Chapter 59: Negative Energy, Take a Hike

“Nina…” 

Wu Qingsong managed to catch up with her at the training ground, where she was vigorously hacking at thick tree stumps with a massive wooden sword. Even without her armor on, she looked just as gallant and awe-inspiring as ever. Still every bit the warrior goddess he remembered from the battlefield.

“I apologize,” Nina said, her once resolute face becoming slightly flustered upon seeing him. “Now is not a good time.”

“That’s okay, I can wait,” Wu Qingsong replied. “But could you please stop avoiding me?”

It had been three days since they’d slain the necromancer.

Using himself as a guinea pig, Wu Qingsong conducted several tests on the two magical artifacts they had found. The results exceeded his expectations. They were astonishingly wonderful.

The necklace contained an enchantment that produced a magical shield. After multiple tests, Wu Qingsong established that even a non-magical person could use it in a dire situation. It formed an invisible shield around themselves that only materialized when hit. Those who possessed magical energy might be able to sustain it longer and absorb more damage using their own mana. But even for someone without magic, the gems set into the necklace could draw energy from their surroundings, allowing the shield to be reused.

When fully charged, these gems transformed into a deep and stunning blue. The resulting shield could last for nearly an hour, or endure up to forty or fifty all-out strikes from wolf warriors before the energy was depleted. After that, the gems would turn a translucent pale blue and would require a full day to recharge.

The ring, on the other hand, was enchanted with a spell designed to directly target the heart. Once it had gathered enough energy for the day, it could be activated three times. However, for the spell to work, the wearer would have to physically touch the target with the hand wearing the ring.

Initially, Wu Qingsong was baffled about the ring’s function. He even suspected that it might have been rendered useless by Nina’s silver moonlight magic. It wasn’t until Liuli woke up and transformed once more that he learned of its capabilities from her.

“It felt like being stabbed mercilessly with a knife. It hurt so much,” Liuli recounted, visibly shaken.

“Well, who’s at fault here? I explicitly told you to finish him off without talking so much,” Wu Qingsong shot back.

“Hmph!” Liuli, now transformed, made a face and retorted unhappily, “That’s all your fault. If you had talked with me properly, would I ignore your instructions?”

“You…” Wu Qingsong was at a loss for words. “When did I not talk to you properly? In a situation like that, did you expect me to speak in gentle whispers?”

The argument escalated, resembling a petty quarrel between two children. Eventually, Liuli blurted out, “Liuli is angry. Liuli doesn’t like you anymore.”

With that, she stormed off. 

In his frustration, Wu Qingsong didn’t go after her. It wasn’t until dinner, when Liuli was conspicuously absent, that he began to grow anxious. The wolfmen were mobilized to search for her, and they finally found her several miles away in a secluded forest. She was so terrified that she leaped into Wu Qingsong’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Faced with a bewildered Liuli, who had no idea why she had run, Wu Qingsong was at a complete loss for words.

Why was Liuli so well-behaved and endearing in her normal state, yet so defiant once transformed?

“Despite her size, she’s still just a child, a spoiled one at that,” Harold said.

Given this flaw, Wu Qingsong chose to temporarily hold off on releasing Liuli’s abilities, deciding to wait until he could find a way to discipline the unpredictable catgirl. Thankfully, although he couldn’t tap into her powers for now, the newly acquired ring offered him an alternative method of attack.

“This ring might as well be tailor-made for you,” Harold observed. “Who else but you can assure they won’t be taken out before even touching their opponent? Your biggest problem right now is your lack of offensive prowess. With this ring, unless you’re up against a mage, you’re virtually unbeatable. All you need to do is engage in close combat. You can eliminate your opponent without them even realizing it. After attacking their heart, and a single follow-up strike will remove any traces of magic.”

The fragmented scrolls seemed to contain techniques for reanimating corpses and raising skeletons.

Wu Qingsong was fascinated. To him, power was merely power, neither inherently good nor evil.  Fire could both mercilessly incinerate people and serve as a useful tool for heating food or smelting ores. Clearly, what mattered wasn’t the nature of the power but the intent and method of its wielder.

However, the script was unintelligible. Harold speculated that it might be in the language of the long-extinct Bartiz clan, legible only to their descendants.

That was a minor setback. Once he established his own domain and resumed making money, the task of finding the Bartiz remnants, though challenging, wouldn’t be hopeless.

However, this form of power was evidently not suitable for Nina and her associates. As a descendant and guardian of the Silver Moon Wolf Clan, employing a force that could easily intimidate ordinary beastfolk would undoubtedly harm her reputation. She would even need to go to great lengths to maintain a healthy distance from such dark forces.

Wu Qingsong resolved to keep the ring and parchment scrolls for himself and attempted to give the necklace to Nina. However, she promptly declined his offer.

“If not for your help, we would’ve been overrun when we first faced the zombies. Defeating the undead mage was thanks to both you and Liuli. These spoils of war should be yours,” Nina argued.

“Nina…” 

Wu Qingsong felt that her real motivation wasn’t as simple as she was making it out to be. Just as he was about to clarify the situation and resolve the tension between them, Nina abruptly walked away.

For two consecutive days, he looked for an opportunity to discuss the issue with her, but she seemed to be intentionally avoiding him. Wu Qingsong was certain that, had it not been for news of Ram’s return, Nina would have already made up an excuse to leave.

The situation left him deeply uneasy.

He understood that if this matter continued to go unresolved, their previous state of mutual trust would be forever lost. They might even struggle to remain friends.

And what he aspired to was far more than just that.

“Stop avoiding me, Nina. We can’t ignore what happened or pretend it’ll resolve itself. You must know that avoiding the issue will only make things worse,” he said.

Nina’s sword strokes grew increasingly forceful, causing the tree stump she was slashing at to tremble. Abruptly, she ceased her actions. Gripping her sword tightly, she spoke with her back turned to him. 

“What do you want to say? Say it.”

Caught off guard by her confrontational attitude, Wu Qingsong hesitated for a moment. Then, gritting his teeth, he reached out, grabbed Nina, and turned her around to face him.