance at Rover, then quickly looked away.

When you needed something from someone, you had to lower yourself before them.

She was very nervous now, afraid that Rover disliked her and wouldn't help her save the other villagers.

The obsession she had carried for hundreds of years, and the villagers she had personally fused into Tacet Discords, were the deepest sins in her heart and scars she dared not touch.

"Um... could you lend me the Book of the End for a little while?"

Her voice was soft, as though she feared being refused.

"Why should I? You should know that everything comes at a price!"

Rover's voice turned serious. His golden eyes stared straight at her, leaving her no room to escape.

"I know. I'll do anything..."

"Then start by recounting the sins you've committed!"

"Boo... I knew you'd settle accounts with me!"

Phrolova bit her lip lightly, her head almost lowered to her chest. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her fingertips white. She had curled in on herself, with none of the earlier arrogance with which she'd sent dust flying as she swept and pounced on him to bite him.

"Couldn't I use the Book of the End to change the past where I made those mistakes?"

Phrolova suddenly raised her head, an unusual light flashing in her eyes. Like someone grasping at a life-saving straw, she looked at him with an anticipation that could only be called burning.

Hearing that, Rover couldn't help laughing.

"What, you want to rewrite history?"