Chapter 390: A Critical Choice at the Far Frontier

“Kill you?”

“How could I ever bear to?”

With a soft laugh, Yenir exhaled deeply, though the Elemental Blade in her hand still hovered at her neck.

Looking into Blood Nightingale’s eyes, he knew she realized she had no chance. At that moment, she only prayed he would end it swiftly without further torment.

Perfect. That’s exactly the effect I wanted.

Surely, after this, even if that crazy woman feigns cooperation and later plots to kill him, she will remember today and dare not act rashly.

It wouldn’t be for nothing—he had already played his hand by revealing both of his trump cards.

Without wasting a word, Yenir ignored the despair of the beautiful woman beneath him and seized the Little Girl’s chin, forcing Blood Nightingale to meet his gaze.

“Now, you have two paths before you.”

“Option one: cooperate with me and follow my orders. I won’t kill you or harm you. Once everything’s done, I’ll reward you well, and our past will be wiped clean!”

With that, Yenir patiently awaited Blood Nightingale’s decision, studying her intently.

At his words, the Blood Wolf Leader—who had already lost the will to resist and even considered ending her life—stared at Yenir in disbelief.

“Not kill her!? Cooperate!?”

“What do you mean by that!?”

Wasn’t this bastard just luring her in to humiliate her before finishing her off?

Barely hearing the two options, she fought through her pain and asked with effort:

“Wh-what is option two…?”

No sooner had she spoken than she noticed a strange glimmer on Yenir’s face as he removed his mask, as if he were looking at her like a fool.

“Option two?”

“Option two is to beat you to death. What were you thinking? You don’t really believe I’d let you off, do you?”

At a mocking snort, Blood Nightingale instantly realized that Yenir was deliberately playing with her.

Before she could glare in fury, Yenir, wearing a mischievous smirk, pried her mouth open with one hand, his fingers rudely thrusting inside.

He did it as casually as inspecting an animal’s teeth.

“Alright, you’ve got three seconds to choose.”

“Either work with me or, before I kill you, let me show you what real pleasure feels like. Yes, just as you imagined—I promise my methods will be even more inventive than you think. Missing a notch means I lose.”

As he spoke, Yenir scanned her mouth for hidden blades or cold daggers, quietly admiring how soft this crazy woman’s mouth was.

Yet beneath his casual threats, a hint of nervousness stirred within him.

This was the crucial moment—he had to appear utterly depraved to scare her.

Honestly, he didn’t have any particularly clever threats—just his usual tactics. But who knew if this woman would be frightened at all? Would she prefer being tortured to death rather than cooperating? If so, he’d be at a loss for obtaining the materials.

Fortunately, the situation was a bit better than he feared.

Upon hearing his words, the Blood Wolf Leader’s face turned pale as visions of Yenir’s tortures flashed through her mind, foretelling the humiliation she would soon endure.

Anger, sorrow, despair, defiance…

In mere seconds, a torrent of emotions swept over her. As though recalling incomplete business, she slowly closed her eyes in a mix of grief and indignation, consenting at last.

“Fine, I’ll cooperate!”

Yenir raised an eyebrow, surprised by Blood Nightingale’s abrupt decision.

Huh? That was quick!

Was it because, unlike last time, she realized his threats were real? Afraid of death? Or perhaps truly terrified of his tortures?

Does she even care about her honor that much? But that doesn’t quite add up…

For some reason, Yenir felt that the proud Blood Wolf Leader’s rapid capitulation hid an unfulfilled obsession—something inside her that kept her from dying.

But it didn’t matter; he was too disinterested in her backstory.

Obedience was all that mattered.

With their tentative alliance confirmed, Yenir simply rose from the Little Girl and tossed a bath towel to the ground.

“Alright, wrap it up yourself.”

“From now on, I ask and you answer. And I hope you don’t lie to me. Otherwise, you know what will happen.”

Glancing at Blood Nightingale, who lay on the bed struggling to rise, Yenir smiled—the pressure lessened a bit. As long as she cooperated, his plan still had a chance.

At least, there was some hope…

……………….

A minute later, watching Blood Nightingale sitting cross-legged before him in silent contemplation, Yenir felt a stray emotion stirring.

After forsaking her intent to kill him and agreeing to cooperate, she now resembled a lifeless puppet, merely sitting there, unmoving.

Without her usual wild energy, this woman looked strangely beautiful, even evoking a sense of broken, self-abandoned grace.

Even beneath the bathrobe that barely covered her, she didn’t mind if a bit was exposed.

It was as if she had lost all will, no longer caring about what she might lose.

Suppressing the odd feeling deep inside, Yenir shook his head, unaffected.

He needed to grow stronger quickly, and all too often that meant resorting to ruthless measures. Following morals and acting decently could wait until the world perished.

Besides, this Blood Wolf Leader wasn’t exactly an angel. Showing mercy to an enemy was a form of self-destruction.

With that in mind, Yenir asked directly:

“First, how did you end up in the Far Frontier? Or were you always one of its survivors?”

“Second, what is your relationship with Yinglong? Can you get close enough to him to procure something for me?”

“Third, have you ever heard of Renmane? Or, among the Awakeners you know, does anyone still have one?”

These three questions were vital.

To Yenir, Blood Nightingale’s true identity was crucial—could she be used, or would she expose him? Answers to the second and third questions would determine if he could acquire the materials.

At his inquiries, Blood Nightingale’s eyes, once vacant, suddenly lit up. Clearly, she hadn’t expected such probing questions.

“Why are you asking all this?”

“What exactly are you planning? And who are you, really?”

Regaining her composure, Blood Nightingale instantly grasped Yenir’s subtext. With her target so clear, it was obvious his presence in the Far Frontier was for the so-called Renmane.

She had thought Yenir was pursuing her—after all, their meeting was too coincidental. Her compliance was purely because she had unfinished business; she couldn’t die now.

Growing impatient with her questions, Yenir replied,

“Just answer me directly. As for who I am—you’ll know soon enough!”

Noticing Yenir’s impatience, Blood Nightingale finally began to speak slowly.

“I’m a survivor of the Far Frontier, though I left long ago. I’ve returned because I lost all my Equipment. I couldn’t stay inland; after all, you can’t always eliminate every threat completely.”

“And my relationship with Yinglong?”

Lifting her head, Blood Nightingale snorted coldly, a peculiar glint crossing her eyes. She had returned to the Far Frontier solely because of Yenir’s betrayal. How dare he ask!

“I have nothing to do with Yinglong—he just wanted to sleep with me. What, do you expect me to extract a Renmane from him?”

“Ha, impossible. You overestimate me and underestimate what that item means to him.”

She glared at Yenir with biting mockery.

It was as if she were saying, ‘Give it up—you’re not getting it.’ She wasn’t afraid to anger Yenir; after all, she truly couldn’t. Yenir had countless reasons to kill her.

“As for others having one, I doubt it. At least, I haven’t heard of any.”

After speaking, Blood Nightingale fixed Yenir with a steady gaze, trying to read any hint of disappointment on his face.

She could tell just how much Yenir valued Renmane.