"Eek!"
Pardo was stealthily tiptoeing past Lin Wei from behind when she was suddenly grabbed by the scruff of her neck and effortlessly lifted. The shock made her yelp, almost yanking her hood off.
Lin Wei, however, observed this seemingly "cat-astrophically" unfortunate little feline with keen interest, smiling.
"My dear Pardo, long time no see. Yet you run the moment you see me—what's the meaning of this?"
"Ehehehe... Boss Lin Wei, it really has been... a long time... Ahahaha..."
Pardo's dangling legs flailed uselessly, unable to reach the ground no matter how she struggled. She could only offer an awkward, placating laugh.
"Um, Boss Lin Wei, you're really strong now, huh..."
"..."
Lin Wei paused for a moment, then let her go, his voice laced with complex emotions.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
That sentence, clearly meant as a compliment and flattery, only made Lin Wei feel a wave of listlessness.
He still remembered, a year ago, Fu Hua had subtly teased him for his embarrassing inability to even lift a girl—though she didn't show it, Lin Wei could sense that Fu Hua was thoroughly amused in that moment.
But now, a year later, he could easily lift another girl with one hand, completely unaware of his own strength.
If this had happened a few weeks ago, upon discovering this significant change in himself, he would have been overjoyed. He might even have childishly run to Yae Sakura, somewhat boastfully sharing his delight—"See, I'm slowly stopping being such a noob!"
But now, he felt not a shred of accomplishment, only a growing sense of loss.
"After the Stigma integrates with the body, it will gradually and subtly enhance one's various physical attributes."
Lin Wei had known this for a long time. Based on various preconceived notions, he had assumed from the beginning that this was perfectly natural, never once considering the underlying principles or the potential cost.
Now, Lin Wei knew—his gradual strengthening meant Yae Sakura was also gradually weakening, until a certain critical point was breached, and then...
Lin Wei shook his head, unwilling to think further. How could he possibly be happy about this?
Especially now, after his Honkai resistance had been significantly boosted by the Honkai resistance serum, and his first painstaking effort had ended in failure.
"Before, I thought the reason Sakura didn't appear in the later parts of the story was because she had already died silently in the Stigma space, perishing along with the Herrscher of Corruption. But now, I realize there's probably a second possibility..."
Lin Wei clenched his fists tightly, feeling the pressure of his nails against his palms.
"Theresa's 'Vishnu' genes... if they were to devour a mere Stigma, the speed would probably be much faster than mine..."
Some things were terrifying when pondered deeply, yet Lin Wei was utterly helpless against them. After all, there was no way to verify, nor was there any need or meaning in verifying.
Right now, he only wanted to figure out how to resolve this trouble as quickly as possible...
Seeking out Hare did seem like a viable option, but that would also mean Yae Sakura would completely fall under the other party's rules and control—given Yae Sakura's outwardly gentle but inwardly resolute nature, how could she possibly endure such humiliation?
"Let's keep it as a backup plan for now..."
Ultimately, Lin Wei sighed softly. What other choice did he have?
"Huh?"
Meanwhile, Pardo, who had been put back on the ground by Lin Wei, had closed both eyes and perked up all four ears, awaiting her fate. But she waited and waited, and Lin Wei said nothing.
So, Pardo mustered her courage and cautiously opened one eye, then the other.
"What's this? Daydreaming again?"
Pardo saw Lin Wei's contemplative expression, carefully patted her ample chest, and thought with a sigh of relief,
"Gotta take this chance and slip away!"
With that thought, she turned again, intending to stealthily sneak off. But the next second, Lin Wei's voice sounded beside her ear again.
"Wait!"
"Eek!"
Lin Wei's voice wasn't actually loud, but it made the already tense Pardo jump as if electrocuted. She pleaded with a woeful expression,
"Boss Lin Wei, Boss Lin Wei, can't you say everything at once? This little heart of mine can't take you scaring it like this!"
"..."
No matter how familiar they once were, seeing a Flame-Chaser look so "adorably cowardly" was truly a wonderfully strange experience.
Lin Wei didn't intend to bully her further. He simply raised a hand and said calmly,
"Alright, give it back."
"You really think I didn't notice your little maneuver just now, huh?"
"Wha-! So you saw it all along! Ah, no, I mean..."
Seeing Lin Wei proactively break the ice, Pardo, who had been feeling incredibly nervous, suddenly felt her heart settle. The truth almost slipped out, but she quickly caught herself and tried to cover up.
"I mean... So... So you already knew you lost something! Ahaha... I just happened to pick it up on the road and was just about to return it to you, esteemed elder..."
"Haha..."
Of course, that wasn't the truth.
Just moments ago, Pardo, curled up like a kitten napping in a patch of warm afternoon grass by the roadside, had woken up as the sun gradually shifted. Yawning, her eyes still sleepy, she instinctively started walking towards her "stall"—which hadn't seen a customer in ages—relying on muscle memory in her legs. She planned to hug her treasures and have another good sleep.
As she walked, she suddenly felt a chill down her spine, and the fur on her constantly twitching tail bristled.
"What's happening?"
Pardo jolted awake, just in time to see Lin Wei walking about ten meters away. She instantly groaned inwardly.
"What rotten luck! How did I run into this jinx again?"
She had heard that after this guy returned to the Elysian Realm, he had thrashed both Vill-V and Mobius. According to Elysia, he had even given Su a good talking-to!
Not to mention, Lin Wei had been spending a lot of time with Mobius ever since—someone who could get along so well with Sister Snake couldn't possibly be easy to deal with.
From then on, Lin Wei, who not long ago "shared quite a bit of common ground" with her, was firmly placed by Pardo into the "can't afford to offend" category, alongside Mobius, Aponia, and Kalpas. The kind you had to avoid from a distance...
But now, she had run into him so easily?
"Has my 'good luck' run out?"
Pardo lamented inwardly, then noticed Lin Wei seemed lost in thought, completely oblivious to her presence. She let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew! My luck, I knew it! Gotta slip away before he notices me!"
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I'm not feeling well, my body feels like it's breaking down, sorry today 1 chapter