Chapter 22: 21. Attachment

21. Attachment

Li Ang guessed that it was precisely the matter of the Star Soul that caused the young girl to choose to leave the island in the game's plot.

"When I beat it back just now, I sensed that its strength wasn't very high yet. Let's prepare as soon as possible; I can handle it. Because the Star Soul is closely related to you, it's best if you come along too."

"Don't worry about your own strength. As long as you follow my commands, no matter what their strength is, I can make them play a role."

Li Ang had many years of experience commanding group battles and was very confident in this point.

"But," Zoe remembered something, "if I go down to find that monster, I'll get a headache, right? Then I'll just be a burden."

She no longer needed to worry about this point.

When leaving the basement, Li Ang glanced at her interface. The system prompted that due to receiving the intelligence note, the description for "Star Soul Greenhouse" had been unlocked.

[Skill: Star Soul Greenhouse]

[Activation Method: Passive]

[Special Constitution. A host body craved by the Star Soul. The host grows together with the Star Soul and can command the power of the Star Soul. If the will is weaker than the Star Soul, one's life will be drained, becoming nutrients for the Star Soul. [Blocking the flow of Spirit can disrupt the Star Soul's perception and inhabitation]]

Spirit manipulation—that was Li Ang's specialty.

"I have a way to make sure you won't get a headache."

It seems that even within the mysterious Star Soul, there is Spirit. This conforms to the laws of the world—the triangle of Spirit, Magic, and Matter constitutes the foundation of the world, evolving into everything else.

As long as he used magic to draw a curse mark with Spirit-eliminating effects on Zoe's head and activated the effect on targets other than her, the external Spirit would be unable to flow toward her head.

Previously, when she had headaches, Li Ang hadn't sensed any Spirit acting upon her, which indicated that the connection between her and the Star Soul was more unique; his sensory abilities lost their effect, perhaps because the way the Spirit acted was completely different.

But since the system said so, it should be fine.

Having obtained Li Ang's promise, Zoe couldn't sit still anymore. Her daytime vitality returned quite a bit, and she walked lightly and nimbly around the room.

Before, when she said she felt light, it might have been because she had absorbed some of the Star Soul's power.

"It's time to sleep."

Li Ang looked toward the stairs leading to the attic.

"If there's space in the attic, I'll borrow that place for the night."

"It's very dusty there; you don't need to go."

Zoe stared with innocent eyes: "We can just sleep together."

"Ahem, children shouldn't just sleep with others."

Li Ang sighed.

"I know that, but aren't we friends now? We already agreed on it."

Li Ang originally wanted to say that friends of the opposite sex couldn't do this, but then he thought, these days, the same sex might not be safe either, and besides, having to explain this for a long time might make it even harder to clarify.

He could only say: "Friends shouldn't do this either."

Zoe stopped talking, but silently grabbed his sleeve.

This person, did she think that being noisy was wrong, so she was conducting a silent protest?

Li Ang got up to walk up the stairs, but was grabbed by the arm by the young girl. His Tier 1 Warrior constitution was no match for the girl at all, and he was dragged bit by bit back into the room.

After staring at each other for a long time, Li Ang finally compromised and chose to make a floor bed in her room.

Regarding this, although the young girl couldn't understand why he had to stay far away when sleeping together was warmer, she eventually agreed, because this way she could still watch him while sleeping.

She brought bedding over from her parents' room. Li Ang didn't want to lay it directly on the floor, so he pulled over the old bedding that belonged to him on the girl's bed.

To this, Zoe disagreed and started competing with him for it.

"This is clearly mine, and you have a quilt, right?" Li Ang said helplessly.

"No, I like this one."

Zoe puffed out her cheeks: "It's big and light, and warm. Every time I argued with people in the village and felt unhappy, I would wrap myself in it and hide. You won't sleep with me, so if I cover myself with it, it's like I'm hugging you."

These bold words were truly challenging the resilience of my nerves again and again.

Li Ang said with a headache: "Fine, fine, suit yourself, hurry up and sleep."

The young girl grabbed the edges of her dress with both hands and was about to flip it up.

Li Ang was quick-witted and pressed her hands down.

This is really killing me.

"Remember, don't just do this in front of others..."

Another lecture followed. Li Ang had already developed a resistance to "But you aren't an outsider," and just mumbled to brush it off. Anyway, no means no; if she wanted to undress, she had to wrap herself in the quilt first.

Her parents must have left behind corresponding teachings, but in the long passage of time, without follow-up explanations, she would have her own understanding.

After passing this hurdle, he saw Zoe kick off her small leather boots and sit on the edge of the bed.

Her figure was petite, swinging her slender calves; they tapered into tight, beautiful Achilles tendons, connecting to a pair of fair feet that were perfectly shaped and slightly fleshy.

As her little feet kicked back and forth, the young girl noticed Li Ang's gaze, and then she met his eyes directly, extending her soles toward his face. The soles were a crystalline pink, with long yet round and cute toes clearly visible right in front of him.

When they were about to be shoved directly into his face, Li Ang calmly dodged.

"Why aren't you wearing socks?"

"The socks wore out long ago, and so did the other clothes."

That made sense; her parents didn't leave behind any daily necessities, and even her dress often couldn't keep its edges intact.

Li Ang glanced at her small leather boots. If she had been wearing them like that all this time... that pitch-black boot opening made him shudder slightly. A bit curious, a bit afraid.

Feeling his arm itch, he looked back and saw her mischievous toes nimbly crawling up his arm.

Li Ang jumped away as if electrocuted.

"Go wash your feet, they stink."

Hearing this, Zoe stopped her movements, pursed her lips, and then started kicking him more intensely.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?"

"Hmph, you think I stink? I'll kick you to death, kick you to death."

The young girl kicked him with her legs, and following the angle of her soles, the smooth and slender sight extended all the way to the edges of her fluttering dress; there was simply nowhere to place his gaze.

Amidst the dazzling phantoms of her pink feet kicking out, Li Ang saw the edges of Zoe's eyes turn red. She clearly cared very, very much about Li Ang's words, and it had nothing to do with anything romantic.

"Anyway, I'm just a stinky wild child." Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's.

"It's my fault, stop kicking. I didn't mean it that way; I'm just used to talking like that with other adventurers."

The young girl's subtle thoughts were truly something one couldn't slack off on—in every sense.

Both sensible and insensible, both dangerous and innocent, or rather, it was precisely because she was simple that she was more dangerous.

She guarded this little world alone and wanted to grasp every bit of warmth, which was why the relationship with her had closed so quickly in a short time.

But precisely because of this, he knew her current actions were just a little wild cat that had just found a home, snuggling up for warmth.

Li Ang was afraid that if he didn't grasp the scale well, he would walk down a path of losing his humanity; his mind was constantly tense.

It took a great deal of effort to soothe the young girl, and when Li Ang lay down, he fell into a completely deep sleep without almost any struggle.

Mental torment, physical labor—this day had exhausted him to death.

Before closing his eyes, he vaguely saw the young girl staring at him, but he no longer had the energy to think.