*Crackle~*
The black longsword swung forward diagonally, and the lightning enshrouding it immediately raged out, transforming into several lightning snakes that attacked the World Serpent duo.
Giving Gray Serpent a slight glare, Raven snorted coldly, stepped forward in front of Gray Serpent, and thrust out her red claws, cutting the lightning snakes into several pieces.
A flash of bluish-purple light, and the lightning snakes instantly dissipated into countless web-like arcs of lightning.
His blood-red eyes watched this scene without a single ripple in his heart. This was just a probing strike; he didn't expect such an attack to have any real effect.
The cyan brilliance brightened slightly. Ming Yu tapped his toes, and his body instantly rushed into the darkness behind him like a gust of wind.
"If you can keep up, let's find another place to spar."
From the darkness, Ming Yu's invitation came from afar.
Although it was a bit remote, this was still a residential area. If Ming Yu and his opponent were to go all out, the destructive power would be no less than that of a massive Honkai Beast.
Within the scope of his abilities, Ming Yu did not want to involve the innocent.
"Tch!"
Glancing at Gray Serpent, who hadn't moved at all, Raven spat. It was unclear if it was disdain for Ming Yu's action or a complaint about Gray Serpent's unreliability.
With a light tap of her feet, Raven's body leaped up, closely following Ming Yu's steps into the darkness.
"Recover the Key of Corruption if possible... At the very least, probe out that person's combat intelligence."
A fierce wind howled past her, but Gray Serpent's hoarse voice reached Raven's ears without a single word being missed.
"More money!"
Looking at the silver figure flickering in and out of sight ahead, Raven said in a low voice, her speed increasing once again.
She had other tasks in Singapore to begin with. Showing up to support Gray Serpent was already giving him a lot of face. But this guy Gray Serpent had screwed things up; the negotiation with the other party had broken down, and what was supposed to be a walk-through had turned into a chase.
Time is money, and clients who change their minds at the last minute are even more annoying. If Gray Serpent dared not to add more money today, she would... slack off on the next mission.
As she was calculating in her mind, a hand suddenly shot out from the side, grabbing Raven's collar and violently flinging her forward.
The scene in her vision changed rapidly, and a dizzying sense of nausea rushed to her brain. Yet, the corner of Raven's eye caught a glimpse of the silver figure ahead shattering into countless ice fragments.
Damn it, when did he do that?
The question in her mind hadn't even settled before Raven's body had already reacted, her left foot kicking towards the direction the hand had come from.
Two muffled grunts sounded almost simultaneously, one after the other. The feeling of her heel hitting something solid came, and Raven's body also slammed heavily into a large tree. The immense force caused the tree, which would take two people to encircle, to tilt.
Enduring the sharp pain from her back, Raven pushed off the ground with her left hand, her body already regaining its balance as she hurriedly tried to locate the enemy's figure.
Exhaling lightly, Ming Yu studied the enemy before him while slowly walking towards Raven. The Jizo Mitama in his hand retracted its edge, half-hidden behind him, waiting for the right moment to strike.
While moving her feet to evade and interfere with Ming Yu's line of sight, Raven also adjusted her state, searching for an opening in Ming Yu's defense.
The long red claws glinted dangerously in the darkness. The black bodysuit with a metallic sheen outlined the woman's impressive figure. Her left hand, hidden under the dark red cloak, held an unknown danger.
"Letting you follow alone, it seems your companion doesn't care much about you either."
Pausing his steps slightly, Ming Yu gave up on finding an opening and instead tried to use words to induce his opponent to make a mistake. Raven was undoubtedly a battle-hardened veteran; her defense was simply watertight.
"Forget trying to sow discord. My relationship with that guy isn't as good as you think." Licking her somewhat dry lips, Raven's ruby-like eyes shone with excitement. "How about this: you give me money, and I'll help you kill that guy."
"..."
Looking at Raven's dead-serious expression, Ming Yu knew this woman was absolutely serious. As long as he could pay a price that satisfied Raven, she would really turn around and twist Gray Serpent's head off.
How was Ming Yu supposed to respond to someone who could discuss selling out a teammate with an enemy without any compunction?
Besides, Gray Serpent's head... it might actually be for sale.
"You... like money a lot?"
Meeting Raven's expectant gaze, a hint of surprise appeared on Ming Yu's face.
For people of their level, acquiring money was already very easy. If they were to abandon their moral compass, robbing the national treasury of some small countries wouldn't be that difficult.
"Of course. You don't?"
At the mention of money, Raven couldn't help but get excited, her red eyes shining with an incredibly bright light.
"It's alright. I don't spend much money, nor am I short of it."
A strong feeling of a certain rogue ninja from Takigakure washed over him, and Ming Yu didn't even know where to start his retort.
"I hear the salary at Schicksal is very high, so you must be very rich. How about you give me some money, we pretend to fight, and then I can go back and report."
Hearing that Ming Yu didn't like money that much, Raven's eyes couldn't help but dim, as if Ming Yu had missed out on some important treasure. But when she heard the second half of his sentence, she immediately became eager again, trying to persuade Ming Yu to buy her off.
"Ahem~ I just got a promotion and a raise!"
Looking at the sly smile on Raven's lips, Ming Yu immediately took a half-step back, his guard instantly raised. Although he didn't have a deep concept of money in this world, and he probably didn't need to worry about buying a house or a car, Ming Yu was still highly suspicious of this kind of sales pitch.
Besides, considering Raven's skills and his own status, Ming Yu weighed his wallet and decided to reject this easy way out.
"World Serpent's pay shouldn't be low either, right? From what Gray Serpent just said, you guys seem to be very rich too."
Ming Yu still found it hard to believe that someone like Raven would be short of money. She wasn't some forty-something-year-old kid who bought collector's edition manga and limited-edition merchandise all day.
"World Serpent... I'm just a mercenary. As long as the price is right, any mission is fine."
The long, slender claws brushed aside a stray strand of gray hair by her temple. Raven stated the cold, hard fact in the calmest tone.
Looking at the calm-faced woman, Ming Yu's heart sank, yet he couldn't help but envy this kind of carefree attitude. Perhaps in the eyes of Otto and others, he too was just a 'mercenary' with the right price.
"So it seems you have no intention of hiring me?"
A cold glint appeared in her eyes. Raven said sharply, the long red claws on her hands flashing with an exceptionally sharp cold light.
Facing Raven's question, Ming Yu didn't answer, merely shrugging his shoulders.
At least, in this brief moment, they had both reached a consensus.
A consensus that had to be reached through battle.