Chapter 359 - 321: Must Expose His Intentions
Chapter 359: Chapter 321: Must Expose His Intentions
"Ning! Wake up!"
Philinos called Gu Ning’s name a few times, but she wouldn’t wake. His voice grew increasingly anxious.
The female in his arms was much hotter than usual, and her complexion was terrible.
He quickly realized she was sick. A chill shot through his heart as he scooped Gu Ning up and, without a second thought, turned to leave.
"Where are you taking her? The Heavenly Beast Clan is still prowling nearby."
Wanai blocked Philinos’s path with his sniper rifle.
"Move!" Philinos said coldly.
Wanai reached for Gu Ning, but Philinos immediately took half a step back, his tone a clear warning. "Don’t touch her."
Wanai asked, "Do you want her to die?"
Philinos froze.
Wanai strode forward, grabbed the overcoat covering Gu Ning, and pulled a corner aside to reveal the Silver Armor she wore underneath. "My Shielding Device has a very small range. The moment we step outside this container, they’ll find us immediately. I can’t beat them. You think you can?"
"If you don’t want them to take her, you’ll stay put right here."
Philinos looked down at the young female, who was constantly muttering something in her delirium. He adjusted her clothes, hesitated for a moment, and then laid her back down.
He knelt beside Gu Ning, placing a hand on her forehead to check her temperature before touching her neck. She was burning up, her skin almost scalding to the touch.
Philinos’s expression darkened. ’This is much worse than when she was in heat a few days ago.’
From what he knew of females, they rarely got sick, but when they did, it was extremely dangerous. And Gu Ning already seemed to have a weak constitution. He had to get her to a hospital immediately—or find a doctor for her, at the very least.
Their team had a doctor, but he had to contact them first.
Philinos wiped the sweat from Gu Ning’s forehead and turned his gaze to the Leopard.
Wanai stood there, watching them without a word.
"How far is the nearest hospital?" Philinos asked.
He couldn’t just wait here for Alex and the others. The pursuers from Sky Watch Point wouldn’t give up so easily. Since his teammates hadn’t shown up yet, they were likely either drawn away by something else or still tangling with the Heavenly Beast Clan.
But he couldn’t leave Gu Ning alone to find a doctor, either. This Leopard was no pushover. And though he was a mercenary, he had also accepted a mission to track their team and had even tried to kill him. Philinos feared that the moment he left, the Leopard would secretly take Gu Ning away.
Philinos tried to think of a solution that would work for everyone, but a sharp pain from his wound was like a dash of cold water, extinguishing any feasible ideas.
He was well aware of his own condition. He had learned to analyze everything rationally from a young age, including himself. But now, looking at the sick young female, he couldn’t stay calm. His mind uncontrollably prioritized her over his own reason.
"You can’t take her to the hospital by yourself," Wanai said, his eyes on Gu Ning.
Philinos’s expression was cold and severe. "She’s sick. She has to go to the hospital."
Wanai took a step closer. Philinos instinctively moved to block him, his hand reaching for a weapon only to grasp a broken piece of wood.
"..."
The next moment, the cold muzzle of a gun was pressed against Philinos’s forehead.
"If it weren’t for her, do you really think you’d still be alive to waste my time with this nonsense?"
Wanai held the sniper rifle with one hand, looking at Philinos as if he were already dead.
Philinos stared back, his face expressionless, and effortlessly exposed his rival’s thoughts. "Is that right? You’re only holding back from killing me because of her, thinking you can win her favor? Dream on."
’If the roles were reversed and this Leopard had fallen into the lake gravely injured, I wouldn’t have even given him a second glance. Our last battle, where we both tried to kill each other, already made our positions clear.’
’I injured him too. Even if the Leopard didn’t actively want to kill me, he would have definitely just watched coldly from the sidelines.’
’I have to call him out on this. I absolutely can’t let him use this to make Gu Ning develop different feelings for him.’
’I saw how her attitude toward Leo unconsciously changed after he was seriously injured by a Mutant Species while protecting her. It proved she’s too easily swayed by situations like this.’
Leo was one thing; at least he was on a mission and would have protected her with his life whether he liked her or not.
The same went for him.
But this Leopard had clearly been eyeing Gu Ning for a while, and with ill intentions.
The air was silent for a few seconds. Wanai stepped back, then tossed a long knife in front of Philinos.
"Figure it out yourself."
Philinos picked up the weapon, drew the long blade from its sheath, and an ethereal blue light illuminated his grim face, flickering like a flame in his eyes.
It was his blade.
Listening to the young female’s labored breathing and incomprehensible murmurs, Philinos slowly sheathed his blade. At the same time, the sound of a bullet being chambered rang out.
Wanai had his gun aimed at him. Any sudden move, and a special Crystal Stone Bullet would pierce his skull.
Philinos felt the killing intent and understood he had only one choice.
He wasn’t afraid of the Leopard’s gun; he was afraid that any further delay would make Gu Ning’s illness worse.
In his youth, while studying under Teacher Windsor, he had personally witnessed a Female Beastman die from a severe illness.
Just two days prior, that female had been laughing and talking with Teacher Windsor. But in only two days, a genetic illness had swiftly claimed her life.
The memory filled Philinos with a fear he had never known before.
He tightened his grip on the long knife, stood up, and was about to say something to the Leopard when Gu Ning’s weak voice reached his ears. "Philinos..."
Philinos froze.
Gu Ning’s eyes fluttered open. She looked at him and said hoarsely, "Don’t go. I’m fine... You’re awake. That’s great."
With that, she struggled to sit up, wrapped her arms around his leg, and rested her head against it. "Don’t go," she mumbled. "A cloth and... and cold water... that will work."
’I must have a fever,’ she thought, her mind surprisingly clear. ’It’s just me and these two Beastmen here. If Philinos leaves, who knows what will happen with the Leopard left behind? I’m sick, and my already low combat ability is now practically zero.’
’Besides, the people who captured me are probably still outside. Philinos is injured and won’t heal anytime soon. He’s no match for them. It’s better to wait patiently, at least until his injuries have recovered a bit. Beastmen have strong constitutions; a day of rest can make a huge difference.’
Philinos looked down at the young female clinging to his leg, a strange, tender ache spreading through his chest. He gently stroked the top of her head and whispered, "Okay. I won’t go."
He then knelt down, helped Gu Ning lie back, and rearranged the old overcoat around her, tucking her in securely. "I’ll stay right here by your side. I’m not going anywhere."
Gu Ning said, "I need water. Hot water."
’There’s no medicine here I can use,’ she thought. ’The only option is to try and bring the fever down physically.’
"Okay."
Philinos’s gaze swept across the small shipping container. He spotted a metal barrel in the corner, half-filled with clear water. The barrel itself looked like it had been scrubbed clean. ’The Leopard must have fetched this water.’ Near the fire was a pot, perfect for boiling water.
He got up and walked toward the barrel. But before he could reach it, the Leopard kicked it over. Water spilled across the floor, seeping into the cracks until not a single drop was left.