Chapter 439: Reunion

Chapter 439: Chapter 438: Reunion

Before leaving, Yu Zhizhi gave Ai Xi some instructions for the territory.

She didn’t expect to be gone for too long this time. According to Zero, the location of the wreckage had been found, and Dracula would handle everything. Her role was to be ready to use her Evolution Talent at any moment.

The next day, Yu Zhizhi and the Little Octopus went to the Divine Hall Illusion Realm together.

As an envoy of the Divine Hall Illusion Realm, the Little Octopus rarely visited. If not for Tutu, it would have nearly forgotten about this role.

Just like last time, a Teleportation Array appeared in the Divine Hall.

Zero stood to one side, smiling as he watched the Rabbit Clan female and the octopus that was always with her… His gaze lingered on the octopus for a moment. It seemed a little bigger than the last time he had seen it.

“No.2 Envoy is already over there waiting for you,” Zero said softly.

Yu Zhizhi hadn’t left her territory in a long time and had grown used to her leisurely days. She was both excited and nervous about this trip. ‘Is it because I’m going to see Dracula?’

She slowly walked to the center of the Array, the Little Octopus’s tentacles gently gripping the hem of her dress. Soon, they had left the Divine Hall Illusion Realm.

When Yu Zhizhi opened her eyes again, she was in a rundown inn. A torrential downpour seemed to be raging outside, drumming against the windowpanes.

Inside the room, a fireplace burned quietly with warm, red flames.

A sudden, deafening clap of thunder made Yu Zhizhi jump, and she couldn’t help but flinch.

The Little Octopus looked around, then used a tentacle to pick up a thin blanket from a wooden chair and hand it to Yu Zhizhi.

“Are we here already? Is this Sun Ridge?”

The Little Octopus was incredibly excited. It climbed onto the windowsill and looked down at the gloomy street, occasionally spotting a Beastman walking through the downpour under a large black umbrella.

On the Beast World Planet, Sun Ridge was considered the most dangerous zone, home to various factions and rife with conflict.

Mutants who had been abandoned by their clans all gathered here.

Although they were Beastmen, their appearances were much more terrifying than ordinary Beastmen. The Knight Alliance also had a base here, an area no one dared approach.

With the dark red, knitted blanket draped over her shoulders, Yu Zhizhi slowly walked to the window and joined the Little Octopus in looking out at the street scene.

The ancient, dark street was being scoured by the relentless downpour, and the streetlights seemed to sway in the wind. In the distance, she saw a Beastman crouching under a windbreak. The flesh on his face looked as though it had been corroded by a cheap potion, leaving it raw and exposed.

And this rundown little inn had terrible soundproofing.

The sounds of laughter and card playing from the next room were rather grating. Muffled by the storm, they sounded like static from an old radio.

“Where’s No.2?” The Little Octopus’s tentacle tightened on the curtain, and it quickly pulled it shut when a passerby seemed to notice them.

‘This place doesn’t seem very safe.’

The Little Octopus was worried that Tutu would be targeted by unsavory characters.

“He must be nearby…”

‘Dracula probably booked this inn room in advance.’

Although it smelled a bit damp, having a place to shelter from the wind and rain in such awful weather was very reassuring.

Yu Zhizhi slowly crouched down. She had brought some food for the trip. She picked out a red apple, washed it, cut it with a fruit knife, and shared it with the Little Octopus.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the hallway outside, as if something had been smashed on the floor.

A Beastman cursed under his breath. The innkeeper came up to do his registration rounds and knocked on the door of the room at the very end of the hall.

Yu Zhizhi held her breath. She was new here and didn’t know what was going on, so she didn’t dare open the door rashly.

The Little Octopus found an empty, dust-covered wine bottle that looked like it had been hidden under the bed for years. Gripping it tightly with two tentacles, it glared menacingly at the door, ready to charge at anyone who came in.

Yu Zhizhi heard people talking outside in a strange language she had never heard before.

The knocking grew louder, the person outside clearly becoming impatient.

The noise from the next room became even more grating. Combined with the raging storm, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.

Just then, Yu Zhizhi heard a familiar voice from the hallway: “I have the pass.”

Yu Zhizhi’s eyes suddenly lit up—

‘It’s Dracula!’

The Little Octopus also breathed a sigh of relief. “Sun Ridge has way too many rules!” it grumbled quietly.

It had only vaguely understood the exchange—something about a pass and a unique language. This was probably because of the high concentration of half-mutants, who had gradually formed their own system.

As for the new language, however, it seemed to have originated with the Knight Alliance.

Outside, the innkeeper’s attitude became deferential. “Welcome, sir.”

Yu Zhizhi secretly pushed the door open a crack and saw the figure standing there, dressed in a black Warlock Robe and holding a black umbrella.

After the innkeeper left, the Beastmen who had gathered in the hallway fell remarkably silent.

Dracula turned and looked toward the crack in the door.

Yu Zhizhi froze for a second, then couldn’t resist pulling the door open wider and offering him a small smile.

They hadn’t seen each other in a long time, but Dracula’s aura was as distant as ever. He placed his umbrella in the nearby stand and stepped into the room, his black robe carrying a biting chill and its hem soaked from the storm.

Yu Zhizhi opened her mouth, about to say his name, but then she caught herself. ‘Dracula has a special status,’ she thought. ‘We have to be more careful while traveling.’

‘I can’t call him by his name… so, Lord?’

‘No, that doesn’t seem right either.’

After racking her brain, Yu Zhizhi could only call him by his title in the Divine Hall. “N-No.2 Envoy.”

Dracula untied the fastenings and took off his black robe.

He gave the Rabbit Clan female a passing glance and offered a slight nod in response.

Yu Zhizhi wanted to talk to him more, so she asked, “Where are we going tomorrow?”

Dracula sat down in front of the fireplace. He handed the food he’d bought to the little Rabbit Clan female. He had promised Zero he would take good care of her, and he wouldn’t go back on his word.

“We’re not going anywhere. You just need to stay here tomorrow.”

Yu Zhizhi took the bag. Inside, she found a roast chicken and a container of vegetable salad.

The Little Octopus sidled over, and Yu Zhizhi handed it the roast chicken.

“Oh…” Yu Zhizhi nodded, still a bit confused. “Is this really Sun Ridge?”

She had imagined Sun Ridge to be a place of constant war and ruin, with no habitable areas whatsoever.

Dracula said, “This is a ceasefire zone. The only safe area in Sun Ridge—provided you’re not on anyone’s radar.”

“I won’t wander off,” Yu Zhizhi said softly.

Dracula stared into the fire, his eyes cold. ‘Rabbit Clan females are delicate and troublesome,’ he thought. ‘They require constant attention.’

Yu Zhizhi ate some of the food. It was very fresh. ‘In a place like Sun Ridge,’ she thought, ‘it must be difficult to even buy groceries.’

She looked up at Dracula, her thoughts drifting back a long, long time to their first meeting at the K Family Castle.

“Little Moon… is she doing okay?” Yu Zhizhi asked, inquiring about the Little Snow Eagle.