Chapter 442 - 441: "Harm?

Yu Zhizhi recognized the voice. It sounded like the innkeeper.

She had heard that Sun Ridge was fraught with danger, and she didn’t dare open the door rashly, especially since she was all alone.

Perhaps it was a rabbit’s instinct to grow alarmed and hide at the slightest disturbance, but Yu Zhizhi couldn’t stop herself from changing into her Beast Form and diving into a wardrobe.

The wardrobe reeked of mildew, having not seen the sun in years. She used a scent-concealing card from her system’s storage and carefully hid herself away.

The knocking gradually stopped.

But Yu Zhizhi didn’t hear any footsteps walking away.

The innkeeper...

’Is he still outside the door?’

CLICK.

The door opened.

Yu Zhizhi held her breath, curled up in the back of the wardrobe and hidden behind a stack of folded bedding.

The innkeeper chuckled. "Miss Rabbit, don’t be afraid. I just have a little something I need your help with."

He slowly scanned the room. The fireplace was blazing, and a faint, sweet scent lingered in the air.

’So, she’s hiding.’

She had likely used some kind of Spiritual Technique Card, as the innkeeper couldn’t detect her scent at all. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

RUMBLE—

A loud clap of thunder echoed from outside. Yu Zhizhi heard the man’s footsteps pacing around the room. He moved from the wooden table by the wall to the narrow single bed, and then, slowly, he stopped in front of the wardrobe.

Yu Zhizhi’s heart suddenly hammered against her ribs, threatening to leap out of her throat.

Her rabbit body trembled uncontrollably.

The innkeeper swung the wardrobe door open.

He saw the little white rabbit huddled in a ball and let out a low chuckle, as if mocking her for so foolishly overestimating herself.

’The room is only so big. Where could she possibly hide?’

The man’s one good eye glinted. As the female rabbit watched in terror, he reached a hand toward her. "The game of hide-and-seek is over."

In that very instant, an icicle shot out from the bottom of the wardrobe, piercing the man’s palm.

Thick, red blood dripped slowly to the floor. The innkeeper cried out in pain. He saw the entire wardrobe was now encased in a thin layer of ice that radiated a bone-chilling cold.

Yu Zhizhi hadn’t yet recovered from the shock when she suddenly realized—

’It’s Sensen!’

This was the Soul Resonance that Sensen had bound to her!

The innkeeper had never encountered anything like this. A combat-inept female rabbit was somehow able to wield such terrifying Glacial Power. But what horrified him even more was the murderous aura emanating from behind him...

Dracula had returned at some point and now stood in the doorway. Still dressed in his black Warlock Robe, he watched the innkeeper in silence.

The man flinched. "S-Sir, I just wanted to have a word with Miss Rabbit. I had no other intentions..."

The factions in Sun Ridge were a complex mix. All sorts of Mutated Beastmen, heretics, and vagrants gathered there, many of whom wore robes like a Magician’s. But the innkeeper could tell at a glance that the male Beastman before him was on another level, even though no one had ever seen him in a fight.

He had thought the man had already left.

Just like all the other times.

He was a busy man.

He couldn’t possibly watch over the Rabbit Clan female in the room at all times.

The innkeeper was greedy.

He wanted to take this rabbit, hide her away. The Strength she possessed was exactly what they needed.

A rare female of the Rabbit Clan like her shouldn’t be traveling alone, and it was even more unlikely for one to appear in Sun Ridge.

Only now did he seem to understand...

No matter how far away this unnamed man went, he could always return at a moment’s notice.

His absence was only ever an illusion.

Hiding in the wardrobe, Yu Zhizhi’s rabbit body was well-protected by the Glacial Power. She slowly lifted her head and saw Dracula standing by the door. He raised a hand, and a jet of inky black gas shot straight toward the innkeeper, seizing his body in a tight grip and making him howl in agony.

In his panic, he blurted out, "You can’t hurt me! My boss will never let you get away with this!"

"Hurt?" Dracula sneered, as if mocking his foolishness.

He suddenly clenched his right fist. The inky black gas constricted, and the innkeeper’s body was instantly crushed into a pulp.

Dracula never showed mercy to his enemies.

’Why would he just "hurt" him?’

’Killing him was the only option.’

In the wardrobe, Yu Zhizhi squeezed her eyes shut. She thought she could hear the cracking of bones, the man’s scream of agony echoing in her ears before vanishing in an instant. All that remained was the sound of the raging storm beating against the windowpane.

Dracula calmly lowered his hand and glanced at the pool of blood on the floor. "Let’s go," he said to the little rabbit in the wardrobe.

Dracula saw the fluffy white rabbit, its ears wrapped tightly around its body as it trembled uncontrollably.

He drew closer.

The barrier of ice protecting the little rabbit had vanished the moment the innkeeper died.

Dracula could tell that the scent of the Deep Sea still lingered in the air.

She was being protected by a Mermaid.

Yu Zhizhi remained curled in a ball, not daring to move. Sensing Dracula’s approach, she slowly opened her rabbit-like eyes and stared blankly at him.

The rabbit was so small.

White and fluffy, she was curled up in the wardrobe like a little furball.

Dracula simply lowered his gaze to look at her.

Yu Zhizhi slowly got to her feet, shakily leaned toward him, and raised a paw to gently tug on his black Warlock Robe.

Dracula had been about to tell her to change back to her human form.

But on second thought, what had just happened was indeed terrifying for a little rabbit.

’...Never mind.’

He bent down, scooped up the little white ball, and tucked her into his robe.

Yu Zhizhi pressed herself tightly against Dracula.

"A-Are we leaving?"

’If we leave right now, what about the Little Octopus? If he comes back, will he be able to find us?’

As if he knew what she was thinking, Dracula said calmly, "I will leave a trail marker. If he’s still alive, he can follow the scent to find us."

Cradling the rabbit in one arm, he picked up a black umbrella from the corner and headed for the stairs.

The old, dilapidated stairs creaked under his weight. Reaching the door, Dracula opened the umbrella and stepped out into the gloomy street without a backward glance.

His boots splashed in the puddles.

Tucked away in his robe, Yu Zhizhi felt no rain. The large black umbrella even seemed to have some kind of anti-corrosion effect.

The storm was still deafening, yet she felt completely safe.

The man’s figure gradually vanished into the rain.

Yu Zhizhi lost all sense of direction.

After walking for some time, Dracula finally stopped. He had arrived at what looked like an abandoned house, but the smell of cooking wafted from within.

The male Hamster was quite surprised to see them.

He was a bit hesitant. "Sir, our place is very small. There’s only one room left..."

"It’s fine," Dracula said, setting the umbrella aside.

Yu Zhizhi peeked her head out from his embrace, only to see that the Hamster lived there with his wife. Several little white hamsters were also watching them curiously.