Chapter 407: Chapter 363: Still Want to Test Him?

After the doctor left, Gu Ning and Philinos sat in silence across from each other.

Gu Ning processed what the doctor had just said. Munching on an apple, she stared at the Little Fairy Bird, who was focused on his meal. Memories of her time with Philinos in Zone 15, specifically when she got her period, flashed through her mind.

"Philinos."

After a long moment, Gu Ning broke the silence. "Why did you stab yourself?"

She didn’t know why the doctor wouldn’t prescribe him painkillers at the time, but stabbing himself just to get the medicine... it was logical, in a way, but also a bit extreme.

And Philinos didn’t seem like the type to hurt himself. Despite his cold and aloof appearance, his personality held a subtle undercurrent of aggression.

The medicine was for her. She wanted to know why. She wanted to understand Philinos better.

He was always silent. Silently carrying out his missions, silently protecting her, silently doing everything.

Gu Ning was not stone-hearted. On the contrary, she was easily moved by the kindness and care of others.

Her first encounter with Philinos hadn’t been a pleasant one, but that initial awkwardness had long since been diluted by everything they had experienced together. She also understood that his only intention back then had been to carry out his mission.

Compared to the other two captains, Philinos always maintained a clear boundary with her. She could tell he was dutifully carrying out his mission. This sense of protection, born from duty, showed her that, at his core, Philinos was a bird with a powerful sense of responsibility and propriety.

It made her believe that even if his mission hadn’t been to protect her—even if it had been any other Beastman—he would have done his utmost to protect them.

His fundamental character was similar to Alex’s and Barto’s; he was just a genuinely good person.

She naturally had a soft spot for people like that.

’Still, Philinos is too cold and silent. Plus, his train of thought is a little different from a normal Beastman’s, which makes him hard to communicate with.’

’A Little Fairy Bird can be a bit cold, and that’s fine. Compared to the short-fused, aggressive tempers of other Beastmen, I’d much rather they all be like Philinos.’

’Then again, Philinos isn’t always so calm and rational. When he’s with that puppy Leo, for example, he’s quicker to throw a punch than anyone.’

Thinking of that husky, Gu Ning shook her head and sighed inwardly. ’With a personality like Leo’s, anyone would become irritable just by being around him. Andrew is probably the only one who can keep him in line.’

"He was talking nonsense. Don’t listen to him."

Philinos’s voice pulled Gu Ning from her thoughts.

Gu Ning went silent for a couple of seconds, then set down her apple.

"I saw it. Your wound."

Gu Ning chose her next words carefully. Looking at Philinos, she said, "Tell me the reason. I’m willing to listen. But if you don’t want to, that’s okay too."

"This was for my sake, so thank you."

Philinos looked up at her, a complex, unreadable emotion flashing in his eyes. He wanted to say it wasn’t for her, but the words died on his lips.

’Whether it was for the mission or for his own private reasons, it was all for her.’

So, the words twisted on his tongue and came out as, "You *should* thank me."

"..."

Philinos wanted to slap himself.

Staring at Gu Ning, who was looking back at him in a daze, he had never felt so stupid.

He took a deep breath and said, "What I meant was..."

Before he could finish, Gu Ning let out a laugh. "I know," she said. "I know what you mean."

As an "outsider beast" who had only been in this new world for four or five months, she often made communication errors herself. So she could completely understand the frustration Philinos felt when his words didn’t come out right.

After this little interlude, the atmosphere between them lightened considerably.

Gu Ning also saw another side of Philinos. He’d never before shown the kind of expression a person gets when they’ve misspoken and are desperate to explain themselves.

So she pressed a little further. "Does your wound still hurt?"

Philinos said, "That wound is old. I can’t feel it anymore."

Gu Ning said, "I’m talking about the other wounds."

’He’d been badly injured fighting that group from the Heavenly Beast Clan.’

Philinos was about to say they didn’t hurt, but Gu Ning added, "They looked very serious."

His expression faltered. "You’ve been watching me all this time?"

"Of course," Gu Ning said. "We’re sharing a hospital room. We’re..."

She glanced up, thought for a moment, and then smiled. "We’re fellow patients."

After she said that, she saw Philinos lower his gaze, his expression not seeming particularly happy.

Seeing the Little Fairy Bird’s expression, Gu Ning had a sudden flash of insight. "You were all wrapped in bandages," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "You have a lot of wounds, so there were a lot of bandages. I didn’t see anything else."

’This Little Fairy Bird,’ she mused, ’has a kind of... restraint I’ve never seen in other Beastmen.’

’Perhaps it’s because he’s a bird, but he always keeps himself so neat and tidy. He’s much more refined than the other Beastmen I’ve seen.’

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