Aren't you going to make a move?" Yohan asked after a few seconds of uneasy stillness.

He already knew Kai Lu had no good options, otherwise, he wouldn't have answered so many questions so easily. The man's caution likely came from Jenna's presence. Two opponents were a risk he probably hadn't prepared for.

"Don't tell me you're scared?" Yohan pressed, stepping forward to test his nerve.

In truth, Yohan wasn't confident they could take him either. Right now, he just wanted this to end without a fight.

"You know…" Kai Lu's voice dropped, dark and ominous, "I was actually considering leaving peacefully, if you had just handed it over."

He stepped toward the fallen weapon and picked up the knife he had pulled out of his hand earlier.

With his curved blade in one hand and the knife gripped in the other— held by a hand that should have been totally useless due to the deep stab wound— Kai Lu turned to face Yohan and Jenna.

"Before you do anything, I think there's one more fact you forgot to add," Yohan said. "The effects of this pain-numbing cookie won't last forever. I'm sure the pain from all my previous attacks is already starting to return."

"It's only a matter of time before you can barely even move. We basically just need hold on until then…" He let the implication settle in the air.

Kai Lu frowned, not even bothering to deny Yohan's deduction. The injury in his arm was already throbbing, an unmistakable warning that he only had a few minutes left, just as Yohan had said.

He could risk it, but there was no way he was taking both of them out before then. To keep fighting, he would have to take another bite, but there was a limit to how much he could take in a single day without risking his own life. On top of the fact that the cookie itself was in limited supply, using too much here would just be a waste of resources.

"Yohan…" he called slowly, as if testing the name. "This is now personal. The next time we meet, I assure you, you won't be leaving with your life. I will cut off your head and keep that smart mouth as a souvenir."

"Like I said before," Yohan grinned, unwavering, "I'd like to see you try."

Kai Lu ground his teeth, then dropped the knife and turned away.

And just like that, they managed to escape the wrath of the Executioner of the Black Blood Gang.

Jenna let out a relieved sigh. She had been on edge the entire time, silently praying it wouldn't come down to a real fight. Thanks to Yohan's confident gamble, they had avoided it.

"You should've just handed it over to him," she said quietly.

"If I had, he would've only felt more comfortable attacking us," Yohan replied. "But now that he only has half, he has to think carefully. Besides, do you really think he would've walked away peacefully if he had the upper hand?"

"Still…"

"No need to keep thinking about it. We ended everything without either of us getting seriously hurt so we should be celebrating"

"You're covered in blood," Jenna pointed out flatly.

"But I'm fine, aren't I?" he said casually. "Don't overthink it. And also I think you should hold on to this."

He placed the pain-numbing enhancement cookie he had claimed into her hand.

"W–What?" Jenna stared at it in shock.

"It's best if you keep it. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, but you should always carry it with you."

"I never said I wanted it," her composure cracked slightly.

"Well, I'm giving it to you," Yohan said, rolling his eyes. "It's not every day you see a magic cookie. You should be grateful instead of acting so unappreciative."

"I—I'm not being ungrateful," Jenna protested, her cheeks flushing. "I just thought… you'd want to keep something like this for yourself."

He smiled confidently. "Don't worry about me. After we finish this training, I'll be unstoppable."

Jenna still couldn't understand why Yohan had handed the cookie to her so easily. What she didn't know was that he had no real use for it.

This wasn't an item anyone should be eager to rely on. It was something meant only for moments of absolute desperation, and who knows if it might just end up saving her life one day.

"I have to get back to my lodge," he said.

"Yeah… me too," she replied, her voice softer now. "I should head back. I'll reach you later."

"Okay," he said. Then he glanced down at his torn shirt, ripped at several corners and soaked in blood. "But I should probably clean up first before leaving."

---

Somehow, he managed to make his way back home. By then, the effects of the cookie had already begun to fade, and the pain from his wounds slowly crept back into his body.

He wasn't bothered.

He uncorked his healing elixir and took a single gulp. Instantly, the cuts across his body began to close as if guided by invisible hands.

'…I really should always keep a bottle close by from now on,' he thought.

In this fight against dangerous criminals, there was no telling when his life would be at risk, especially now that he had confirmed the existence of enhancement items.

His thoughts drifted back to the question Jenna had asked him before they parted.

"Why are you trying to find the Baker?"

At the time, he had brushed it off without much thought. But now that he truly thought about it… there was no real answer.

Maybe he was looking to use the Baker as a means to one day take down Hatoru.

Or maybe he was simply searching for someone else like himself.

He had far too many questions about the Wellness Technique Guide, and so far, none of them had answers. Perhaps this mysterious Baker would know something.

But now he had zero leads.

…Almost zero. There was still Kai Lu.

The man clearly knew more than he had revealed.

'That means I'll just have to wait until he makes another move…'

Just then, Yohan's gaze drifted across the room and landed on the Wellness Technique Guide resting quietly on the bed.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.