CHAPTER 160: THE HECK... HE JUMPED INTO THE SEWAGE?

Ophis Dracula’s POV

Ding~Dong

The midnight hour struck as the clock chimed.

My ears twitched at once, though I forced myself to remain still.

I, who was acting like I was asleep, cracked open my eyes the faintest bit, stealing a glance.

Leo sat there, his face hardening into something far more serious than his previous crying face.

His eyes shifted, and for a fleeting second, they slid toward me.

I immediately closed my eyes.

Then came the rustle, the sound of him moving, pushing away the chair and stepping quietly out of the room.

Was he... taking a bath at this hour? Strange. I was surprised. Usually, he would simply slip into those dark clothes of his, dressing like some thief, and vanish into the night to hunt for her.

How did I know?

Of course, I knew... after all, I had been watching silently all this time.

"Believe me. I’m not going to do anything reckless again. Everyone’s safe now... right? Trust me on this."

That’s what he had said when we asked what he was going to do with the situation.

But yeah... Valra didn’t believe him. Not even for a heartbeat.

She spat her frustration at me, telling me how close Leo was to Pride.

How Pride alone had stood by him, shielding him when he was cornered, bleeding, staring death in the eye. She was the only one who fought at his side when no one else could reach him.

And I couldn’t deny it. I saw it too — how much she endured, how far she went just to protect him.

They had each other’s backs.

She had been there, always, to guard him. And now... judging by how Leo had come to save me.... me, who had barely spent a day with him.

It was obvious... He was going to do something about Pride.

I mean... come on!!

And sure enough, just as Valra feared, the very next night... He started searching for Pride.

I might not have understood the depth of their bond, how much Leo was close to her, but the truth became clear the moment I saw him.

The way he ran towards her, without hesitation... Even though my own champion had already been too corrupted, I stayed back. I knew he was lost forever, swallowed by darkness.

Yet Leo surged forward before anyone could even shout his name, almost dying at the hands of that Fallen Pride.

This... this was undeniable, and what’s more, he truly believed that buried somewhere deep inside the Fallen Pride’s twisted shell, the old Pride still lingered.

I clenched my fists that night, torn between wanting to scream and wanting to stop him.

I thought about talking to him directly, forcing him to understand. I wanted to tell him: it’s impossible to bring back those who are corrupted by darkness.

Once tainted, they are gone forever.

But Valra warned me.

She said even if we told him, even if we begged, Leo would only shrug it off. No matter what anyone said, he wouldn’t believe until he saw it with his own eyes, until he faced it with his own heart.

That was the kind of man he was... Stubborn to the bone... Reckless to the end!!

And yet... I kind of understood that stubbornness.

Maybe, deep down, I even envied it.

Thud!

I flinched and closed my eyes, pretending to be casually asleep, my body stiff but my ears twitching at the faint rustle of him changing his clothes.

My cheeks grew a little hot... I wasn’t even sure why, but there it was.

He moved slowly... painfully slowly as though he was terrified of waking me up.

Bro... I wasn’t even asleep at all!!

Hahaa.

Inside, I laughed so hard I nearly ruined the act.

I wanted to see it... His face, the moment he realised I had been awake the entire time. The way his cheeks would flush crimson... that would be absolutely priceless. Ahaha...

Cough... anyway, I followed him.

Unlike humans, I didn’t need sleep. I could go decades without rest, my body as tireless as the night itself.... Watching him was easy for me.

Just like every other night, I trailed him. Not too close, though... because of that cloaked figure that kept watch over him. Getting near was impossible, and I couldn’t risk being caught, so I settled for following at a careful distance.

Still... I didn’t get it. Why was that figure helping Leo, throwing itself into danger for his sake?

It made no sense.

And it wasn’t just confusing... it was annoying!

I wanted to pout... but no, that would make me look childish, and I was far too old for that.

Instead, I just huffed, scowling, my face tight with a furious expression.

Well, whatever. As long as Leo was protected. But still... it stung.

He trusted that figure, a faceless shadow he couldn’t even identify, more than he trusted us?

"He’s talking to a shopkeeper," I whispered with a serious tone, my voice carried low through the phone.

Yup, I had been updating Valra. She was the one who brought me this phone... thoughtful girl.

I could use her, if I wanted. But what truly irritated me was how that lowlife dared to assign me to deal with children... Children!!

Sigh... calm down... calm down.

I forced my nerves to settle, though my nails dug into my palm.

The truth was, I really wanted to rip that woman’s face apart.

How dare she?

How dare she keep me away from Leo?

I wanted to spend time with him... not babysit random brats. Arrgh, those snot-nosed, shrieking little things!

How in the world do people live surrounded by children without losing their minds?

Shaking away the unwanted thoughts, I fixed my eyes on Leo again.

And then my brow furrowed.

"The heck... he jumped into the sewage?" I muttered, staring in disbelief as he suddenly dropped into the manhole below.

One second he was there, the next he was gone.

But now... I couldn’t see him anymore.... Finding him would be far harder now.

Shit!