Chapter 372: Time to Set Out on the Next Journey
Of course, Steven wasn't actually going to do anything bad to Alina.
Sure, her face said "I won't resist, do whatever you want"—but come on, he wasn't that much of a beast, right?
After performing what basically looked like a real-life magic trick—making Talulah and Yelena reappear out of thin air—Steven grinned at the two girls, who were staring at him wide-eyed in disbelief.
"So, how was it?" he asked casually.
He'd already tested it out: once he sealed them inside those Pokéballs, he could even stash them inside his inventory. That meant from now on, bringing people along when he used teleportation or those Warp Stones wouldn't be a problem at all.
With that headache out of the way, his future adventures were going to be way more convenient.
Still, he wanted to check with the girls first—see how it actually felt from their side.
"At first it felt like I was suddenly shoved into some kind of cramped little space. Not painful or anything, just... tight. Then when I heard your voice, I stopped resisting, and after that, my consciousness just faded out," Talulah said, rubbing her forehead.
Honestly, it was like she'd just been pulled in and spat back out again. If not for that brief moment where she'd struggled a bit, she'd have no idea how much time had even passed.
Yelena nodded in agreement. Her experience was almost identical—though she was far more curious about how Steven had managed to pull off something like this in the first place.
From what she could tell, he'd literally put them inside those balls. That was absurd—completely beyond what Originium Arts should be capable of.
Still, the sheer novelty of it made her forget the little spat she and Talulah had been about to continue. It wasn't like they were seriously fighting anyway—it was more like harmless teasing between friends.
"That's good to hear," Steven said, shrugging. "The main idea behind this thing is—if you two ever wanna travel with me to other countries, I can bring you along. Saves you the trouble of walking everywhere, right?"
He showed them the Pokéball with a lazy grin.
Of course, that wasn't its real purpose. In truth, he was already plotting to become a full-fledged summoner.
He had one summon so far—a super-mini version of an Eldritch Horror. But that wasn't enough. He still wanted to catch a few Collapsals, or maybe one of those Fallingstar Beasts from the mining caverns.
If he was gonna start collecting "monsters," then he might as well complete the whole Pokédex, right?
Still, there was no harm in finding extra uses for the things.
"…So what you're really saying is… you're leaving again, aren't you?" Talulah asked quietly.
Yeah, she caught that part immediately. Both she and Yelena did. The rest didn't matter as much.
They all knew Steven wasn't the kind of guy who could sit still for long. Expecting him to stay in this snowy borderland forever? Impossible.
Even so, hearing him talk about leaving still brought a flicker of loneliness to their eyes.
"Oh, come on," Steven waved his hand dismissively. "You know how fast I can get back. Call me anytime, and if you miss me that much, I'll deliver this fine piece of manly flesh straight to your doorstep, deal?"
He laughed it off, but didn't deny it. He really was heading out again soon.
He'd already spent a few days in the frozen frontier, and things back in Kazimierz should have settled down by now. All that was left were a few important decisions that needed his attention.
Besides, both Specter and Centaurea were still back there waiting on him. The latter was fine—but the former? The fact that she hadn't started running around chopping people up yet was nothing short of a miracle.
Time to get back before that changed.
It really was about time for another journey. Terra was vast—so vast that settling down in one corner of it would be an insult to the very idea of adventure.
Things with Talulah and Alina had reached a temporary pause anyway. Since the Emperor's Blade had agreed not to interfere with the guerrilla forces for the time being, their pressure had eased quite a bit.
With Patriot keeping watch over them, Talulah wouldn't make any serious mistakes. And besides, as a leader, she had to get used to making her own decisions instead of always relying on him.
As for Yelena…
Steven reached out and gently pinched her soft, white rabbit ears before speaking casually.
"Before I leave, there are a few things I want to talk to you about. We'll discuss it later. For now, just take care of yourself, alright?"
Then, with a snap of his fingers, he added, "Oh, and if any of you feel like tagging along, I can bring you with me now. Just tested it—the whole 'carrying people' issue's officially solved."
If they really wanted to come with him, he'd welcome them without hesitation. But judging by the current situation, none of the three seemed like they could just drop everything and leave.
"…Who'd even want to go with you?"
Talulah muttered under her breath, turning her head away. But from the way her lips pouted ever so slightly, it was clear she didn't mean it as coldly as it sounded.
"Well, you've all figured it out by now, so I'll just say it straight," Steven said with a smile. "I'm heading back tomorrow. But hey, if you miss me, I can come back anytime."
He pulled each of them into a brief hug—one by one.
To be honest, as of right now, he didn't care much about the guerrilla forces, nor the whole "Reunion Movement" thing. Compared to these three girls, none of that mattered in the slightest.
"What if you leave in the morning, and I want you back by the afternoon?" Talulah grumbled, her tone caught between annoyance and reluctance.
This was supposed to be her most crucial period as a leader—the time she needed someone reliable at her side. And this guy? He was choosing now of all times to run off and keep sightseeing? That was practically criminal.
Steven just laughed softly, ruffling her hair.
"Then I'll just teleport back. Blink of an eye—you won't even realize I was gone."
He gave her a fond smile before turning his gaze toward Alina, who had been silently standing by his side, her head bowed, fingers nervously tugging at his sleeve.
"But you've got to promise me one thing," he said, his tone suddenly more serious. "Take care of Alina. She's been through enough already, all because she worries about you. If she gets hurt because of it... I won't be happy."
Alina was the one he worried about most.
She'd practically planted every emotional flag possible on Talulah, and with her gentle, self-sacrificing nature, it was far too easy for others to take advantage of her.
That thought made the Minecrafter expression harden slightly.
He turned back to Talulah, cutting off whatever tsundere remark she'd been about to make.
"And one more thing," he said, his voice low but firm. "In your so-called 'Reunion Movement,' there will be people with hidden agendas. Watch out for them. Not every Infected is as kind as you believe."
He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in.
"Many of them have already lost themselves—crushed under the weight of their own suffering."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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