"I didn't think threatening two people with a blade into keeping quiet would look like I was doing a good deed to outsiders. Besides, at the time, I only wanted Eren and Jean to quiet down because of my own reasons."
"Eh... is that so?"
Krista nodded her head in feigned understanding. Lianye immediately felt that he needed to subject this little girl to an even fiercer barrage of venomous remarks, so she would understand the "cruelty of society."
This definitely wasn't anger born of embarrassment. He was simply disappointed that Krista Lenz, a girl with such potential, refused to improve.
"—! Wait!"
An invisible threat swept past him. Lianye suddenly changed his words. It seemed there was something more urgent for him to deal with, so he would put Krista's correction—education—for later.
It was a new month. Please send flowers, rewards, and help this book reach the new book rankings!!! Please, this is really important!
End of this chapter
Chapter 31: Void Predator
"Wait—!" Lianye suddenly changed his words, though naturally, outsiders could not notice what he had realized. They did not possess the keen hunter's sense of smell of the Pride Stalker, so in Krista's eyes, Lianye had merely stiffly changed the subject. "Krista, I'm leaving for a while. Hurry back to camp."
Of course, Lianye did not think Krista had come wandering around in the middle of the night, when everyone else was already asleep, because of him. Even if he was "arrogant," he was not narcissistic enough to think that highly of himself. She had merely come out to clear her mind in the stillness of the night.
According to the usual highly rated story tropes, the goddess should have been unable to bear the sweat accumulated over a day of travel, so she would sneak off to a forest spring to bathe while no one was around. Then Lianye would appear at the worst possible moment and stumble upon her.
Unfortunately, he knew all the tropes, but that was not how things turned out.
"Are you going to do something dangerous?" Though Krista did not know what had happened, she could still sense that Lianye's expression had abruptly changed from teasing to solemn.
"You don't need to get involved in this."
Lianye could not help rubbing his forehead. There was no need to be such a good person. Hadn't Shirou been stabbed by a passing lancer while helping someone stay behind at school?
"How can you say that..." Krista clearly wanted to say more. She truly was gentle and kind—at least on the surface. Even though Lianye often spoke harshly to her, Krista did not hold it against him.
"Alright, alright. I know Krista is a good girl—so good girls shouldn't be wandering around in the middle of the night. That's very dangerous, you know." Lianye waved her off.
"Are you treating me like an idiot?" Krista pouted indignantly.
"I mean it. You'd better get back to camp quickly."
Lianye shrugged, then leaped away. His figure swiftly vanished into the dark forest, as though he had merged with his surroundings, leaving no trace behind.
Krista stamped her foot, but she had no idea which direction to search for Lianye. Helplessly, she sat on the rock where Lianye had been sitting and stared blankly at the stream running through the woods.
"Krista... isn't a good girl at all..."
The whisper in the darkness went unnoticed by anyone.
Thump—! Thump—! Thump—!
The heavy, powerful beat of a heart could be heard clearly in this state. Within the realm of the Ultimate Predator, where all five senses had expanded—hunting time had arrived.
The Pride Stalker's primal sense of smell could even sniff out Kha'Zix hidden within the Void. Even if this insectoid had activated the Zerg's "adaptive camouflage," partially concealing itself in the Void, it still could not escape the pursuit of the Iron-blooded Hunter.
Of course, that did not mean the Void Predator was helpless before the Pride Stalker. Both possessed ultimate hunting techniques, each with abilities in which they excelled more than the other. They countered and complemented one another—perhaps that was precisely why they became lifelong enemies.
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