Ize looked the young man named Kyle up and down, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
An indescribable sense of strangeness lingered in his heart, refusing to dissipate. The young man’s skin was excessively pale and lacked color, as if he hadn’t seen the sun in a long time.
What made Ize even more uncomfortable were those eyes. They appeared gentle and polite, but in reality, they were like a merchant appraising goods, scanning back and forth over Sarah, Emma, and even young Dini. Deep within that gaze lurked a faint trace of greed and scrutiny that was hard to detect.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Ize tilted his head slightly and whispered to Swan in a voice only the two of them could hear, “It looks like your ex-fiancée’s taste… isn’t that great.”
He paused, his tone becoming more certain.
“No matter how I look at him, this guy doesn’t seem like a good person.”
Swan nodded in agreement and whispered back, “Senior Ize, I feel the same way. I just feel that this person… is very unsettling.”
That feeling of revulsion welling up from the bottom of her heart was clear yet inexplicable.
Ize raised an eyebrow and asked back with a hint of playfulness, “You think so? Are you sure it’s not just because you’re jealous and looking at him through biased lenses?”
Swan’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt a bit annoyed. “Senior Ize! Am I the kind of narrow-minded person who can’t distinguish between public and private matters?”
She indeed no longer had romantic feelings for Rose, but the instinctual repulsion and wariness toward Kyle couldn’t be faked.
‘Kid, let me remind you.’
Ignyr’s voice rang out in her mind with a touch of gravity.
‘You are currently in a soul-symbiosis with me, and your perception has inherited a part of my dragon traits. A dragon’s intuition can often see through the essence beneath the surface. You wouldn’t feel such strong disgust for an existence without a reason, unless… there really is something wrong with him.’
Swan was startled. ‘So, this man really is a problem?’
‘I am currently only a remnant soul, and my perception is not what it used to be. Unless he has direct physical contact with you, it will be difficult for me to see his true roots,’ Ignyr replied.
At the same time, Horne, using the alias Kyle, turned his gaze toward Ize.
‘Black hair and black eyes… the characteristics match. Is this one of the culprits who caused Heart to self-destruct?’
He sneered inwardly, but his face remained impassive. He took a few steps forward with a warm and harmless smile, extending his hand to Ize.
One does not strike a smiling face.
Despite his internal vigilance, Ize maintained basic etiquette. He smiled and gave Horne a light handshake. Upon contact, he felt a strange, chilling coldness. “Just call me Ize.”
“Swan!”
When it was Swan’s turn, she didn’t have Ize’s acting skills. She simply introduced herself with a cold face and a stiff tone, not even bothering to extend her hand.
Horne didn’t mind. His gaze lingered on Ize for a moment. He felt that this person’s aura was restrained, appearing ordinary at first glance; aside from his decent looks, there was nothing special about him.
Immediately after, he turned his attention toward Swan, who clearly harbored hostility toward him.
Upon closer inspection, Horne keenly noticed something different. The “youth” before him had red lips and white teeth, and there was a hint of beauty between the eyebrows that shouldn’t belong to a male.
What attracted him even more was that through that seemingly ordinary skin, he seemed to smell an extremely unique “sweet” scent.
This kind of sweetness only existed in women, and it was far purer and more enticing than Rose’s, making his dormant blood stir slightly.
‘Interesting… very interesting!’
In an instant, Horne locked onto Swan as the primary suspect for causing Heart to violate the restriction and self-destruct.
There must be an amazing secret hidden within this youth!
He calmly stepped back to Rose’s side as if it were just a typical greeting.
Rose keenly noticed the strange, fleeting look in Horne’s eyes when he was observing Swan.
She leaned in closer and asked in a low voice, her tone respectful yet carrying a hint of undetectable jealousy, “Master… Kyle, what’s wrong? You seem interested in Swan…”
The corner of Horne’s mouth curved into a meaningful arc. He sent a mental transmission. ‘I’m not interested in men. But she… is a bit different. Her blood smells several times “sweeter” than yours.’
Rose felt inexplicably uncomfortable and puffed out her cheeks, but she still explained honestly, “She is my former fiancé, the only survivor of the Raymond family.”
“Survivor?” A flash of surprise crossed Horne’s eyes. “Was she in the territory the night the Raymond family was wiped out?”
“Yes. It was said that she suffered a near-fatal injury and luckily escaped. She was unable to cultivate for a long time afterward and only recently seemed to have recovered,” Rose added.
Horne narrowed his eyes, and a crimson light flashed deep within them for a moment.
‘Present at the scene? That’s impossible!’
He knew clearly that the destruction of the Raymond family was personally led by his superior, Casimir, and executed by the high-ranking Blood Pillars.
The purpose was to search for a certain item, and it was impossible for any survivors to be left behind!
The fact that this Swan survived was extremely unusual in itself!
It seemed that today, in addition to these high-quality blood preys, there might be an unexpected harvest.
Thinking of this, the smile on Horne’s face became even more “sincere” and “enthusiastic.”
On the other side, Ize nudged Swan with his elbow and lowered his voice, his tone playful. “Tsk tsk, Swan, did you see that? After that guy finished whispering with your ex-fiancée, why does his gaze keep drifting toward you?”
Swan’s face darkened. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s simply because my status as the ‘ex-fiancé’ makes him feel uncomfortable.”
Ize shook his head and suddenly smiled mischievously.
“I don’t think that’s it. That look in his eyes… tsk tsk, it’s more like he found some rare treasure. He seems more ‘interested’ in you personally!”
“You haven’t even fully transformed yet, and your charm is already killing both men and women?”
“I remember Rose was the one who initiated the breakup, right? How about it? Have you considered… well, ‘stealing’ your ex-fiancée’s sweetheart to get some sweet revenge?”
He looked like someone who just wanted to watch the world burn.
Swan’s face turned beet-red at his words, both embarrassed and annoyed. “Senior Ize! What kind of nonsense are you talking about! How could I ever do something like that!”
She subconsciously lowered her head and defended herself in a voice as tiny as a mosquito’s. “And… and I don’t like this type of man at all.”
Ize seemed to have discovered a new world and followed up with great interest. “Oh? Then what type do you like?”
He was purely bored and teasing his shy junior.
The tips of Swan’s ears were so red they almost dripped blood. She blurted out, “I… I just don’t like men, okay! Even if… even if I really become a woman in the future, I won’t like men!”
After saying that, she seemed to feel it wasn’t enough and added quickly in a small voice, “And… someone like him can’t even compare to a single strand of your hair, Senior Ize…”
Upon hearing this, Ize shuddered violently and waved his hands repeatedly with a shocked expression.
“Don’t! I’m not as good as you say! It’s good that you don’t like men, very good! I was just joking with you, purely joking!”
Seeing Ize’s “avoid-at-all-costs” expression, a mischievous thought actually rose in Swan’s heart for some reason.
She deliberately curled her lips and spoke in the same teasing tone Ize usually used. “Is that so? But Senior, even if I did like men, it would definitely be someone like you.”
Ize was so frightened that he took several steps back, nearly crashing into a roadside stall, and repeatedly begged for mercy. “Don’t do this! Junior, let’s stay calm! It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have made reckless jokes!”
Seeing Ize’s embarrassed state, Swan couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Her mood felt much better for some reason as she waved her hand generously.
“Fine. Since your apology is sincere, I’ll forgive you!”
As the two of them bickered quietly, Rose and Horne led the way ahead.
As they walked, Ize gradually realized something was wrong. The surrounding streets were becoming more and more deserted, pedestrians were sparse, and the buildings appeared dilapidated.
“Swan, ask them where we’re going,” Ize whispered to Swan.
Swan nodded and raised her voice. “Where are we going? It seems like we’re getting further and further away.”
Rose turned around with a relaxed and pleasant smile, explaining, “We’re almost there. It’s a very special and fun place. I guarantee you’ve never seen it before. Dini said she really wanted to go play, right, Dini?”
Dini was still a child, after all. Upon hearing it was a fun place, she nodded. “Mhm! Dini wants to go to a fun place!”
Sarah looked up at the setting sun, which was dyeing the horizon orange-red, and reminded them with some concern, “But… it’s getting late. Staying out too long might not be safe.”
Horne joined in with a smile, his tone certain. “Please don’t worry, Miss Sarah. I am very familiar with that place. It’s very safe. I’ve been there many times and have never had any issues.”
He deliberately emphasized the words “many times” and “safe.”
Since Rose was Dio’s biological sister, and given Horne’s solemn guarantee, Sarah and Emma didn’t say anything more despite their lingering doubts.
However, when Rose finally led everyone to a desolate-looking path leading out of the city, Ize’s brow furrowed tightly.
He stopped in his tracks and spoke in a serious tone. “Wait. If I remember correctly, the Blood Tribe in the outer city areas hasn’t been completely cleared out. There might still be scattered monsters wandering around. Senior Dio isn’t here, so for safety’s sake, I think it’s better if we don’t leave the city.”
Horne turned around to face Ize. That uncomfortable, gentle smile was still plastered on his face, but his tone carried an inexplicable certainty.
“You’re overthinking it. There are absolutely no Blood Tribe members where we’re going.”
Ize narrowed his eyes, keenly catching the key point in his words. “Oh? How can Mr. Kyle be so sure there are no Blood Tribe members there? As far as I know, their movements are mysterious and unpredictable.”
The smile on Horne’s face deepened, and the corners of his mouth curved into a slightly eerie arc as he said word by word, “The reason I can be so sure… is because I just came from that direction.”
Almost the moment he finished speaking, a cold and familiar system notification rang out abruptly in Ize’s mind.
**[God-level Choice System at your service. Please make a choice as soon as possible.]**
**[Choice 1: Protect Dini and follow them out of the city. Difficulty: A. Reward: Protagonist Value +10]**
**[Choice 2: Say to Horne, “I’ve been sick of your face for a long time. What’s with that creepy look you’re giving my teammates? You won’t even let my junior off the hook?” Leave behind harsh words and kill Horne. Difficulty: B. Reward: Villain Value +10]**
**[Choice 3: Tell everyone you’re afraid of dying and want to go back to rest. Difficulty: D. Reward: NPC Value +10]**
Hearing the three options and their contents provided by the system, Ize’s face instantly darkened, and alarm bells rang in his heart!
He snapped his head up, his gaze like a torch as he locked onto Horne’s seemingly harmless face. His voice was cold, carrying undisguised questioning and vigilance.
“You came from outside the city? I’ve heard that the Blood Tribe is extremely skilled at disguise, even able to perfectly mimic humans and blend into crowds. Mr. Kyle, you are so certain the outside is safe, and you claim to have come from there… then, who can guarantee that you aren’t a Blood Tribe member in disguise?”