Chapter 91 91 Not Coming Back

Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Not Coming Back

And at that moment, all she wanted to do was climb on top of him and just please him.

But Monica said nothing- not verbally anyway. She was too proud to give in to her base instincts. Yet, her body language and facial expressions betrayed her.

Even as the last of the wolves disappeared from the scene, the Heavenly Flames still continued to blaze on.

After enjoying his brief reign of victory, he briefly held his position and hovered in the air, watching to make sure that every single wind wolf had disappeared. Finally, his elevated chin lowered- shifting his gaze to the earth below.

Skillfully maneuvering the gusts of fire blazing under his soles, he spread his arms out for balance, and quietly he lowered his altitude. As his feet got closer and closer to the ground, he gradually cut off the flow of qi from his feet- snuffing out the flames, as his mortal form touched down.

For a brief moment, Nexus had to readjust to having to thread the bare earth again like a regular human.

He spun around- casting a wide gaze behind him.

The semi circle of the devouring red fire had formed a crescent arc in the meadows. As if in response to his will, the Heavenly Flames, began to gradually wane, as they died a slow but sure death- swooshing down at his silent command, till they were reduced to barely a few inches in height.

Again, the elevation of his face shifted as he lifted his flat eyes to Monica- meeting her intent gaze;

"Here. . ." his cold voice came out even colder in the chilly night air.

His sleeves ruffled as he raised the beast's head; "I believe this belongs to you. . ."

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"What do you mean you're not coming back with me?"

Monica's steely voice rasped through the open air of the grasslands the following morning. With her arms on her waist, and elbows facing east and west, she stood at akimbo, bearing down on Nexus with an inquiring look;

"Is it because of what I said the other time? I was just being a douche okay? I thought you were just a–"

She paused, and her eyes dimmed slightly, as if trying to find the right word.

Nexus helped her out;

"Newbie?"

"Exactly!" her eyes flashed even brighter now; "I didn't know you were- well, whatever it is you are. . ."

Her tone took on a more diplomatic approach; ". . .you literally saved my skin last night. The role you played caused a turning point. It's only fair that you get what is yours. . ."

Right next to the tent, out in the open, on the soft grass of the meadow, Nexus was lying down on the sleeping bag Monica had imported from her spatial ring. Elbows up, fingers interlocked under his head, and hat shielding his eyes from the sun above, he lay there as Monica kept talking;

". . .we bagged a shit ton of wind wolves. Especially the B-rank ones. Even if we do share it fifty-fity, it's still going to be one huge fuckin' pay day!"

Even as she dropped the last few words, her voice box vibrated with excitement.

Nexus sighed at her stubborness. His jaw sifted, and deep from his throat, he mumbled a reply in his deep morning voice;

"Right from the very start, this was your quest. We both know that. My decision not to return to the hunter's bourse has nothing to do with the pay. Seriously, I'm not mad, you can have it all. . ."

But Monica was not listening. She genuinely thought this was a negotiation.

So, looming over Nexus, her shadow fell forward- and so did her words;

"Alright, fine. We'll split it sixty-forty, in your favor of course. . .but one one condition though- henceforth, we take on all the top quests together. With your abilities, and my experience, we'll practically sweep up the board and claim every single prize!"

Nexus chuckled into his hat; "Yeah, I don't think the other hunters are going to be exactly pleased with that."

"Bah," she snorted dismissively; "Who cares about those groups of swines? Most of them are sub par hunters who piggy back on the accomplishments of group hunts. I don't rate them, and neither should you."

From his right side of his temple, Nexus tilted his head slightly to the left, and freed his right hand. Monica looked on as his open palm swooped down on his hat, latched on to the tip, and lifted it- revealing his rosy face;

"I need you to pay attention Monica . . ." his eyes bored into her equally intense eyes;

"I can't exactly say it was fun, but this little hunting trip was hella interesting. I mean, how many people can say they've seen a B-rank wind wolf up front? Shit, I could write a book about it. . ."

Her eyebrows contracted;

"Wait, is that what this is about? You want to write a boo–"

Nexus' eyes rolled;

"Of course not. . ." . Seriously, what is it with the people on this continent? Haven't they discovered sarcasm yet?

". . .my point is this was merely a social experiment for me. I've gone through with it- just as I said I would. . ."

He reunited his hand with the back of his head;

". . .I'm done with this bit, so I'm moving on to explore other things."

Monica peered at him through her squinted eyes, and held her gaze for a few moments.

Her penetrating gaze gauged him- trying to read through any subliminal message. But there wasn't any.

He genuinely appeared to have made up his mind. And in that moment, she knew that there was nothing she could do or say to make him change;

"Well, that's too bad. We could have made a killing together. . ."

Taking a breather, she slumped down on the green grass beside him, and crossed her legs;

"So, what now? This quest is over, and apparently, so is your appetite for the hunting business. What's next for the mysterious Ni Yang?"

Ni Yang (Nexus) smiled to himself.

He knew exactly what was to come next.

He sank even deep into his thoughts- and sank even deeper into the cushy sleeping bag. He let his eyes rove dreamily across the clear blue skies above. His gaze drifted before coming to rest on the dense puffy white clouds.

Nexus began to envy them.

They were free. Not bound in any kind of slavish responsibility whatsoever. That was what he wanted.

Which was why it was a bad fuckin' idea to even consider continuing as a hunter. Seriously, what had he been thinking?! To slave all day, go without sleep for nights, camp out in the wild, and to wrestle with beasts that were designed by nature to not be fought- all for peanut wages?

Back on earth, there was an actual name for that- they were called laborers. The insides of Nexus' guts cringed inwardly.

'No way,' he thought; 'No fuckin' way.'

There was no future for him as a hunter.

But that did not mean he was out of the business completely.

As it stood, in this business of hunting, there were two kinds of people. The first were those who went out into the field.