Chapter 445 - 392: At Least There’s a Puppy Trophy Left
Chapter 445: Chapter 392: At Least There’s a Puppy Trophy Left
Gu Ning and the other two returned to the SUV parked in front of the police station.
The car had been driven over for them by someone from the station. Cook was curled up inside, waiting for them.
When he saw Gu Ning return, he wasn’t as excited or enthusiastic as usual. He just went up to lick her face before quietly lying down on her lap.
Gu Ning knew the little dog probably understood their situation, and he was likely unhappy because her bag had been snatched.
"It’s okay, Cook." Not wanting to see the little dog sad, Gu Ning stroked his head and comforted him, "We’ll get it back."
The police officer knew they had been attacked by Mixed Breeds and had their things stolen. He said he would handle it seriously and help her find the bag.
If it didn’t have Cook’s things inside, she wouldn’t have cared if the bag was lost; it wasn’t worth much.
"Awoo..." Cook whimpered in response, licking her hand.
Just then, someone knocked on Gu Ning’s window. She turned to see it was Philinos.
Gu Ning thought Philinos wanted to sit in the back too, so she opened the door and pushed Cook aside to make room.
Philinos paused for a moment outside, then ducked and got into the car.
After closing the door, he took the small dog trophy out of the black satchel at his waist and handed it to Gu Ning. "It’s fixed. I had a craftsman plate it with a layer of real gold."
Gu Ning’s eyes lit up as she looked at the shiny little dog trophy. "So fast?"
Barto had said the trophy’s outer layer was peeling off in patches and looked too ugly, so he had Philinos take it to be repaired.
She thought she wouldn’t get it back until tomorrow at the earliest.
Philinos: "It’s a simple process. It didn’t take long."
Gu Ning took the heavy little dog trophy and showed it to Cook. "Cook, look! Your trophy!"
’At least we still have the little dog trophy.’
"WOOF!" Cook’s eyes lit up. He sniffed the trophy, then happily started nuzzling and licking Gu Ning. ’Ningning is the best!’
The little dog’s nuzzling knocked Gu Ning over onto Philinos’s lap.
"Okay, Cook, that’s enough..." A little embarrassed, Gu Ning tried to push herself up, but the little dog was too big, and she was pressed completely into Philinos’s arms.
"Cook!" Gu Ning pushed at the little dog’s big head, her face burning.
Philinos sat as still as a statue, a faint blush creeping up his ears, hidden by his hair.
"Something’s not right."
Lanuo spoke up from the driver’s seat.
Philinos snapped back to his senses. His keen intuition immediately told him what Lanuo meant by "not right."
He helped Gu Ning sit up, his gaze sweeping back and forth inside the car.
Gu Ning asked, "What’s wrong?"
Lanuo looked down at the Crystal Stone box by his feet and opened it.
"Some Crystal Stones are missing." He sniffed the air in the car and caught the faint, almost unnoticeable scent of an odor eliminator. "Someone was in our car."
Gu Ning said, "It was someone from the police station, they drove it back." ’It wouldn’t be strange for them to leave a scent.’
"It wasn’t someone from the station," Lanuo said. "Someone sprayed an odor neutralizer in the car."
"One of the dolls is missing." Philinos’s gaze swept over the row of dolls on the dashboard. As he spoke, he leaned forward and opened the glove compartment.
Gu Ning craned her neck to look. It was almost completely empty.
’...’ ’Who took my snacks?’
"Damn," Lanuo said. "They ate some and took the rest."
He took out Gu Ning’s water bottle that had been left inside and shook it. "They even drank all your milk."
Gu Ning took the bottle. It was so empty it didn’t even make a sound when she shook it. Drunk completely dry.
"Let’s get settled at the hotel first," Philinos said.
Lanuo started the car and drove into the night, heading for the nearest hotel.
The vehicle kicked up snowflakes that danced in the headlights before drifting into a dark corner, landing at the feet of a Beastman sitting against the wall.
A faint CRUNCH sounded in the darkness.
Kaper crushed a handful of nuts, picking out the meat and stuffing it into his mouth. He dumped the shell fragments beside him.
A small pile of nutshells and food wrappers had already accumulated.
After eating the last nut, he opened the satchel and continued rummaging for food.
’Gone. Nothing left but that puppy’s worthless junk.’
Scooping up a handful of snow from the ground, he ate a few mouthfuls and sat quietly in the dark.
Thinking back to the moment he opened the bag, he felt a helpless urge to laugh.
He didn’t know how long he sat there with his eyes closed before a faint blue light illuminated the dark corner, shining on his sweat-beaded face.
Kaper’s brow furrowed slightly. He opened his eyes and looked down at his left hand.
A silvery-blue light shone through the black cloth wrapped around his arm.
He unwrapped the cloth, revealing silvery-white glowing patterns intertwined with blood-red veins, spreading all the way up his arm.
The light from the patterns flickered, and the bone-deep Silver Armor sent out a summoning signal.
Kaper ignored it, rewrapped the cloth around his arm, and grabbed the small satchel.
Smelling the faint, sweet scent coming from it, he felt the pain ease slightly.
Kaper paused, then couldn’t help but bring the bag to his nose and sniff it a few more times.
Remembering the little female’s nonsense, Kaper smiled, flicked the little dog doll on the bag, and got up to walk out of the alley.
Standing at the mouth of the alley, he sniffed the air and followed the scent.
*
"Hello, miss. How many rooms will you be needing?"
In the spacious, brightly lit hotel lobby, Gu Ning and her three companions stood at the front desk, ready to check in.
"Two," Lanuo said first.
The tall, well-built receptionist knew the four of them were together. He smiled at the female of the group, waiting for her to make the decision.
Gu Ning looked at Lanuo, then at Philinos, and asked the Little Fairy Bird, "Philinos, are you okay with that?"
She had originally wanted to get three rooms: one for herself and Cook, and one for each of the other two.
Two rooms would certainly be cheaper, but she had a feeling Philinos wouldn’t really like sharing a room with Lanuo.
’No, he looks like the type who wouldn’t want to share a room with anyone.’
"No problem," Philinos said.
"Then, two rooms," Gu Ning said to the receptionist.
"Alright. Please present your terminal ID code or your pass."
Gu Ning fumbled in her pocket for the shiny pass and handed it over.
As a receptionist in a tourist area, he was quite worldly. Seeing this special pass, his expression didn’t change much. He paused for a fraction of a second before taking it and processing their check-in.
Afterwards, another exquisitely dressed attendant led them to their rooms.
"It’s currently the off-season, so we’ve given you our best rooms at the most favorable price." The attendant made small talk with Gu Ning as he led the way, his gaze fixed only on her, completely ignoring the males by her side. He slowed his pace to match hers, following at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
"They have private courtyards, saunas, and hot springs." The attendant, whose looks and dress were as refined as his manner, amiably yet politely introduced the hotel’s services to Gu Ning. "We also offer massages and sleeping companions. If you require it, we can arrange it for you immediately."
Gu Ning’s ears perked up.
’Wait, sleeping what?’
The attendant caught the surprised expression under the young female’s mask, and the corners of his lips curled a fraction deeper. He pulled a small booklet from his pocket and offered it to Gu Ning. "You must be tired from your journey. You could get a massage to relax. Our hotel’s staff are very professional."
Gu Ning looked at the booklet in his hand and pursed her lips. She was a little curious, but...
After a moment’s thought, her curiosity won out over her shyness. She was just about to reach out and take it when Lanuo snatched the booklet, flipped through it casually, and said, "Get her two."
Gu Ning: "..." ’Are you serious?’
"Of course. Miss, please choose..."
Before the attendant could finish, Philinos, who hadn’t said a word, snatched the booklet and ripped it to shreds. Then he shoved the attendant hard, growled, "Get lost," and grabbed Gu Ning’s hand, striding quickly ahead.