Night Falls, Slaughter Approaches

Seeing the girl's big, pleading eyes, Han Zhiqi couldn't bring himself to refuse.

The image of her sad, dejected figure when she was rejected in the plaza earlier was still vivid in his mind. What kind of experiences had she gone through to make her so self-conscious and timid?

If only she were more confident, perhaps those people wouldn't have refused to be her friends. Didn't she realize that her current situation was a result of her own inferiority complex and timidity?

Besides, why would anyone need so many friends?

For superficial friends who couldn't understand each other's hearts, it was better not to have them at all.

"Whatever you want, follow me if you like. But I'm warning you, if we encounter danger, I won't have the mental capacity to protect you." With that, Han Zhiqi turned and walked forward.

Hearing his permission, Kanroji Noe breathed a sigh of relief, let out a happy "Mm-hmm," and a brilliant smile spread across her face, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She quickened her steps to catch up with Han Zhiqi.

"I don't need your protection, I can protect myself. If you need it, I can protect you too."

Han Zhiqi once again witnessed what it meant to be "all chest and no brain." He thought to himself, If I need a woman to protect me, I might as well die.

Though the girl said it casually, Han Zhiqi knew she meant it. Moreover, she likely had the strength to back it up. This was also why Han Zhiqi chose to keep her by his side.

First, pity, and second, curiosity.

Although Han Zhiqi's mastery of breathing techniques had not yet reached the perfect state of "Total Concentration: Constant," he maintained his body's normal functions with breathing techniques most of the time, except when he unconsciously switched to normal breathing during sleep at night.

Switching between breathing techniques and normal breathing was like changing a habit.

Han Zhiqi speculated that when he grew accustomed to breathing techniques, he would likely reach the perfect state of "Total Concentration: Constant."

It was precisely because of the breathing techniques that he could judge whether someone had practiced them by the frequency and intensity of their breathing.

The moment the girl looked up and darted forward just now, Han Zhiqi clearly sensed that her breathing method was exactly the same as his.

Even more astonishingly, the girl's breathing frequency was far superior to his, which meant that her mastery of breathing techniques was likely also superior to his.

So, it was this kind of girl, yet she was so self-conscious and timid. This couldn't help but make Han Zhiqi curious about what was so strange about her.

"My name is Kanroji Noe, you can call me Noe. What's your name?"

Out of timidity, Noe dared not walk close to Han Zhiqi, or in front of him, only daring to ask cautiously from behind him.

"Han Zhiqi, Bing Shi Han Zhiqi."

"What a nice name. Then should I call you Mr. Bing Shi, or Mr. Han Zhiqi? I think Mr. Bing Shi sounds nice, what do you think?"

"No need, just call me Han Zhiqi."

"Han Zhiqi?" Receiving this answer, Noe tilted her head, a shy smile on her face. She basked in the long-lost happiness for a moment, then couldn't help but call out, "Han Zhiqi."

"What?" Han Zhiqi sounded slightly impatient.

"Nothing."

"If it's nothing, please don't call me, okay?" In just this short while, Han Zhiqi's head was almost spinning from this girl.

How desperately did she want to talk to someone?

They walked on like this, chatting sporadically. More often than not, Noe was the one talking, and Han Zhiqi was listening. Sometimes Noe would ask a question or two, and Han Zhiqi would answer as if he were hoarding words, or simply remain silent if he didn't want to answer.

Yet, even facing such an attitude, Noe treated it as if she had found a treasure, carefully cherishing it, afraid that a wrong word might displease Han Zhiqi.

Although they passed through dark, dense forests along the way, they didn't encounter a single demon. It was unclear whether they were lucky, or if demons simply didn't want to come out during the day.

Soon, they passed by the bottom of a solitary cliff. The side of the cliff connected to a smooth platform, as if the top of a small hill had been sliced off.

At this moment, sunlight filtered through the not-so-dense branches, falling onto the platform. Han Zhiqi decided to rest here.

It was sheltered by the cliff, secluded, with the stone platform elevated, ample light, and a good view. Even if they encountered one or two demons, they would be able to detect them in advance, even if they were in a dormant state.

"Let's rest here. It'll be hard to get any rest tonight." The last sentence sounded like he was talking to himself.

Noe hummed in response. She seemed to have truly become Han Zhiqi's shadow, obeying his every word.

The two cautiously climbed to the top of the stone platform through a gap that might have been formed by rainwater erosion. Without minding the dirt, they sat down on the ground, leaning against the cliff.

"Take this time to rest. Stop being a chatterbox and asking questions."

Noe lowered her head shyly, casually smoothed her hair at her temples, then looked up and said earnestly, "Han Zhiqi, you rest. I'll keep watch for you. If any demons get close, I'll alert you."

"No need."

Breathing techniques could expand one's perception, allowing them to sense all external dangers even while asleep.

As Han Zhiqi closed his eyes and entered meditation, Noe stopped talking.

Staring with her big, rolling eyes, she gazed into the dim forest ahead, occasionally glancing back at Han Zhiqi beside her, a dazed smile on her face.

After an unknown amount of time, she seemed unable to bear the extreme boredom any longer. She leaned over, resting her head on Han Zhiqi's lap, and fell asleep.

Deep within the forest, in a cave within the cliff face, several pairs of beast-like eyes darted about in the darkness.

As if awakened by some mystical power, they sniffed the air desperately, emitting low whimpers and restlessly scurrying around the cave walls.

However, they were also confined by another power, afraid to easily leave the cave.

Midway up the mountain, many people sat back-to-back in a circle. Some were drinking water continuously, while others gazed at the setting sun.

How they wished the sun would set slower, but the more they thought that, the faster the sun seemed to set, disappearing beyond the treetops in the blink of an eye.

Death was not frightening; what was frightening was the long process of waiting for death.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the forest grew even more ominous. The slightest rustle of leaves sent three or five people into discordant yelps, their bodies trembling.

Kimura looked at the ragtag group before him, wondering why they were here. The war hadn't even begun, and they were already this terrified. If they encountered demons tonight, they'd probably soil themselves from fright!

Being scared now was one thing, but if they encountered demons later and froze in fear, no one would be kind enough to help.

If you're scared, you'll just become food for the demons, buying time for everyone else.

How many of these people would end up as demon fodder?

Comparing them to the group in front of him, Kimura remembered the boy in white. He regretted not trying harder to pull him along.

From their first meeting, Kimura felt something was missing in the boy's eyes. Only now did he realize what it was.

It was fear!