Daina perked up as she saw Eric walking out of the bar.
She followed him through the streets, occasionally leaping from one rooftop to another.
Before she could catch up with him, however, something caught her attention.
Three men stood in the street, dressed in matching uniforms.
The unmistakable crest of the Void Clan was displayed prominently on their badges.
The crest depicted a magnificent winged lion made entirely of colourful lights, soaring through a vast expanse filled with countless stars.
And what do we have here?
Daina thought, slowing down as she approached.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she moved closer to listen.
The three men were questioning a woman while showing her a missing-person poster.
This person must be important if an entire clan is investigating his disappearance.
Daina jumped onto the roof directly in front of them and leaned forward to get a better look at the poster.
The moment she saw the face on it, her instincts screamed danger.
No way.
Her eyes narrowed.
He isn’t important enough for his disappearance to attract the attention of the Void Clan.
The person in the picture was, of course, the same man she had kidnapped and brought to Eric so he could experiment on him.
As far as nobles were concerned, the disappearance—or even death—of an ordinary commoner meant nothing.
Unless…
this isn’t as simple as it seems.
Eric waited in an alley for Daina to arrive.
He had reactivated his Soul Sense after leaving the bar.
Although he couldn’t sense Daina’s soul directly, he could still detect the repulsive wave that radiated from her body whenever he tried to probe her.
That was how he had noticed when she stopped following him.
He had already removed his mask and changed his clothes.
All that remained was to wait for Daina so they could discuss how to leave the city.
An hour passed before she finally arrived.
Daina limped from the rooftop and landed directly on his shoulder, her claws digging into his skin.
Eric winced.
“You were having a good time back there.
You even forgot that we were travelling together.” His tone carried a hint of annoyance, but he knew she must have had her reasons, so he didn’t scold her.
“As if,” Daina retorted.
“I just came across something interesting, so I had to satisfy my curiosity,” she continued.
Eric raised an eyebrow.
“Something interesting, you say?” Daina nodded before explaining everything she had seen—the three men, their connection to the Void Clan, the missing-person poster, and the woman they had been questioning.
Eric rubbed his chin as he thought over the situation.
“We can’t assume it’s a coincidence that, right after our encounter with that man, he suddenly went missing.” His expression became serious.
“But we don’t have enough information to draw any conclusions yet.” Daina nodded solemnly.
It was quite strange for a fox to display such a human-like expression, but Eric had already grown accustomed to reading her body language.
Her flattened ears and dull eyes told him everything he needed to know.
Something about this situation bothered her.”I think we should leave as soon as possible.
Staying here is no longer safe,” Daina suddenly suggested, prompting Eric to nod in agreement.
“We’re going to leave by tomorrow or the day after.
If what you said about the investigation is true, then leaving is going to be difficult.
The guards will probably be on high alert,” Eric said as he walked through the familiar streets.
Daina had no objections.
Even though she wanted to leave immediately, she knew Eric was probably right.
“So, how was your trip into the underground market?
Was it productive?” Eric smiled, glad for the change of topic.
“Yes,” he replied enthusiastically.
“I even got a spatial ring that stores items in a separate space.” He raised his hand, waving the ring in front of Daina so she could see it.
Daina studied the ring.
Eric waited for a reaction.
But there was none.
She merely stared at it with the same level of interest someone might have toward an old toy they had already grown tired of.
Eric’s enthusiasm faded slightly.
Then one of Daina’s ears suddenly perked up, and a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes.
“And what about the ladies?” she asked innocently.
“I heard they’re very proactive in places like that.” Eric’s eyes twitched.
Why does this fox always manage to focus on the most annoying part of every important conversation?
By then, Eric had already reached the door to their room.
Without answering her question, he simply opened the door and walked inside.
Daina followed after him, a mischievous smile still playing on her lips.
In the peace and quiet of the night, a lone figure with red hair and cold eyes stood across from the inn.
His gaze was fixed on a particular window.
Inside the room beyond that window, Eric slept on his back while Daina rested on his stomach in her fox form.
Suddenly, Eric’s eyes snapped open.
An intense malice was coming from a soul nearby—a soul that was staring directly at him.
The moment Daina sensed his unease, she woke up and stared at him in confusion.
Eric turned toward her.
His expression was unusually serious.
“Remember, as long as even a fraction of my soul remains, I cannot be destroyed.” “What are you talking about?” Daina complained, still half-asleep.
Eric didn’t answer.
His gaze shifted toward the door.
Then, without warning, he grabbed Daina and hurled her through the window.
“Eric!” Daina crashed onto the hard ground below.
Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt in the slightest.
She immediately looked back up at the window, clearly annoyed by his sudden reaction.
But before she could complain, a flash of lightning erupted from the room.
A torrent of flames followed immediately after.
The two forces collided with a deafening explosion, illuminating the night sky.