Chapter 459 Ops, Sorry
Villain Ch 459. Ops, Sorry
Larissa leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "What's that? Tell me," she urged, eager to dive deeper into their discussion about Sophia's motives. nOVe)lb)1n
Allen took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "Well," he began, "I think Sophia is leveraging her reputation to gain a following."
Larissa furrowed her virtual brow, trying to connect the dots. "A following for what, exactly?" she asked, wanting to understand the bigger picture.
Allen smirked, enjoying the intellectual challenge of their conversation. "For whatever comes next," he explained. "Elio and the others might start to doubt her, or she could foresee a situation where she has to leave the Order of Valiance. In either case, having a loyal group of players who look up to her would give her a significant advantage."
Larissa paused, absorbing Allen's theory. It made a lot of sense, and she couldn't help but nod in agreement. "That actually makes sense," she admitted, recognizing Sophia's cunning nature.
Meanwhile, Sophia had been observing Allen and Larissa from a distance, her eyes filled with envy and curiosity. She couldn't help but notice how close they seemed. It irked her, fueled her competitive spirit, and ignited a desire to disrupt their camaraderie.
With an insidious grin playing on her virtual lips, Sophia decided to intervene in their interaction. She carefully timed her movements, ensuring that she would collide with Allen at the perfect moment, all in an attempt to catch his attention. As she approached, she feigned clumsiness, pretending to stumble and lose her balance. Sophia dramatically threw her body toward Allen, her heart pounding with anticipation.
However, Sophia's plan didn't unfold as expected. She had hoped that Allen would instinctively reach out to catch her, mirroring the reactions of countless male players who had fallen for her charms before. But Allen's response was different, catching her off guard.
Instead of reaching out to prevent her fall or displaying any sign of romantic interest, Allen instinctively took a step back, avoiding the collision altogether. His reaction was swift and pragmatic. Sophia had underestimated him, and the realization stung.
Larissa, who had been walking alongside Allen, watched the scene unfold with a raised eyebrow. She couldn't help but find Sophia's theatrics rather amusing, but she was also keenly aware of her intentions. Larissa chose to remain composed, her expression a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
"Ops, sorry. Habits," Allen responded casually, deflecting any awkwardness away from the situation.
Sophia, though internally seething with frustration over her failed plan, composed herself and faced Allen with feigned enthusiasm. Her embarrassment was quickly replaced by a bright smile as she greeted him.
"Allen, I didn't expect to meet you here," Sophia exclaimed, her voice filled with apparent delight. She seemed to cast aside any trace of awkwardness as if it had never existed. Sophia was determined to engage him in conversation, as she had pressing questions on her mind, questions she considered vital.
Allen glanced at Sophia, his expression polite but reserved. He had sensed an ulterior motive in her approach, given her earlier theatrics, and he remained vigilant.
"Yeah, it's a bit unexpected," he replied, keeping his tone neutral. Allen was wary but willing to entertain a conversation, albeit cautiously.
Larissa observed the exchange with keen interest, not missing the shift in Sophia's behavior. She maintained her composure, waiting to see where the conversation would lead and ready to provide support to Allen if needed.
"Are you following us?" Allen cut straight to the point, his gaze fixed on Sophia. "I thought you were still busy with those players who spam love fireworks for you," he added with a touch of sarcasm.
Sophia beamed with satisfaction, interpreting Allen's words as acknowledgment of her popularity. "Oh, you know!" she replied cheerfully, pleased that Allen was aware of her admirers.
"They spammed the sky. So yeah, I know," Allen retorted coolly, his tone devoid of any admiration for her. With that, he turned to leave, making it clear he wasn't interested in entertaining further conversation. Sophia, however, attempted to seize his hand to halt his departure. "Wait!" she exclaimed.
Allen swiftly evaded her grasp, narrowly avoiding another dramatic fall from Sophia. Resuming her composure, Sophia tried a different approach.
"Um... May I ask you why you didn't participate in the last war?" she inquired, genuinely curious. As a skilled player, Allen's absence from such a significant event had perplexed her.
"I just play for fun now," Allen replied firmly. "I'm not interested in pursuing anything here." His response was resolute, underscoring his disinterest in engaging with the game's competitive aspects.
Sophia continued to charm her way into the conversation. "But the reward is very nice," she cooed, attempting to sway Allen's decision.
"I know," Allen acknowledged, his patience running thin. He maintained a stern expression and leaned closer to Sophia. "I will enter the event when I want to," he reiterated firmly, giving her a piercing glare. "And I'm not interested in telling you when that is."
Sophia momentarily pursed her lips, but she was far from conceding defeat. Instead, she decided to play another card in her attempt to manipulate Allen. With feigned concern, she raised her voice so that passerby could easily eavesdrop. "You're a pro player, Allen," she stated, her tone filled with faux confusion. "I don't understand how you can lose interest like this. I remember when you were always eager for every game event in the past. But now... you are different. Is this because of those women?"
Sophia's attempt to manipulate the situation irked Larissa, who was growing increasingly frustrated. She clenched her jaw and prepared to step in, but Allen's firm grip on her hand held her back. He wasn't rattled by Sophia's words. Instead, he laughed in response to her statement.
"Nice try, Sophia," Allen replied confidently. "But that won't work on me. I simply do what I want. If you want my attention, you should stop it. You won't get it," he asserted firmly.
Sophia, however, seemed unfazed by Allen's resolve. She sported a smirk, believing she was gaining the upper hand. "I won't get it, you say? Haven't I got it? You are talking to me right now," she retorted, a sense of victory in her tone.