Chapter 52: The Price of a Black Card

“Why is everyone targeting my black card when Larry is the one who let you down?!” Ellis roared, tugging at her hair in frustration.

They were currently on their way to the Spanlam Mountains.

That day, in Danga’s royal capital, the two of them—distinguished S-rank adventurers—had failed to capture Julia and Irene. Ellis considered this a profound humiliation.

She had immediately dragged Larry along, traveling through the night towards the Spanlam Mountains.

“Perhaps this is the retribution for some people trying to start a ‘harem’ for me.”

Larry, showing no empathy for Ellis’s current distress, continued to make sarcastic remarks.

“This is what happens when you like to sell out your teammates.”

“Heh, you actually dare to be so arrogant in front of me.”

Flames ignited in Ellis’s eyes. She immediately cast a barrier around Larry, trapping him within. Then, she began to circle the imprisoned Larry, occasionally striking the sturdy barrier with Mitchell.

Each strike was delivered with considerable force, as evidenced by Mitchell’s joyous wails.

“Hey, what are you trying to do? I’m warning you, I’ll scream!”

Trapped within the barrier, Larry looked nervously at Ellis, who seemed lost in thought.

“Scream then. Scream louder. No one will come, even if you scream until your throat rips.”

Ellis chuckled sinisterly. “I’m just thinking, if I hand you over when I see Julia and Irene, will I get my black card back?”

“Hey, is a good friend who’s been with you for over a decade not even worth as much as your broken card?!”

“The weight of a good friend might not be enough. The weight of a son who’s been with me for over a decade, however, might make me hesitate slightly.”

Ellis narrowed her eyes at Larry. “May I ask, are you my good friend or my son?”

Larry let out a defiant cry. “I’m your dad!”

“Very good. I admire your courage.”

Ellis displayed a cruel smile, then used Mitchell like a burning stick, knocking Larry unconscious.

Having accomplished her task, Ellis surveyed her surroundings. They were traversing a desolate mountain path. While it offered the quickest route to the Spanlam Mountains, the road was steep and rugged, with wild beasts potentially lurking anywhere. Most people would never dare to take such a route.

Yet, Ellis tilted her head back and shouted, “Irene, a trade! I’ll exchange Larry for my brother’s black card!”

Ellis’s voice echoed through the mountains. After about five seconds, a large, vibrantly colored bird descended before her.

This was Little Fire, a Beautiful Flame Red-Winged Bird, the loyal companion of the beast tamer Irene. It was incredibly useful for long-distance surveillance.

Given that Julia and Irene had managed to retrieve the black card from Daisy’s palace before them, Ellis knew they must have been under observation. Moreover, to remain undetected, they surely hadn’t used a person, but rather a creature invisible to their senses.

Only Irene could achieve such a feat.

Since they had started monitoring them in Danga, there was no reason for them to stop now.

Ellis immediately tied Larry up securely and offered him with both hands.

“Little Fire, he’s all yours. Remember to return my belongings.”

Little Fire was the name Irene had given to the Beautiful Flame Red-Winged Bird. Ellis had often mocked Irene’s taste, earning her lasting resentment.

Little Fire snatched up Larry and swiftly flew away, disappearing from Ellis’s sight. Then, a small, squirrel-like creature with golden-yellow fur darted out, clutching Ellis’s black card in its paws.

“Little Ball, so it was you observing us. No wonder I never noticed.”

Ellis took back her black card, then stroked Little Ball’s head and offered it some snacks.

Little Ball was another of Irene’s names, for its true form was a Gilded Burrowing Rat—an incredibly adorable, small burrowing rodent. As one of the creatures at the bottom of the food chain, it had honed its ability to conceal its presence and scent, making it notoriously difficult to detect.

Little Ball began to eat its treat, preparing to leave.

Ellis, toying with the black card in her hand, watched the cute little creature, murmuring, “Three, two, one. Fall.”

Immediately, the unfinished food in Little Ball’s mouth dropped out. Its eyes glazed over, and its body stiffened, falling backward with a thud.

The food was poisoned!

“Hehehehehe! Still as gluttonous as ever, Little Ball. Little Fire would never have eaten the food I offered. That was food Meixia made, and I merely coated the outermost layer with my special delicious powder. I never expected you to fall for it so easily.”

Ellis grabbed Little Ball’s tiny tail, lifting it to her eye level. “You must know where Irene and the others are, right? Now, take me there.”

However, Little Ball rolled its eyes, its gaze resolute, refusing Ellis.

Ellis sneered, “Such admirable defiance. Well then, I’ll just hang you from a tree and let you starve to death.”

Little Ball: “!!!”

“Ugh, damn it, Ellis, you really meant it.”

Larry, who had been knocked unconscious by Ellis’s heavy blow, groggily awoke. Before he could even open his eyes, he heard voices beside him.

“Ellis, Ellis, Ellis, this heartless man only has that wretched woman on his lips!”

“Hehehe, let me feed him my latest concoction. I’m sure his heart will be firmly tied to me, and he’ll never think of anyone else again.”

“Julia! You can’t monopolize…”

‘Strange, these sound like the voices of two other devils. It must be an auditory hallucination, it absolutely must be!’

Larry tremblingly opened his eyes. What greeted him were two figures, terrifyingly familiar.

“Julia! Irene!”

Larry’s voice caught the attention of the two women who were currently arguing. The beautiful woman with pink hair, cradling a pet resembling a small dinosaur, rushed over. She tenderly stroked Larry’s head, saying with concern, “Larry, are you alright? That woman actually hit you so hard she knocked you out.”

Seeing that she had been beaten to it, the green-haired beauty on the other side also hurried over, a bottle of potion in her hand. She solicitously asked, “It’s nothing, Larry. Just drink this potion I just brewed, and all your pain will vanish. Come, open your mouth.”

Larry’s mouth remained shut like a locked safe, refusing to open no matter how close the potion was brought. From his past experiences, he knew this potion might alleviate his current pain, but it would undoubtedly come with countless side effects he neither knew nor wished to discover.

“Eating random medicine will upset Larry’s stomach. Let Sticky do it.”

Then, a slime-like creature emerged from beside the pink-haired woman. With every movement, it left a clear trail of viscous fluid on the ground. This was a Jelly Monster, a soft-bodied creature whose secreted stickiness could rapidly heal wounds.

“Wait, wait, calm down! Irene, I’m fine, I really am fine! I’m an S-rank adventurer; what is a little pain? There’s truly no need to deploy Sticky!”

The green-haired woman, Julia, said disdainfully, “Exactly! You should drink my medicine instead! What’s the point of hugging that disgusting, gooey creature?!”

Irene retorted, displeased, “Don’t talk about Sticky that way! It’s a reliable partner that can quickly heal wounds without any side effects, unlike your expired products that can make your teammates collapse at any moment!”

“What did you say?! How dare you call my carefully developed potion an expired product! Do you dare to challenge me? Who’s stronger, your ugly monster or my potion?!”

“Challenge accepted! Who’s afraid of whom? Let Larry be the judge! He’s injured, so it’s perfect!”

“No, I’m not! Don’t talk nonsense! I don’t think I’m injured!”

Larry’s terrified explanations completely failed to reach the ears of the two women, who were already in battle mode. Soon after, a man’s desolate wail echoed from the stone house nestled in the cliff.

Some time later, Larry lay foaming at the mouth, while Julia and Irene still stood head-to-head, refusing to yield. After a good while, perhaps realizing that it was foolish to continue arguing when Larry was already unconscious, they gave up.

“Strange, why hasn’t Little Ball been brought back by Little Fire yet?”

It was then that Irene noticed her beloved pet had been missing for quite some time. Just then, a sharp cry sounded from outside. Irene and Julia rushed out to see Little Fire battling a strange bird cloaked in lightning.

“It’s a Thunder Kun Bird! Strange, it’s not its feeding time right now!”

Irene looked at the scene with great confusion, while Julia urged, “Don’t be surprised, save the bird!”

“Oh, right.”

Irene immediately summoned her other pets, and Julia also brought out her alchemical creations, launching a counterattack against the unwelcome intruder. After a long struggle, perhaps realizing it was outnumbered, the Thunder Kun Bird retreated, and Little Fire staggered to Irene’s side.

Its brilliant, flame-like patterns were severely scorched by lightning, making it look quite pitiful.

“Little Fire, I’ll treat you right away. Sticky, quickly!”

“Here’s a healing potion, Little Fire, drink it quickly.”

This time, the two women no longer disdained each other, working together to help Little Fire. Once Little Fire had recovered its spirits, Irene asked curiously, “Where’s Little Ball? Is it still watching that woman?”

Little Fire immediately began to chirp frantically. Irene’s expression grew increasingly grim. Seeing this, Julia quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“That scoundrel poisoned Little Ball with food and kidnapped it!”

“I knew it had to be Ellis! Otherwise, no one else would know Little Ball can’t control its mouth!”

“What do we do now?”

“That guy will never give up on Larry. Since it’s that ruthless Ellis, Little Ball has probably already betrayed us and will definitely bring him here. Let’s set up traps and wait for him!”

Irene nodded firmly. “Good! This time, we must teach that despicable man a lesson!”

Julia’s eyes were filled with intense fighting spirit. “With us sisters united, we can cut through anything!”

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