"Find a place to take shelter from the rain."
Bloodbeard wiped the cold water from his face, his expression stern. "And listen well—no one drinks the rain. If anyone goes mad from it, don't blame me when Daddy's blade comes down."
"Yes, Boss!" the bandits shouted in unison.
Bloodbeard lived up to his name—his chin and cheeks were covered with long, blood-red beard, the fiery color extending even into his thick hair. At 1.9 meters tall, his massive frame was like two ordinary men put together.
Despite his brute strength, his mind was sharp and calculating. But his temper—short and violent. Anyone who dared provoke him often met a swift and merciless end.
"Send out scouts," he ordered coldly. "Keep an eye out for beasts."
"Yes, Boss!"
The thieves scattered, eventually finding a sloping rock wall that offered shelter. One by one, more than two hundred men crowded beneath it, waiting quietly for the storm to pass.
"Boss, there's no need for you to deal with that tiny camp," said Ye Zhao, one of the four lieutenants. Confidently thumping his chest, he added, "Give me a few men and I'll wipe them out myself."
Ye Zhao was a jackal mutant, and he knew his strength well.
But Bloodbeard only tugged thoughtfully at his beard, his eyes calculating. "Things aren't always as simple as they seem."
He was no fool—of course he knew a small camp didn't require his personal attention. But Bloodbeard trusted almost no one, not even his four lieutenants. Letting one of them lead an attack alone risked betrayal. It had happened before—nearly half his followers stolen by an ambitious underling. Since then, he personally led every operation involving more than two hundred men.
"Could it be… there's someone strong hiding in that camp?" Ye Zhao licked his lips eagerly. "That would make it worth the fight."
"The camp's leader has some skill," Bloodbeard admitted.
"Then give him to me!" Ye Zhao grinned fiercely, excitement flashing in his eyes.
Bloodbeard waved a hand dismissively. "Fine. Play with him if you want. I only care about taking in the strong ones—we always need more men."
That was how the Bloodbeard gang grew. Loyalty never mattered—control over food and water was enough to keep everyone in line.
"Beast! There's a beast!" a panicked cry echoed from the ranks.
Bloodbeard strode forward, seizing the trembling thief by the collar. "Where?"
"O-over there! On the rock wall!" The man pointed with a shaking hand.
Bloodbeard shoved him aside and looked up. A spider clung to the cliffside, its markings forming a red, skull-like grimace.
"Pathetic," Ye Zhao spat. "It's just a spider. Watch me crush it." He stooped to grab a rock, but Bloodbeard's hand shot out, gripping his wrist.
"Boss?" Ye Zhao blinked in confusion.
Bloodbeard's sharp eyes narrowed. He studied the spider in silence before speaking coldly. "That one's strange. Leave it alone."
In the wilderness, some beasts were best avoided. Stirring the wrong one could mean triggering a nest.
"Strange?" Ye Zhao muttered, glancing back up. But the spider was gone. A shiver ran down his spine. "Weird indeed…"
---
On the other side of the hill.
Luciel froze as the faint signal from the Red Grimace Spider reached him. For a moment, he was stunned—then realization struck.
The Bloodbeard thieves were right on the opposite side of the mountain.
"You've got to be kidding me," he whispered. He had calculated that their paths wouldn't cross until noon, yet here they were—practically neighbors.
"What's wrong?" Mino's ears perked up at his voice.
"They're on the other side," Luciel said, pointing toward the mountain.
Mino frowned nervously. "Will they find us?"
"No. Not in this rain. They'll stay put," he reassured her with a shake of his head.
"You're really planning to steal from them?" she asked, her lips pressed into a worried line. "It's too dangerous. Maybe… maybe don't go."
"Relax. I can turn invisible." As he spoke, his body faded, vanishing from sight.
"Huh?!" Mino's blue eyes widened in shock. She scrambled forward, reaching out with her hands until one was caught in a firm grip.
Luciel's voice whispered near her ear, "Don't worry."
"Then… take me with you?" she pleaded, blinking up at the empty air.
"No. You're staying here." His invisible finger flicked her forehead lightly.
"But I can help carry things!" She puffed her cheeks and flexed her thin arm as proof of her "strength."
"I already have Xiaocai for that," Luciel said dryly, squeezing her arm—soft and weak beneath his fingers.
"Wha—! Don't tease me!" Mino's face turned bright red as she swatted at where she thought he stood.
"If you leave, who's going to guard our home?" Luciel countered calmly.
She faltered. "There's still the little Black Tortoise…"
"And what if stronger thieves climb up? I'd rather have you here." He gently tapped her nose. "With you guarding, I'll be at ease."
Mino's lips curved into a pout, but she finally nodded. "Fine. I'll stay."
Luciel smiled faintly. "Good. And while you're here, you won't be idle. I want you to sew some clothes."
"Huh? But I've never sewn anything before," she admitted, ears drooping. All her old clothes had been made by her elder sister before she was ten.
"Measure your size first, then mark it on the cloth," Luciel instructed patiently, pulling over a camouflage jacket for reference. "Leave it a little loose—it can work as a skirt."
"But that wastes fabric…" she protested softly.
"Clothes are sewn inside-out, so the seams stay hidden," he continued, ignoring her reluctance.
"Really?" Her ears twitched in confusion.
"And we'll need short shorts, too," he added firmly. "Don't ask why. Just make them."
Mino: "…"
"Here, I'll draw a guide for you. Just follow the marks and stitch the pieces together."
He didn't know much about tailoring himself, but with existing clothes as models, it wasn't hard to figure out the basics.
Needles could be carved from bone, and spider silk would work fine as thread. With the rain keeping them indoors, it was the perfect time.