Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 492: A Bit of Trouble
Having personally witnessed Talulah's transformation and confirmed her growth, Steven felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
It was much like watching a daughter he had raised finally come of age. As both a mentor and something of an old father figure, he couldn't help but feel happy for her.
Still, as Steven looked at the girl who was about to drift off in exhaustion, slumped in his arms, he could only steel his heart and give a light pinch to the thigh wrapped in her gradient-colored stockings.
Startled by the sensation, Talulah lifted her head and looked at him with confusion, clearly unable to understand why he would do something like that now.
Even if he really planned to make a move on her, shouldn't they leave this snowfield first? Besides, she was utterly drained—body and mind—and Steven didn't seem like the sort of person who would be driven by impatience.
"I know you're tired," Steven said softly, tapping her on the forehead, "but listen to me. This isn't over yet. There's still one thing you have to do."
As he spoke, a black hole opened beneath them, and in an instant, both of them were transferred back to the Infected camp.
On the surface, that Black Snake's schemes seemed to have ended when he forcibly sealed it within his own consciousness. But according to his judgment, the creature's final trump card hadn't been played yet.
Whether it was crushing Talulah's will or attempting to seize his own body, that Black Snake would still need a shocking, devastating truth as its final blow.
And for both Steven and Talulah, the most suitable sacrifice left was that poor little deer.
Since that Black Snake had already made its move on Talulah's side, then the trap it laid for Alina should be unfolding at the same time.
Guided by a vague premonition, Steven tried his best not to intervene personally. That didn't mean, however, that Talulah—the other key player—couldn't act.
Or rather, she was the true linchpin capable of breaking the deadlock.
Nestled in Steven's arms, Talulah was already accustomed to his teleportation abilities. Compared to that, the chaos erupting throughout the Infected camp was what truly puzzled her.
From the hurried movements of the Infected as they packed up their belongings, it looked like the pursuers—the Infected patrol squads—had caught up again, forcing another relocation. But if that was all, Steven wouldn't have insisted that she personally handle it.
After only a brief moment of hesitation, Talulah suddenly realized something, her eyes widening.
If Steven could piece it together, there was no way she herself hadn't caught onto at least a clue. And since Steven had brought her back here, failing to react now would make her unfit to be a leader at all.
She immediately stepped out of his arms, patted her cheeks to steady herself, and began frantically scanning the crowd for that familiar figure.
Before she could call out Alina's name, Steven frowned and grabbed her hand, stopping her.
"She's not here right now. Rest a bit first. I'll help you find her."
He tossed a bottle of healing potion to Talulah, then opened another black hole and returned to his private cabin.
Picking up Yamato, Steven turned around and instantly teleported back to Talulah, placing the restless weapon directly into her hands.
With the help of the minimap, Steven had known from the moment he returned that Alina had already left the camp. However, the fact that Margaret and Yelena were also gone eased his worries slightly.
For the sake of safety, Steven actually had quite a few ways to support Talulah, such as potion and all. But when it came to providing the greatest boost in raw combat power, the best he currently got is Yamato.
Perhaps in the past it had been constrained by the MC system, but now that it possessed its own consciousness, lending it to Talulah for a while shouldn't be a difficult matter at all.
Sensing Yamato's intense resistance, Steven's expression hardened. Enma—no, Yamato—certainly had a temper, but this was no time for it to throw a tantrum.
"Behave yourself. This matters a lot to me," Steven muttered in a low, stern voice before even placing the sword into Talulah's hands. "Protect her. And cut down anything that stands in her way."
Yamato, which had been about to retort, immediately fell silent after hearing its master tone. No one understood Steven's personality better than it did. When Steven spoke like this, he meant it—completely and utterly.
And if it chose to be willful at a moment like this, he really was the kind of person who might go so far as to reforge it from scratch.
Meanwhile, Talulah—who had just downed the healing potion and eased the fatigue from her body—watched in a daze as Steven handed over the blade. She accepted it almost reflexively.
"Then where should I go to find her?" she asked quickly, forcing herself to focus. "And… from the way you're talking, you're not coming with me?"
Having calmed herself, Talulah immediately grasped the situation. Still, Steven's decision not to accompany her left her puzzled.
Given her boyfriend's usual habit of inserting himself into every possible situation, the idea that he would deliberately stay out of this was downright abnormal.
Frowning, Talulah studied Steven's face, trying to read what kind of scheme her boyfriend was plotting this time.
"I can point you in the right direction," Steven said after a pause. "As for me… I'd like to go, honestly. But let's just say that only by staying out of it can we get the best possible ending. That said, I'm not abandoning you. If you run into something you truly can't handle, I'll step in."
That was as much explanation as Steven was willing to give. As for concepts like destiny, the will of the world, or ominous premonitions—those weren't things Talulah needed to concern herself with.
"I understand."
Talulah fastened Yamato at her waist. Even with just her hand resting on the hilt, she could feel an overwhelming power radiating from it. Compared to this blade, her former greatsword felt no better than a lump of scrap metal.
And yet, the faint sense of resistance coming from the hilt gave her the strange impression that what she carried wasn't a weapon at all—but something alive.
Still, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. If Steven was willing to hand this sword over to her, then it clearly had a special purpose—and the ability to help her. Otherwise, he would never have gone to such lengths.
"Head straight in that direction," Steven said, pointing after confirming Alina's location on the minimap. "You should catch up to that lost little deer soon enough. Bring her back safely. And if you really can't hold on anymore, call me."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/55713?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/156361807?collection=55713
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