In the Spirit forest

  "I still 't believe you have already broken through, Lucy, " someone said, and a young woman, maybe around twelve, smiled dazzlingly at a man dressed in red. His long crimson hair fell down his back, and his eyes were also deep red and filled with friendliness.

  The one called Lucy had long white-blond hair falling long beyond her waist as she smiled at him. Her skin ale as her hair. Wheood still, she resembled a por doll, almost more than a human being. She had deep blue, nearly bck eyes, naturally red lips, por white skin, a delicate build, and a faint smile.

  "her I, Yan."

  "Well, she is a bigger mohan the rest of us, isn't she?" a woman's voice said, smoky ag. "The first ever eleven-year-old breaking through level thirty."

  "Hu Liena!" Lucy said in surprise and rose from her pce, hugging the only slightly irl. "I didn't think you would make it here in time."

  "I made it through, little Lucy," Hu Liena said with a grin. Has Yaaking good care of you?" She asked and smiled at the redhead, whose smile turned even happier at seeing her.

  "Sure, I did, " he said, patting his chest. "As if I would ever our little baby. Right, Lei Quing?" she asked a young boy her age, standing slightly aside. His appearance was unlike hers. His jet-bck hair was cut in a choppy manner, falling almost over his eyes as if he couldn't decide where and how to cut it. He had haunting bck eyes and sun-tanned skin.

  "Never, Yan." He smiled, his gaze fixed on Lucy as his voice turned darker.

  "Lucy is one of a kind, after all." She smiled at him brightly before rushing to him and peg his cheek.

  "I know." She said, her gaze sharp and slightly unhinged. Lei Quing shivered coldly at the sigh, and all the others around them saw only a happy pair of friends.

  The atmosphere around them was cordial. Their group was her big nor small. Yan sat o Hu Liena, and Lucy was o Lei Quing as they shared dinner with a handful of soldiers, servants, and packers they had brought. The forest around them eaceful and calm—almost eerily so. Not a single bird was singing, and not a single sound was being made by nature.

  Instead, it was silent except for the people versing, the crackle of the fire, and the quiet panionship of the four young leaders of the group.

  "I wonder where my brother is." Hu Liena said. "He wao be here a while ago."

  The others looked around helplessly, and Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he got held up. He is with aive, though, so I wouldn't worry too much."

  "Yes, you are right. I am overthinking. Thank you, Lucy."

  ---

  "Goddamn that monster." Xie Yue muttered and stroked through his hair. He knew his sister disagreed with his assessment of Lucy, but he didn't like her the least. Looking around, he saw the corpses of spirit beasts lying on the ground, their rings floating above them. Ten-year-old, hundred-year-old, it didn't matter to that woman; she just left him to up the mess.

  Well, he snorted. It was not as if he hadn't volunteered for the job; after all, he couldn't let Hu Liena or Yan do it. He picked up the ten-year-old spirit beast's body and frow seeing how it was mangled and his bones bent in awkward angles. Lucy's work. Her spirit was a death scythe they called Toothed Voracious Eater, a mutated one on top of it.

  Two razor-sharp bdes were attached to a scythe, and everything that got between them was eaten, deformed, and ripped apart if it hadn't been sliced beforehand. An attack spirit that knew little else but straight-up killing. They couldn't even spar properly with her as she didn't even bother holding back her spirit but rather vicious notions.

  Lei Quing was not much better; he was more maniputive in a very creepy way that bothered him, especially since he cealed his nature so quickly. Lucy was the only person he was afraid of, and she certainly wasn't quite right in the head.

  He sighed and used his hands to dig a small hole, burying the spirit inside. He pitied the animal. Hunting something and ht killing for the kill was different, and this was nothing short of sughter for the sake of sughter.

  His clothes were dirty, and he was sweating, so he returo the camp and was weled by his sister and Yan, who had waited for him.

  "Finally, you are te, brother." Hu Liena hugged him wele. "We expected you ho."

  "I was held up; something came up, " he said and kissed her temple. "Don't worry."

  His sister shot him a dazzling smile when he saw Lucy walking towards them, Lei Quing faithfully following in her wake as usual. "Xie Yue, " she said, waving her hand iing, smiling.

  Does she even know? Probably not; Lucy is somewhat naive, after all.

  Xie Yue asked himself a sed before he forced a pretend smile on his face, greeting her. "Lucil."