Chapter 17

In the darkness, a black shadow silently approached the room where the blue-haired girl was staying. ↖

"..."

Zheng Chen had noticed this when he came out. The window of her room wasn't locked, making it very easy for intruders to sneak in. In this world... even if it wasn't a wasteland, people's hearts were just as dangerous.

With a wave of his hand, a sharp metal wire silently dropped in front of the window. If the intruder entered from here, they would die.

"What the hell?!"

Feeling the metal wire suddenly tighten, he narrowed his eyes and gripped the wire tightly. With a loud shout, the sound of wood breaking accompanied his action. Without even looking, he pulled back the metal wire, which was now stained with a few drops of blood, and immediately jumped down from the edge of the roof, reaching out to grab the back of the black shadow's neck.

"Ambush? That old man actually dared to lie to me!!!"

A roar echoed as the intruder, who was prepared, kicked back at Zheng Chen. Zheng Chen, who blocked the kick with his arms, frowned slightly. The intruder was very strong...

After pushing Zheng Chen back, the black figure lunged at the now awakened blue-haired girl. A fierce look flashed in Zheng Chen's eyes, and the wooden floor beneath his feet suddenly shattered as he approached the black shadow and struck it in the back with an elbow.

This time, it was the black shadow's turn to be surprised. How fast is this guy? Just as he thought this, the intense pain in his back made him stagger forward, and his body, unable to maintain balance, was grabbed from behind, causing him to fall backward.

The sudden feeling of suffocation made the black shadow's face turn red. "Damn you!!! Die!!!"

The black shadow, falling backward, pressed down to try to use his more robust body to counter Zheng Chen.

Realizing something was wrong, Zheng Chen decisively released his grip, grabbed the black shadow's face with his other hand, and pressed it down forcefully.

Bang!!!

Even as the back of the intruder's head hit the wooden floor, Zheng Chen didn't let up. In the intruder's shock, he stepped down, and a series of bone-chilling sounds followed.

"Was this place attacked too!? Uh..."

Worried about the blue-haired girl, Hisska ran over here as soon as she subdued the other attacker. Seeing the scene inside, she froze, feeling a chill even in the hot summer. This guy was too brutal...

"Ugh... You'll pay for this!"

Realizing he would be trampled to death if he didn't act, the black shadow managed to grab Zheng Chen's ankle and threw him away, quickly getting up. His arm, which was bleeding profusely, was missing a large piece of flesh, cut by the metal wire when he sneaked in.

Quickly scanning the room, the intruder, full of hatred, jumped out of the window and quickly disappeared into the night.

"It's over." Zheng Chen, who had crashed into the wall, coughed lightly, wiped the blood from his feet on the ground, and said to the blue-haired girl, who looked a bit frightened.

He wasn't sure what she was afraid of.

Then he stared at Hisska and the others. "You... want to fight too?"

"What are you talking about! We came here because we were worried about her safety." Hisska snorted, pointing at the blue-haired girl. Her expression, which had been hostile toward Zheng Chen, immediately softened when she faced the blue-haired girl, a stark contrast that was quite astonishing. "You saw it, right? It's dangerous for you to wander around with your identity, so..."

"My identity hasn't been exposed." The blue-haired girl, who had pulled the blanket aside, put on her boots and calmly replied.

"Huh... The Holy War Angel's identity hasn't been exposed? Then why was there an attack?" Hisska, puzzled, pulled the homeowner, who looked dejected, and asked fiercely. If this guy hadn't betrayed them, there wouldn't have been an attack. If not for his daughter's plea, he would have been killed on the spot. "Speak! What's going on!!!"

"I didn't know she was the Holy War Angel..." The homeowner shook his head, equally puzzled.

"Then why did we encounter this!?"

"Because... because she is very beautiful and cute." The homeowner stammered, explaining the situation under pressure. The reason was the building that blocked the windmill and a series of tragic events involving a wealthy landowner oppressing the poor.

"We have no money left, and we can't escape. I can't let my daughter be taken away, so... I had to do this." The homeowner looked dejected.

"No more rest, let's go." After listening, Zheng Chen, without looking at the homeowner's conflicted expression, said to the blue-haired girl, noticing her rubbing her eyes. "If you're tired, I'll carry you."

"You haven't rested, have you?"

The blue-haired girl couldn't help but ask.

"You're too cold-blooded, aren't you? You just ignore this kind of situation?" Hisska was quite dissatisfied with Zheng Chen's indifferent attitude, especially after seeing his brutal stomping.

Zheng Chen remained unmoved. "They are attackers. Isn't it right for them to take responsibility for their actions?"

"But they were forced by their circumstances, right?"

"Then what? If you feel sorry for them, you can deal with it yourself."

The blue-haired girl tugged at Zheng Chen's sleeve and whispered, "Can we help them... I can tell they didn't want to do this."

"..." Zheng Chen's eyes twitched slightly. "It will waste time."

"What kind of reason is that!!!"

Hisska couldn't help but shout.

"I can wait."

"Where is the Edel Garden?"

Hisska and the others looked at Zheng Chen in surprise. "Are you crazy? Why are you asking us this?"

The blue-haired girl beside Zheng Chen suddenly spoke. "He wants a reason to act."

"Oh~?" Hisska's expression toward Zheng Chen immediately changed, and she chuckled. "We know where the Edel Garden is, but why should we tell you?"

"Let's go." Zheng Chen pulled the blue-haired girl and, glancing at the still blocked door, walked toward the window.

Hisska froze. "You're so arrogant!!! Do you really think we can't handle this without you!!!"

"Then go." After sending the blue-haired girl out the window, Zheng Chen jumped out and said indifferently without looking back.

"Senior, calm down. It's just a reason. It's fine to agree. We can also see what he's capable of." Long Wei quickly held back the about-to-erupt Hisska and whispered.

...

"I'm sure this is the worst collaboration of my life!" Hisska spat and glared at Zheng Chen, who was walking at the back. She was so focused on him, worried that he might take the important target and run if they weren't careful.

"..." Zheng Chen pretended not to hear.

"You guys are really different. One word from her and the cold-faced guy was convinced." Kude looked back at the blue-haired girl and said to Hisska with a smile. He wasn't stupid... He didn't mention the 'compensation' even after seeing Zheng Chen.

After all, Zheng Chen hadn't appeared during the Red Lynx attack and didn't seem to belong to any faction. Hisska seemed to be setting him up.

"Tch, just a guy, being cheap is normal." Hisska, in a bad mood, started a group attack, making Long Wei scratch his head awkwardly and Kude pull a face.

"I think... our partnership will eventually fall apart."

"Just pretend you didn't hear him!" Hisska pointed at Zheng Chen and shouted at him, "I'm a girl too, what are you thinking!"

She didn't expect Zheng Chen to answer, but he paused for a moment and replied, "She is more..."

He stopped halfway, making Hisska even more irritated. This was on purpose!

The blue-haired girl gave him a sense of 'purity and innocence.' He had never met anyone like her in the wasteland or in this world. He probably wouldn't meet anyone like her again... So he didn't want to tarnish this purity. After some thought, Zheng Chen continued, "beautiful."

Pfft!

Kude, who was also paying attention, laughed out loud.

"..." Hisska glared at Zheng Chen, unable to argue.

Rubbing a small piece of metal between his fingers, Zheng Chen knew that forming and shaping metal took time, neither too fast nor too slow. It was hard to find the opportunity to create weapons or armor during intense battles. This ability wasn't geared toward combat.

The metal from Zheng Chen's fingertips stretched into a thin wire. This time, the wire was hard, not flexible. The wire formed a dagger frame, like a complex structure, gradually taking shape.

Upon closer inspection, the dagger frame was made up of many three-dimensional triangular shapes. After completion, a layer of metal skin covered the frame, completely concealing it.

Making it solid would be faster, but it would be too heavy for the blue-haired girl to use. Even so, due to the metal's properties, this almost hollow dagger was superior to ordinary weapons.

"Here." Zheng Chen handed the dagger to the blue-haired girl, even though it wouldn't be very effective in her hands... Having something was better than nothing.

He then secretly made some portable, hard-to-detect weapons, using the same construction method as the dagger. They were light and powerful, and there was no need to make them solid if he had time to prepare.

Solid weapons were indeed much stronger than hollow ones, but they were much heavier, which would slow him down.

The distance from the village to the castle wasn't far. When they arrived, Hisska stopped. "You're not planning to bring her, are you?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zheng Chen immediately responded, "I don't trust you."

"..." Hisska's veins bulged on her forehead, barely restraining her temper.