Ava panicked inwardly. The ice trapping her lower body was not the real problem. It was tough, but she was certain that with her strength, she could break free. The real danger was the thread around her neck. Not only was it sharp enough to decapitate her with a slight tug, but it also seemed to drain her energy, making her entire body feel unnaturally weak.
"Fufufu~ Are you wondering why you find yourselves at a disadvantage so easily?"
Leyvi did not answer. The temperature around them dropped even further, and more of the damp ground crackled into ice. Leyvi increased the output of his Fiery Qi, forming a protective aura around his body to ward off the creeping cold.
His mind raced, desperately searching for a way out of the trap. The fact that the hidden woman had not killed Ava immediately suggested she had another objective, most likely to forcibly recruit them into her faction.
He was not sure if she was acting alone or if she had companions hidden nearby. If she had backup, the situation would be far more complicated. However, since he had been left untouched while only Ava was captured, it was highly likely she was operating alone.
Leyvi's spiritual sense worked overtime, straining to locate the woman and find any clue to her position. He even activated his Dual Mind benefit to focus on two tasks simultaneously. He tried to trace the origin of the thread around Ava's neck, but it seemed to come from nowhere and lead to nothing. It was simply a loop of sharp energy constricting her throat.
"Ohoo~ Giving me the silent treatment, is it? It breaks my heart, you know, being treated like this," the melodious voice teased. "If you do not want to talk, she might just get a little injured."
The thread around Ava's neck tightened slightly, and a thin line of blood welled up against her skin.
Damn this woman! Leyvi cursed inwardly.
"What do you want?" he finally replied, forcing his voice to remain as calm and steady as he could manage.
"Fufufu~ Are you angry? Now I am sure you are a couple. I am sooo envious. What? You cannot bear to see your woman getting hurt, can you? What a nice guy."
Hidden from Leyvi and Ava's sight, the Pink Enchantress Rose smirked inwardly.
Why do you think you have not been captured yet? I want to see if you will try to save her or not. I want to see what kind of man you are. I want her to see what kind of man you are. Fufufu~
But fret not. No matter which type you are, before long, you will be like all the other men, lusting over me. You will start fantasizing about me every day, and you will work hard to find the best treasures hidden in this world just to earn the chance to spend an unforgettable night with me. Oops, my mistake. With my lovely Madu, of course.
"What do you want?" Leyvi repeated his question, his voice a fraction louder.
"My, my. Impatient, are we not? I wonder what you were running from that you so foolishly stumbled right into my formation? Do tell me, Mr. Country Bumpkin."
Eh? This place is a formation? A concealing formation? That would explain why his spiritual sense could not detect her. Hmph, it does not matter what kind of formation it is now that I know it exists.
With this new clue, Leyvi began to rapidly devise an escape plan in his mind. All he needed was to buy enough time to execute it.
"We just arrived here, and we do not know anything about this place," Leyvi answered, sticking as close to the truth as possible. "We saw a large group of people heading out of the shade. I was confident we would not be discovered due to my... better than average spiritual sense. But then a girl attacked us with an explosive arrow, so we ran as far as we could."
He did not dare to lie completely, in case the hidden woman possessed a method to discern falsehoods.
"Fufufu~ I see, I see. The one you are talking about must be that girl, Poloma," the melodic voice mused. "So the rumor was true. Captain Shino really did decide to leave his territory. That means there will be only seven factions now. Since he left so quickly, it seems he is truly determined. Even if I went to discuss with him now, he probably would not change his mind. Hmm... what to do now?"
Seven factions left? Poloma? Captain Shino? Is that the man with the cape? So they are leaving? What is going on here? Leyvi wondered.
He had not expected that the first pieces of information he would obtain would come under such circumstances. Ava had planned to interrogate people for information, but the opposite was happening instead.
"Who are you? What do you want from us?" Leyvi asked, buying time as he prepared for the right moment to act. "I am willing to give up my space ring if you let us go."
His space ring was essentially a decoy, containing only mundane items. All his true valuables were secured within his internal storage room, a space only he could access.
"Oh, me? Are you curious about me now? Fufufu~. If you saw me, you might lose all interest in this clover girl. That would be such a shame, you know."
Leyvi was speechless. Is this confidence or outright narcissism? Does this woman genuinely believe she is the most beautiful woman in the world?
"Sex Fiend! You are not captured yet. What are you still doing here? She will not do anything to me. Just go!" Ava sent him a frantic sound transmission.
Leyvi was surprised to hear that from Ava.
"Do you think I would leave you behind?" he replied in secret.
"Who cares about that? Just leave first! You can come back to rescue me later!" Ava sent again, her mental voice sharp with anger.
"Hmph! You may not care, but I do! How can I let you fall into her hands? Who knows what she might do to you. Just shut up and stay put! Get ready, because I might make my move at any moment." Leyvi fired back another transmission.
Ava grew even angrier at his stubbornness, but she knew she could not change his mind. She fell silent, her feelings a tangled mess of frustration and dread. If something happened to him because of her, she would never be able to face Anda.
"My, oh my... the couple is secretly exchanging words with one another. This hurts my feelings, you know. I feel so left out," the Pink Enchantress remarked, her voice dripping with faux sadness. Observing the subtle shifts in their expressions, of course she had noticed their silent communication.
Fufufu~ He still has not tried to run away. It seems he is the loyal kind of man. I think it is about time I show myself. He passed the first level; now for the next test. After that heartfelt secret exchange, how devastated will she feel when her man becomes utterly enamored with the one who captured her? A magnificent scene is about to unfold.
Out of nowhere, a soft beam of light illuminated a spot about ten meters away from Leyvi. Standing within the glow was a breathtakingly beautiful woman clad in shimmering pink, holding a lantern that carried a block of ice in her left hand.
Fuck! No wonder she said all those things earlier. She truly possesses the capital to be so confident about her beauty. On Leyvi's Handsomeness Slider scale, she would be between a 75 and an 80. At that level, her beauty was potent enough to bewitch most people.
Even Ava, trapped nearby, was visibly shocked by the lady in pink's ethereal, almost unnatural beauty. A faint sense of inferiority swelled within her.
The Pink Enchantress Rose offered a sweet, knowing smile. While the country bumpkin's stunned reaction was not the instant, drooling infatuation she preferred, it was well within the range of reactions she had witnessed. It simply meant he possessed stronger willpower, likely bolstered by his feelings for the clover girl. But that resistance would not last. All she needed to do was turn up her charm a little more, and the rest would be history.
"Do you like what you see? Why do you not follow me and join my faction? You might even earn the chance to spend an unforgettable night with me." The Pink Enchantress spoke while gliding closer, deliberately letting her silk shift to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage.
"Heh, that's it?" Leyvi scoffed, his expression one of pure derision. "You have to do much better than that, you ugly bitch! Hahaha!" He laughed loudly, and the Fiery Qi swirling protectively around his body flared with sudden, violent intensity.
WHAT??
The Pink Enchantress Rose's beautiful eyes widened in utter disbelief. She could not process the words that had just been hurled at her. Her body went rigid with shock.
Ugly.
It was a word that was supposed to be impossible for her to ever hear directed at herself. This was a first in her entire life.
"Hahaha! Break!" Leyvi roared, stomping his foot down with immense force.
CRASH!
The distinct, shattering sound of a formation being forcibly dismantled echoed through the suddenly still air.