Chapter 321 You Underestimated The Wrong Guy [Part 2]
Cal thought of what Raven had said just now but threw it out of his head as he looked at Northern's corpse lying on the ground.
It was fresh, the eyes on his decapitated head shocked and glassy, mouth slightly opened.
His surprise attack must have really surprised Northern. He was at least very proud of himself for that.
Now, all that was left was to deal with this young lady.
But Cal hesitated seriously.
Raven was a Savant, just a rank below him. After what had gone down between him and Northern, he wanted to be insanely careful.
Moreover, there was something about Raven that silently screamed danger to his ears.
But he didn't have to take care of her...
Suddenly, he relaxed his posture and straightened his back, adjusting the back of his strained neck with his hand.
Raven creased her brows, carefully inquiring:
"What do you think you are doing?"
Cal pointed to himself. "What am I doing?" He shrugged nonchalantly; there was a collectedness to the way he spoke that was unbefitting of the situation they were in.
"I don't need to fight you," he said, looking at Raven. He paused for a few heartbeats before adding, "He'd do so himself."
Immediately after Cal spoke, a voice suddenly joined them.
"No, no, no, Caladhel, I will not fight a young girl like that. Ayyyaa, what image are you trying to paint me as?"
Startled by the sudden appearance of a voice without feeling any physical presence, Raven looked around in caution, raising her sword with even more caution.
Cal frowned anxiously at the presence of the voice.
Raven was silent but her eyes were coldly monitoring her surroundings, somehow searching for any signs of its physical presence.
"What a sharp lady you are. Don't worry, I will come to you."
A second after the voice spoke, something dropped out of the sky, emitting a dark purple light.
Even though it had fallen, it didn't create any shockwave as if it was as light as a feather.
The light around it dimmed and soon revealed a man that looked to be in his mid-twenties, with an aura of youthful confidence and an unsettling calmness around him.
His hair, a tousled cascade of midnight blue, framed a face that held a perpetual smile, as inviting as a sunbeam breaking through the morning mist.
He was draped in a traditional garb that flowed like a river in hues of soft gray and deep black, each fold and layer meticulously arranged to complement the natural grace with which he held himself.
The fabric of his robe was adorned with subtle, intricate patterns, reminiscent of ancient calligraphy etched into stone, whispering tales of an era long lost.
The man with his hands behind his back walked towards Raven and leaned his face closer to hers.
For some reason, she wasn't hostile towards him as she didn't feel any hostility from him.
But she was cautious, causing her to lean her face away from his.
His smile was delightful and made his eyes shine heartily. He looked to the ground where Northern's body was strewn.
Then he touched his chest with a mournful expression on his face.
But Raven could see right through the pretense. It wasn't hard in fact, because he was exuding mockery rather than sincerity.
She said nothing and just carefully observed the man. It was not because she couldn't talk. In fact, it was rare for Raven to be this careful.
She usually leaped before she looked and bore the consequences much later.
But right now, her entire composure belied what had been known of her so far.
The man, after—in his way—mourning Northern, turned to Ulzred who was lying on the ground, still unconscious. Then he turned to Raven.
"I hope you didn't mind that Cal killed your friend."
Raven raised a brow but the man continued.
"I commanded him to do it. This your friend..." A slight frown showed on his face but quickly disappeared. "Anyways, he is out of the way so ayyyaa, nothing to worry about anymore. Welcome to the City of Fire, Marabeth."
Raven was not surprised anymore that these human-looking monsters could speak their common language, but the way he was dressed, although strange, was familiar to her in a way. It was almost like how her ancestors dressed.
There was something about him that was utterly unsettling. He boasted of immense strength in every slight movement of his body but at the same time had the presence of a genteel scholar.
This evaluation left her confused and unsure of how to handle the situation.
She was the only one presently in this place, and if this guy was really Sura, the one they've been hearing about, then there was no way she'd be able to handle him on her own.
He was a maelstrom rank from her point of view, but he had an aura that put him on a different level from all the maelstrom ranks she had ever met.
Which made her deduce that he was probably an apex level.
This would be nothing like the battle with the Kirithon. This, after all, was a monster with intelligence. And by the looks of him—a whole lot of intelligence and sneaky ways.
"Young lady, I guess that you are shocked by your friend's death, but let not the past hold you from the blessings that the future seeks to usher into your life. Grieve, but let it be brief."
He massaged his jaw with a smug expression and gave a side eye to where Cal was silently standing.
"How was that, Caladhel...?"
Dispirited, Cal responded with a blank and boring tone.
"Your sense of humor is ever increasing. You seem to be having a better grasp on puns these days."
The words seemed rehearsed. In truth, he had spoken them so much that they were now boring to his own ears.
But still, this sentient being always required that he did.
Instantly, the man turned to him and held his shoulders, saying with a serious expression:
"This kind of thing, Caladhel, you have to mean it. It's not like I asked you to compliment me. So mean it, okay? Say it with a bright face and choose another word this time, something more glamorous. You too have to work on your spoken words. In fact, I can be your tutor. Yes! I should tutor you!!"
With each word of his, Cal grew increasingly more tired in his expression.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang from behind them.
"Fuck, I'm so disgusted I could vomit right now."