NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Childhood Promise
“Garde, are you going to that place again?”
“Mm.”
“But didn’t you say you’d never go there again, even if it killed you?”
“If I don’t go, sooner or later, I’ll end up dead anyway.”
At best, he was only slightly stronger than elite Abyssal Hunters like Gladiia, and his strength was limited.
But in the future, the Seaborns would evolve into powerful beings capable of withstanding attacks from three hunters led by Gladiia. Garde wasn’t sure if his current self could handle it.
Even if he could handle one such Seaborn, there were thousands more in the sea. Garde’s current strength was far from enough for him to rampage freely in the possible cataclysms of the future.
Facing the divine presence of the Seaborn, it spoke.
“Hunter, you are still underage!”
Yes, a level-three Crocodile Person like him was certainly not an adult. He hadn’t even mastered the true power of ascension.
Time was not on Garde’s side. Staying in the rainforest wouldn’t make him stronger.
So Garde had to leave!
“Then you have to take me with you!”
Seeing Garde packing up, Gavial started packing too.
Anyway, she was tired of the hot and humid weather of the rainforest. Besides Garde, she didn’t have much attachment to the rainforest of Acahualla.
If it weren’t for Garde, she might have left long ago.
“No way!”
Garde refused Gavial without hesitation.
“That place is very dangerous. Even I rely on luck to survive there. I can’t protect you there!”
“Huh, who said I need your protection!”
Gavial looked unconvinced. She was, after all, the most capable fighter in the rainforest apart from Garde. Among the group of Rhine Lab, except for someone named Saria, none were her match.
If they could go, why couldn’t she?
“Do you look down on me?”
“How could I?”
“Then take me with you!”
“That’s not up for discussion!”
Gavial stared at Garde stubbornly, looking like an angry leopardess.
But Garde’s attitude was firm.
“Others’ lives are not my concern, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”
It doesn’t matter whether you call Garde cold-blooded or selfish.
Among the people in Rhine Lab, the only one who he is willing to lend a helping hand to is just Saria, as for the rest, he would help if he can, but if it would cause him his life, he would leave them behind.
Garde knew how terrifying the Foehn Hotland was. The more people there were, the faster they would die. Even him, with his current strength, could still be dragged into the ground by sand-dwelling creatures while sleeping at night.
And that wasn’t even the most terrifying part.
The guy he fought with before wasn’t dead yet. If he ran into him in the Hotland, Garde would surely be dead..
That’s why Garde refused to enter the Hotland at all costs.
If he ran into that guy, then he would need to fight using all of his strength, and if he were to be unable to beat him, he’d be in trouble. At times like that, the fewer people around, the better!
But Gavial felt the same way.
Garde didn’t want Gavial to get hurt, and Gavial didn’t want Garde to get hurt either.
Four years ago, because she had to take care of Garde’s mother, Gavial couldn’t accompany Garde to the Foehn Hotland, and she had regretted it for a long time.
Now that Garde was going back there, how could she remain indifferent?
“Garde, how long has it been since we last fought?”
“Four years.”
Since Garde returned from the Foehn Hotland, he and Gavial hadn’t fought again.
Before leveling up, Gavial could still compete with Garde due to her advantage in speed.
But after leveling up, Garde and Gavial had already drifted apart.
“Garde, if I win, will you agree to my request?”
“Sure, that’s if you can do it!”
Hearing Gavial’s words, Garde didn’t refuse.
Because he knew refusal was useless. With Gavial’s personality, the only way to make her give up was to overpower her with force.
“Bring it on, Garde! Don’t think I’ll lose to you like before!”
“Hey, wait, you plan to fight here?”
Garde looked around. This was his home!
But before he could finish his sentence, Gavial from the opposite side was already rushing towards him.
“Quit the chatter, here’s my punch!”
This was a battle between two completely different levels. Garde, standing over two meters tall, and Gavial, only one meter sixty-three, about the same height as Laurentina.
The delicate girl gave the impression that she would cry for a long time after just one punch.
But in reality, Gavial, who grew up in the rainforest, never knew what tears were. Even if she lost a fight to Garde and walked hundreds of kilometers in anger, she wouldn’t shed a tear.
All her strength concentrated on her calf, her body stretched straight, and the astonishing explosive power made Gavial create a hole in Garde’s floor with just one kick.
Facing Garde, winning with brute force was out of the question. Garde was like a monster in terms of strength, endurance, and physical toughness.
Only his speed, perhaps due to his huge size, seemed a bit clumsy compared to other aspects.
But even so, under sudden bursts, Garde’s speed was equally formidable.
However, facing Garde, speed was Gavial’s only chance of winning.
Unfortunately, Gavial had never witnessed Garde’s battle with Gladiia.
Otherwise, she would understand that pure speed alone couldn’t beat Garde!
Boom!
The speed at which the fist swung was so fast that it even produced a whooshing sound.
In terms of strength, speed, skill, and physique, Gavial was among the best of her age group.
But unfortunately, in the same age group as her was Garde, equally strong as a monster.
Boom!
The fist swung out, and Garde didn’t react, just letting Gavial’s attack land on him.
His thick armor completely blocked Gavial’s attack.
Garde only felt something patting him on the waist and abdomen area.
Gavial’s strength was already considerable, but for Garde, it wasn’t enough. This was the difference in physique!
“You!”
Finding that her blow couldn’t even break through Garde’s defense, Gavial gritted her teeth and immediately wanted to retreat and regroup.
But how could Garde give her the chance?
“Gavial, I won’t go easy on you!”
Seeing Gavial about to run, Garde reached out and grabbed her, seizing the void.
“Ruthless Predator!”
Gavial’s body immediately stiffened.
“!?”
Having never seen Garde use his own skills, the moment her body stiffened, Gavial knew her only advantage was gone.
She saw Garde’s fist, as big as a sandbag, swinging towards her. She only managed to block it with her arm, but in her mind, she already pictured herself being punched flying.
But the fist stopped just an inch in front of Gavial’s arm, not falling.
“That’s enough for now.”
In Gavial’s stunned gaze, Garde pinched her cheek, causing her to yell in anger.
“Garde, it’s not over yet, this doesn’t count!”
“But you just saw it, you can’t beat me at all!”
“I’m not down yet!”
“Someday I’ll make you lay down, but before that, let me figure out how to control my size first.”
Even Laurentina, a Abyssal Hunter, couldn’t stand him, let alone Gavial. Garde was really afraid of accidentally harming Gavial.
“Alright, alright, stop sulking. When I come back, I promise you one request.”
Garde couldn’t help but pat Gavial’s head. Because of his height, it felt quite good to touch.
But he was slapped away by Gavial before he could pat for long.
“Don’t touch my head, it makes me look like a child!” Gavial said unhappily.
Although she said so with her mouth, Gavial still asked honestly, “Any request is okay?”
“As long as it doesn’t violate my principles.”
“Hmph, who knows what your principles are.”
Gavial turned her head slightly, but the corner of her eye kept watching Garde.
“Hey, listen, do you remember our childhood promise?”
“What promise?”
“Damn it, you’ve really forgotten!”
If it weren’t for being unable to beat Garde, Gavial would definitely have given him a couple of punches.
“Anyway, I want you to fulfill our original promise!”
Gavial looked at Garde, saying fiercely, “That’s my request!”