Red was a wondrous color. It could make people feel warmth and vitality, like flowers and flames; yet it could also evoke bloodshed and terror, like... a sea of corpses and blood.
As if death itself had taken physical form, thousands of bodies had been piled into a small mountain. Blood ran freely, staining the earth red; chunks of flesh and mangled remains were scattered everywhere. Even the sky was overcast, as though mourning this hell on earth. And I—or rather, the person whose vision I shared—stood quietly to one side, watching the carnage she had wrought with her own hands.
"I told you all that death was your only way out... Why insist on hunting me down...?"
The voice sounded so much like mine, only less lilting and more mature, with a husky edge.
"But since they're all dead, it'd be a waste not to use them..."
As "I" finished speaking, scarlet light rose from every corpse on the mound. Along with the blood spilled across the ground, it surged into a mighty crimson torrent and poured into "my" body, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye. The earth returned to its natural color. The corpses had withered like deadwood, and the blood-soaked stench no longer filled the air. Only a field of dried corpses remained, silently bearing witness to the tragedy that had unfolded.
"I" sighed and was about to leave when, suddenly—
"I thought this would be a waste of time. Never expected to run into someone halfway decent."
Without warning, a man's voice came from behind, laced with contempt and impatience.
"From now on, you're under my command. Come with me. Don't waste my time."
The speaker seemed to be a tall, slender man, standing in the shadow of the corpse pile, his face impossible to make out.
"...What are you supposed to be?" "I" asked coldly.
"Watch your tone, woman." The man slowly stepped out of the shadows.
"Looks like I'll have to carve some fear into your heart. Hmm... If I break everything below your neck, do you think you'll behave?"
—The dream ended there.
Another memory of Blood Mist?
I rubbed my aching head and sat up in bed. Last night, Si Nan Ying and I had stayed up arguing because I absolutely refused to wear lingerie. It was well past midnight before I finally fell asleep. Speaking of which, where was Si Nan Ying?
"Mmm... Xiao Ye, let me sleep a little longer..." A murmur came from beside me. I lifted the covers and saw—
Si Nan Ying, dressed in cat pajamas, was curled into a ball. Her usually wide-open eyes were closed, and her long eyelashes fluttered with each breath. Her skin was so soft and delicate it looked like I could squeeze water from it. Her peach-pink lips slowly parted and closed, her sweet breath brushing against me...
"..."
Well, it was perfectly normal for girls to kiss when they were fooling around... So one little kiss shouldn't be a problem, right...?
Just as I bent down, unable to resist Si Nan Ying's sleeping face—
"If you dare try anything indecent with Miss Si Nan Yuan, I'll kill you!"
"Whoa!"
Si Nan Yuan appeared beside me like a ghost, her icy eyes brimming with murderous intent.
"W-When did you get here?!"
"I've been watching from the shadows all night. Did you think I'd trust you alone with Miss Si Nan Yuan?"
"Uh... I just lost my head for a moment..."
"And another thing..." She cut me off. Was I seeing things, or had she blushed and looked away? "I hope you realize how seductive you look like this. You should put on your usual clothes."
I looked down. Red-and-white lace clung tightly to my body... No wonder it was top-of-the-line lingerie. It let this body's sensuality bloom in all its glory, without the slightest restraint.
"W-Why am I still wearing this?! Aaaaaah!" I squealed like a bashful young maiden and frantically covered myself with the blanket. Damn it! The lust I'd quelled with masturbation yesterday had flared up again!
"At least you have some shame. Hurry up, get dressed, and get out of bed!" Si Nan Yuan turned away from me and headed for the door.
"Hey, wait!" I couldn't help calling after her.
"What?"
"You didn't take advantage of me while I was asleep last night, did you...?"
Si Nan Yuan's body shuddered. After a long pause, she finally answered, "Don't think I'm as shameless as you! I didn't lay a hand on you!"
"You didn't lay a hand on me... So you watched me the whole time?"
"Go to hell!"
Blood seeped from my fingertips. It didn't turn into a whip or a blade; instead, it condensed into a pellet the size of a marble, hovering in front of my finger. I held my breath, my five senses sharpened to their limits.
A rustle... A breeze stirred, sweeping a few leaves from the trees. In that instant—
Whoosh! With a sharp whistle, the blood pellet shot out and pierced the first leaf. Then it whipped around at incredible speed, tracing a series of intricate red paths as it drilled through the rest of the leaves one by one! The whole thing took less than half a second!
"Whew, new skill tested. Success." I shook my hand. I was in the inn's garden now. After last night's dream, I'd gained some knowledge about using this ability. I was inheriting more and more of Blood Mist's knowledge and memories; I couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or a bad one.
Still, having more knowledge about using my ability didn't mean I'd gotten stronger. I'd only learned how to use it; I'd need constant practice before I could put it to use in real combat.
A few more leaves drifted down. This time, I'd try a new move!
A mass of blood gushed out and stretched into several ropes, whipping toward the falling leaves. The ropes crossed and twisted together, forming a blood net in an instant and trapping every leaf. Then the ropes immediately shifted into blades and snapped tight, slicing the leaves to pieces!
Clap, clap, clap. Applause sounded behind me. I turned around and saw Rui Feng.
"That was a beautiful display of skill. If you'd used that in our fight, I probably would've lost even faster." Rui Feng still wore his usual solemn expression, but a hint of admiration showed in his eyes. "You still seem to be getting used to your ability. Did you awaken it only recently?"
"Uh, you could say that."
"Impressive. You beat me with an ability you'd only recently awakened, and your reaction speed is no joke. You must be a genius!"
There was no jealousy or teasing in his words, only genuine admiration. I couldn't help feeling a little fond of him.
"Thanks for the compliment. But I must seem suspicious right now. Are you sure it's okay to get this close to me?" I couldn't help reminding him.
"It's fine. I'm good at judging a person's character from the way they fight. You have plenty of secrets, but I believe you're not a bad person."
"That's all it takes...? Well, never mind. I'm glad you trust me. Thanks!" I thanked him sincerely.
"No need to be so formal. By the way, there's an open area in the middle of the inn that's set aside as a training ground. Why aren't you practicing there?"
"Well... To be honest, it's full of Si Nan clan members, so I'd feel awkward going there as an outsider. And I'd have to worry about Miss Si Nan Yuan, too..."
"You don't need to worry. Our captain told us not to use force against you unless you do something out of line. Besides, she's in a meeting right now, so she won't go to the training ground."
"I see... Wait, a meeting? Is it about... Ah, sorry. I probably shouldn't be asking."
"It's fine to tell you; it's no secret. Tomorrow, we're making our final survey of the Winterlin Mountains. Once we've searched the last unexplored area at the center of the range, we'll head home."
The final survey, huh...
"Well, I'll head back to my room and get ready for tomorrow." He waved and turned to leave.
"Hey!" I called after him. "What do you mean by getting ready?"
"Checking our equipment and rations, things like that. But mostly, I need to get my body moving. I have to get into the best shape for fighting tomorrow."
"Then," I said with a smile, "how about a few more rounds with me? You can get your body moving, and I can gain some combat experience. It's a win-win."
He looked at me for a moment, then smiled too.
"Just what I had in mind!"
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