Li Ang speculated that it was the matter of the Star Soul that prompted the young girl to choose to leave the island in the game's storyline.
"When I knocked it back just now, I sensed that its power wasn't very high. Prepare quickly; I can handle it. Since the Star Soul is closely related to you, it's best if you come along as well.
"Don't worry about your own strength; just follow my command. No matter the level of strength, I can make it useful."
Li Ang had years of experience commanding team battles, and he was quite confident in this regard.
"But," Zoe remembered something, "if I go down to find that monster, won't I get a headache? Then I'll be a burden."
She didn't need to worry about this anymore.
As they left the basement, Li Ang glanced at her panel. The system indicated that, due to the intelligence notebook, the description for "Star Soul Greenhouse" had been unlocked.
[Skill: Star Soul Greenhouse]
[Activation Mode: Passive]
[Special constitution. Desired host of the Star Soul, the host grows together with the Star Soul, capable of wielding the Power of the Star Soul. If the will is weaker than the Star Soul, life will be drained, becoming the nourishment for the Star Soul. [Blocking the flow of the Spirit can obstruct the Star Soul's detection and lodging]]
Spiritual Manipulation was Li Ang's specialty.
"I have a way to prevent you from having a headache."
It seems that even within the mysterious Star Soul, there exists Spirit, which aligns with the world's laws—the triangle of Spirit, Magic Power, and matter forms the foundation of the world, evolving everything else.
As long as I draw a curse rune with spiritual elimination effect on Zoe's head, targeting entities other than her, external spirits won't be able to flow to her head.
Previously, when she had headaches, Li Ang didn't sense any spirit affecting her, indicating her connection with the Star Soul was more special; his sensory abilities failed because the way the Spirit functioned might be entirely different.
But since the system said so, it should be fine.
With Li Ang's promise, Zoe couldn't sit still, her daytime vitality returning significantly. She briskly took a few light steps around the room.
Earlier when she said she felt light, perhaps she had absorbed some of the Star Soul's power.
"Time for bed."
Li Ang looked towards the staircase leading to the attic.
"If there's space in the attic, I'll stay there for the night."
"There's a lot of dust there, you don't have to go."
Zoe stared with innocent eyes: "We can just sleep together."
"Ahem, children shouldn't casually sleep with others."
Li Ang sighed.
"I know, but aren't we friends now? We both agreed."
Li Ang initially wanted to say that friends of the opposite sex can't do that, but thinking again, same-sex friends are not necessarily safe either, and explaining this might take forever and still be unclear.
He could only say, "Friends shouldn't do this either."
Zoe didn't speak but silently grabbed his sleeve.
This child, thinks causing a fuss is wrong, so she protests silently?
Li Ang stood up intending to go up the stairs, but was grabbed by the young girl. His physique as a Tier One Warrior was no match for hers, and he was slowly dragged back into the room.
After exchanging glances with Zoe for a long time, Li Ang finally compromised and chose to make a bed on the floor in her room.
Although the young girl didn't understand why sharing a bed, which would be warmer, wasn't an option, she ultimately agreed, as it meant she could watch him while sleeping.
She fetched the bedding from her parents' room. Li Ang didn't want to lay it directly on the floor, so he pulled over the old cover belonging to him from the young girl's bed.
However, Zoe disagreed and began to argue with him.
"This is obviously mine, and don't you have a blanket?" Li Ang said helplessly.
"No, I like this one."
Zoe pouted: "It's big and light, and warm. Every time I'm upset after arguing with the villagers, I wrap myself in it and hide. Since you're not sleeping with me, covering with it feels like I'm hugging you."
This wild statement really tests the resilience of my nerves.
Li Ang, with a headache, said: "Alright, alright, fine, do as you like, hurry up and sleep."
The young girl grasped the edges of her dress, about to flip it up.
Li Ang, with sharp reflexes, pressed down on her hand.
This is really nerve-wracking.
"Remember, don't casually do this in front of others..."
After yet another lecture, Li Ang had built resistance to "but you're not an outsider" by now, just mumbling insincerely, insisting that it's a no-no, and even if she wanted to change, she should cover up with the blanket first.
Given that her parents must have left appropriate teachings, but lacking follow-up explanations over the long period, she developed her own interpretations.
After passing this hurdle and seeing Zoe kick off her little leather boots and sit on the bed,
She, being petite, swayed her slender legs, which converged into well-defined beautiful Achilles tendons, leading to perfectly shaped, slightly plump, smooth white soles.
Her small feet kicked and kicked, noticing Li Ang's gaze, and then she directly stretched her foot towards his face, the glistening pink soles, slender yet round and cute toes vividly on display.
Just as they were about to directly hit his face, Li Ang discreetly dodged.
"Why aren't you wearing socks?"
"The socks are worn out long ago, and so are other clothes."
Indeed, her parents left no living supplies, and even her dress couldn't frequently maintain its edges anymore.
Li Ang glanced at her little leather boots, thinking that if she always wore them... the dark open mouth of the boots caused him a slight shiver. A bit curious, a bit fearful.
Feeling an itch on his arm, he looked back, her playful toes were deftly crawling up his arm.
Li Ang jumped as if electrocuted.
"Go wash your feet, they stink."
Upon hearing this, Zoe paused, then began kicking him more vigorously.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?"
"Humph, if you think I'm smelly, I'll kick you to death, kick you to death."
The young girl kicked him with her smooth legs, kicking from the direction of the soles, with the smooth and slender line extending up to the flipping hem of her skirt, leaving his gaze nowhere to settle.
Amidst the flurry of chaos kicked up by her feet, Li Ang saw the corners of Zoe's eyes turning red. She clearly took Li Ang's remark very seriously and it had nothing to do with any kind of flirtation.
"Anyway, I'm just a stinky wild child." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito.
"It's my fault, stop kicking, I didn't mean it that way, I'm just used to talking like this with other Adventurers."
The subtle thoughts of the young girl really can't be relaxed—not in any sense.
Both mature and immature, both dangerous and innocent, or rather, just because of her purity, makes her more dangerous.
She guards this small world alone, seizing every bit of tenderness, which is why her relationship with him deepened so quickly in such a short time.
But it is exactly like this, that makes me understand her current behavior is just a newly homed little wild cat clinging to warmth.
Li Ang feared losing his moral compass and turning into someone non-human, his nerves remained tense all the time.
It took a lot of effort to calm the young girl, and when Li Ang finally lay down, he slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep almost immediately.
The mental strain and physical labor, today really exhausted him.
Before closing his eyes, he vaguely saw the young girl staring at him, but he no longer had the energy to ponder.