Chapter 96: Admiration and Disparity
The night was deep, the mansion brightly lit. Inside the guest room, Su Xiao sat cross-legged on the tidy bed, bare-chested, holding the terminal for the "Deathmatch" game in his hands.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang was inexplicably excited. The feeling of traveling made it novel for him. This time, coming to the Void without a main mission, the mindset and experience were completely different.
Baha, on the other hand, leaned by the window, enjoying the cool night breeze and a rare moment of leisure.
In the spacious courtyard ahead, a dance was being held. It was originally meant as a welcome ceremony, but Su Xiao had no interest in participating. Compared to the noisy, chaotic dance, he preferred to meditate or play games. He had already encountered enough people and events in the mission worlds; what he needed now was a moment of quiet.
"That girl sure is happy. Wonder if she'll still be this happy tomorrow morning."
Baha watched a graceful figure in the courtyard. Under the glow of the lights, the figure chatted with peers of the same age, occasionally breaking into a smile.
"Bai Ye, you won't kill that girl, will you? After all, she's my old friend's daughter. You have to give me some face."
Holding a large mug of beer, Lide spoke from his seat by the window. There was still a lip print on his face.
"She won't die."
"Good."
Lide breathed a sigh of relief.
"It won't be a fatal critical injury. I have ways to keep her alive."
"Pfft, cough, cough, cough."
Lide wiped the beer foam off his chin, hesitated for a long time, but couldn't say anything. He suddenly felt like he had done something that would screw someone over.
The noise of the dance didn't subside until 11 PM. The hunting dogs in the estate were released to prevent anyone with ill intentions from sneaking in.
When the first rays of dawn rose over the horizon, inside a warm white-themed bedroom, the light was dim, perfect for sleeping in. With a swish, the curtains were pulled open, and harsh sunlight poured in. The girl in bed curled up drowsily, pulling the covers over her head.
"Perli·Pello! Get up!"
Maid Tis stood with her back to the sunlight outside the window, a ruler in her hand, slapping it against her palm with a sharp crack.
"No~"
The girl under the covers, Perli·Pello, bundled the blanket into a ball and shrank inside. The formidable enemy of getting out of bed made her hesitate. Yesterday, she had trained for eight hours, without even a sip of water, let alone a break. As her master, Whitebeard, put it, this was to temper her will. Now, she felt her arms were still numb.
Slap~
Maid Tis slapped the ruler against her palm again, her movements crisp and efficient. Her hand shot under the covers with lightning speed, skillfully dragging Perli·Pello out.
"There's an important guest to meet this morning."
"Important... guest?"
Still groggy, Perli·Pello seemed to remember something. A smile gradually spread across her face.
"Is it the one my father mentioned?"
"Yes."
"I'll get up right away."
Perli·Pello perked up. Soon, she was standing in front of a full-length mirror.
Swish. Maid Tis pulled out a measuring tape and began taking Perli·Pello's measurements, her expression serious and meticulous. Even the length of her hair and the folds of her dress were measured one by one. Perli·Pello, the subject, seemed completely used to it.
Over ten minutes later, dressed in a white gown with a refreshed appearance, Perli·Pello walked down the corridor. Passing under a chandelier, she instinctively moved around it—a habit her master, Whitebeard, had taught her to stay cautious.
Maid Tis and the old butler followed one step behind Perli. As they got closer to the reception room, Perli's heart began to pound. She had overheard once that her father had invited a blade master. She had kept this in mind, but as time passed, she never saw that blade master.
Anticipation led to wild imagination and frantic daydreaming. That was Perli's current state. In her imagination, the invited blade master was not only powerful but also young and handsome, ideally with a touch of world-weariness. When guiding her, he would smile with satisfaction at her talent.
Thinking of this, Perli's heart beat faster. When she stopped in front of the reception room door, Maid Tis and the old butler each pushed open a door from either side.
Perli took a deep breath and looked into the reception room. Besides her father and Uncle Lide, there was a stranger.
Perli stepped into the room, trying to maintain her composure, and smiled as she met Su Xiao's gaze.
Thump!
Perli felt as if something had exploded. The door behind her, the carpet under her feet, and the chandelier above seemed to stretch away and vanish. She stood on a battlefield littered with corpses, with a towering pile of bodies ahead, sending chills through her entire body.
A figure with glowing red eyes sat atop that pile of corpses, a blood-red full moon behind them.
Not only that, but Perli also sensed a massive presence behind her. The enormous head of a blood beast leaned over from her side, its gaping, fang-filled maw exuding a bloody aura that suddenly swallowed her whole.
With a clatter, the gift box in Perli's hand fell onto the carpet. She took half a step back, her pupils constricted to the limit. An impulse to turn and flee surged within her, but in the depths of her soul, she felt that if she ran now, she would lose an opportunity.
"Hello, I am Perli·Pello."
Perli felt her voice sounded strange, almost tearful. She couldn't control it, and she didn't even dare to look again at the blade master she had admired for so long. The gap between imagination and reality was like two different dimensions.
"Not bad, you didn't run."
Baha, perched on Su Xiao's shoulder, spoke. Wodiga, standing nearby, looked puzzled, but he was somewhat displeased. His daughter's expression, as if she had seen a ghost, was very rude.
"I'll be staying here for five days. Let's start now."
Su Xiao stood up and walked out of the reception room. As he passed Perli, he paused.
"You."
"Yes!"
Perli instinctively straightened up and held her breath.
"What are you standing around for?"
"S-sorry."
Perli hadn't recovered from the terror she had just felt, but she wasn't stupid. She immediately followed behind Su Xiao.
Arriving at the training hall on the first floor of the mansion, Su Xiao looked around at the setup. Everything he had asked Wodiga to prepare was already in place.
Soon, Perli changed into a loose, beige outfit and picked up a wooden sword.
"Throw that away."
Su Xiao pulled a sheathed longsword from the weapon rack and tossed it to Perli.
"You want to spar with me? To test me?"
Perli, who had already imagined this scenario, felt uneasy, but she had barely prepared herself.
"Girl, you're overthinking it. Your opponent is that one."
Baha pointed a talon at Bubu Wang, making Perli hesitate. The blade she was holding was a real weapon.
"Woof?"
Bubu Wang tilted its head and looked at Perli, its eyes as innocent as could be. Perli drew the sword but, meeting Bubu Wang's gaze, felt conflicted. This dog looked so harmless; she really didn't want to cut it. What if she hurt it?
While Perli hesitated, Bubu Wang suddenly vanished. The next instant, Perli felt a sharp sting on her calf, followed by a dizzying spin.
Thud.
Perli slammed into the wall. Too stunned to feel pain, she realized that her opponent, which had seemed so innocent a moment ago, had attacked her without warning.
"Little cutie, this is your first lesson. No matter who the enemy is, if they're hostile, immediately—and I mean immediately—aim for the neck. Cutting off the head kills most enemies. The second target is the heart. Either don't be hostile, or kill the enemy. If you strike a snake but don't kill it, it will bite back."
Baha, perched on the weapon rack, spoke. It flapped a wing, signaling Bubu Wang to continue.
Soon, Perli discovered something utterly baffling: after all her years of training in swordsmanship, she couldn't even beat a dog. It was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.