127 A COMPANION TO TRAVEL
Petunia hesitated, frowning. "He did mention it," she admitted, "but no one takes him seriously when he asks us to target and eliminate high scorers from other academies. And he specifically said to handle it discreetly."
Leo gave her a sideways glance, his expression indifferent. "Well … discreet? they found out. So what?"
Petunia frowned deeper, stepping in front of him to block his path. "You'll have trouble when you get back to Sodom. The academy won't protect you from the backlash."
"There's no need for you to worry," Leo replied coolly. "Most of these people will probably die in the ruins anyway. There won't be anyone left to report anything."
Petunia paused, considering his words. He had a point. The Sodom ruins were treacherous, and survival wasn't guaranteed for anyone.
"Some of them might make it back and talk," Petunia said, her tone laced with concern.
Leo exchanged a glance with Yun-Yun, a knowing smile passing between them. They had already made up their minds—if the mission ran into complications, they would leave Sodom City and head east.
Out there, trouble couldn't touch them.
"You don't need to worry about me," Leo replied, his voice steady. "It's none of your business anyway."
After a moment, she asked earnestly, "Will you join me in a party? It would be safer for all of us."
Leo stopped and turned to her, his gaze cold and unyielding. "There's no need, Black Pink. Our paths are not the same."
Petunia blinked, taken aback by his bluntness. "What's the matter? I thought we were friends?"
"It's better for you not to have friends like me," Leo replied flatly. "And likewise."
"Please I'm all alone here. I can't survive this realm by myself", Petunia pleaded.
Suddenly, Yun-Yun interrupted, stepping forward with a confident smile. "You can follow us if you want," she said smoothly, "but there's no need to form a party."
Petunia's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to Yun-Yun. "And who are you supposed to be?"
Yun-Yun tilted her head slightly, her expression amused. "I'm his first wife," she replied with a sly grin.
Petunia froze, her mouth opening slightly in shock before she quickly composed herself. "First wife?" she repeated, her tone skeptical.
"That's right," Yun-Yun replied, her confidence unwavering. "So, if you're going to stick around, you'll have to remember your place."
Petunia was confused but did not pursue further.
Leo sighed, clearly uninterested in the brewing tension. "Enough. If she wants to follow, let her. It doesn't matter to me."
Yun-Yun smirked triumphantly, while Petunia gave Leo a long, searching look. Without another word, she stepped back to follow them, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.
The three continued forward, an uneasy silence hanging between them as they ventured deeper into the ruins.
------
"Why did you ask her to follow us? I don't need her generating lust counters," Leo protested, glancing at Yun-Yun.
Yun-Yun smirked, clearly amused. "She's a nice girl. She can keep us company."
Leo couldn't argue with her and win, so he just let it be.
"Where are all your escorts?" Yun-Yun asked, turning to Petunia.
"Even when I handpicked every one of them, most of them couldn't handle the dangers of these ruins. Some died along the way, and others turned back to Sodom City," Petunia explained, her expression a mix of frustration and resignation.
"You brought weak escorts," Leo remarked flatly.
Petunia raised a fist, her cheeks flushing. "My family doesn't specialize in security. We're businesspeople, not warriors. That's why we don't have powerful mages as escorts. What we have are usually mercenaries."
"What does your family specialize in?" Yun-Yun asked, raising an eyebrow.
Petunia hesitated, then muttered, "Erm… we're in the entertainment business."
Leo burst out laughing. "The Lotus family is famous for their brothels in Sodom City."
"You…" Petunia pointed a finger at him, clearly embarrassed.
"There's nothing to be shy about," Yun-Yun said with a calm smile. "My husband runs a similar establishment—Court la Mood."
"See? We're in the same line of work," Petunia said, quickly moving to hold Yun-Yun's hands, her embarrassment replaced by camaraderie.
"Wait… now you're friends?" Leo asked, incredulously.
"We'll be traveling together, so there's no need for animosity," Yun-Yun said firmly, giving Leo a warning glance.
"Fine, whatever," Leo muttered, rolling his eyes.
------
Suddenly, a lone figure emerged from the swamp, drenched in mud and gunk. His companions and escorts were nowhere to be seen—slain, every last one. In his hand, he carried the severed skull of a massive alligator, its skeletal structure unmistakable that of a Tier 4 Svad, one of the swamp's most formidable predators.
"That's our brother, Agathae!" a man shouted, running toward him, his voice cracking with grief.
"What's the problem, Ananda?" Agathae demanded, his tone a mixture of exhaustion and irritation.
"That monster! The Demon of Gullee killed our brother Ashaca!" Ananda cried, the devastating words echoing through the swamp.
"No…!" Agathae's scream tore through the air, raw with anguish. His pain quickly transformed into unbridled rage. "Where is this Demon?" he bellowed.
"There!" Someone pointed toward the distance.
Petunia's sharp eyes noticed Agathae striding toward them, his fury blazing in every step. "Someone's coming to challenge you," she said to Leo, her voice tinged with worry. "He is not afraid like the others."
Leo's expression remained calm, almost indifferent. "If fear doesn't work on him, I'll face him head-on," he replied coolly.
Petunia frowned. "You're too confident. He's two to three tiers stronger than you—a mid-tier Svad!"
Leo smirked. "A mid-tier Svad scares you? What I'm more curious about is whether he's a player."
Petunia hesitated before nodding. "He is. Almost all talented family heirs in the Realm of Sins are reborn players. The System doesn't place players in poor families to struggle like the rest."
"What's his Sin?" Leo asked.
"I don't know for sure," Petunia admitted, "but he's always angry. He needs pampering maids around him all the time to soothe his anger."
"Wrath Counter," Leo muttered.
"Maybe," Petunia said with a shrug.
"What element counters Wrath?" Leo asked, turning to Yun-Yun.
"If he enters a frenzy, it'll be nearly impossible to stop him. He becomes fearless in that state—almost nothing can hold him back," Yun-Yun warned.