Chapter 265 – Unforgiven (VI)

Chapter 265

Unforgiven (VI)

That thing…

It just spoke, right?

Oh my God, it just fucking spoke!

I whipped my head to the side, where I saw everyone’s faces adorned with the exact same expression: abject shock. From Lao Shun to Light, regardless of their age, they were as equally shocked as I was.

And then I looked at Long Tao and, perhaps for the first time since coming to this world, saw him share the exact same expression as the rest of us: that of shock. He, too, hadn’t expected it, which means that this is unequivocally one of the most insane things to have ever happened, as that gremlin had all but perfected the ‘poker’ face.

“Did… did it just speak?” Lao Shun said. “Somebody tell me it spoke, and it’s not me going mad!”

“No, it spoke,” I said. “You are mad for entirely different reasons.”

“A chimera spoke…” he mumbled absentmindedly.

“Protect what?” Long Tao spoke up as well, stopping his attack as his curiosity seems to have been ignited. “That kid in the mist? What makes you think we’d do anything to it?”

“–b-b-bad humans,” it spoke; its voice was rather… strained, almost like someone trying to speak after belting out their soul at a concert the night before. “K-kill my, my ch-child-dren…”

“Your children? Oh. Those things that attacked us?”

“T-they n-n-not attack! They p-p-protect!”

To be honest, even if the thing speaking would have freaked me out a bit, I have a feeling it shocked these guys about a million times more than it shocked me. I’d have just chalked it up to the magic of the world, where some innately sentient animals could speak–and if they could, why not an amalgamation that’s at least partly human already?

But from their reactions, this chimera speaking might be a far greater deal than I could possibly conceptualize at the moment.

Especially Long Tao’s reaction to it.

“… if you tell me who created the forest,” he said. “I’ll swear not to harm the kid.”

“L-liar! Human liar!”

I don’t know how it was talking, as its, uhm, lips? Well, whatever they were, the mouth thingies, they weren’t moving. By now, its legs were trembling, and it looked like the faintest gust of wind would knock it over… and yet, it still stood resolutely.

Whatever kid was within that white haze, it really must care for it greatly.

“What if we promise to take the kid in?” Hm? Why does that sound like something I’d say? I mean, it does, but I definitely did not say it.

This book’s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

… Long Tao, you bastard!!

I whipped my head to the side to see the indignant reactions of the others, but there were none. Rather, it was as though all of them were saying, ‘Yes, indeed, Master would do that exact thing!’

We’re broke!

We’re fucking broke, you dimwits! We have no money left! And you want to invite another monster in?! You really think some random kid being guarded by a chimera that can talk is just gonna be a nobody?!

Hoooh.

Calm down. Just calm down.

They don’t know any better. To them, money is just a thing they use to cultivate.

We can always earn more.

… no, wait, don’t I have an Alchemy bank right here? I stealthily glanced over at Lao Shun, who shuddered; I mean, I can borrow a few… million… and, uhm, I don’t know, figure it out later. He for sure had millions lying around in his spatial ring; he was an Alchemist! Don’t these guys usually have Spirit Stones spilling out of their pockets over how much they’re packing?