After sheathing her sword, Ais turned her attention to the snow wolves.
Controlling puppets in battle was something she had never seen before.
It was an unfamiliar fighting style.
Moreover, when Cao Ye fought Goliath, he hadn't used this ability.
Although Ais could sometimes seem a bit airheaded, she wasn't foolish. Having often been taught by Riveria, she understood that some questions shouldn't be asked casually, so she remained silent this time.
Eight snow wolves surrounded them.
At first glance, the scene looked quite impressive.
"By the way, Cao Ye, why haven't you been coming by recently?" Tiona asked.
"I was hoping to spar with you again."
"Uh… I had some things to deal with these past few days."
"That's a shame."
A drop of sweat rolled down Cao Ye's forehead.
This girl really was fearless.
Back when he visited the Loki Familia, she had insisted that the best way to learn was through battle, and dragged him into a "friendly spar."
The result?
A completely one-sided beating.
Cao Ye basically experienced what it felt like to be a punching bag.
Tiona held back, of course—but it still hurt.
Cao Ye didn't mind pain, but constantly getting beaten like that was another story.
Tiona's fighting style was extremely direct and aggressive.
Even though she looked slender, every punch and kick carried serious force.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Meanwhile, Ais was quietly observing Cao Ye from head to toe.
That strange sword he used during the Goliath battle had left a deep impression on her.
Goliath's hide was incredibly tough.
Normal weapons couldn't even scratch it.
Yet Cao Ye's sword had easily cut through it.
"Ais-san, what are you looking at?" Lefiya asked curiously.
"I'm looking for his weapon."
"Why isn't he carrying it?"
"Uh…"
Lefiya didn't know how to respond.
Whether someone carried their weapon or not wasn't really Ais's concern.
Yet she seemed unusually interested.
"Hm?"
At that moment, Cao Ye suddenly sensed something.
A faint malicious intent.
And it was close.
Because the area was filled with trees and bushes, he couldn't pinpoint the exact location.
And with Ais and the others here, openly searching would be suspicious.
But then Cao Ye glanced at the snow wolves and had an idea.
With a subtle mental command, he controlled one wolf to quietly slip into a nearby bush.
Since there were eight wolves in total, one disappearing wouldn't be noticed unless someone counted carefully.
Among everyone present, no one noticed.
Except Tione.
Although this was her first time meeting Cao Ye, she already knew quite a bit about him.
After all, Finn had previously asked her to investigate him.
Even though the investigation hadn't uncovered much, Finn's attitude alone was enough to make her pay attention.
Personal training from Finn wasn't something just anyone received.
Meanwhile, hidden high in a tree canopy, several men were watching.
"Hey… that guy actually knows the Sword Princess, Angry Snake, and Great Cut from the Loki Familia."
"Who knows? I thought he'd be easy prey."
"Didn't expect it to be this troublesome."
The speaker was a bald, muscular man with tattoo-like markings across his body.
His fierce expression made him look extremely dangerous.
Three subordinates stood beside him.
"What did the boss say?"
"Capture both the man and the woman."
"Apparently some important person requested them."
"The boss is taking it very seriously."
"But they're with Loki Familia members right now. We can't make a move."
"Just wait."
"They might just be exchanging greetings."
"When the Loki Familia leaves, we'll strike."
"They're only Level 1, maybe Level 2."
"Even if they're capable enough to reach the 22nd Floor, they're still green."
"Hey… that fox girl looks like a virgin, right? Can we—"
He didn't finish the sentence, but the other two immediately grinned.
Clearly, this kind of thing wasn't new to them.
"It doesn't matter."
"As long as they're alive."
"That fox girl used to be a courtesan, anyway."
"A courtesan? And still a virgin?"
"That makes it even more interesting."
"Hmph. Do whatever you want, just don't mess up the job."
"If the boss gets angry, I'll be the first one to kill you."
"Got it… got it…"
The man nodded nervously.
It was obvious that their boss's reputation terrified them.
Anyone capable of controlling these lawless thugs clearly wasn't someone ordinary.
Hidden among the trees, the four men continued watching Cao Ye and the others.
Meanwhile, the snow wolf puppet had quietly arrived nearby.
Even though its fur was snow-white, the dense foliage concealed it perfectly.
Through the wolf's senses, Cao Ye discovered the four lurking figures.
But he didn't reveal anything yet.
He wanted to know—
Were they targeting him?
Or were they targeting Ais and the others?
"Cao Ye, what are you thinking about?"
Tiona waved her hand in front of his face.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"You looked distracted."
"Oh… nothing. Just thinking about something related to my Familia."
"Anyway, we're heading back now."
"Do you want to come with us?"
Tiona asked casually.
Cao Ye was the first person she'd beaten up repeatedly in sparring who still seemed perfectly fine afterward.
On top of that, he had defeated a Floor Boss.
Both his potential and strength were obvious.
Building a good relationship with him was definitely worthwhile.
"No thanks. We're planning to explore a bit further."
"I see… that's too bad."
Tiona sounded slightly disappointed.
Beside them, Haruhime looked confused.
Hadn't Cao Ye said they were going back?
Why were they suddenly continuing deeper?
But since others were present, she didn't ask out loud.
"Alright then, see you next time!"
"When you come to our Familia again, make sure to call me!"
"Sure. If I get the chance."
"Bye~!"
Waving goodbye, Tiona and the others gradually disappeared into the depths of the 22nd Floor.
"They're gone."
Up in the tree canopy, the lurking men grinned.
"The Loki Familia just left."
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