022 Never Try to Guess the Thoughts of a Beautiful Young Man

“So, how about it? Good idea, right?” The handsome youth seemed quite pleased with the suggestion of burying someone together with the giant shark.

“Not really,” someone responded, drenched in cold sweat, unsure if it was from pain or fear. “I’m your savior, remember!”

“Savior?” The boy’s brow furrowed.

“Yes! If my water sphere hadn’t pushed you away, you would’ve been the shark’s appetizer by now. You wouldn’t even have the chance to show off in front of me!” Desperate for the youth to acknowledge this truth, the speaker’s tone was indignant.

“Oh, so it was you,” the boy’s frown relaxed, his face lighting up as though he’d found a treasure. “I was just wondering who the idiot with the water sphere was—the one who nearly made me fall. I was all set to strike at the shark’s belly, but thanks to that water sphere, I had to use twice the effort to attack from behind. I almost failed. So, tell me—how should I thank you?”

“That’s easy! I just want—” The speaker was the very definition of someone who pushes their luck.

“...?” The boy hadn’t caught up.

“The magic core in your hand.” Deliberately taking a deep breath, the speaker’s eyes hungrily locked onto the massive shark’s magic core in the boy’s hand. It was as large as a lunchbox—this would be the answer to Liang Yin’s predicament.

“You really are amusing,” the boy said leisurely, toying with the magic core. Suddenly, something caught his eye; his gaze grew serious as he looked intently toward the speaker. “Don’t let me see you again.”

With a leap, the youth soared into the air, leaving the immobilized speaker sprawled helplessly on the ground, calling out weakly, “At least leave me something to eat or drink! Otherwise, you really won’t see me again!” The boy vanished, the magic core gone, and the speaker lay nearly crippled, heart bleeding. Oh gods, please send someone to rescue me—anyone! Whoever comes first, I’ll marry them!

Whoosh! Two flashes of sword energy crossed in front of the speaker, striking where the boy had just stood, stirring up a cloud of dust. And with the sword energy came a familiar figure.

Purple hair fluttered in the wind, a delicate sword tightly gripped in her hand, her frozen face showing no emotion. Tears streaming, the speaker gazed at the purple-haired girl as she approached, and quietly asked, “Um, what was your name again?”

The purple-haired girl looked down from above, thought for a moment, and actually replied, “Huan Luo.”

“Perfect, Huan Luo. Just now, I swore to God that whoever rescued me, I’d marry them. So, are you ready to marry me? Hey, don’t leave! I can’t move—come back and save me! Fine, don’t marry me, but why are you leaving…” The speaker’s lament echoed across the land.

Huan Luo had never paid the speaker any mind; she walked straight ahead, picked up a large magic core from the ground, and turned to look at the speaker. “Is this… yours?”

Staring at the untouched magic core on the ground, the speaker was momentarily stunned, but quickly realized what had happened and replied earnestly, “This is a long, long story about a beautiful youth and a magical beast. I don’t mind if you listen to my tale while carrying me back, Huan Luo.”

“…” Silence.

Liang Yin finally awoke from her long slumber, and the speaker eagerly collapsed onto the bed again.

“So, that’s how you got the magic core?!” Liang Yin’s jaw nearly dropped. “No one would believe that.”

Having explained countless times already, the speaker stared at the ceiling, unwilling to respond to any more doubts.

“Squeak squeak!” Zhi Zhi stood beside the bed, equally skeptical.

“See, even Zhi Zhi doesn’t believe you!” Proudly hugging Zhi Zhi, Liang Yin lifted her chin, cheeks flushed. “Just tell the truth! Are you afraid I’ll thank you too much? If Zhi Zhi hadn’t run back with the news, we’d never have known where you’d die in some desolate corner!”

The speaker could take no more. “…Do you think I’m some lost child?”

“No, you’re definitely not a lost child, hmph! Clearly, Huan Luo was the one who found you, right?” Giving Huan Luo a nickname without permission, Liang Yin beamed.

“Hmm?” It took Huan Luo a while to react. “What is it?”

“…Nothing!” Liang Yin looked out the window, acting proud.

Huan Luo looked at the speaker in confusion. The speaker sighed and spoke up. “What are you thinking about? Liang Yin asked if you were the one who found the magic core.”

“I found it,” Huan Luo stated simply, her thoughts distant, only speaking again after a long while. “Tonight, Liang Yin and I will practice hunting together. Tomorrow, I’m leaving.”

“Leaving where?” “Where are you going?!” The speaker and Liang Yin exclaimed in disbelief.

Though Huan Luo was just a passing acquaintance, she was the one most familiar with the forest and possessed the greatest combat strength—a spiritual pillar for them both.

“I’ve gained enough experience and gathered the data I need. Of course, I’m returning to Akasia.” Huan Luo remained unmoved.

“That’s wonderful, we’re heading to Akasia too. Let’s go together!” Liang Yin said enthusiastically.

“How will you get there?” For once, Huan Luo’s lips curved into a rare smile. She fixed her gaze on the speaker, barely managing a small arc. “Will you push her, or carry her?”

Liang Yin looked at the bedridden, helpless speaker and rolled her eyes to the heavens.

“Besides, Akasia is complicated right now. If she goes before reaching mid-level mage, it’s suicide,” Huan Luo returned to her calm, indifferent tone. “I only want to see two people who can walk, not someone who can only lie down.”

The sky brightened and then dimmed in a flash, and by the time the speaker could get out of bed again, Huan Luo had been gone for days. Liang Yin, meanwhile, kept pushing herself ever closer to becoming an advanced mage through constant hunting.

“So, from now on, your main task is to hunt at least two magical beasts before dusk. If you fail, your penalty is hunting a frenzied magical beast alone after dusk. If you don’t succeed, you’ll sleep outside!”

“What?!” The speaker, clutching a plain wooden staff, hadn’t processed this before Liang Yin shoved her out the door. The door slammed shut.

“Let me in! Open sesame! Don’t abandon me! How could you do this to me when I’ve just recovered from a serious illness…” The speaker clung to the door.

“Squeak squeak!” Zhi Zhi squinted, leaping out the window, loyally running toward the speaker—only to freeze as Liang Yin snatched Zhi Zhi by the scruff, her queenly demeanor on full display. “I said, do it alone. Otherwise, you can come in now and go out again after dusk.”

“…You fiend!” The speaker, dragging her shoddy staff, trudged unwillingly toward the forest. “You ungrateful wretch! If it weren’t for me, you’d have died in your sleep. Now that you’re healthy, you turn around and oppress me. Shameless!”

“Shameless!” A familiar male voice rang out from the sky. The speaker looked up and saw the silver-haired youth sitting on a tree, smiling brilliantly, head resting against the trunk. “Do you remember what I said last time?”

“No, you go ahead and reminisce—I’ll be leaving now!” Sensing trouble, the speaker immediately tried to slip away, knowing this was either a debt collector or a harbinger of doom.

“No matter, it’s enough that I remember,” the youth descended gracefully, blocking the speaker’s path. “I said, don’t let me see you again.” With a snap of his fingers, several massive magical beasts charged straight at the speaker.

Stardust Chronicles 022_022: The Mind of the Beautiful Youth, Don’t Even Try to Guess—Update Complete!