Chapter 85

"Certainly."

Laurentina stood up. After so long, she finally had news of a companion. No matter what, she had to go see her.

She opened the plastic bag, not wanting to waste Zuo Jian's kindness, and with a piece of fried fish in her mouth, she opened the door and went out.

"Zuo Jian?"

[What's wrong?]

"By the way, why is there only fried fish in that box, and why are there compartments?"

[... Victoria... were rather flamboyant, or rather, more ritualistic, um, that's it.]

"Yeah."

Ten minutes later.

Laurentina turned into the alley.

[To the left, then forward, I can sense the other person's presence.]

"Learn."

[By the way, would you be disappointed if it weren't for your companions?]

"Probably a little."

Laurentina strode forward, responding to Zuo Jian's words in her ear.

"But it's okay, even if nothing happens, it's okay, I still have you by my side. We can just keep looking."

After saying that, she gave a broad-minded smile.

[... Even if it isn't true, I'll still stay with you.]

Skadi was walking down the alley when she suddenly paused.

The hunter's scent...

It's here?!

No... there's a hunter's scent... but... it's more than just a hunter's scent!

She rose instantly, Abyssal Hunters could sense her presence, but this sense brought back an aura other than that of the hunters.

A... very eerie aura.

Similar to Seaborn, but with Seaborn even stronger and more terrifying aura.

Shark, she really...

There's no time for mourning, Skadi.

She warned herself internally.

This situation is, of course, quite common among hunters.

The situation where someone is infected by the Seaborn and eventually becomes part of them.

Skadi took a deep breath and then took her longsword from its case.

Following the captain's instructions, conceal your presence, and then...

She turned her head left and right to make sure there were no people in the alley at that moment.

Then, he gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands, and all the muscles in his body tensed up.

It's coming; it's just around the next corner in the alley.

Five meters to go.

Four meters.

Two meters.

Arrive.

"Let me see... Hey? Orca, it's you—"

Laurentina turned the corner and was overjoyed to see Skadi's face, but the next moment!

Instead of the opponent's surprise, she was met with a sword blade hurtling towards her with tremendous force!

Swish!!!

Without hesitation, Laurentina reacted instantly, raising her arms to protect herself while jumping back to create distance.

But...

Pfft...

Laurentina landed on her toes.

At the same time, she looked at her empty arms.

Clatter

Both forearms were severed and fell to the ground between the two men.

[... Are you alright? I almost didn't have time to block out the pain.]

"I have a slight feeling... but not much, and it feels so strange."

Laurentina glanced at the fallen arm on the ground; she could still feel that it was under her control.

It can even control the clenching and unclenching of a hand that falls to the ground.

[That's terrifying force. Although you didn't have time to harden your body into a protective layer, your physical strength is now significantly greater than before.]

[She was actually able to cut it off directly...]

"But speaking of which... Orca, why did you swing your sword at me?"

Laurentina stepped forward and asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Shut up! You... monsters... are not allowed to speak with the face and voice of my companions!"

Skadi stared intently at Laurentina's face and growled.

Just now, she even saw the severed arm on the ground still wriggling.

[... It seems she saw my question.]

"... That's not surprising then. I mistook you for Seaborn when I first met you..."

[What should we do? She doesn't seem like she'll listen to explanations.]

Laurentina looked at Skadi's expression, a mixture of sadness and anger, and for a moment she didn't even know how to respond.

After a moment's thought, she sighed.

"There's no other way, use your old method."

[The old method?]

"Do you remember how you dealt with it when I resisted the first time we met?"

Thinking of this, Laurentina, for some reason, even slightly curled the corners of her lips...

You'd better go easy on me.

"Don't worry, I've trained with Orca many times before, nothing will happen."

After she finished speaking, a large amount of blood gushed from her previously empty severed arm.

These scarlet liquids transformed into rhomboid scarlet crystals, which then became two red crystalline claws.

"Then let's leave it at that and not use weapons."

Laurentina flexed her newly acquired arm, preparing to approach Skadi.

"Sorry, Orca, you probably won't listen to an explanation. If you were me, I doubt I'd listen either."

So... I'm sorry.

Skadi was startled, then watched as Laurentina burst forth with astonishing speed as she charged toward her.

Wow, so fast!!

Chapter 43, Skadi's Combat Record

The jet-black longsword tore through the air with tremendous force, producing a piercing whistling sound.

Skadi stepped forward and slashed horizontally with her longsword!

Swish!!!

The shockwave from the sword even left jagged blade marks on the walls on both sides and stirred up dust.

Looking at the lingering smoke, the figure still stood in the same spot. She raised her longsword once more and then gripped the hilt with both hands.

She took a deep breath, preparing to use the hunting methods learned by hunters for killing giants in this confined space.

"Wow... this is a bit beyond my expectations. Are Orca really that terrifying?"

Laurentina exclaimed in surprise through the smoke.

However, her current appearance is clearly somewhat strange.

The headless body was holding the head with flowing long hair in its arms, and unconsciously sighed.

[Indeed, she was the first person to break through someone's defenses with brute force.]

Zuo Jian felt the force that had just been transmitted, and he could hardly believe that it came from the seemingly well-built man in front of him.

An ordinary young girl.

However... it won't hurt Laurentina.

He was currently focusing all his attention on protecting Laurentina's brain, so that she could fight without any restrictions.

The physical damage was only a temporary hindrance; for him, not dying was the best explanation.

Of course, if possible, Laurentina should be careful not to get hit directly in the head.

Although he was giving this place special protection, what if the impact caused a concussion or something...?

[Let's be careful, Laurentina.]

"Don't worry, nothing will happen. I know what I'm doing."

She stepped forward, using her arms formed from red crystalline claws to gently place the head back against her neck, while simultaneously wiping away the bloodstains from the wound, and slowly walked out of the dust.

But how strange! Is this what "going their separate ways" means in the Flame Kingdom language?

"Orca, your strength seems to have increased, or were you actually holding back all along?"

Skadi stared wide-eyed at Laurentina, who emerged unharmed.

However, the next second, her hunter's instincts kicked in, and she mustered all her strength, raising her longsword high to slash upwards at Laurentina!

The latter could even feel the whistling airwave rushing towards him as he watched the sword blade sweep towards him!

"Wave-Leaping Strike!"

Skadi swung her longsword, concentrating almost all of her strength into that single moment.

As she stepped, her heels even carved a noticeable hole in the stone pavement!

This slash, aimed at the opponent's waist from above, would, barring any unforeseen circumstances, instantly slice away most of their flesh!

Even the Seaborn cannot regenerate quickly!

Skadi watched as the blade gradually swung towards her opponent's waist, where all she found was a material resembling clothing fabric, which by no means looked like a chitinous structure capable of withstanding an attack.

At that moment, she even felt that time was stretched out infinitely, and that her breathing had stopped as well.

It's about to be cut! Just a hair's breadth away!

She watched the blade and gradually cut open the "clothes".

However, in the next instant!

The garment seemed to come alive; the spot where the blade struck twisted rapidly, then split open on its own, while hard, serrated structures quickly filled the edges.