Seeing a "matcha petit cake" descend from the sky, Dan Heng froze for a moment before instinctively shouting, "Watch out!"
These mindless Abundance monsters wouldn't hesitate just because a little girl suddenly appeared. To them, it was merely one more soul to claim.
Huohuo nonchalantly waved at Dan Heng, then snapped her fingers. "Tail?"
"I'm here!"
Tail immediately responded, "Let's do this, Big Sis Huohuo! I'm feeling great and ready to roll!"
Huohuo grabbed Tail in her hand, refining it in an instant!
Dan Heng: ?
A sky full of cyan flames surged upward, transforming into a massive, dozens-of-meters-tall spectral wolf beast. It glared down at the Abundance monsters below, cracking its knuckles.
All creatures feel pain, and where there is pain, there is fear. With fear comes vulnerabilities.
But Abundance monsters don't. (Note: This is Huohuo's belief.)
Though there's no scientific basis for this, it's a view collectively accepted by all Xianzhou natives, to the point that when Abundance monsters tremble and retreat, it's seen as a tactical maneuver.
"Roar!"
As if sensing a hint of danger, the Abundance monsters charging forward froze in unison for a brief moment, letting out roars of threat and fear.
Even without reason, their biological instincts still drove them to feel fear.
Huohuo grinned, controlling the giant beast formed by Tail to slam down a paw, her voice brimming with unshakable confidence and dominance. "Victory is assured!"
———
One minute later.
Withered branches and leaves littered the ground. Under Huohuo's near-slaughter-like assault, this group of fodder enemies was wiped out in a single encounter.
Huohuo patted Dan Heng's shoulder, frowning. "Kid, hasn't Cloudford been sealed off by the Cloud Knights? How did you end up here? And how did you attract so many of these stinking pests?"
Kid?
Hearing the term, Dan Heng couldn't help but give a wry smile inwardly. Was she talking about him? Though, to be fair, given his current small stature, it was easy to mistake him for a child.
But this little girl, who wasn't even as tall as him, spoke with such a mature tone, clearly indicating her true age was far from her appearance.
"My name is Dan Heng, a… passerby from beyond the skies. The ship I was on malfunctioned and crashed into the Xianzhou. When I woke up, I was here," Dan Heng said, making up a quick excuse. "I intended to leave and seek help from the Cloud Knights, but I didn't expect this place to be so deserted. The only living things I've seen are these inhuman monsters."
"…Oh, alright, alright. Your issue's not my jurisdiction anyway," Huohuo said with a shrug. "But you'd better stick with me for the next part of the journey. Without a local guide, you'll have a hard time leaving Cloudford alone. If you run into those monsters again, there might not be someone to save you."
Dan Heng pondered for a moment. "Alright."
Given his current physical condition, his mobility was limited, and he indeed needed a local guide. This girl had just mentioned that the area was sealed off by the Cloud Knights, yet she moved freely, suggesting her status was significant.
In that case, he might as well follow her.
"May I… how should I address you?" Dan Heng paused before asking.
"Just call me 'lord.' Lord Huohuo."
———
Stelle returned to the tavern with a head full of questions, still unable to fully grasp what "unable to see the sun" meant.
"Guest Stelle, welcome back."
As soon as she reached the entrance, a warm, maternal voice greeted her. She glanced over to see Yukong standing upright at the door, hands clasped in front of her, giving a slight bow. "Shall I prepare dinner for you?"
"You… cough cough cough! No, not for now. I'll wait for my companions to return so we can eat together," Stelle said, hurriedly waving her hand before fleeing to her room.
Yukong: OwO Eh?
She hadn't finished speaking. She had meant to tell Stelle that her two companions had already returned, though they didn't seem to be in great spirits…
As soon as Stelle entered the room, she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom, which gave her a start. March was back already? Why didn't she send a message?
Judging by the clothes strewn across the bed, it was undoubtedly March 7th. But something had clearly happened—her usually pristine blue dress was covered in colorful stains, utterly filthy.
What was going on? Could it be that because Stelle hadn't gone with them, March and the others had been counterattacked by Boothill? No way, right? Boothill had a strong Argenti vibe, all noble and knightly—how could he pull such a prank on an adorable girl?
She was probably overthinking it.
Buzz buzz—
Soon, the sound of running water in the bathroom gradually stopped, and March 7th's hesitant voice came from inside. "…Stelle, is that you?"
Her voice sounded subdued, completely unlike her usual self.
Had something really happened?
A flicker of worry rose in Stelle's heart. She walked to the bathroom door and asked with concern, "March, is there anything I can help with?"
There was a brief silence from the bathroom. "Um… Stelle, I… I might've run into a bit of trouble. You won't laugh at me later, right?"
"What are you talking about? How could I use the word 'laugh'?" Stelle's unease grew. "March, are you okay? Tell me what's going on. I promise I'll be a good listener. We're best friends, aren't we?"
"Mm…"
March 7th gave a soft response, then slowly opened the bathroom door. She was wrapped in a thin bathrobe, the white fabric accentuating her graceful figure. Her hair was still damp with moisture. But one thing was different: from the right side of her jaw to her cheek, and even part of her hair, was stained with the same colorful mess as her clothes. The skin at the edges of the stains was noticeably red, suggesting she had already tried scrubbing it off, to little avail.
March 7th's usual boldness was gone. She lowered her head, her forehead gently resting against Stelle's chest. "It's kind of ugly, isn't it?"
"…Heh, what's that?"
Stelle lifted March 7th's face, gently rubbing the stained area. "Haven't you heard of the street-cool style? I thought it was something serious. This looks totally badass, okay?"
"Where'd you get the paint? Let me put some on too."
The pink-haired girl's heart was both resilient and fragile. Her strong side was always shown to outsiders, and getting stained with ink only made her worry about her companions' gazes.
Even with all the trust March 7th had in Stelle, it was hard not to feel a little anxious about something like this. After all, she was a pink-and-blue, beautiful girl.