Chapter 520 521-The Plan

Chapter 520 Chapter521-The Plan

Ali tapped Jelia on the shoulder, saying, "The situation is somewhat dire; I need to explain it to you so we can decide on our next move."

"You're actually consulting with me? Don't you usually just make decisions on your own?" Jelia huffed.

"Because I want to borrow your henchman for a bit, to take out a few particularly annoying individuals."

Deep within the jungle, in a concealed shallow cave, lay the temporary refuge for Ali, Jelia, and Roronora.

To avoid detection by the cloaked assailants, Ali had foregone making a fire.

The absence of their usual warm jerky soup and even having to eat bread cold soured the mood for both Ali and Jelia.

Roronora, however, seemed unaffected by such discomforts.

Thus, the cave scene was an odd one: a young girl and a young man frowned deeply while holding their bread, while the skeletal, gaunt figure beside them eagerly devoured bread stuffed with jerky, as if savoring a delicacy of the highest order.

For someone who had been eating rats for over half a year, such fare was indeed a supreme delight.

Code 1, while preserving the bodies of all outsiders, did not imply that prolonged dormancy wouldn't lead to physical anomalies.

The most typical cases were those outsiders who starved themselves to death.

Code 1 would not allow these individuals into the legacy space.

Instead, he would watch as their bodies, devoid of consciousness, turned into vegetative states before being destroyed and repurposed as basic materials.

The legacy's ability to sustain itself for three hundred years was not unrelated to such a ruthless selection process.

The failures became fertilizer, nourishing a flower that bloomed only for the victor.

Thus, despite Roronora's current emaciated appearance, with sufficient food, he could regain his peak strength within a few days, possibly even surpassing his former prowess due to the legacy!

It's worth noting that at his zenith, Roronora was a level 2 magus with formidable combat abilities.

Once fully restored, even Howard, allied with Ali without the aid of "Brave," might not be assured of victory against him.

"There's no need to rush; I have more, plenty more!"

Ali, observing Roronora's single-minded focus on the food, ignoring everything else, scratched his face and then glanced at Jelia, who seemed to have little appetite as well.

"Jelia, where did you find such a monster?" Ali couldn't help but ask.

"He looks younger than me, yet his strength surpasses Howard's!"

Understanding Howard's strength as an extraterrestrial was one thing for Ali, but Roronora was clearly a different case.

He hadn't heard of any extraterrestrial falling to such a low point as Roronora seemed to have.

"He was a legacy challenger, but got trapped inside. I encountered him there, and thinking he could be of use, I pushed him forward during the final moments of accepting the legacy," Jelia explained, not lifting her gaze from the bread in her hand.

"With some additional measures and help from someone, his memories were altered. Now, I'm his closest companion, almost akin to being a half-owner."

As Jelia spoke, her voice carried a tinge of excitement, yet Ali could discern the underlying unease.

Jelia was worried about how Howard would react to this development.

"I was hoping to borrow your sidekick for a bit. I promise, I won't let him down! I just need someone to lure away Gick's top fighters, giving me a chance to strike."

If he could just draw away Gick's elite, Ali could find the perfect opportunity to make his move.

"I can't tell him that, or he'll put in too much effort," Jelia said, shaking her head as she looked at Ali.

"You'll have to tell him yourself. Though he may seem a bit slow and foolish, he actually knows everything."

Jelia had only altered Roronora's perception of her, without affecting his fundamental awareness.

However, Code 1, who had carried out the modification, seemed to have a particular disdain for Roronora – it was unclear what Roronora might have done to provoke Code 1's ire.

Me, talk to him?

Ali glanced at Roronora, who was entirely focused on his food, and then at Jelia, who was frowning at her own piece of bread.

He found himself at a loss, wondering if he could indeed communicate effectively with someone like Roronora.

Well, it's worth a try.

Ali organized his thoughts, prepared his speech, and called out to Roronora.

It was as if a switch had been flipped.

Roronora abruptly looked up at the sound of Ali's call, not particularly loud, his eyes – aflame with a crimson hue – fixed on Ali like a wild beast.

Ali was taken aback, fearing for a moment that Roronora might lose control and attack.

But then he watched as the red in Roronora's eyes gradually receded, and the expression on his face relaxed.

It was like watching an agitated cat slowly retract its claws, warily surveying its surroundings before settling back into its cozy nook.

Is this guy really a werewolf?

Massaging his temples, Ali felt the path to communication was dauntingly long.

"Roronora!" he called out again, tentatively.

This time, the response from the werewolf was much milder; he just lifted his head to glare at Ali, his expression still ferocious.

Like a cat guarding its food...

Ali thought, finding it increasingly difficult to dissociate Roronora from the image of a cat.

Roronora's gaze softened upon seeing Ali, but the wariness was merely concealed, not gone.

"Companion... what is it?"

"Um, I have my own name. I'm Ali, you can just call me Ali," Ali shuffled closer to Roronora, intending to sit beside him.

However, noticing Roronora's guarded look, Ali halted his movement.

Clearly, although Roronora saw Ali as someone he could coexist peacefully with, thanks to Jelia's influence, he had never let down his guard around Ali.

This indirectly proved that Roronora still retained his ability to judge, even if the mechanisms of such judgment were not yet clear.