Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 575: It Must Be the White That Gives a Buff
When it came to close combat, Steven had never lost to anyone.
But after one long night, he finally realized—there were things in this world that couldn't simply be overcome with strength and speed alone.
For example… Centaurea's legwork.
Even though she was clearly inexperienced in this "style," it didn't change the fact that Steven had been thoroughly overwhelmed by her techniques last night.
Of course, he hadn't gone down without a fight. Relying on his superior stamina, he tried to regain control—but his opponent wasn't someone to be underestimated either. After all, she was still a former elite of the Armorless Union. Endurance alone wasn't enough to secure victory against her.
That said, both of them had a tacit understanding—they kept things at the level of "technique exchanges," sticking to hands and legs. They even agreed to try a different kind of "match" next time—one where words, not actions, would take the lead.
After all, the soundproofing in this tiny, run-down inn was terrible. And with so many children nearby, losing control during a "match" might send the wrong message.
For both Steven and Centaurea, it was their first time engaging in this kind of… "sparring." Inevitably, they got a little carried away. By the time they came back to their senses, dawn had already arrived.
With the last pair of stockings Centaurea had brought meeting its end, and her hands feeling slightly numb, she decisively collapsed onto the bed—leaving the aftermath entirely to Steven, the one who had arguably benefited the most.
She hadn't felt tired during it, but the moment everything stopped, exhaustion hit her like a wave.
Rewarding him for an entire night was more than enough. Even if he still had energy left, she wasn't about to keep going.
Besides, at this point, worries like "the world ending in less than a month" had completely slipped her mind.
Nothing was going to stop her from going back to sleep.
"You really are like a little pig… you can still sleep after all that?"
Steven, on the other hand, looked completely different.
After the same night of exertion, he seemed refreshed, energized—almost glowing. Rather than someone who had just been "defeated," he looked like he had just taken some miraculous tonic.
Reaching out, he gently brushed aside the slightly messy strands of white hair on Centaurea's forehead, then busied himself picking up the scattered "tools" left around the room.
Honestly, he couldn't understand why she liked white stockings so much. Did they come with some kind of hidden buff or something? Otherwise, how could she be that fierce in practice?
Next time, he'd definitely stock up on different colors.
Let's see how she handles that.
With that thought, Steven cleaned everything up and stretched lazily before heading out of the room.
Thanks to his blocky physique, even after an entire night like that, he felt nothing but refreshed—no exhaustion whatsoever.
Closing the door behind him, he glanced back once more at Centaurea, who was sleeping peacefully.
At this rate, today's trip around Lungmen would once again be a solo adventure.
She'd be traveling through dreamland, while he'd go out and experience the real thing—only to come back later and share it all with her.
And honestly, that didn't sound too bad at all.
If anything… Steven quite liked this kind of freedom.
Carrying the leftovers from last night downstairs, Steven had to admit—Hei Ye, as the temporary innkeeper, was surprisingly considerate. She hadn't come upstairs to disturb them at all, allowing the two of them to… "spar" freely through the entire night.
For some reason, Steven felt a trace of gratitude toward her.
Which only strengthened his resolve to find her a proper job.
However, after searching around for a while, he couldn't find any trace of the purple-haired rabbit-eared girl. In the end, he simply placed the leftovers into the kitchen before heading into the main hall, asking the children—who were busy playing house—about her whereabouts.
When it came to going to bed early and waking up early, kids were probably the most consistent group there was. Even though the sky had only just begun to brighten, the children were already full of energy, laughing and playing as they started their day.
That much was normal.
But Hei Ye being gone this early? That piqued Steven's curiosity.
Even people like Alina and Talulah from the snowfields wouldn't wake up this early unless there was something going on. For a girl living in the slums, what reason could she possibly have?
"Morning, kids. Where's your Sister Hei Ye?"
Steven walked right up to them, greeting them casually without any hesitation.
By now, the children were no longer wary of him. Especially after he had given up his portion of meat last night, their impression of him had improved significantly.
Once again, it was the little girl who seemed to lead the group who stepped forward to answer.
"Big sister goes to work for the 'black-clothed uncles' in the slums at this time every week! And every time she comes back, she brings us lots of tasty food!"
Judging by the excitement on her small, bright face, it seemed she was telling the truth.
Still… a young girl going out to "work" and coming back with plenty of good food?
It was hard for Steven not to let his imagination wander into questionable territory.
But then again, considering what he had concluded earlier—that people in this world might be unusually indifferent in that regard—he figured things were probably more complicated than that.
Either way, with Hei Ye not around, there was no point asking further. He had only wanted to let her know he was heading out—and maybe ask about some interesting places in Lungmen worth visiting.
Since she was busy, he'd just have to figure things out himself.
"In a place like Lungmen where I don't know anyone… I should at least find a guide. Otherwise, I'll just end up getting ripped off like some clueless outsider."
Muttering to himself, Steven stepped outside. But before he had even taken a few steps, he spotted a familiar figure—
A mouse-eared girl, directing a group of workers as they cleared away the ruins of a bar he had blown up the day before.
Steven's eyes lit up.
Well now, wasn't the perfect guide just delivered right to his doorstep?
<+>
Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 617: A Bold Guess[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628