Chapter 256 - 232: Is This Child Your Chosen Mate?
Gu Ning’s expression faltered for a moment, then she nodded.
"You’re... truly amazing." Gu Ning’s gaze fell on the longsword Windsor had placed on the ground. ’A King Seed that Zone 19 had to expend immense manpower and resources just to prepare to fight... and she took it down with a single strike.’
’To think she could take on a King Seed alone... Her strength was truly admirable.’
Windsor followed her gaze to her own blade and said, "This King Seed was already injured. Plus, those children kept its followers busy. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to finish it off so easily."
’There was another crucial point,’ Windsor thought. ’The King Seed was wary of the child before me, which is how I was able to find an opening to exploit.’
’But she probably doesn’t understand the key to it all.’
Windsor mulled it over for a moment and decided not to say anything for now.
She drew the sword from its scabbard and placed it in front of Gu Ning, letting her get a good look.
Gu Ning looked down. In the flickering firelight, the sword’s gleam was much dimmer. To her surprise, a section of the blade had broken off, and cracks had appeared along its length.
"The sword... it’s broken?" she asked, looking up at Windsor.
’Judging from its scabbard, the sword must be about a meter long. About a quarter of it is gone.’
Windsor replied, "Yes. The King Seed Core was too hard."
Gu Ning traced the cracks on the blade. "What a shame."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Windsor’s bandaged right hand. Gu Ning had just helped wrap it. The web between her thumb and index finger had been split open, likely an injury from the shock of that final blow.
"It can still be used after some repairs." Windsor didn’t seem too concerned. ’It’s actually surprising the sword didn’t shatter completely. It seems that King Seed really took a huge gamble. It was nearly out of energy, yet it still tried to capture this child.’
Hearing her mention going back, Gu Ning organized her thoughts and asked, "Miss Windsor... where are you from?"
Ah Mo, returning with firewood in his beak, shot Gu Ning a sideways glance when he heard her address Windsor so formally.
Windsor smiled. "Child, I’m already one hundred and ninety-six years old. You can just call me by my name."
Gu Ning’s jaw dropped. ’How... how old?’
She thought she must have misheard.
Seeing her shocked expression, Windsor chuckled and repeated the number.
Gu Ning fell silent. ’Do Beastmen really live that long?’
She couldn’t help but look at Windsor’s striking white hair. It was woven into a single braid that fell over her chest, but on closer inspection, it lacked luster and seemed dry.
Windsor also had fine lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes.
But she didn’t look anything like someone approaching two hundred years old.
’Forget two hundred, she looked forty at the absolute most.’
"You... you look so young," Gu Ning said in genuine amazement.
Windsor broke into a gentle, happy smile. "You think so?"
Gu Ning nodded, her gaze toward Windsor now filled with the respect one shows an elder.
’An elder who is nearly two hundred years old...’
"Chirp." (’Looks like she’s never seen an old female before.’)
Ah Mo dropped the firewood and crouched beside Windsor.
Hearing this, Windsor thought of the child’s origins. Her smile faded slightly, and her eyes filled with even more compassion.
"I live in Zone 9 now," Windsor told Gu Ning.
"Zone 9?" Gu Ning was a little surprised. She had assumed Windsor was from the Upper District.
"I used to live in the Central Green Area for a while, too." Windsor seemed to guess what she was thinking and added, "But Ah Mo and I have been wandering around the Northwest region for years. We haven’t been back to Zone 9 in a long time either."
Gu Ning’s eyes shifted between her and the large, grayish-white bird beside her. "Just you... and him...?" ’Wandering through a wilderness teeming with Mutant Species?’
Ah Mo’s eyes swiveled to stare at her. "Chirp." (’That’s right. The advantage is living a long time. Long enough to outlive all our rivals.’)
Seeing the bird staring at her, Gu Ning said to Windsor, "Your partner is amazing, too."
"His name is Ah Mo," Windsor introduced him. "He’s my mate."
Gu Ning immediately sat up straight and said politely, "...Mr. Ah Mo, it’s a pleasure to meet you."
Ah Mo raised his eyes and chirped once.
Windsor smiled at Gu Ning. "You can just call him Ah Mo. He has degenerated into a Mixed Breed and can no longer take human form."
Gu Ning asked, "An atavistic Mixed Breed?"
Windsor glanced at Ah Mo and gave a faint smile. "You could say that."
Gu Ning scratched her cheek. "I also have... an atavistic Mixed Breed... relative."
Ah Mo pulled his head back, his eyes full of doubt. "Chirp? Chirp? Chirp?" (’Where would she have an atavistic Mixed Breed relative? How could those guys at Sky Watch Point possibly allow a Mixed Breed to exist?’)
Windsor gently squeezed his beak, her gaze falling on the unconscious puppy. "Is this little one your chosen mate?"
Gu Ning quickly waved her hands in denial.
Ah Mo glanced at the puppy. "Chirp."
Hearing the bird named Ah Mo chirping constantly, Gu Ning couldn’t help but ask Windsor, "What is he... Mr. Ah Mo... saying?"
Windsor poured her some more hot water. "Ah Mo says you should get some rest. Don’t worry about the convoy. We’re ahead of them, so they should be able to find us by dawn."
Gu Ning pulled up the sleeve on her right arm and lit up her terminal—dawn was still about two hours away.
She was indeed exhausted, but with Leo still unconscious, she couldn’t rest easy. After finishing the hot water, she hugged her knees and began to doze off while staring at the fire.
"Go to sleep, child. I’ll wake you. You need to recover your strength." Windsor patted her head and adjusted the robe around her.
A warmth spread through Gu Ning’s heart, and she unconsciously leaned closer to Windsor.
Windsor put an arm around her, letting her lie down with her head on her lap so she could sleep more comfortably.
Gu Ning watched Leo, his chest rising and falling faintly as he lay there. Her vision gradually blurred, and soon, she was fast asleep, her head resting on Windsor’s lap.
Ah Mo brought over a blanket in his beak and set it down beside Gu Ning. "Chirp?" (’Are we taking her back to the Central Green Area?’)
Windsor spread the blanket over Gu Ning and shook her head gently. "We’re not the ones who should take her back."
A thought seemed to occur to Ah Mo, and he grew sullen. "Chirp." (’Those stubborn old geezers... sooner or later, I’m going back there to peck all their feathers out.’)
Before dawn broke, a figure was the first to arrive at their camp.
Ah Mo opened his eyes and looked toward the "little bird" rushing toward the camp’s entrance.
’Not bad,’ Ah Mo thought. ’Faster than the other little brats.’
Philinos stopped at the entrance. He froze for a second upon seeing the female holding Gu Ning, then respectfully dropped to one knee.
"So it was you." Philinos looked at the small female sleeping peacefully in Windsor’s arms and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Windsor sized him up. Seeing the "little bird" was covered in bloodstains, she said, "Go and get your wounds bandaged."
.
"Fuck, don’t you fucking touch me! I’m injured!"
"Can we at least carry you to the vehicle?"
"Piss off, piss off! I’ll get on myself later."
"Don’t touch me! If I end up with any permanent damage, you’ll be responsible!"
Gu Ning’s eyes flew open at the sound of arguing, and she shot upright.
Seeing she was awake, a head burrowed into her arms and came to rest on her lap.
"It’s over. I’m gonna die."
The force almost knocked Gu Ning over. She propped herself up with her hands on the ground and looked at the head on her lap. It was Leo, his brow furrowed in a pained expression as he whimpered and rolled around on her legs.