Regina stared at Leon, her fists clenched tight.
She was waiting for an explanation.
If it were any other man saying this, she probably would've already grabbed her halberd and chopped his head off, letting his head watch its own crotch as it hit the ground.
"The situation here is special. We'd better not separate. Otherwise, if something happens, we can't help each other."
Help each other? You're afraid I won't be able to protect you in time, right? Looks like you're afraid of dying too.
Regina felt both annoyed and amused, but she didn't object to Leon's words. After all, the reasoning was logical.
"I'll stand guard outside. You rest."
Logic was logic, but Regina still didn't want to share a room with a man.
"I've set up traps all around. No need to keep watch. An important combat force like you should rest well. I don't want you wasting energy on useless things."
This was a reason she couldn't refuse.
Seeing Regina still looking hesitant, Leon said with amusement:
"Right now we're both in danger. Survival is priority one. This tent is big, I'll respect your personal privacy. Also, though you're very beautiful and sexy, I'm a man of principles, so don't get any unnecessary ideas."
After speaking, Leon walked straight into the tent.
Everything he said was the honest truth. It wasn't about taking advantage. In their current dangerous situation, they definitely needed to maximize their margin for error.
Regina, however, stood there in a daze for a moment.
If you looked carefully, you'd see her face showing an unnatural flush.
Though under her wheat-colored skin, it wasn't that obvious.
In her whole life, this was the first time someone praised her as beautiful and... sexy.
No woman could resist affirmation and praise of her appearance, even a tomboy like Regina.
Perhaps because of her special upbringing, her feelings were even more sensitive than most women's.
After standing there for a few minutes, Regina finally chose to enter the tent.
Actually, Regina knew her young boss didn't have any crooked thoughts. Her discomfort mainly came from years of living alone.
Suddenly sharing a room with a man, of course she'd feel some resistance and discomfort.
Once inside, in the spacious tent, two beds were already set up, not only spaced six feet apart, but with a curtain hanging between them for simple separation.
"You wash up inside, I'll go outside. Give me a shout when you're done."
Seeing her come in, Leon hefted a large bathtub and walked out.
Clean and efficient, calm and natural, not awkward or wishy-washy at all.
Ripples spread through Regina's heart.
Getting along with Leon these past days, her wariness had melted away, her good feelings gradually climbing.
Nominally a master-servant relationship, but their dynamic was more like partners.
Eating from the same pot, not so many rules, words and actions respecting her, without any pretense at all.
These were all things Regina had never experienced before.
As if possessed, Regina peeked through the door crack toward outside. In the sound of splashing water, a pale, muscular back appeared and disappeared in the bathtub.
"Ahem—"
A light cough made Regina, who'd been staring intently, jump in fright. She quickly left the door with a red face...
Glancing vaguely toward the tent, Leon smiled and shook his head.
Because he cultivated Divine Origin Energy, his spiritual perception was extraordinary. Regina's small movement just now hadn't escaped him.
If he didn't remind her, she'd probably get a full eyeful.
After bathing, Leon checked the situation with the surrounding traps.
These weapons were all obtained through certain channels he'd paid for.
Only after Regina called out did Leon return to the tent.
But he discovered the curtain separating the two beds was gone.
"We're in dangerous territory. Having separation isn't conducive to responding to emergencies, so I removed it."
After speaking, Regina lowered her head somewhat guiltily and dove straight into her blankets with her back turned...
Seemed to make some sense, but also seemed like not just sense...
Leon smiled knowingly and also climbed into his bed, turning off the light.
A night passed without words, but the relationship between them seemed to have unconsciously grown closer...
After passing through the night without incident, on the second day, the two began searching through the fog again.
But still no gains.
By the third day, Regina was starting to get irritable.
Even the calm and steady Leon's brow furrowed slightly.
Staying too long in this oppressive environment really did greatly affect people's mentality and spirit.
It wasn't noise and chaos that were scary, but silence and eeriness.
In the vast white fog, who knew what might suddenly jump out. Maintaining such high mental alertness constantly put tremendous pressure on people.
Leon also decided that after two more days, regardless of whether they found anything, they'd leave directly.
However, on the fourth day, they finally made a new discovery.
"This is...?"
Looking at the massive broken tree stump in front of them, both stopped in their tracks.
"This cross-section looks like it was... cut."
Feeling the smooth, flat surface with her palm, Regina's tone was serious and certain.
The entire cross-section's diameter was nearly six feet. This thick dead tree seemed to have been chopped in half by something.
As the two continued forward, there were more and more broken trees along the path.
Not just trees, even rocks were split in half, all with the same smooth cuts.
Leon's heart grew increasingly uneasy.
Just then, a slight splashing sound came from ahead.
This was... the sound of running water?
The two looked at each other, confirming the same thing.
There's a water source ahead!
The further forward they walked, the louder the water became.
Sure enough, a dozen minutes later, a rushing river appeared before them.
The water quality was clear, the current turbulent, the depth visible to the naked eye. At least they didn't have to worry about something hiding inside and suddenly jumping out to scare them.
Unfortunately, due to the white fog, upstream, downstream, and the opposite bank were still endlessly obscured.
"It's noon. Let's rest here for a bit."
After using instruments to confirm the water quality was fine, Regina picked up a bucket and bent down to scoop from the river, preparing to fetch water for cooking.
But suddenly, a death-like chill shot up their spines. Both felt all their pores stand on end.
One had extraordinary spiritual perception, the other rich experience.
Both sensed this descending crisis.
"Watch out!"
With a loud shout, Leon kicked Regina's side hip. Using that force, the two instantly separated.
Right then, a terrifying air blade tore through the river, slashing between them!
The safety rope connecting them was severed directly.
And on the ground, a deep gully remained...