Chapter 462 - 216: Ape and Leopard Woman

The Apes, not yet having heard what they wanted, looked at Guli Geli with reluctance. It wasn’t until the Black Knight raised his sword that they meekly followed him away.

"I am showing you mercy. You should cherish it. Now, speak. Where do you belong, and what can you offer me?" Li Ziyu finally asked, once the three Apes had been led away.

The Leopard Woman hesitated a moment, then took a deep breath. She dropped to one knee, lowered her head, and said in a hoarse voice, "I am Guli Geli of the Leopard People, and I greet you, King of Skulls. I have no Tribe. I have been here for as long as I can remember. I wonder, how can I be of service to you?"

Oh?

’So she’s a native of the Void Land!’

Li Ziyu’s eyes instantly lit up. Compared to the three Apes from just now, Guli Geli was far more valuable.

But he soon sensed something wasn’t right. He frowned and asked, "You say you’ve always lived here and have no Tribe, so who taught you to speak our language?"

Guli Geli lowered her head, a flicker of sadness on her face. She said slowly, "There were once other Leopard People who lived with me. They taught me how to speak."

Li Ziyu immediately asked, "What happened to those Leopard People? Were you exiled from their Tribe?"

Guli Geli raised her head and shook it vigorously. Her voice strained, she said, "No. A group of Monsters that lives here destroyed everything. They killed them all. I am the sole survivor."

Li Ziyu blinked. He understood what Guli Geli meant. ’So, the Leopard People once had a Tribe here. Guli Geli was born in the Void Land, but then the Tribe encountered a group of Void Creatures and was annihilated. All the other Leopard People died in that battle, leaving her as the sole survivor.’

’No wonder she looked so sad,’ Li Ziyu thought, understanding now. He changed the subject. "Since you’ve lived here your whole life, you must be very familiar with this place, right?"

Guli Geli suppressed her grief and nodded.

She had lived here for a very long time, wandering all by herself. She had traveled across much of this land, faced countless dangers, and nearly died on several occasions. To say she was familiar with the place would be an understatement.

"Are you willing to follow me?" Li Ziyu asked.

’Guli Geli would make an excellent guide. She lives in the Void Land, knows her way around, and has likely encountered many Void Creatures. That’s all intel I need. Even if her knowledge of the Void Land is a bit limited, I’m still willing to keep her around. After all, she’s a beautiful woman—at least she’s easier on the eyes than a Fortress full of Undead, right?’

"Follow you...?" Guli Geli looked up, her expression blank. She stared at Li Ziyu in confusion, as if she couldn’t comprehend what he meant.

"Become my subordinate. Obey my commands and follow my orders," Li Ziyu told her. "I need intelligence on this world. Rest assured, I won’t kill you. In fact, I will provide you with a safe place to rest and food."

Guli Geli froze. She only pondered for a few seconds before her eyes grew resolute. Lifting her head, she declared, "King of Skulls, I will follow you!"

Her decision was not surprising. Living alone in the Void Land was too miserable, too dangerous.

For all her years of survival, she’d had no fixed home. She never dared to stay in one place for long because, being alone, she could be targeted by a hidden Void Creature at any moment. That would mean certain death. She had to be constantly on the move, never even daring to rest properly.

As for food, that was an even greater problem. The scent of blood from a hunt would attract stronger predators. Going hungry was a regular occurrence. Every hunt was a desperate struggle for survival, a constant walk on the knife’s edge between life and death.

It all stemmed from the fact that she had no one to back her up, no people of her own. She had encountered other Tribes and tried to join them, but they either treated her with contempt or harbored ill intentions. In the end, after all these years, she was still on her own.