"Oh come on, Mr. Brown, why don’t you trust me? I’m an adult—how could I possibly bully a little girl like her, right?"
Rufina Howard giggled mischievously.
"Alright, just say it. I love making bets with people."
John Chou reached out and grabbed the gray humanoid, then tossed it over to Rufina Howard. The white and black figures beside him seemed to be grinning, their mouths stretched wide as if in laughter.
"You’re responsible for teaching that gray fellow, and I’ll take care of these two. There’s no time limit. Whoever can teach theirs to think first wins. Simple bet, right?"
Rufina Howard gasped, her mouth agape and eyes wide.
"What’s wrong, scared?"
"Hmph, a bet it is! You have two, I have one—heehee, I’m sure to win, haha!"
Mr. Brown shot a sideways glance at John Chou.
"Looks like your scheme worked, young master."
After muttering quietly, Mr. Brown sighed helplessly and looked at Rufina Howard.
"Don’t worry, grandpa! I’ve already taught them a lot! I won’t lose—he’s only just started, and he’s got two to handle. He’s clearly giving me an advantage!"
Daybreak was creeping in, and Rufina Howard looked utterly exhausted. Mr. Brown took her to that shabby hut, brought her some bedding, and she lay down to sleep.
"Young master, you never fight battles you’re not sure of winning, do you?"
John Chou sat in the center of the array, smiling.
"This time, I’m really not sure, Mr. Brown. These two are even worse than fools, but the fact they can sense my presence through the flowing earth energy—hmm, that’s interesting."
"What exactly are they, young master? What is their instinct?"
Mr. Brown asked solemnly, and John Chou shook his head.
"The reason I realized these three actually possess instinct is because, when they passed through my body earlier, for a split second, there was a connection with slaughter. Only instinct can sense instinct. It’s just my simple guess, but I’m almost certain."
"Little girl, time to get up."