Herta turned a blind eye to that look, her gaze shifting downward to land on his right foot.
Although it was concealed by his voluminous black robe, the unnatural twist was impossible to hide.
The thicker scent of blood was emanating from right there.
Did he... carry her while she was sound asleep and clear the fourth maze space all by himself?
Herta opened her mouth to ask something, but the words died in her throat.
Ask what?
Ask if it hurt?
Or ask why he did it?
To this guy who claimed to be so powerful, her concern might be seen as meddling and mocked.
"What? Haven't slept enough?"
Sensing the change in her gaze, a look of hunger flickered across Qi Zhimu's pale face.
"If you keep quiet, I'll take it as a silent agreement to offer yourself as my midnight snack. Oh, and no need for mushy thanks. Just be a bit happier when I eat you."
Herta nodded silently.
"...Did my sleeping for so long have something to do with you?"
Ever since she started receiving infusions of various knowledge, her sleep had always been light and brief, governed by a subconscious self-discipline.
As long as she thought about when she needed to wake up before falling asleep, it was almost impossible for there to be a delay.
But now... her body definitely didn't feel like it had only slept for half an hour. Therefore, she didn't believe Qi Zhimu could have cleared the maze in such a short time.
Qi Zhimu let out a soft huff. "What do you mean'sleeping for so long'? You've only been asleep for less than twenty minutes."
"You said your eyesight was bad. I'm skeptical about you getting out of the maze in less than twenty minutes," Herta said with a look of disbelief.
"So what? I have good luck. It's just a maze; I could pick the right path even with my eyes closed."
"Then what happened to your foot?" Herta lifted the hem of the black robe covering his foot.
"I accidentally sprained it; it doesn't affect me at all." Qi Zhimu said nonchalantly, "Now that you're awake, let's head out. The final stage should allow me to stretch my legs a bit."
Herta released the hem of his robe and said earnestly, "Thank you."
Qi Zhimu was slightly stunned, then he curled his lip.
"Tch, who cares about your thanks? Don't say it again."
Despite his dismissive words, his arms holding the young girl didn't loosen in the slightest as he quickly stood up.
Before they had even taken two steps, Herta noticed the irregularity in his stride.
Even like this, it "didn't affect him at all"?
I see, he's just a stubborn tsundere who says the opposite of what he feels.
"Also, shouldn't a genius little brat like you be very proud? Saying thank you—doesn't that go against your persona?"
"Mr. Creditor, you have no idea what my persona is."
"That's just what you think. I've read the memories of several fellows who ended up in my stomach. I actually know quite well—you're the youngest genius girl in the history of the Azure Star."
"So that's why you're greedy enough to be willing to make a deal with me?"
"Why else?"
"With your strength, why don't you take the initiative to go to the Azure Star to find food?"
"Hey, hey, is it really okay for you, a human born and raised on the Azure Star, to say that? How is that any different from a turncoat welcoming the enemy with open arms?"
"Don't change the subject," Herta asked relentlessly.
She didn't know medicine, but she remembered that when she was a child and got hurt, her mother would say other things to distract her while treating the wound.
That way, the perception of pain from the injury wouldn't be as intense.
So far, Mr. Magician had been very good to her, but she could only do small, insignificant things within her power for him.
"That's because I'm a picky eater. First of all, the ugly ones make me want to vomit just looking at them, and you expect me to eat them?"
Qi Zhimu spoke with high spirits, sharing his taste preferences with the little tot in his arms.
"Secondly, I don't like eating the old ones. The meat is tough, the texture is poor, and the blood isn't sweet at all."
"Finally, the stupid ones can get lost. I'm afraid that after eating them, not only will I gain nothing, but my IQ will also drop."
"When I eat you, I'll start by sucking the brain matter out through your ears."
"A girl like you, so young yet so smart, is a once-in-a-century find."
"In order to have a good meal, I didn't even use hypnosis on you. Instead, I let you become happy yourself. Only then is the flavor authentic..."
"Jie jie jie... Hearing this, are you scared yet?"
Qi Zhimu looked at the small face in his arms, but he saw no obvious emotional fluctuations, which left him somewhat disappointed.
"Tsk, you're really no fun, kid. It seems only by fulfilling your wish can you escape the melancholy that doesn't belong to your age."
"...Hey, I'm talking to you. Say something."
Herta said out of the blue, "Mr. Magician, stop laughing with a 'jie jie jie' from now on. That's for old men."
Qi Zhimu: "..."
He felt that one day, he would be defeated by Herta's sharp little tongue.
She answered irrelevantly and was quite irritating.
Amidst their bickering, the two arrived before the door leading to the final stage.
"Put me down. I feel much better; I can walk on my own."
"No way. You're very weak right now. Heaven knows what the situation will be like once we go in."
Qi Zhimu's tone left no room for negotiation, and he added another sentence.
"I'm extremely protective of my food. No one else can touch my Reserve Food. Anyone who dares to lay a finger on it—die!"
"..."
Thoughts surged in Herta's mind as she placed her hand over her heart.
Clearly, she would eventually be eaten by him, so why did she feel a sense of warmth inside?
Meeting those deep brown eyes that didn't hide his inner thoughts at all, she couldn't help but lose herself for a moment.
They were unusually clean, even... pure?
Perhaps only someone whose heart isn't filled with numerous interests and schemes could possess such eyes.
"Why have you gone quiet again? Weren't you good at leaving people speechless? Or are you having second thoughts?"
"I'm not having second thoughts. As long as the data is sent back to the Azure Star United Government, you can eat me however you want."
Herta spoke with a serious face, saying words that would make anyone else shiver.
"That's good then."
Qi Zhimu curled his lips, then changed the subject.
"To prevent a situation where we are forced apart again, we need a countermeasure."
A countermeasure?
Herta looked puzzled.
She saw Qi Zhimu take off the black hairband tying his hair and take a strand of her hair to tie it on.
"My creator's taste isn't very good. They gave me a long hair setting but used this ugly, generic black hairband. I don't have many things on me, so I'll give this to you."
Qi Zhimu looked her over and nodded with satisfaction.
Even with the abrupt addition of the black hairband, Herta's little face was still so cute and beautiful—it just lacked expression.
"As expected of the Reserve Food I've set my sights on. Give you a few more years, and I can't imagine how great this face will be."
"I'm even considering whether to wait until you've fully matured before enjoying you. By the way, how old are you this year?"
"Fifteen."
"Then there really is room for waiting. Hmm, I'll think about it. For now, you should give me something from your person first."
Herta thought for a moment, took off the key necklace with a single key around her neck, stretched out her arm, and hung it around Qi Zhimu's neck.
"What kind of countermeasure is this?" she asked. "A locator?"
"Smart. I've added a Unique Magic to it. If we disappear from each other's sight and perception, it will take effect."