Before they came out of the theatre, the first task was removing the blocks Kyle had placed there.
It was its own kind of strain.
Or perhaps not, for Na-Ri cleared the obstacles with ease.
When they reached the darkened outer area, the road appeared quiet and undisturbed.
With disappointment written across her face, she said solemnly:
"Uh… I thought you said the creatures would be swarming everywhere, but I do not think even an ant has passed through here."
Kyle sighed, scoffing at her remark as he tightened his grip on the iron picker and walked ahead.
He muttered, "Do you really expect the creatures to swallow the land like an ocean? What I meant is that they would roam freely without restraint, not flood the place like a tide."
The beautiful lady blinked twice.
"...I did not hear you."
The young man glanced back, then pointed ahead.
A troop of Glassfang rats was advancing, their vicious eyes gleaming.
Judging from the small pack, there were perhaps twenty or thirty, and their attention did not appear fixed on the pair.
Na-Ri shook her head casually, almost dismissive, exuding confidence as she moved beside Kyle, who stood torn between running and fighting.
Despite his nerves, a faint spark of confidence stirred within him.
He knew he could not remain weak forever. He had to fight back sooner or later.
And now, with the striking woman by his side, he could not allow her to confirm that he truly was a coward.
He resolved to at least kill one.
Fortunately, the incoming beasts were small. Since his body felt lighter and stronger, he believed he could manage it.
…And he would try not to die.
The young woman sneered inwardly:
'Well, freezing them would ruin the cores if I plan to sell them. Perhaps I should just shoot…?'
She turned to Kyle, who was fixated on how to bring one down as the creatures drew closer, still colliding into one another in their frenzy.
"Hey, weasel… Sorry, I mean Kyle, should I shoot them or what? I really need their essence cores… to sell, of course." she inquired reluctantly, summoning the fantastical gun.
Kyle was stunned by the sheer absurdity of her question.
To him, it was nothing short of idiotic.
Yet when his eyes met the weapon, his expression faltered.
Jealousy crept over him.
How fortunate this stranger was to receive such an artefact from her manual, while he had gained nothing remotely suitable for attack, assistance, or defence.
Well, except for the Qi condensation pill that had saved his life.
He became momentarily lost in the allure of the weapon, forgetting her question altogether.
She was still waiting for his reply.
Rolling his eyes, he said sarcastically:
"You can go ahead and shoot them if you want to shatter the essence cores. That gun looks more than capable of doing exactly that. Besides, they are tiny creatures, so a single shot is enough to obliterate them."
Na-Ri snapped her fingers and darted forward at a speed that defied humanity.
In mere seconds, she reached the front of the swarm, which had already lunged for her.
The fantastical gun shifted into a jagged black blade.
With a single devastating swing, she severed their heads, spraying ashen blood in every direction.
Kyle's jaw slackened, his pupils contracting as he unconsciously channelled his Bond Imprint.
His little weapon had turned to ice in his hands, unbeknownst to him.
He was actually astonished that the gun could transform into a sword, and a dazzling one at that.
'What has she been doing all this while? Waiting for someone to follow her on a childish adventure, and I was the unfortunate one who stumbled in?' Kyle thought with disgust.
Now he understood why she would rather sell the cores.
Consuming them would yield her no real gain since the beasts were from a weaker stage of cultivation.
They were useless for growth...
...But selling them in bulk would certainly serve whatever ambitions she had.
Kyle looked away from the blood-stained sight and Na-Ri, who harvested the cores with a blank expression.
His face darkened when he noticed the iron picker had frozen.
At least it proved the Bond Imprint offered some usefulness.
Freezing opponents, even without creating constructs, would make follow-up attacks much easier.
Casting the frozen tool aside with disdain, he walked closer to her.
He glanced at his backpack.
He was clearly poorer than her now, and he knew she would never share her spoils.
So he did not even bother to ask.
Kyle decided to leave her behind.
A grim desire to hunt burned within him, even if it meant risking his life this time around.
Of course, he wanted to sell the spoils.
Still ignorant of what consuming them would truly offer, he refused to dwell on the thought.
What he needed most were resources.
Na-Ri had given him food and water, but he did not want to depend on her, nor expect her generosity to last.
He also wanted to test what he was capable of now.
Once she finished collecting and storing the cores, she joined him and tapped his back as though they were comrades.
He stiffened at the gesture, slightly irritated, for he was not accustomed to teamwork.
"Hey, don't brood, weasel. You can have the next kills. I will leave them to you, alright?" she said flatly, without emotion.
Kyle's expression hardened.
First, why was she acting as if nothing had happened between them, as though the intimacy they shared was meaningless?
For him, it lingered vividly, and he knew it would not fade soon.
Second, who did she think he was, to continue looking down on him?
Even if her tone was less oppressive than before, it was still offensive.
And lastly, her behaviour was shifting. She still considered him weak, but she had grown far too free with him.
The closeness was unsettling, pricking at his thoughts.
Especially with a woman.
He had never wanted such closeness, nor did he expect it to ever come.
Because he had believed he would be dead by then.
As their eyes locked, his thoughts returned to her words.
'I can have the next kills? What a classic line. Go on, kill them for me and hand me the essence cores. I am weak, right? Then help me out.'
Her face remained cold, but in her gaze he sensed she was also lost in her own thoughts.
"Umm… Kyle. Do you want a weapon?" she asked flatly, glancing at the frozen, useless iron picker.
'So you really unlocked my ability? Or rather, copied it. Just how did you acquire the corrupted technique?'