His charm was unchanged; time had left no mark on this man who seemed to be a "young Marco."
He even showed signs of a rather severe stress response. He looked like someone who had just managed to catch his breath, only to be subjected to even more torment. His aggression was already impossible to suppress.
"Don't move around."
Fortunately, Aiko was clearly quite skilled at calming people down. Following Stos's instructions, she stepped forward and began soothing him softly before she had even reached him.
She even reached out, as if to stroke his slightly pointed head.
"Kh—"
Unfortunately, the other man's sense of insecurity was still far too strong.
In that instant, he not only dodged instinctively, but a sharp claw suddenly slashed out amid the strange sound from his throat.
And faced with this sudden attack, Aiko didn't dodge. The next moment, she took the blow squarely.
"And don't make a fuss."
She kept walking, her expression unchanged. The next moment, Aiko's hand finally came to rest on that head, and she continued speaking calmly.
This time, it seemed to work. Young Marco made no further attempt to retreat. Even the hand that had struck Aiko remained stiffly in place, without pulling back.
His arm was already thin and emaciated, held straight out like a withered branch stripped of its leaves—and it really did seem to have turned to wood.
Familiar with Aiko's abilities, Fu Qian could easily tell that the sharp claw and the arm attached to it had completely lost their ability to move. Bark-like patterns had even appeared on the surface.
Apparently, the moment the other man touched her, Aiko had activated her ability, sending young Marco down the path of becoming a guardian of nature.
It was certainly a reasonable way to