Level Up Legacy

The horses galloped through the dirt path, cutting a neat line between the woods. Arthur looked back, and he couldn't feel any presence around. Then, he pulled on the reins, forcing the horses to stop.

"Easy there," said Arthur as he patted the horses and jumped from the wagon. It was still at night, but the sky had an orange hue in the east. Arthur walked around the cart and stared inside to find Little Yin still sleeping. "Not looking like someone being targeted."

Arthur doubted he was being entrapped at this point since this young woman was truly Little Yin. Furthermore, the two of them were far from Helios, making their way toward the safe house the Bloodflwoer Boss mentioned.

The woman grunted as Arthur carried her and placed her down to lean on a tree. Her eyelashes fluttered before she opened her eyes, then snapped them open.

"AH!" shouted Little Yin before Arthur closed her mouth. He couldn't risk alerting any humans or beasts, although he ensured no one was close. However, someone who could pass his detection was not uncommon.

"Do not scream, fight, or resist. I was sent by your sister to escort you out of the capital, which I did. However, I made no promises to be patient about your attitude. So here is a little equation: you make a fuss equals me disposing of you."

The woman did not resist anymore and simply stared at Arthur with her big blue eyes. Arthur removed his hand from her mouth, and Little Yin breathed rapidly.

"I killed you."

"As if you can," said Arthur before he went toward the carriage and took out the basic supplies he prepared. He didn't want Little Yin to see him using too much of his abilities. "I announced who I am when I entered the mill; what did you attack me for?"

"My sister said I should attack whoever comes as a test of their abilities," said Little Yin as she stood up. "You passed the test."

"I hate being manipulated or tested, so be careful," said Arthur as he placed down a stove and marinated raw steak. "I know you are hungry, so I'll make food."

"Thank you," said Little Yin before she sat in front of the stove, her knees glued together on the ground. Arthur glanced at her with surprise, watching her docile attitude.

Little Yin and her sister were both strange women. Their attire consisted of tight dresses with their bodies and flowers embroidered into them. Their black hair was tied in a bun, held by a sharp hairpin that could be seen from the front. However, their bangs remained loose in front of their eyes.

Their appearance was something Arthur had never seen before, and it didn't seem to fit into Ilios either. Most of the Iliosian wore wool, silk, or leather. Compared to the Yalveran Union, Ilios didn't seem to care about fashion.

'I guess the Yalveran Union is the exception since their sin was greed,' thought Arthur inwardly. He was beginning to believe that the sin dungeons responded to the people's desires.

The steaks were cooked on medium fire, seasoned with the unique spices from Sourna, and soaked in the fresh syrup from Janea. Arthur bought these from Jerano, and they existed in his subspace, waiting to be cooked.

"Gulp."

Little Yin seemed to drool as the steak spurted its aroma into the air. Her eyes were staring at the meat as if nothing existed beside it. Arthur sighed and picked one of them, placing it on a plate and giving it to her.

"Eat."

"Thank you!" said Little Yin before snatching the meat and tearing it apart with her teeth. Arthur made sure to place a fork and a knife on her plate, but she seemed far from concerned about etiquette at the moment.

The steak was gone in ten seconds. Arthur wanted to look into her mouth to see if she had an extra set of teeth to help her achieve such an astonishing feat. But, instead, Little Yin licked her lips, moaning at the deliciousness of the aftertaste.

"You can have another…." Arthur said, seeing the glint in her eyes. After cooking five steaks for her, each two hundred grams, Little Yin's hunger was finally sated.

"When was the last time that you ate?" asked Arthur as he placed the stove away and returned the rest of the ingredients to his storage. "You seem to be starving."

"The last time was before the two of us met," said Little Yin with a protruded belly and a happy smile. "After that, my sister smuggled me out of the city without anyone knowing. I had no food, so I ended up starving so far."

"You mean until now," corrected Arthur before he frowned. A usual Iliosian wouldn't make such a mistake, and his rune wouldn't make such a mistake in translation. "Are you an Iliosian?"

"I am, born and raised," nodded Little Yin without hesitation, but Arthur doubted it. However, if she wanted to hide it, she would have picked different clothes.

"Your attire is different from normal; why so?"

"This? My sister chose it, just like the rest of our outfits. She picked them from merchants from abroad, that is all."

Arthur considered the possibility and saw no reason to pursue this matter now. The ones being followed were them, but he had no idea by who. Since the Bloodflower Boss didn't reveal anything, he had to use Little Yin.

"How long have you been pursued?"

"Ah, here is the thing. I think my sister is just being paranoid like she always has been, as this is not the first time that I have gone through something like this. However, she always believes that someone is coming for me."

"You are wrong about this. Someone is following you, but I doubt it's a person like your sister mentioned. There is something else."

"…like a ghost?"

"You should read fewer stories. It's not a ghost but something else watching us. We have been here for a while, but no wild animals approached, not even birds."

"You are scaring me, and I won't forgive you this time!" said Little Yin as she looked around. Although Arthur liked teasing her earlier, this nagging feeling appeared as soon as she woke up.

"I doubt there is someone out there at the moment, but the moment you woke up, they became aware of our location," said Arthur as he placed the stove away. "I hoped your sister was wrong, but it seems she is not."

"Am I being watched?" she started shaking at the thought, looking around with panic. "Please, tell me the truth. I hate this feeling."

"I am telling the truth, but there is no need for you to worry," said Arthur as he put away the stove. "Luckily, you fainted earlier, making them unable to find us. So even if someone is pursuing us, they are far away."

"Where are we anyway?"

"A few cities away from Helios, but we are not there yet. Anyone who wants to pursue us will have to cross a few cities, consuming a day at least. We can find a place to hide as long as we have a head start."

"Wait, knock me out," said Little Yin as she hurried to stand up. Arthur stared at her with surprise, but she seemed serious. "This is the best way to avoid being found."

Arthur had to think for a bit to devise an excuse. After all, he wanted to know the identity of her pursuers. However, saying so would make him seem like he wanted to help them.

"It is inefficient," said Arthur. "I can't keep you unconscious until the mission ends. After all, there is still my payment. I believe that your sister has already contacted you about that."

Little Yin nodded after a short pause.

"Even if I make you unconscious now and wake you up later, they will find you. So it is better to lure them away first before revealing our hideout."

"You plan on fighting them?" she asked with surprise. "For my sake?"

"You are overthinking this. I simply want to get the mission done and find out where the forger is," denied Arthur the delusions she was having.

"You could have left me in the hideout without telling me that I was being followed," questioned Little Yin with doubt. "That would have been the fastest method to finish your mission. However, you did the opposite of that. Is it possible that you…?"

"That I what?" muttered Arthur with a frown, not liking where her delusions were going. The growing blush on her face confirmed his doubts, and she started poking her index fingers together as if she was shy.

"I once heard about love at first glance… Is it possible that you… fell for me?" asked Little Yin without meeting his eyes, staring straight at the ground. Then, as Arthur was about to say no, a cat with three golden eyes appeared above her head.