Chapter 47: The Directional Fox

Two squirrels?

Fighting over pinecones?

Whatever they’re fighting over, Atiste walked over and smacked those two cute little critters with one swipe.

Su’er jumped out of the bushes, fuming, and complained:

“What are you doing! Squirrels are so cute! How can you bully squirrels?”

“Huh? An animal rights activist? Not bad.”

“Su’er just likes cute things! Atiste! Bad guy!”

This fox girl doesn’t seem very smart.

“Hey, I got the Fairy Spirit Grass. Can you take me to Rena now?”

Su’er stared blankly at the Fairy Spirit Grass in Atiste’s hand, mesmerized.

The Fairy Spirit Grass was pure white all over, its roots and stems like ice sculptures.

It had three leaves connected by veins, and a golden light flowed through its entire body.

The bud at the top was half-open, emitting a warm herbal fragrance.

It seemed to have a pulse—it was clearly pulsating in Atiste’s hand, like a living heart.

Su’er drooled.

Atiste suddenly had an idea, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

Su’er’s fox ears twitched.

She had a bad feeling.

She looked up at Atiste’s face and felt a bit scared, so she asked:

“Mister? What are you smiling about? You look like you’re about to… torment me?”

“You want to eat this?”

Atiste shook the Fairy Spirit Grass in his hand.

Su’er drooled even more.

“What about Rena? Aren’t you going to save her?”

“Eat… eating the Fairy Spirit Grass… will save her…”

“Who will eat it?”

“I want to eat it…”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, I want to eat it!”

Su’er suddenly lunged, opening her little mouth and biting Atiste’s palm.

“Oh my god! The fox is biting!”

Atiste yelped in pain, but fortunately, the Fairy Spirit Grass wasn’t eaten.

He felt that his bright idea wasn’t such a good thing after all.

He threw Su’er off, leaving a row of teeth marks on his hand.

“Let me eat it! Then I can use the power of the Fairy Spirit Grass to fully heal Rena!”

Su’er was very anxious, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Seriously? You’re crying over this?”

“Rena is very important! Rena saved Su’er! I want to save Rena too!”

After saying that, she pounced again, still aiming for the Fairy Spirit Grass.

This time, Atiste learned his lesson.

He held the Fairy Spirit Grass and swung it around wildly.

Swing left—Su’er jumped to the left.

Swing right—she jumped to the right.

Her fox tail also swayed lively back and forth, very cute.

Atiste was enjoying himself:

“It’s like teasing a cat! So fun!”

But Su’er was really anxious.

Not only were her tears flowing, but her drool was too.

It was hard to tell whether she wanted to eat the Fairy Spirit Grass or save Rena first.

“Bad guy! Won’t let Su’er eat the Fairy Spirit Grass, won’t let Su’er save Rena! Su’er is very angry!”

With that, Su’er stood still, and her body began to shine with mana, her form starting to change.

Atiste felt something was wrong.

If she transformed, it might cause trouble.

He clearly sensed her power increasing.

Atiste didn’t want to fight.

He just came out to find someone, not to fight!

“Hey hey hey! Stop! Take the Fairy Spirit Grass!”

He tossed the rare herb forward.

Su’er’s transformation process was immediately interrupted, and the mature figure that was forming reverted back to a little girl’s figure.

Like a dog, she leaped toward the “bone”—the Fairy Spirit Grass—in the air and gobbled it down.

The moment the Fairy Spirit Grass entered her stomach, Su’er’s body instantly became as translucent as the grass, and the veins all over her body turned golden, just like the grass’s veins.

Atiste clearly felt her life force increase, and he could tell at a glance that this was an extremely rare constitution in the world.

That is, a constitution that allows one to gain the characteristics of whatever they eat.

“Su’er… has become so strong!”

The moment she gained the Fairy Spirit Grass’s special effects, she sprinted off toward Aoyi City.

Atiste quickly placed a mana mark on her, the same type of mark as the one on Siegfried the Dragon Slayer.

“Loyalty Slayer.”

—As long as the marked person does not betray and earnestly works for Atiste, they can not only contact Atiste but also receive a “Protection Against Death” once.

However, on the flip side, if they commit betrayal, the “Loyalty Slayer” will turn into an instant kill device, destroying all the marked person’s mana circuits and causing their body to explode.

Su’er’s figure was like a white flash of lightning, darting through the gate of Aoyi City.

Atiste stood there, looking at the neat row of teeth marks on his palm, silent for two seconds.

“Alright,” he said.

He closed his eyes and sensed the mark he had left on Su’er.

A golden dot of light appeared in his consciousness, moving quickly—heading… into the city.

He opened his eyes and walked toward Aoyi City.

After entering the city gate, he began searching for the sensed mark.

The golden dot was moving east.

It was fast, meaning Su’er was still running.

Atiste turned into East Street and walked leisurely.

After all, he had the mark.

He wouldn’t lose her.

Besides, that girl had just eaten the Fairy Spirit Grass and was full of energy.

Letting her run for a while would tire her out.

After walking for about five minutes, he sensed the mark again.

The dot had stopped.

Atiste raised an eyebrow.

Found Rena that quickly?

He continued walking, turned a corner, and then saw Su’er.

She was standing in the middle of an intersection, looking around, her white tail wagging anxiously.

Next to her was an old woman selling candied hawthorn sticks, looking at her with a confused expression.

Atiste walked over and stood behind her.

“Excuse me,” Su’er stopped a passing pedestrian, “do you know where Rena is?”

The pedestrian was a middle-aged man.

He looked down at the little fox-eared girl and gave a kind smile:

“Rena? Which Rena?”

“The one who is Rena!”

Su’er gestured earnestly.

“About this tall, silver hair, very strong, injured!”

The man thought for a moment and shook his head:

“Never heard of her.”

Su’er’s ears drooped.

She stopped a middle-aged woman:

“Excuse me, do you know where Rena is?”

The woman shook her head.

She stopped a child:

“Little friend, do you know where Rena is?”

The child was scared by her and hid behind his mother.

Su’er’s tail completely drooped.

Atiste stood behind her, silently watching all this.

‘Unbelievable.’

‘This girl… isn’t she a directional idiot?’

Su’er stood still, turned around, and then took a step in one direction.

Atiste looked at that direction—it was west, the direction she came from.

She was heading out of the city.

Atiste sighed and followed.

Su’er walked a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned around again.

This time she headed north.

Atiste stood there, watching her figure disappear around the corner, then closed his eyes and sensed the mark.

The golden dot was moving north.

He opened his eyes and walked toward North Street.

After walking for three minutes, the dot stopped again.

Atiste turned a corner and saw Su’er standing in front of a dessert shop, staring at the delicious sweets in a daze.

She was drooling again.

“No, no,” she shook her head vigorously and patted her face.

“Su’er has to save Rena! Can’t eat desserts!”

Then she turned and walked in another direction.

This time it was south.

Atiste stood there, watching her fading figure, and suddenly felt a bit tired.

He had lived for five hundred years, fought countless battles, killed countless monsters, and ventured through countless dangers.

But never before had he felt the word “tired” as fitting as it did now.

He took a deep breath and continued following.

After walking another five minutes, the dot stopped again.

This time it was in a small alley.

Atiste walked over and saw Su’er squatting at the base of a wall, hugging her knees with both hands, her tail dragging weakly on the ground.

“Ugh…” she made a small sound.

“Rena… where are you…”