Ryan Zhao's expression darkened as the lake settled back into uneasy ripples. The Green Anaconda had vanished beneath the surface, and so had the masked stranger.
He clenched his jaw. "How dare that bastard try to snatch our prey…"
Li Ying glanced at him sideways, irritation and exhaustion flickering across her face. "Ryan, don't. You don't have much mana left. Let it go. The serpent's almost dead anyway."
Ryan turned to her with a sharp grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, I've still got a few potions left." He pulled one from his belt — a crimson vial — and downed it in one go. The glow of mana refilled him like a second heartbeat.
Li Ying folded her arms. "There's still one day left in the trial. Don't waste it on some stranger—"
But Ryan wasn't listening anymore. His pupils burned with silver arcs, his veins lighting up faintly under the skin. "I don't care. No one humiliates me and lives."
