There was more to the martial world than fighting and killing

Only after the two of them fled the Wax Museum, one after the other, did Inukai brace himself against a wall and gasp for breath.

"Why did you run? Himeko should be a good person. We should ask her for help."

Even after being chased like a dog, Inukai had never forgotten why he had come to the Wax Museum in the first place.

To find Himeko and beg to join her team!

Why had they turned tail in a panic without even exchanging a word after finding her?

"Do you know what was following her? A terrifying Amusement Park Monster!"

Duncan wiped the sweat from his forehead, recalling once again the oppressive presence of that strange fox.

A single glance had frightened him into using every trick he had, and he had barely escaped its clutches.

Himeko must have been controlled by that red fox too, forced to return to the Wax Museum!

"When I met Himeko earlier, there was another contestant with them. Now that contestant is gone. What does that tell you?"

Duncan shuddered, his hair standing on end.

"The Amusement Park Monster ate them! That monster is at least Level Three Danger! Level Three Danger! And it's not something like those wax figures that can't leave the Wax Museum. It's a genuine monster that can roam the park!"

Inukai did not entirely believe Duncan and reserved his judgment.

"But that fox has exactly the same colors as Himeko. Maybe it's Himeko's Guardian Deity."

"No, absolutely not. Himeko's Guardian Deity can't get off the vehicle. That fox is obviously an Amusement Park Monster!"

Inukai still felt something was wrong, but he could not put his finger on it.

He could only mutter to himself,

"Did those three bastards give me false information again? Damn it, are they that eager to see Neon finished?"

Himeko had just reached the doorway when she heard people whispering about her behind her back, describing Himechi Cat as an evil creature that killed without batting an eye.

The two men were sighing by the doorway, unsure what to do next, when a chance glance revealed that Himeko had appeared beside them at some point.

"Crimson Beast!"

"Amusement Park Monster!"

The two cried out and prepared to flee again.

But after several bouts of intense running without sufficient rest, Duncan's legs suddenly gave way when he tried to run, and he dropped to his knees before Himeko with a thud.

"Um... my legs gave out. Give me a hand?"

Duncan looked a little embarrassed.

Great. Now he could not run even if he wanted to.

Taco stepped forward and held down Inukai, who also wanted to flee. "Buddy, don't be in such a hurry to run. How about we talk?"

With both of them caught and escape impossible, they could only force down their fear, their legs trembling.

"There's no need to be so nervous. We have no intention of making enemies. There are just a few things we don't understand that we'd like to ask you two about."

Himeko did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"I'd like to know what exactly happened here."

Inukai and Taco exchanged a glance, communicating with their eyes about what to do next.

After thinking it over, they realized that what they wanted to do no longer had any bearing on their current situation. There was absolutely no way out.

"It was a hidden quest." Inukai slowly began, recounting the whole story.

"A few hours ago, after entering the Amusement Park, I learned that the three idiots Neon had selected were blind fools who didn't know what was good for them and offended Miss Himeko. But they later realized their mistake and said a lot of good things about you to me. Since my hidden quest was quite difficult, I thought I'd come to the Wax Museum and work together with Miss Himeko."

"Unfortunately, I didn't find you in the Wax Museum. Instead, my own wax figure started hunting me. After that, I met Amerika's contestant, Duncan."

"We traveled together, and before long, we received a notification from the Amusement Park and unlocked a hidden quest."

A hidden quest?

It seemed this was the main reason the Wax Museum had ended up like this.

"Would you mind telling us the details of the hidden quest?"

Himeko had already shown them ample consideration in how she phrased her question.

Her manner of speaking also made Inukai pause for a moment.

Wait a minute.

According to Duncan, wasn't Himeko supposed to be a captive under that red fox's coercion? How could she still be so calm?

"This fox is...?"

To avoid any misunderstanding on his part, he spoke with the utmost caution, asking about Himechi Cat's true identity.

"She's Himechi Cat. Contrary to what you think, she means you no harm either."

"That's not right. It hissed at me earlier and was ready to tear me apart."

As the victim, Duncan felt he had every right to speak on the matter.

Himechi Cat tilted her head.

How come she herself had not known she had wanted to beat this man up?

"Don't go making things up! I'm a good cat."

"Aren't you a fox?"

"Her name literally has 'Cat' in it. How could she be a fox?"

Taco activated Hardening, though this time he used it on his mouth.

Setting aside the question of Himechi Cat's species, Himeko felt that finding out about the hidden quest was more important.

She spent a little time explaining things to the two men and clearing up the misunderstanding.

"It's your wax figure?"

Inukai looked at Himeko, then at Himechi Cat, then back at Himeko.

"Are you sure this thing looks like you? It looks more like the Nine-Tails than it does you."

"More importantly, wax figures can't leave the Wax Museum, right? Why can it come out?"

Unlike Inukai, Duncan asked about something more important.

"A little trick, nothing worth mentioning. But if wax figures can't leave the Wax Museum, how do you explain these?"

Himeko lifted the bucket in her hand.

She had simply carried them out, without encountering any obstruction.

Perhaps there were still other secrets hidden within that had yet to be uncovered.

"Setting that aside, if you two would rather not disclose the hidden quest's details, I won't force you."

Whatever the case, the Nameless would not kill other contestants just for a little information. If they were unwilling to share, she could simply pay for it, or obtain the information elsewhere.

But to Inukai and Duncan, Himeko's reasonable words painted an entirely different picture.

Someone with absolute power wanted something you possessed, and that person even magnanimously declared that she would not hurt you if you refused to hand it over.

Could words like that be trusted?

Absolutely not!

This woman must be threatening me. A smiling tiger? People from Huaxia really are terrifying...

Inukai already had a plan in mind.

Originally, he had wanted to give Himeko some false information to see if he could trip her up. Whether he then kicked her while she was down or offered help in her hour of need, he would come out ahead either way.

Duncan had also intended to give Himeko false information, but after being moved by her considerate words,

he decided to give her even more false information.

"As the old Huaxia saying goes, there's more to the martial world than fighting and killing. There are also dishonorable sneak attacks, deception, setups, traps..."