I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

“What kind of relationship do we have? No need for thanks.” Guinevere waved her hand, her words magnanimous and carefree. Then, she tilted her head and leaned closer. Artoria was both amused and exasperated, but still casually rubbed her hands a couple of times: “Does doing this… really feel good?”

"Of course." He replied confidently and righteously.

She would never tell Artoria that in her past life she had played a positive-energy game about how to help a poor girl who had suffered a lot escape her nightmare and return to society, and that she had learned a lesson from the game: the simplest and lowest-cost way to increase affection is to pat her head!

……and many more.

It seems to be increasing... the affection level of the person whose head is being patted?

Never mind, that's not important!

Within three seconds, Guinevere had already put the topic out of her mind. She went to the edge of the woods and peered inside for a moment, but found nothing. She wondered why Artoria hadn't sensed such obvious killing intent; what did this mean…? She had too little information to analyze it immediately. But one thing was certain: there was something strange in the woods, and judging by its appearance… it seemed to be hostile…

The safest way was undoubtedly to set off immediately. But according to her senses, the nearest village was a half-day's journey away, and even if she set off now, she wouldn't arrive until almost dawn. Moreover, the weather was extremely strange; it was highly likely that it would start raining halfway through the journey, and then… well, it seemed she could get a wet-clothes CG of a certain knight king…

"Fina?"

"Cough, cough, cough! You, you, you mustn't wrong an innocent person! I... I hadn't even imagined what it would be like to have my clothes soaked through!"

"I haven't said anything yet..."

She muttered to herself, guiltily avoiding Artoria's gaze.

Getting caught in the rain on the street might seem like a minor issue, perhaps even leading to a cold or fever, but in this day and age, a cold can truly be fatal!

Of course, certain high-end individuals—such as Druid masters or the elite of magicians—possess all sorts of bizarre and wonderful healing methods, which might even be more effective than ordinary hospitals in her previous life. However, only a small group at the very top of the pyramid can enjoy such high-end treatment. Even though Guinevere was one of them in Scotland, now, if she falls ill, it seems she really can only grit her teeth and endure it...

Moreover, aside from the two of them, Aite is quite old. She once asked Artoria, and the old horse, converted to human years, would be about seventy or eighty years old. It is said that seventy is a rare age for humans. Although she didn't know if there was a similar saying in the horse world, Guinevere still had a certain amount of respect for this old horse. It was fine to let it carry some luggage normally, but if it got caught in a heavy rain, it would probably not survive.

For all these reasons, even knowing there was something strange in the forest, the two were skilled and daring, and after discussing it, they decided to rest in the cabin for the night. But to prevent the horse from being out alone and possibly getting into trouble, Artoria hesitated for a long time before finally suggesting, "I think... maybe we should bring Eto inside too."

Knowing that Artoria was obsessed with horses, the sensible Guinevere readily agreed—mainly because she didn't want the affection she had worked so hard to build up to drop back down. The cabin wasn't big, but it was still big enough to squeeze a horse in, which was more or less because the two of them were quite petite. Even though most of the space was taken up by the horse, they still had some room to move around.

If one of them were a tall man like Kay, the night would likely be incredibly cramped and uncomfortable. Of course, from another perspective, Guinevere actually quite looked forward to that kind of tightly packed, restrictive development…

"Hey, hey, I already agreed to let you in. You can't repay kindness with enmity and bite my hair again, you know... Waaaaaah, Artoria! Your horse is biting my hair again! Are you going to do anything about it? Are you going to do anything about it? If you don't! Ouch—"

"I'll tell Aite right now! So, Fina, can you stop biting Aite's tail? You're a grown man..." Fina was both annoyed and amused by the scene before her, but given her personality, she couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh. After some persuasion, she finally separated the two, one biting the other. She then gave Aite a few more instructions. The seemingly intelligent horse glanced at Fina, wagged its tail, and remained noncommittal. As for Fina herself, she was currently rinsing her mouth with teary eyes...

"Ptooey, ah, ptooey, ptooey, ptooey... I call this an eye for an eye!" she emphasized while rinsing her mouth.

"Yes, yes, yes."

Artoria patted Fina's back, feeling utterly exhausted, and from that moment on, she completely gave up on mediating the conflict between the human and the horse...

P.S.: I have more time today, so I should be able to make up for the chapter I owe. Yesterday's recommendation votes were 331, so there was no extra chapter. Today so far, I have 273 votes, which probably won't reach 500. Monthly votes are also... wait, does this mean I won't need to write an extra chapter for Qingbai for the whole of August...?

Chapter Thirty-Six: Thunder (Part Two)

In the first half of the night, the sky was as dark as ink, and thunder rumbled and exploded in our ears. Then, with a soft click, the black piece, symbolizing a pawn, landed on the chessboard, completely blocking the white king's escape route.

“General…” Guinevere deliberately lowered her voice so as not to wake the sleeping people and horses around her, but then shook her head: “No. This round doesn’t count…”

Normally, when playing chess with others, it's a battle of wits and strategy, a fierce struggle where the outcome is clear as long as no one holds back. But this time, she was playing against herself. The focus wasn't on which side would win, but on how to be impartial and not favor one side. This is easier said than done. After the game, with black on the left and white on the right, she sat in the center of the board, eyes closed, mentally reviewing the intense battle between herself and her opponent.

In the middle game, Black's queen was in danger of being captured due to a careless mistake, but because it affected the subsequent strategy, White allowed the queen to escape...

White's rook...

Looking back now, there were two opportunities to checkmate the white king, and white also had one chance to turn the game around...

Rumble!

Another clap of thunder sounded, and even with her eyes closed, she could still feel the silvery-white lightning that flashed across the sky. She touched her lips with her fingertip and slowly opened her eyes. After the thunder, all was silent. Inside the cabin, Eto lowered her head slightly, as if she were fast asleep. Artoria, wrapped in a fluffy blanket, sat quietly in the corner, like a portrait standing alone in time.

She sleeps very well and has almost no bad habits. She doesn't snore, talk in her sleep, grind her teeth, or toss and turn randomly. She usually stays in the same position as she fell asleep until she wakes up. In a way, this may also be a manifestation of her self-discipline.

Guinevere rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly for a long time. Then she gestured with her hand as if making a picture frame, adjusting it left and right until she found what she considered the most aesthetically pleasing angle. With a "click," she laughed first.

She sat there with her legs crossed, her heels resting on her knees—this seemed to be what Buddhists call the "lotus position." It was difficult at first, but after getting used to it, she found it very comfortable and at ease. She wasn't a Buddhist, but in a previous life, influenced by a friend, she had been involved in yoga-related things for a while. As a result, she didn't master yoga itself, but sitting meditation and contemplation became almost a daily ritual for her.

Undeniably, sitting cross-legged is somewhat inelegant for a young girl. She'd been repeatedly reprimanded by her father and etiquette teacher for this in the past, but it all went in one ear and out the other. She'd nod and say she understood, but then go back to her old ways. Recently, however, since traveling with Artoria, she'd consciously or unconsciously concealed some of these habits. This wasn't purely out of a desire to please her; more likely, it was the inevitable nervousness and awkwardness of facing an idol. For her, Artoria, and many things she represented, even if not exactly an idol, shared certain similarities.

Therefore, even her daily meditation practice would only be done after Artoria fell asleep, when it was her turn to keep watch.

After sitting for a while, clearing her mind and reflecting on herself, she began to gently put the chess pieces back in their original positions. Even though she tried her best to make no noise, the slight tapping sound of the pieces hitting the board still made the person in the corner shift slightly.

The king's piece stopped, his wrist hovering in mid-air. She held her breath, observing any movement on the other side. After a minute or two, seeing no sign of waking up, she finally put the piece down. "Click—" Then came the queen, placing it in its proper place, but not placing any other pieces. She rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly at the king and queen on the chessboard, her gaze unfocused, lost in thought. After a long while, she finally placed the other pieces one by one.

The black and white pieces faced off, engaging in a silent battle. Guinevere bit her lip, sometimes lost in thought, sometimes making several rapid moves in quick succession, sometimes placing a piece and then suddenly remembering there was a better move. She stared at the piece she had just placed for a while, her face filled with regret, but in the end, she did not pick it up again.

No regrets for making a move.

These are the most basic rules.

Not long after, she finished two more games, winning once for each side. After reviewing the games in her mind, she noticed a few oversights and became sullen again. Another clap of thunder sounded outside, but her heart remained calm, like a clear mirror. A gentle breeze swept through all directions, and wherever it passed, people and things were clearly reflected in her mind. She picked up a white piece, put it down, and mouthed the word "checkmate."

White wins the third game.

Suddenly, a thought struck her, like a pebble dropped into a lake, creating ripples that were faint yet clear. Guided by an inexplicable intuition, Guinevere turned her head slightly to look out the window. She had deliberately chosen the exact same spot as she had been a few hours earlier, and now, looking out, she saw the exact same edge of the woods. But perhaps because night had fallen, the darkness in the woods seemed even deeper than when she had first seen it.

And in this dense darkness.

It was a pair of bright red, blood-red eyes, exceptionally clear.

Near those eyes, there was no outline of a body; it was as if only a pair of eyes floated alone in the air, staring back at her—an indescribable eeriness. And the instant their eyes met, the chilling killing intent she had experienced before surged back, various illusions appearing one after another: water, fire, wind, thunder, sharp sword blades… yet her heart remained calm.

A Saint Seiya warrior cannot be defeated twice by the same attack...

She even had the leisure to make such a joke. Guinevere stared at those "floating" red eyes, and softly called out, "Al, Al... is here."

In the corner, Artoria slowly opened her eyes.

"Outside the window."

Without turning around, Guinevere spoke, her voice equally soft. Artoria straightened up slightly; from her position, she could clearly see the grove of trees Guinevere was gazing at, but her eyes held a hint of confusion.

"Did you see anything?"

"No……"

"Nothing?"

"Ah."

"Troublesome matters..."

From beginning to end, in Guinevere's eyes, those blood-red eyes never moved, remaining fixed in the same place where they first appeared. But Artoria said she couldn't see them… Of course, she wouldn't lie to herself. There was no reason to lie, so… could it be that she possessed the ability to see ghosts, and this was the first ghost she had seen in fifteen years?

how is this possible.

"Fina?"

"Go to sleep first."

"but……"

"It's okay... I'll wake you up when you need help."

Not being able to see those red eyes meant that even if something happened, Artoria probably wouldn't be able to help. Of course, it wasn't certain yet, but rather than keeping her on edge and on guard for ages without being able to see anything, it would be better for her to take some more time to sleep and recover some energy.

Artoria probably understood this herself, so she stopped talking. She didn't snore when she slept, so you could only tell if she was asleep by her breathing. At this time, no matter how carefree Guinevere was, she wouldn't be distracted by listening to the frequency of her breathing. Her eyes never left those red eyes. At the same time, she reached out and picked up the sword that was placed to the side, placed it in front of her knee, put her left hand on the hilt, and slowly adjusted her breathing.

Time slips away silently, second by second.

Lin Zhonghong remained motionless. Inside the small wooden house, a blonde girl with long, flowing hair sat cross-legged, a sword across her knees, equally still and silent, like a stone statue.

His eyes blinked occasionally. In the blink of an eye, a flash of lightning appeared outside the window, and the world turned pale.

boom!

The first clap of thunder suddenly exploded, my ears were ringing, and the snow-white image imprinted on my retina lasted only a moment before receding like the tide, returning to the original scene.

Those crimson eyes are already outside the window!

……

The distance between them was suddenly close, just a mile apart, yet through a window, no one, nothing, or anyone could be seen except for those eyes. Dark clouds covered the entire sky as far as the eye could see, pressing down from the square window. Those eyes seemed embedded in the dark clouds, their blood-red color still flowing!

……

Lightning flashes again!

……

As the thunder roared, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared inside the room, meeting Guinevere's gaze less than half a meter apart, their breaths audible to each other.

At this distance, their pupils were like mirrors, one blue and one red, each reflecting different scenes—the golden-haired girl sitting cross-legged tightened her fingers, gripping the sword sheath, while in front of her, blood-red eyes suddenly narrowed, and within the wooden house, killing intent surged, as if falling into an ice cave—darkness surged, and something suddenly opened up in front of her, revealing its shape.

But before the eye could catch a glimpse of what it was, a third bolt of lightning, faster than thunder, struck down from the sky, hitting the roof of the little cabin squarely.

With a crackling sound, the fire roared and spread out!

……

"You are……"

Guinevere stared at the figure that had suddenly appeared before her, its eyes bloodshot. Her grip on her sword loosened slightly, then tightened again: "What is that—"

"—"

The only response she received was a silent scream.

In the corner, Artoria woke up again, quietly pressing her hand to the iron sword she was holding. She noticed that the wooden house was engulfed in flames, but she did not panic or even ask any questions. When she heard Fina's question, her gaze shifted to that direction.

But she found nothing there except for Fina.

……

"—"

A silent shriek, no less powerful than a mental shockwave, slammed into Guinevere, causing her to momentarily lose her senses. In an instant, the thing pounced, tearing her clothes apart with a ripping sound, blood splattering everywhere!

But she only frowned slightly and raised her left hand.

boom!

The long-prepared wind bullet shot out, striking the creature precisely. Crackling sounds echoed—countless crisp snapping noises filled the air. The impact sent the creature flying backward, crashing through the wooden hut along with half a burning wall. Simultaneously, Guinevere drew her sword, and with a "whoosh," the sword was unsheathed, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that slashed directly at the enemy still suspended in mid-air!

A whirlwind swept through, extinguishing the surrounding flames and revealing charred beams and walls. Artoria remained seated, wrapped in a blanket, her posture unchanged, but she looked at Guinevere and spoke for the first time: "Is it resolved?"

"No……"

Guinevere shook her head. Then her gaze moved upward, looking through the now-vanished wall at the dark, cloud-covered sky, where a strange bird nearly two meters long with blood-red eyes perched—or more accurately, a bird-shaped skeleton pieced together from various bones.

With just one glance, she could distinguish several different bones: rabbit bones, pig bones, cow bones, perhaps two bones from a horse's leg, and... the feathers on the wings, each one clearly a human finger bone.

The strange bird flapped its wings, pieced together from human finger bones, and opened its beak, emitting another silent, piercing shriek. It was at this moment that Guinevere uttered the second half of her sentence with a sigh:

"...It can fly."

P.S.: The promised second update! The "white" in "qingbai" is the white of "the sun sets behind the mountains," and the "qing" in "qingbai" is—(hands over the microphone)

P.S.: This chapter, from its title and content to its writing style, is actually intentionally imitating a passage from Gu Long's novels. Those who like martial arts novels should be able to spot it immediately… although the skill level is worlds apart, hmm. Anyway, today's two chapters total 6,000 words, so I can proudly ask for votes! Please vote! Please vote!

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Bloodlust (Part 1)

She woke up again. She didn't know how long she'd slept this time, only that she felt intensely thirsty, her throat felt like it was burning, and her consciousness was somewhat hazy. Awakening on the fur of a wild animal, she didn't get up. What came into view was still this sky, seemingly unchanging, completely obscured by dark clouds. She had never seen the "sunlight" she remembered, only knowing... that it was something very warm. But what exactly did warmth feel like?

not understand.

There are so many things I don't know. From the first time I opened my eyes until now, there are more and more lines on the stone. At first, I was in the mood to count them, but after it exceeded three digits, I gradually lost interest. How long has it been since I left a new mark? Thinking of this, she struggled to sit up, raised her arm, and used her fingernail to draw another crooked line on the corner of the stone.

"One, two, three, four... two hundred, three hundred..."

I finally counted it properly, and it's exactly three hundred days. But if you include the days I forgot to count before, the number might be another thirty or fifty... Oh well, it doesn't matter. I don't know where the big bird went. I looked around the neighborhood but couldn't find it. Maybe it went out to find something to eat. But does it even feel hungry? I don't understand...

A rabbit hopped past in front of me.

She immediately stopped worrying about whether the big bird would be hungry and chased after it closely. Although the bird was extremely fast, she used her hands and feet to leap between trees, gradually closing the distance. When she caught up, she used her five fingers to press the rabbit to the ground and, ignoring its fierce struggles, opened her mouth and bit down hard.

She felt only a slight resistance. Her flesh was easily torn, and the metallic taste of blood spread in her mouth. She gulped it down for a long time, and only then did the agonizing thirst lessen slightly…

Starting from its hind legs, half of the rabbit's body turned to bone, yet it still struggled weakly. "It must hurt a lot," I thought indifferently, staring intently into the white rabbit's red eyes for a moment, then shaking my head and continuing to eat. Soon after, the entire rabbit, skin and all, was devoured, leaving only a stark white skeleton.

She pieced the bones together on the ground until they formed a somewhat realistic rabbit shape. Then she took two steps back, letting out a few low growls. The skeleton before her suddenly swayed, as if pulled by invisible threads, and slowly, tremblingly, stood up. A pair of eyes seemed to peer through its empty sockets, meeting her gaze for a few seconds before turning and staggering into the surrounding darkness. The sound of the bones clattering together as it moved lingered in the wind for a while…

I've made another good friend—

A while ago, besides the big bird, there was another clumsy big guy here. The voice told her to eat him—which was fine, since only after eating him could they become friends—but unfortunately, he was just too big. She could only eat a little bit each day before her stomach was bursting. Then one day, he suddenly disappeared, and she couldn't find him anywhere… even though they hadn't become friends yet…

I'm thirsty again, I want to eat something, I want to make friends... I'm so lonely... so... so thirsty...

She squatted down on the ground and began to sob.