Chapter 43: The Scout’s News

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: The Scout’s News

[Meanwhile...]

On the nineteenth floor of the tower, atop a peak that rivaled the legendary Golden Ascension Peak in height, a group of Fox Family disciples sat in a rough circle in the clean courtyard. The sounds of birds squabbling over food on a nearby rooftop rang through the air, yet their eyes remained closed.

Even in their silence and meditation, however, their senses remained fixed on one of the several buildings ahead, with its sweeping tiled roofs, paper screens, and dark lacquered pillars.

One disciple cracked an eye open at the sound of hurried footsteps. Almost immediately, a younger man came sprinting past the group.

"Senior Sister! There’s news!"

As if pulled by invisible strings, the entire circle rose at once and followed the young man toward the main building.

When the heavy wooden door slid open, the quiet interior came into view. Low writing tables held maps and inkstones, weapon racks lined one wall, and a single large bed dominated the far side of the room, near a study table piled with books.

At the edge of the bed sat Ivy Fox, wearing a simple, loose white sleeping tunic with one shoulder slipping down. The thin fabric did little to conceal the elegant line of her collarbones or the soft curve of her breasts beneath it. Her long purple-black hair fell unbound down her back, framing a face of almost unfairly delicate beauty.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, she slowly turned her head and offered the gathered disciples a small, tired smile. Several of them—boys and girls alike—flushed and quickly looked away.

"Why are you calling me so early?" Ivy asked, her voice soft but clear.

The scout who had shouted stepped forward and held out a folded letter. "Senior Sister, the main scouting unit has finally sent word. According to their findings... other groups besides ours have reached the nineteenth floor as well."

Ivy accepted the letter with her slender fingers. "Did they say which domains these groups came from?"

The young man’s eyes lingered on her face a moment too long before he answered. "En. Just as you suspected, Senior Sister. Each group came from a different place. It seems all the sudden rifts that appeared lead to this same tower."

Ivy lowered her gaze to the letter. One elegant hand rose to rest lightly against her lips as she considered the news. The movement caused more of her loose sleeve to slip, revealing a greater expanse of her smooth shoulder and the upper curve of her breast.

"Is there any news beyond that?" she asked after a moment. "Like... has anyone found what the Alliance is searching for? Or someone capable of deciphering their strange techniques?"

The scout shook his head. "Nothing."

Ivy exhaled and leaned back slightly. After a moment, the scout suddenly raised a hand again.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said, drawing Ivy’s attention back to him. "There’s one other piece of information that almost every group mentioned."

Ivy tilted her head, waiting.

"A name," he said slowly, glancing into her eyes before quickly looking away. "Loki."

She blinked. "Loki?"

"Yes. Does anyone come to mind, Senior Sister?"

Ivy shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "No one in particular." She fell silent for a moment before glancing up at him again. "So, what exactly did they say about this Loki?"

The young man straightened under the sudden intensity of her stare. "Very little. Even though many groups mentioned his name, they didn’t have much to say beyond three words that each of them repeated: ’Beware of Loki.’"

Ivy rested her fingers against her lower lip, repeating the phrase under her breath. "Beware of Loki..."

She waved a hand, dismissing them. "I think that’s enough information to work with for now. When you return, take enough food for the other scouts."

She swept her gaze across the remaining disciples. "As for the rest of you, return to your meditation. If any Alliance member catches you idling, they won’t hesitate to make an example of you."

A moment passed before a small smile formed on her face.

"And..." She paused, letting her gaze settle on each of them. "You needn’t panic. Even if it costs me my own life, I’ll get every one of you home."

The disciples bowed as one, their fists clenched at their sides. A young woman near the front spoke for the group, her voice tight with emotion.

"We’ll train harder too, Senior Sister. Even if we can’t decipher the technique, we’ll become strong enough that we’re no longer a burden to you or Senior Sister Rachel."

Others echoed her promise, causing Ivy’s smile to soften.

"Haa... You fools. Empty promises help no one, so just go train."

The disciples nodded eagerly before filing out. Ivy waited until the last of them had left and the door slid shut. Only then did she turn toward the large bed and speak in a quieter voice.

"You can come out now."

A long moment of silence passed. Then the silk covers shifted, and Rachel’s head emerged, her face flushed a deep pink.

Even pregnant, Rachel remained striking. Her light brown, pixie-cut hair framed a youthful face with soft cheeks and large green eyes, now half-hidden behind slightly askew glasses.

The loose sleeping robe she wore had slipped off both shoulders, revealing smooth fair skin and the gentle curves of her figure. Though she was already three months pregnant, her belly had barely begun to show, thanks to her awakened status.

"It seems your fever has gone down a bit. How’s the baby?"

Rachel sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Fine. It’s just... I feel like I’m ovulating, even though I’m already pregnant." She covered her face with both hands, her voice dropping to an embarrassed whisper. "I just... miss Michael’s big dick so much..."

Ivy’s face turned scarlet. "Rachel! How can you say something so... so... so crude?!"

Rachel lowered her hands and chuckled mischievously. Without warning, she propped herself up and sat behind Ivy, immediately cupping her breasts through the thin tunic. As she squeezed gently, the soft flesh yielded beneath her palms, warm and pliant.

"What about it?" Rachel asked, still holding them. "Don’t act like such a saint. I know you want to feel it too. Hehehe. Even I want you to experience it, so you’ll finally understand why I talk like this."

Ivy let out a sound dangerously close to a whimper. "N-No... it isn’t like that..."

Rachel giggled and finally released her. After running a hand through her hair, she sat up fully and crossed her legs on the bed.

"All right, enough of that." She let out a breath and met Ivy’s gaze. "So, what do you think about this Loki guy? Do you think he might be what we need to get out of here?"