Chapter 96

Afterwards, Tingyun also produced a small treasure as their helper, a tiny awakened lion—Diting.

"This… so cute!!!" San Yue Qi was instantly struck by this little cutie.

Xing looked at San Yue Qi with deep meaning; the girl instantly realized, instantly switched to a serious expression: "Cough, what is this treasure? What can it do? Pounce and bite Kafka not let go?"

"Hehe~" Tingyun was made to smile slightly by San Yue Qi's teasing, and explained: "Yes, and no. This is the 【Diting】 developed by Gong Zao Si by bionically imitating the five senses of our fox tribe, with even greater sensitivity. Whether footprints or scent, as long as it locks onto a feature, it can sniff out the traces left by the target and track them down to the end."

After confirming how to use Diting and becoming proficient, Tingyun then led the few people to Returning Star Port.

"Oh right."

Before the search began, Tingyun seemed to suddenly remember something, and gave everyone a gentle smile: "Let it be known in advance, if we truly encounter Kafka, please, benefactors, act on your own. I, a lowly servant, can't help at all; all I can do is tremble on the sidelines, cheering you on~"

"Don't you want to join the battle?" Xing asked.

"The benefactor behind is formidable, fighting the demonic shadow evenly. I, a mere lowly clerk, if Kafka suddenly lashes out and hurts someone…"

Tingyun lowered her beautiful brows, immediately putting on a look of tearful pleading: "Although the fox tribe doesn't live as long as the Xingzhou people, I also still want to enjoy another hundred or so years of peaceful life, so please spare me~"

Fox people are naturally alluring; Tingyun in this pose makes people's bones go soft.

"Oh oh oh——!!"

Looking at the fox girl's clever smile in the light curtain, Hezhen and the male adventurers in the tavern all let out monkey-like cries.

"This this this is a charm spell! Cute! Too cute!!"

Although Hezhen's teammates are all blossoming young women, neither Aqua nor Hui Hui have any femininity to speak of……

Compared to them, Miss Tingyun in the light curtain is simply the perfect adventurer companion!

"If she could cheer me on, the buff would probably be far stronger than that useless goddess's blessing," Hezhen glanced at Aqua, who had already completely overeaten, slumped on the tavern bar and fallen asleep.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Hui Hui was sitting at the same table with Darkness.

Seeing the men in the tavern having their souls hooked by Miss Tingyun, Hui Hui wiped her mouth juice and showed a disdainful expression.

"Tch! What's good about charm? No explosive magic worth learning at all! No, I should say, aside from explosive magic, is there any skill worth learning? None!"

Although the woman named Kafka is formidable, Hui Hui firmly believes that as long as Darkness blocks one wave of Kafka's attack for her, she can seize the chance to use explosive magic to deal a heavy blow to Kafka.

"Hezhen, even if Miss Tingyun really appears, you can't possibly keep her in the party, right?"

"She's a merchant after all; you poor adventurers, she looks down on you."

After three rounds of drinks, other adventurers in the tavern began to clamor.

Hezhen, who had drunk a few cups beforehand, was red-faced and slightly tipsy; he pushed himself up, walked into the crowd, and slowly extended his right fist.

"If money could win Miss Tingyun's heart, that would be far too simple."

"My profession is thief, so I certainly have a way with money… hic, watch me——"

"【Steal】!!"

As he shouted, his tightly clenched right fist slowly opened; before everyone's eyes, a piece of pink cloth appeared in his hand.

He pulled the cloth open with both hands and looked at it in the sunlight……

"Weird, it's not a wallet……"

"Ah ah——Hezhen you idiot! Return, return my underwear——!!"

Hui Hui, while pressing down her skirt, screamed with a flushed face.

——

"Along the way, they relied on Diting to find many clues, but the result was that they were constantly being led by Kafka by the nose."

"Kafka even left them a treasure chest, a grenade……"

"This woman is clearly provoking us!" San Yue Qi said angrily.

"Kafka seems to have anticipated every one of our moves… everyone, watch out for traps." Walter reminded.

After staying on guard, the few continued to follow Diting forward, but soon……

"The scent, has it disappeared?" Tingyun widened her eyes in surprise.

"When the prey's scent disappears, the hunter should be careful——" Kafka slowly stepped out from the darkness, coming up behind the two Cloud Riders.

"…because that is often a sign that the hunter‑prey relationship has reversed."

"Kafka!" San Yue Qi exclaimed, never expecting Kafka to dare appear so openly and aboveboard before everyone.

"These Cloud Riders haven't succumbed to the demonic shadow… what did you do to them?" Tingyun looked at the two Cloud Riders blocking her, shocked.

"What a convenient ability…… but it probably only works on humans with weak wills, right?"

At the Hero Association headquarters, Sweetheart Mask, the top A‑rank hero, appeared in the S‑rank heroes' meeting room with an air of entitlement.

Although the S‑rank heroes led by Tornado and Yuanzǐ Wushi were quite dissatisfied with his overstep, since this wasn't a combat meeting, they simply turned a blind eye.

"Oh? You mean Kafka's word spirit won't work on you?" Yuanzǐ Wushi gave a cold smile, "Sweetheart Mask, you're being overly arrogant, aren't you?"

"You don't even have this bit of confidence…… Yuanzǐ Wushi, are you really fit to be S‑rank?"

Faced with the A‑rank heroes' retort, Yuanzǐ Wushi's forehead bulged with veins; silently, his hand already rested on the sword sheath, as if he would slice the presumptuous man before him into powder in the next second.

"Whether fit or not, rather……"

"Mr. Yuanzǐ Wushi!"

Feeling the samurai's intense killing intent, the pig god beside him hastily put down his chips, hefted his bulky frame, and rushed over to mediate.

But Yuanzǐ Wushi's aura was astonishing…… one is an S‑rank hero, the other the top A‑rank; neither would easily back down, and the meeting room instantly became tense with drawn swords.

Suddenly, a violent, engine‑like heartbeat sounded.

KING sat motionless between the two, the brim of his hat blocking his gaze; only his scar could barely be seen.

"Please sit…… both of you."

Before the two powerhouses, KING still maintained a kingly demeanor, speaking slowly.