Constantly greedy
The victory in the first team operation undoubtedly greatly increased everyone's enthusiasm for action.
"Maybe we should take over the workshop first? That way, if we run into an opponent like this bombing all over the place, at least we won't be so short of potion supplies."
Morina said this because she was the person who consumed the most potions in this battle.
She and Sorens took care of the whole field in the back. Not only did they have to keep a close eye on Ximu and Zhui'en in the field, but they also had to pay attention to Ruixia who was outputing above the arch. One of them was frantically casting clearing mantras and various amplifications on her teammates, while the other was desperately trying to maintain the defensive magic on her teammates in the intensive attacks, and almost used up all the magic potions she brought.
Sorens, who ranked second on the potion consumption list, scratched his head and obviously agreed with her.
But Ruixia obviously didn't see it that way.
"The monster in the workshop is very agile. We don't have any other effective means of confinement besides the barrier. Furthermore, this is our first group operation, and we haven't established tacit understanding yet. If it breaks our formation, it will be very dangerous."
right.
Although the Nebula people in the teaching building have fierce attacks and a huge range, they are stationary and obvious targets. As long as there is long-range firepower and continuous interference with their defensive skills, except that the support from the rear is a little more difficult, there is almost no tactical complexity, making it very suitable for training.
The accumulation of resources is important, but team coordination is even more critical.
"In a place like this, survivability is the most important thing. As long as we can keep living, everything else will naturally follow... Besides, we're about to go to the workshop now. A few bottles of potions will replenish our supplies quickly, so there's no need to worry so much."
The black-haired boy patted Morina's shoulder, then took Sorens in his arms and praised him for his exquisite timing in casting spells.
On the way back, the young people chatted and reviewed their experiences. They were no longer as cautious as when they first arrived, and were as relaxed as if they had just returned from an outing in the countryside.
On the way back to the dormitory base from the sky bridge, although Ximu knew that the huge crossbow was under Ruixia's control, he was still frightened and subconsciously walked to the middle of the team to deal with any possible accidents.
Seeing her cautious intention, Ruixia slowed down and walked to her side, even following her to observe and confirm.
"...There shouldn't be any problems at the moment, so there's no need to be so nervous." He smiled.
Danger often strikes suddenly when people are most relaxed. Ximu is well aware of this, so he keeps one eye open even when resting.
It’s not that she didn’t trust Ruixia, she was just being on guard out of habit.
"How are you?"
In the previous battle with the Nebula people, the energy barrier covering the entire field had cracked once, and the leaked magic directly hit Ruixia himself, frightening Ximu so much that his heart stopped for a moment, and he turned around to rush over to him.
Fortunately, Sorens' defensive magic rescued her in time, and Ruixia herself also carried her own protective gear. When the smoke and dust cleared, Ximu finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ruixia was safe and sound and had even started repairing the work.
However, Zhui Ning suffered a bit because she tried to stop Xi Mu from leaving the field, and for a while she was hit by double critical attacks from the enemy and teammates.
But he really had no choice. Given the size and combat power of the Nebula Man, if Xi Mu left, it would be difficult for him alone to completely control its spellcasting movements.
"I'm fine. Although I felt a little dizzy after the shock, I recovered quickly and didn't suffer any serious injuries."
The boy even opened his arms to show that everything was fine.
"but……"
Ruixia hesitated to speak, then looked in the direction of Zhui Nin with an apologetic look.
Ximu understood what he meant, turned around and looked over, and whispered: "...I'm sorry."
She was indeed in the wrong in this matter. After all, their respective positions had been agreed upon in advance. Not only did she leave without permission, she also tried to assault her teammates. She should apologize no matter what.
The unruly swordsman raised his eyebrows, surprised by the girl's understanding at the moment.
"Oh."
He chuckled and looked them both over, looking very magnanimous.
"It's only natural for a girl to lose her composure when her lover is in trouble... But honestly, that elbow of yours really hurt. Next time, can you please not hit my joints? Who's going to help you pull monsters if you cripple me? How about this, next time when we distribute supplies, give me some from your own, and then we'll be done with it..."
Sure enough, after the politeness came the request, but Ximu didn't care about it and agreed casually.
As for the teasing about her "lover", Ximu didn't take it seriously at first because Morina always liked to make fun of them. Until she heard Ruixia say "Oh" with a little embarrassment, she looked over again.
But the boy didn't even look at her. He quickened his pace to catch up with Sorens who was in the front and started chatting about some magic-related topics.
Xi Mu, who was walking behind him, couldn't see his expression, but the boy's ears, which were faintly visible among his hair, seemed to be slightly red.
——Are you shy again?
I thought a boy like Ruixia, who has an older sister and whose mother makes most of the decisions about family matters, would be good at getting along with the opposite sex. And from some of his daily details, I can also see that he is quite friendly to women...
Why do I suddenly feel embarrassed every time I encounter this kind of teasing?
Although he looks cute when he blushes.
Last time I accidentally touched his hair, and the way he stuttered when he spoke made me feel like... bullying him.
This thought made Ximu a little frightened, confused and bewildered.
But if she thought about it carefully, she felt that if Ruixia sat opposite her with a blushing face, she could really look at him all day long without getting tired of it.
Why?
It’s definitely not because she judges people by their appearance. In Ximu’s eyes, a person’s appearance is not important at all. Whether they are easy to kill or whether they should be killed is her priority.
Then...if Ruisha showed hostility towards her, would she still kill him without hesitation?
The continuous thoughts suddenly came to a halt.
The thought of Ruisha dying, even at her hands, brought a vague fear to her heart, almost making it impossible for her to think.
Why...why could I easily consider things before, but now I can't?
At that moment when her mind was distracted, she suddenly seemed to see the altar on the long steps again, the high dome, the high gods, and the "gaze" that came from nowhere but was always watching her everywhere.
She was the "marked" sacrifice.
She had no idea what her future would be like.
Will the intersection with Ruixia drag this innocent person into the abyss?
He was a little light that shone into her deep darkness, but that was unintentional because he was a very good person.
She couldn't ruin his future just because she wanted warmth.
In a trance, she could hear the cold sound of dragging, and the heavy chains seemed to bind her again, wanting to keep her on the ancient altar forever.
"Ximu?"
A clear calling voice pierced the gradually encircling illusion and brought Ximu back to reality in an instant.
Unconsciously, she had fallen to the back of the group. She looked up and found that everyone had stopped and was looking at her. Ruixia was standing at the front, holding out her hand and beckoning her, "What's wrong? Come over here quickly."
Can't get through.
Can't hold his hand.
You will harm him.
I don't know if the thing whispering in my ear can be called "rationality", but even so, Ximu still couldn't help but take a step forward, moving closer to him little by little, uncontrollably.
People who have lived in darkness for a long time cannot refuse to move towards the light.
Ximu's expression management has always been perfect. No matter how turbulent the waves in her heart are, her face always shows no big clues.
So when she saw her walking towards her with a normal expression, Ruixia didn't feel anything unusual. She just turned her hand as usual the moment she reached out her hand, and prepared to take her wrist like a gentleman.
But the silver-haired girl did not obey. She changed direction and gently but firmly held his hand.
The originally cheerful and noisy atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
Ruixia opened her mouth, and it was obvious that she wanted to say something, but it seemed like there was a problem with the program somewhere, and the language module did not run. Instead, a blush crept up her cheeks.
I have to admit that Ximu is really good at making him crash instantly.
But in fact... Ximu himself was also confused.
She had no idea why she did this, and by the time she realized it, she had completely missed the opportunity to let go naturally.
therefore--
She simply pulled Ruixia with her, and with an arrogant attitude as if she was robbing someone, she strode forward past everyone, and soon she had distanced herself from the main group.
The two of them deliberately ignored the sudden commotion in the back - including a sharp explosion that seemed to come from Morina and a whistle from someone unknown - until they were almost back to the door of the base, Ximu finally woke up from his dream and let go of his hand silently and reluctantly.
Ruixia's palms were dry and warm, with some thin calluses on her fingertips and palms, making them very comfortable to hold.
The young man looked like he was about to burn out, completely devoid of his usual eloquence. It took him a long time to regain his ability to move. He silently opened the gate of the stronghold, first shutting down some of the fortifications near the door, and then nodded to let Xi Mu in.
"that……"
"actually……"
Walking quietly all the way back to their usual meeting place, they both spoke at the same time, hitting each other, and then stopped at the same time.
Even though he was confused and panicked, Ximu had no habit of avoiding other people's gazes. After all, in most eye contact, the one who avoided first would naturally lose first.
Unable to bear the gaze directed at her, Ruixia turned her face to the side, took a deep breath, and tried hard to return to normal.
"...Suddenly, what's going on?" he asked in a low voice, "Do you have something to say to me alone?"
"No."
The girl's answer was simple and clear, but before Ruixia could fully grasp the feeling of loss in her heart, Ximu's next words completely shattered it -
"I just want to hold your hand."
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