Chapter 264: Little Black Feels Wronged, But Little Black Says Nothing

Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Little Black Feels Wronged, But Little Black Says Nothing

The mysterious man raised his well-defined fingers and casually tore the Fierce Beast attacking Liang He to pieces. It was dead beyond dead. His methods were ruthless, yet his expression remained completely unchanged.

Liang He stared at her empty wrist, then looked up at the tall, upright figure with long curly black hair, dressed in a black-and-gold uniform. A strange glint flashed in her eyes, vanishing in an instant.

"Elias?!"

Leila, whose attention was entirely focused on Liang He, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her rescued, but her heart immediately leaped into her throat again. She had recognized the mysterious man’s true identity.

"You’re the Star Thief Leader, Elias!"

Following Leila’s exclamation, everyone present fixed their gazes on Elias. Ao Ke even subconsciously tried to pull Liang He over to his side.

Elias—this was the boss of the Star Thieves! Compared to Lick, he was ten, a hundred, even a thousand times more dangerous!

"Liang He, come here quickly! It’s dangerous!"

Suddenly exposed, Elias stiffened, suddenly feeling that being too famous wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Having not yet figured out how to explain himself to Liang He, he hesitated and didn’t dare look back at her, terrified of seeing even the slightest hint of disgust in her eyes.

"Are you... Little Black?"

Liang He’s usually crisp and soft voice was slightly hoarse, seemingly hiding endless surprise and confusion. This made Elias even more flustered.

Experiencing helplessness for the first time in his life, Elias stood there dumbfounded. He had completely lost his usual lazy and careless demeanor, defenselessly exposing his weakest spots to Liang He.

"I..."

The people present finally realized that Liang He seemed to know nothing about Beastmen. Elias’s on-the-spot transformation had obviously made her suspicious. Now, the secret was completely out.

"Liang He! Come here! Don’t trust him, he’s dangerous!"

Unaware of the full situation, Leila tried to pull Liang He away. Just as her hand covered Liang He’s wrist, another large, slightly cold hand grabbed Liang He’s directly.

"No, I’m not!" Terrified that Liang He would reject him, Elias desperately wanted to explain but didn’t know where to start. He only knew to repeat one sentence. "I will never hurt you. You have to believe me."

Liang He met his black eyes, which were exactly the same as Little Black’s. In his human form, Elias lacked those iridescent black scales, but he possessed a breathtakingly handsome face.

"Who... exactly are you? Little Black... or the Star Thief Leader?"

Faced with Liang He’s question, Elias wanted nothing more than to recklessly tell her that he was just her Little Black. However, he couldn’t deny everything about being the Star Thief Leader. Especially when looking into Liang He’s crystal-clear eyes, he couldn’t bear to deceive her.

"I am Little Black, and also... Elias."

As Elias personally admitted his identity, Liang He fell silent. She wanted to question him but knew this was not the right time. Elias’s appearance had made the situation even more tense.

Meanwhile, Lick, who had originally thought his mission was on the verge of failure, now seemed to see a savior.

"Leader Eli! I am under orders from General Nick to take Liang He away. Please come with us!"

General Nick had specifically told him earlier that the Rebel Army intended to form an alliance with the Star Thieves. Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity? If he could tie Elias to their cause, Lick’s contribution would be even greater!

"Don’t even think about it! I won’t let you take Liang He away even if I die!"

At this moment, Leila and Elias were each tugging on one of Liang He’s arms. Neither was willing to let go, terrified that if they did, the other party would take her away.

"Leila, calm down a bit."

Compared to the agitated Leila, Liang He—the focal point of this conflict—had already regained her usual composure, though her gaze still subconsciously drifted toward Elias.

"Little Black, let go."

This characteristically gentle yet firm command made Elias, who was trying to play the ostrich, subconsciously obey. He reluctantly released her hand. His black eyes, filled entirely with Liang He, revealed a deep sense of grievance.

"Liang He, I..."

"Shut up for now."

Liang He shot him a light, sidelong glance. While she was incredibly gentle toward fluffy creatures, she clearly had less patience for Little Black in his human form.

Realizing that Liang He might still be angry because of his deception, Elias completely deflated, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

"...Oh."

He looked incredibly wronged.

Little Black felt aggrieved, but Little Black wouldn’t say it.

However, seeing Elias actually obey Liang He so obediently, the onlookers couldn’t help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief in unison, while simultaneously admiring her.

"Leila, listen to me. Take everyone and leave first."

Lick was still standing in front of the mechanism. Once he pressed it, Liang He couldn’t guarantee everyone’s safety. Only if they left could she focus on dealing with Lick without any worries.

"But..."

Leila seemed to finally understand Liang He’s intention. However, as a Federal Colonel, she had a duty to protect the safety of citizens. How could she be willing to flee before a battle?

Seeing that Liang He wanted to persuade her further, Lick finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

"Liang He, I’m still here! Don’t you think you should ask for my opinion if you want them to leave?!"

Lick had taken in Elias’s special attitude toward Liang He just now. When hope turned into disappointment once again, Lick was truly reaching his breaking point.

At worst, he would just take everyone down with him!

"Lick, your target is me. But if they die, do you think you can survive my retaliation?"

Faced with Lick’s threat, Liang He no longer adopted a placatory approach. It was obvious that Lick understood her too well. No matter how much she tried to persuade him, he wouldn’t easily give up excellent bargaining chips like Leila and the others.

"...Fine! I can let them go, but you have to come over here first!"

Seeing Liang He hesitate, Lick spoke again. "Don’t worry. With your abilities, wouldn’t I be courting death if I acted rashly while you’re near me?"

He figured that the moment he pressed the mechanism, Liang He could instantly kill him and bury him alongside everyone else.

Liang He thought about it carefully and felt he made a fair point, but she couldn’t just do whatever Lick said.

"Let the injured and unconscious sailors leave first, and then I’ll come over."

The art of negotiation was to first throw out an unacceptable condition, then take a step back and get the other party to agree to the original goal. Just as Liang He expected, Lick didn’t refuse outright this time.

Including Leila and Ao Ke, there were thirty people responsible for exploring the Mysterious Sea Area this time. There were about twelve injured and unconscious sailors. Even if they had to be carried one-on-one, only half the group would be leaving. This wasn’t an unreasonable request.

"Fine, but don’t try any tricks, or I’ll press the button at any moment!"

Having assessed the situation, Lick found it acceptable to exchange half the people for Liang He obediently coming with him. The remaining half could still be used to threaten Liang He into compliance. After all, based on Lick’s understanding of Liang He, threatening one person had much the same effect on her as threatening a whole group.

"Alright."

Liang He shot a glance at Leila and Ao Ke, signaling them to arrange for someone to take the injured and unconscious sailors away first.

They also knew very well that keeping these sailors here would only drag everyone down. Without hesitation, they began having their subordinates carry the injured away one by one.