Chapter Twelve: Advancing Towards a Three-Year Start

"You, you just said the gentle, kind, and secure man was that Sunglasses Man?"

"The Sunglasses Man who beat me so hard I couldn't be pried off the wall?"

"That Celestial Dragon-level first, me second, 'kneel before me when you speak' aloof Sunglasses Man?"

With three consecutive questions, Axia was at a loss for words. "It's not as... as Mr. Rono described..." Axia didn't know how to express herself and stomped her feet in frustration.

The sea breeze gently brushed past, lifting the girl's elegant, light-colored dress. Rono sat on the deck, looking at the girl's exposed thigh. "Little Bear."

"Where are you looking, you scoundrel!" A polished leather shoe landed on the back of Rono's head, stomping his head into the wooden deck.

"Axia, the weather's nice today." Sunglasses Man, or rather Mo Luan Dou Bu Luan, Rono, turned and gave a standard noble bow.

"Uncle Mo, can you please move your foot?" Axia said meekly.

"Of course." Mo moved his foot from Rono's head and turned, lifting Rono from the floor. He whispered into Rono's ear in a voice only they could hear, "While I appreciate you talking to Axia, if you dare lay a hand on her, I'll chop you into pieces and feed you to the fish!" A murderous intent flashed across Mo's face, then disappeared. "Oh, I forgot you're one of my people."

"Never mind, I'll just beat you up. No fish feeding today." Saying that, Mo slung an arm around Rono's shoulders and smiled at Axia, "Axia, Rono and I have some things to discuss, we'll be going now."

"Mr. Rono doesn't seem very willing?" Axia tilted her head and pointed at Rono.

Yeah, yeah, I'm a million percent unwilling! Rono thought to himself.

"He's very willing, look." Mo forcibly grabbed Rono's hair and nodded twice. His neck was constricted, and he could only make "heh heh" sounds. Rono felt despair. Damn it, I don't want to be alone with this loli-loving creep!

"Is that so? I hope Uncle Mo and Mr. Rono can get along." The blue-haired girl narrowed her big eyes, looking very cute.

"Don't worry, Axia, you know me, right?" Mo grinned, revealing a row of big white teeth.

"Mhm, see you later then." Axia didn't think much of it.

"Help me..." Rono's feet dragged scorched marks on the ground as Mo dragged him into the training room.

As soon as they entered the training room, Mo's expression changed.

"Kid, you've gotten arrogant these past few days. Where are you looking? You dare touch my people, you want to die, huh?" Mo's fierce expression, coupled with his sunglasses, made him look like "Society's Mo Ge!"

"Huh? What did I touch? What the hell, I can't even hug someone? Uncle, are you a loli-lover?" Rono exclaimed as if he'd discovered a new continent. "Mhm~ No wonder you're helping Axia, so that's why."

Watching Rono nod repeatedly on the ground, with an expression that said, I know everything, you don't need to say anything, I understand, veins bulged on Mo's face. He unbuttoned his suit, stretched his neck and arms, making "crackling" sounds. "Little Zha, ready to die, huh?"

"Ah! Such a big reaction? What the hell, why did you hit me!" Before he could finish, he was punched in the stomach. Uppercut, straight punch, side kick, spinning kick... Rono felt like a punching bag, used for practicing moves.

The training room's soundproofing was quite good. Axia didn't know what was happening inside. She was currently in the ship's library, reading the daily assignment Mo had given her—World History. Mo would quiz her on a few questions every evening, and if Axia couldn't answer, Uncle Mo would be unhappy.

Time ticked by, and soon it was lunchtime.

Mo opened the training room door, tidied his suit, brushed off the dust, nodded with satisfaction, and headed to the dining hall.

"Wan, wu yao chi fan (Rice, I want to eat rice)" Rono lay on the ground like a puddle. Why a puddle? Because Uncle Mo had beaten Rono until every bone in his body was broken. With his recovery speed, it would take over ten minutes, by which time the meal would be mostly finished. Mr. Rono, feeling like he'd missed out on a fortune, lay on the floor contemplating life.

Benefits gained today: 1. Favor from a cute little loli. 2. That seems to be it...

Drawbacks: 1. Dislocated arm once. 2. Hit by bird droppings twice. 3. Hit by a lightbulb once. 3. Severely beaten by Mo Williams...

Overall... this was worth it! Even three years of normal life couldn't compare, why be a coward? Cough, cough, no, caring for little lolis is everyone's responsibility, okay? Speaking of which, Little Bear is really cute.

The sound of time ticking echoed in Rono's ears. The Super Regeneration from his Self-Healing Factor was slowly repairing his body. Rono could already walk, more or less.

Rono gathered the bone spurs Uncle Mo had broken off him and muttered, "Scarlet Armament still can't beat Sunglasses Man. If not for the high Stamina Consumption, I... hehehe." Rono seemed to imagine himself hanging Mo up and beating him every day, his mouth watering.

"Mr. Rono, what's wrong?" The blue-haired girl looked at Rono's infatuated expression with some confusion. Although she didn't know what Rono's expression meant, any girl would feel uncomfortable seeing that lecherous face.

"Slurp." Rono sucked back his saliva and instantly changed his expression. "I was just contemplating life problems."

"Oh, is that so?" Axia chose to change the subject. "Mr. Rono, I saw you didn't come for dinner, so I took the liberty of preparing some food for you. Oh, and a steak I specially prepared for you!" Axia brought out the lunchbox she was holding behind her back, a little excited.

"Uncle Mo said that you must have been very tired after sparring with him, so he asked me to prepare some high-energy food. I told you, Uncle Mo is a very good person!"

"Mhm, mhm." Rono nodded incessantly like a kowtowing bug. Food was the most important thing. However, he was still a little touched. It turned out Mo Williams wasn't as bad as he thought! He decided! From now on, he'd only beat him up a little.

He opened the lunchbox, and the enticing aroma of the food made Rono swallow. Taking the chopsticks Axia handed him, he entered glutton mode, his chopsticks moving in afterimages.

Meat bone, get√ Discarded the bone.

Fish meat, get√ Discarded the bone.

Huh? What is this black, gooey thing? Ahh, ptooey, ptooey, discard.

Vegetables, get√

Rice, get√

Why does it feel like something's missing? Right! Where's the fragrant, tender, and delicious steak specially prepared by Axia?

Rono rummaged through the lunchbox, but it wasn't there.

Rono seemed to realize something, and slowly turned his head to stare at a black, gooey thing amidst the food scraps. He then slowly looked at Axia. As expected, the little loli was lowering her head, tears falling like a broken dam onto the floor, soaking into the wooden planks and disappearing.