We now return to present day where our protagonist is currently in the middle of regaling his potential match about the time he was almost vored by a giant mechanical murder snake.
Yes, that was intentional.
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"...And that’s how I ended up making this guy," Zhen Liu told Bellona while lightly touching his mammoth tusk earring (Frosttusk).
Earlier on this walk, Zhen Liu had told Bellona the story behind his funeral crash and how he went from Stone Claw’s most famous(?) cripple to unexpected puppet[kaijin] master[lord], and was now regaling her with the tale of how he made Frosttusk. Bellona for her part mostly looked shocked.
Zhen Liu had just finished regaling Belona the misadventure of the Prospector’s run, which rendered the latter speechless.
"I...just want to clarify something," Bellona began to say, "So...your family assumed you had died."
"Then they thought it was a good idea to, almost immediately, send you on an almost fatalistic intracity competition."
"Yup," Zhen Liu nodded.
"That has a history for cheap deaths and assassination attempts, especially this time, when it was taking place inside of a wandering ruin?"
"Which contained a giant metal monstrosity that you only defeated with the help of some quick puppet making skills?"
"How are you not dead yet?," Bellona asked point blank.
"Honestly, couldn’t tell you."
[Heroic destiny?,] Nepherage added.
[An iron resolve?,] Hurricroak suggested.
[Tough...nails...,] Frosttusk thought.
{UNRELENTING LIBIDO!}
"I think I’m just lucky."
"Hmmm," Bellona went as she doubted Zhen Liu’s words...and took into account the voices in his head.
"Alright that explains the bracelet and the earring...what about that ring on your neck? Jilted fiancee?"
"Oh this?," Zhen Liu asked while holding Hurricroak aloft. "Well...sorta. I had to help someone avenge their murdered one."
[Milord, it was a bit more elegant and dramatic than that! My b-progenitor had to go through a rather heartbreaking revelation.]
"Alright, let me try and explain..."
And so, Zhen Liu and Bellona proceeded to walk and talk. If any member of the Zhen Clan saw this development, they would say that the two had surprisingly good chemistry. To regards to observers from other affiliations though...
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"Godsdamn boss," Arthur cursed, "how long are these whelps gonna keep walking and talking ? It’s been forever."
"Calm down, Arty. It’s only been half an hour. Besides, it also gave us time to get in contact with our still somewhat able-bodied fellows."
In the time it took Zhen Liu and Bellona to socialize, the gangster known as Boss Must had managed to gather at least three more people to help kidnap the two of them.
Including Boss Must, the Death Striders now had a force of at least four 4th ring Acolytes and a 2nd ring Aether Master.
A fighting force like wasn’t anything to scoff at, as in an area like Stone Claw, an Aether Acolyte was enough to secure a building, while an Aether Master could secure a whole street.That being said, an Aether Grandmaster was the power needed to secure a district. Coincidentally, there only had to be four or so districts in Stone Claw...regardless, four Acolytes and a Master was enough to overpower two young Acolytes and hold them for ransom.
"Alright Striders, once those two enter one of the other caves, we rush in as fast we can and knock em out before they can muster any resistance. Are we clear?"
"Good. Striders, break!"
As coordinated as gangsters could be, the Death Striders moved from their hiding spot and began to tail the young couple.
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Out of sight from the passerbys and visitors of the underpark, hidden with the power of aether, a figure was standing on the ceiling as if it was most the natural motion in the world for him.
In boredom or in thought, the figure began to scratch across his chest, causing a scraping sound like nails across an iron shield to quietly echo around him.
"Amusing, amusing, how amusing this is. The little lamb has found a little playmate. I cannot, cannot, cannot help but wonder just how quickly he turned on her, if he knew she could read his mind? Secrets, secrets, secrets are important," the figure said in a weird tinny voice.
The figure kept watching from his hiding spot, seeing how the Ecaredies girl was just mindlessly chatting and strolling without a care in the world, her would-be suitor being none too impressive. Perhaps the young whelp had a charming tongue, or a rich background? Someone she could leech for resources?
In another direction, he could see another group of humans with not-so pure intentions ready to try and take his...present.
"How foolish, foolish, foolish they are. The patient oriole eats both the spider and bug...but I eat all three."
The figure kept watching as the two groups continued to move about below.
They were already in his trap with no way out...
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As the couple kept walking and talking, the sound of a grumbling stomach soon interrupted their conversation. Zhen Liu looked a tad surprised as he heard the loud growl coming from Bellona’s stomach.
[Oh dear. It appears out young miss here is hungry. Sounds like she skipped breakfast,] Hurricroak commented.
’I-how do you know that?’
[The tone of the growl.]
’That...that can’t be a thing...can it?’
As soon as the non-kaijin voice mentioned it, Zhen Liu noticed that Bellona looked beet red from embarrassment. Regardless of the world, an audibly growling stomach is just embarrassing.
"Well then," Zhen Liu suddenly declared, "I don’t know about you Miss Ecaredies but my stomach is roaring with hunger. Shall we leave the park and get lunch? I know a place I can get us a discount, or one where the food is deliciously greasy."
"Which would you prefer?," Zhen Liu asked with a smile.
’Wait...do girls prefer sweets?’