"Click!"
Neo lit a cigarette, drew deeply, and slowly exhaled. Through the smoke before him, he seemed already to see the battlefield and hear the roars of slaughter.
When he turned to Kallen, just as he had expected, Kallen sat there looking serious, thinking and weighing his options.
Neo said no more and left the military tent. This was a rather bold, aggressive plan, and when he proposed it, he had never really expected Kallen to agree outright.
Things were no longer as they had been. Back when the two of them worked together, from York City to Dark Moon Island, Kallen would say he had gone too far, but that never stopped him from having a great time joining in.
Even Kallen himself had taken the initiative to attack the Observation Delegation pursuing him in this desert not long ago, harvesting a whole tableful of heads.
"Phew..."
Neo pursed his lips. It just felt rather dull. Why did climbing higher leave him less free than before?
"Ptooey!"
He spat the cigarette butt onto the ground and ground it under his boot.
"The more you have, the less you can afford to lose. That's why you need to learn stock trading from me. Spend a few more times feeling the wind on a rooftop, and you'll stop fretting over gains and losses. You'll be able to take anything in stride."
Having finished muttering to himself, Neo shrugged and headed to his own military tent. He lifted the flap and entered, finding Dali Wenluo inside.
Neo asked, "Need something?"
"No."
"Then get lost."
"I just wanted to come see you."
"Say, did you stick that sapling in your head and use your brains as fertilizer?"
"I was a little impulsive before, which led to some misunderstandings between us."
"No, there were