Chapter 297

"...."

"I... uh... I.... I’m sorry you had to go through all that," said Ray as he looked at the girl with a calm expression.

Trisha didn’t even turn to acknowledge him as she kept looking ahead, trying to calm the internal rage she was feeling after recalling the past.

Breathing out a sigh, Ray rubbed the side of his arm slightly.

"I’m also sorry for misunderstanding you, which made you recall the injuries of the past. Honestly, I know how you feel too."

As he said that, his hands tightened into fists as lightning crackled deep within his eyes.

"... Those damned Aberrants took everything from me. My parents, my sister, my house, and my life."

Hearing that, Trisha slowly turned to look at him. "Oh. Th-uh-that’s sad."

Ray blinked, refocusing, and was about to rant when he quickly breathed in and out.

’Calm. You now understand the reason for this. Be patient.’

"But I guess we are slightly alike. We both have the same motivation to rid the world of the Aberrants." Trisha sighed as she turned her gaze back to the world ahead.

".... Yeah. Not for any reasons to become a hero, but for my personal revenge." Ray’s jaws tightened instantly.

Trisha thought for a few seconds before looking back at him with a cold look.

"All these... All I shared today isn’t to seek your sympathy, and even though our motivations are alike, it doesn’t mean I won’t still cut you down if you become a threat to humanity."

The way the words were delivered sent a chill running down Ray’s spine, making him want to shift away from the girl.

Only for the corner of Trisha’s lips to twitch in a crude smile.

"Just kidding.... For now."

"The hell?! Who jokes that way, you crazy lady?!"

Trisha shrugged and then turned away with a slight smirk on her face.

Ray calmed himself down, then tilted his head in confusion.

"Wait. ’For now’?"

"Yeah. So far, I have seen signs that you aren’t really a bad person. Circumstances and situations have turned you this way just like me. But your second nature... being a werewolf is still unpredictable, especially with that-that thing that always makes you seem like someone with a split personality disorder."

’Oh? Bruce?’

«Wait. Did she just call me a ’thing?’ Ray. Get out of that chair now; let me teach this bitch a lesson.»

"... But even though your werewolf nature worries me, I still think you are a good person, and though you might not be humanity’s savior, you will still do anything to protect your friends, especially Van. That’s calm."

’Good person? Hell no! I’m not good. In fact, if anything, I’m selfish and maybe a little bit greedy. Yeah. Just a little bit.’

"Hmph." Ray huffed and then rubbed his chin in deep thought while looking ahead.

The wind rustled softly around them, with the sound of the dark sea flowing calmly and gently reaching his ears.

With those words, Trisha said nothing more and instead settled to continue staring blankly ahead.

"By the way, what do you think of Chloe?"

Trisha blinked. "Hm? Uh... she’s a good girl, I guess."

"Hmph. Do you maybe consider her a friend? I have seen you both move together at times in the Corps."

Trisha shrugged.

"Not sure what she thinks of me. But she’s cool, though she acts like my mum with all her nagging and yapping all day everyday. Why?"

The corner of Ray’s mouth twitched into a mischievous smile.

"Really? I’m like your mum? I nag a lot? That’s what you think of me?!"

Trisha’s eyes widened slightly in a horrific look as she spun around to see, or more like feel, Chloe standing before her with a furious glare.

"Uh..."

"I think of you as a friend even though you are weird and annoying, so you mean I nag? Well, now your ears will bleed this night. You see...."

Ray chuckled silently, then rose up and quickly left the edge of the hill, leaving Chloe to berate Trisha while the Ice Queen groaned inwardly and was forced to listen.

’Ah. Feels good.’

«You knew that Chloe was awake and close by, huh? Why did you do that?»

Ray shrugged and then sat down cross-legged away from the still nagging Chloe.

’Because I could feel the mood and atmosphere was too heavy. I also didn’t know what to say at the moment because I’m not good with those kinds of things.

And knowing... Well, feeling Trisha, she might not want Chloe to know about her past and make the dynamic between us weirder.

So doing this, Chloe would nag, but when she calms down, she will apologise and maybe try to cheer Trisha’s mood. She’s a good girl, and things like these make her feel bad. So since I couldn’t cheer Trish up, Chloe should do the job.’

«That’s old. It feels like you are becoming... nice and soft?» Elyon commented with a brief chuckle.

«Maybe I am rubbing off on you. Hah!»

’Hell nah! I also did that for revenge. Let her ears suffer for thinking she can slay me or something. Yeah. That was for my own revenge, you damn, beautiful annoying celestial!’

.....

"Huuuu!"

Swooosh—!

Thud!

"Ah... that was harder than yesterday," Chloe commented as she came out from the hiding place while watching Ray heal Trisha of the injury she suffered in the fight against the King-rank beast.

Laying before them was the dead body of the beast they had baited into their trap like yesterday.

"All good?" Ray asked as he watched Trisha twirl her wrist a few times, and then she nodded.

"Come on. We need to beat yesterday’s record and hunt ten Advanced-rank beasts today."

"Oh, come on... ten?" Chloe almost cried aloud.

"Payback for your rant last night," Trisha scoffed and sheathed her sword.

"But-But I apologized. Come on, Ray. Help me here."

Ray shrugged and then folded his hands.

"As long as you let me deal the finishing strike, we can hunt twenty beasts. I don’t care."

Chloe looked at the Tribrid, then shook her head with a disappointed sigh.

"What shall it profit you if I lose my life?"