Chapter 48: Cute Fox Girl

Atiste grabbed Su’er by the nape of her neck.

Holding her head, he stared into her eyes and demanded, “Do you actually know where Rena is?”

Su’er’s face was full of terror.

“You… were you following me this whole time?”

Atiste didn’t even bother explaining.

“Take me to Rena, or you’re dead.”

“Eep! So scary!”

Even so, Su’er couldn’t break free from Atiste’s grip.

“So strong…”

“Of course. I don’t use mana, but my physical strength is something you little fries can’t even imagine.”

It wasn’t actually that impressive.

He was just hard to injure, couldn’t die, and had the strength of an ox.

His running speed naturally couldn’t compare to the little fox girl’s, since Atiste had evolved from a human.

In his current human form without transforming, he was only somewhat tougher than a Transcendent; speed was his biggest weakness.

“Su’er really doesn’t remember the way… boohoo…”

She started crying, looking helpless.

Even so, Atiste didn’t intend to let her off.

“How about I just search your memory directly? All I need is Rena’s location. Whether you live or die means nothing to me.”

“N-no! Don’t! Su’er doesn’t want to die! Su’er wants to save Rena!”

“Then tell me where she is!”

“Don’t, don’t kill Su’er! Su’er will remember right now!”

The little fox stayed like that, with Atiste gripping her head, digging deep into her own memories.

Where had she come from?

Was it the treatment center?

Or some alley?

Or Rena’s residence?

Right!

“Rena is at her own place!”

“Take me there.”

“Su’er… doesn’t remember the way…”

Atiste tightened his grip.

Su’er felt like her head was about to be crushed.

“Su’er will remember now! Will remember!”

“Hurry up. My patience is very limited.”

When dealing with anything other than Art Pieces, Atiste became extremely impatient.

“I’ll count to ten. If you don’t remember by then, you die here today.”

“Ten.”

“Su’er is thinking! Su’er is thinking! Don’t rush! Rena’s house is… east, south, west, north…”

“Nine, eight, seven…”

“My house is across from Rena’s house. My house is… in the middle of the city…”

“Six.”

“How do you get to the middle of the city…”

“Five.”

“This is the south side…”

“Four.”

“Go north! Su’er remembers!”

“Three.”

“Mr. Atiste! Going north will lead to Rena!”

“Good. Lead the way, run slowly. I don’t feel like chasing you.”

Atiste let go of Su’er’s head, and the little fox girl immediately felt much lighter.

“You’re way too strong. Su’er is scared of you…”

“As long as you take me to Rena and keep your promise, I won’t do anything to you.”

“Mm… weird guy, but he doesn’t seem that bad.”

Su’er opened her adorably blank eyes and started looking for north.

Atiste had no choice but to physically turn her in the right direction.

Only then did Su’er start leading the way.

“Rena! I’m coming to save you!”

Atiste figured he probably didn’t need to tell her about the Loyalty Mark.

She’d probably never want to defy him anyway.

Because this fox looked way too dumb.

Su’er took off running north, her white tail blurring into a streak behind her.

Atiste stood still, watching her run thirty meters before sighing and slowly following.

The flagstone path stretched underfoot, flanked by pointed stone houses with dim candlelight flickering through the windows.

The distant church bell tower was just a silhouette in the night.

Occasionally, patrolling guards walked by, the clatter of their armor echoing through the alleys.

After running fifty meters, Su’er suddenly stopped and looked back.

Seeing that Atiste was still slowly coming, she blinked, then ran back.

“Why are you so slow?”

Atiste looked at her but didn’t speak.

Su’er circled around him, tail wagging, looking puzzled.

“Weren’t you pretty tough just now? You grabbed my head with so much strength. Why are you walking so slowly?”

“This is how I walk.”

“Then what if you can’t catch up?”

“Why would I need to catch up?”

Su’er blinked.

“Because I’m leading the way! If I run too fast, you’ll lose me!”

Atiste was silent for two seconds.

“Run your run,” he said.

“I won’t get lost.”

Su’er tilted her head at him, clearly not understanding.

But she didn’t dwell on it.

She turned and ran again.

After twenty meters, she looked back again—Atiste was still walking slowly behind her, the distance growing.

She ran back again.

“You really are so slow!”

Atiste took a deep breath.

“How about,” Su’er suggested, “I pull you along?”

Atiste looked at her small outstretched hand.

It was tiny, pale, with light pink nails.

“No need.”

“But you’re too slow! It’s already dark! Rena is waiting for me!”

Atiste looked up at the sky.

It was indeed dark.

The street’s mana crystal lamps had already lit up, casting a bluish glow on the flagstones and carving out his elongated shadow.

“I said I won’t get lost.”

Su’er stared at him for three seconds, then suddenly leaned in, her nose twitching.

“You have a smell.”

Atiste looked down at her.

“What smell?”

“I don’t know, but you do.”

Su’er sniffed again.

“It’s kind of like the smell on me.”

Atiste said nothing.

Of course he had a smell.

The mark was mutual.

He could leave a mark on Su’er, and naturally, Su’er could sense his aura.

But this girl was too dumb to realize what that meant.

“Forget it,” Su’er gave up thinking.

“I’ll run slower. You keep up!”

With that, she actually slowed down to a brisk walk, constantly looking back to make sure Atiste wasn’t lost.

Atiste followed behind her, watching that white tail wagging back and forth, and suddenly found it a little amusing.

Five hundred years old, and it was the first time he’d been complained about for walking too slow.

After walking for a while, Su’er suddenly stopped and looked around.

“What’s wrong?”

“Here…”

Su’er frowned, “feels like we’ve passed this way before…”

Atiste looked around.

An ordinary street.

On both sides were stone row houses with arched doors and windows, carved lintels, and plants he didn’t recognize planted at the doorways.

He hadn’t been paying attention to the route, keeping his eyes fixed on the tail ahead.

“Are you sure?”

Su’er thought hard, then her expression gradually turned to panic.

“I-I think… I got lost again…”

Atiste was silent.

Su’er turned to look at him, and her eyes began to well up again.

“I’m sorry… Su’er didn’t mean to… It’s too dark… All the houses look the same…”

Atiste took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

“Didn’t you say we needed to go north just now?”

“Yeah!”

“Then did you go north?”

Su’er froze, looked up at the sky.

No moon, just a pitch-black night sky with a few faint stars.

She lowered her head and said quietly, “Can’t see… Back where I’m from, we navigate by the stars. I don’t recognize any of these stars…”

He opened his eyes, looked at this lost foreign fox girl about to cry, and suddenly understood why she was so dumb.

“Follow me.”

He passed Su’er and headed northwest.

Su’er was startled, then trotted after him.

“You know the way?”

“Yeah.”

“How?”

“Guessed.”

Su’er blinked and actually believed him.

“You’re amazing! Are you also from the East?”

Atiste corrected her.

“No, but I won’t kill you. Hurry up and find the way! North is this way!”