Nubram galloped through a weird snowstorm when he was nearing the centre of the valley. It somehow served like a small wind wall because after a couple dozen metres, the rather small snowstorm disappeared. Though the snow was thick, there was no sign that some storm had fallen to this place. There was only a tiny amount of snowfall.

There might be further mysteries related to this place and the snow jaguar, but Nubram had something more important in his mind.

What should he do if Manna did something reckless? How would he help Tier?

First, he tried to contact Manna only to get no answer from the girl. Then he did the next best action. To give some warnings to Tier. Nubram promptly reached his cheekbone with his index and middle finger then called, “Command on: whisper to Tier, T-I-E-R. Pras, careful of Manna.”

Then, without waiting for a reply, nevertheless whatever action he would take later on, Nubram knew there was one thing he was supposed to do now. “Command on: leave party.”

Cannot leave the party during combat.

“For Christ’s sake!”

Nubram’s heart sank as he felt he was too late. Faintly he heard some shouting, thus he pushed his skeletal horse to its maximum speed then warped ahead to close the remaining distance.

Then, he was dumbfounded by what he saw.

The snow jaguar was stuck on the ground by Manna’s [Stardust Lancer] while the paladin ran like a crazed warrior towards the beast. Her steps were fast, ignoring the thick snow covering the area.

The root effect disappeared before Manna could reach the jaguar. Then, what Tier and Steven had said earlier in Grandar transpired before him. The jaguar disappeared from sight then appeared right next to Manna, pouncing the paladin with a thrust that might equal to that of a rocket.

Surprisingly, Manna was able to block the attack with the pollaxe’s handle. Nevertheless, the momentum was too great for her to block without an ability. The paladin’s petite body was thrown several steps away.

“[Eagle Aim].”

Nubram heard Tier growled. The hunter finally made his move by preparing an aim. At that moment, Nubram wondered what action the hunter would take. Would he strike at the beast that he was looking for to help Manna and jeopardise his chance to go to Clashing Realms? Or would he prioritise himself first and yank away Manna’s division leader position in Clashing Realms?

For Nubram, it would be clear to choose the latter. And Tier did exactly what he had expected.

The carefully aimed arrow shot through the gaps of Manna’s shoulder armour and caused her to stagger. It gave enough chance for Tier to land two more arrows before she started to parry it.

Yet, since she was distracted by Tier, Manna was unable to block the incoming strike from the jaguar. The beast seemed to take a good chance from the advantage given by Tier. As if, even before being tamed, the jaguar and the hunter had already known each other’s movement.

Nubram mused that this was just how Tier played all this time. The hunter struck in such a fashion that it gave an opening to his friends to take the advantage. This time, he just adjusted himself to the attack pattern of the jaguar.

Tier even went to the extent of unleashing [Ankle Break] right before the jaguar unleashed its powerful pouncing ability. It put Manna in a very tight spot whenever it happened. Ignoring Tier’s attack would mean that she could lose her ground when the jaguar struck due to the imbalance caused by a shot to her ankles. However, trying to parry the attack would cause her to be completely vulnerable to the jaguar’s attack.

However, Manna’s capabilities were not something to scoff at either. Though the hunter and the beast might seem to have the upper ground, Nubram could see that Manna was steadily gaining ground. It made his hand itch as he knew sooner or later Tier would lose the jaguar due to Manna’s irrational behaviour.

After several attempts, the paladin positioned herself in a very comfortable position to use her [Soul-saving Arc] in order to block Tier’s attack and focus on her onslaught against the jaguar.

“[Primal Unleash]! [Mimic switch: Rhino].”

Tier roared in fury as he ran sideways to find an angle to attack. The rhino silhouette above him also trumpeted in an angry growl. The hunter yet again assumed his crouching stance, unleashing a more precise arrow at Manna’s limbs when she was about to block an attack from the jaguar. This had caused the jaguar to start gaining ground.

Nubram felt a weird glee in his heart as he saw Tier could win the fight. Yes, Tier was at fault for acting on his emotions, but Manna took it too far. Nubram still vividly remembered how the girl almost got killed by Arkengrad. Despite that, Tier sacrificed himself to fend Lyra to save her. Was it the arrogance of the young lady that propelled her to be reckless? Or was it that she didn’t think much of other people’s help? Nubram couldn’t tell.

Right before the jaguar was about to use another rocket-pounce thingy, Manna tried to set up another light wall to stop Tier. However, this time the hunter’s [Ankle Break] came a bit earlier, Manna lost her balance, and her doom was clear.

“[Sanctity Edge]!”

Nubram had forgotten that one ability Manna hadn't been using for quite a while. She managed to fully block the jaguar’s pounce and massively empowered her spear to counter attack.

Tier tried to cancel her newfound advantage by moving around the light wall and unleashed a barrage of [Insularis’ Assault]. Yet, Manna was able to parry all those attacks and fuel her counterattack even more.

Nubram stood up and tried to think of a way to help Tier in these circumstances. If the accumulated energy on the spear is unleashed at the jaguar, then it will surely kill the beast. The paladin parried and blocked a few more attacks then started swinging her pollaxe twice to sweep the ground.

“[Release]!”

“[Flash]!”

A massive light spear fell down from the sky right when Manna motioned her pollaxe to smack at the jaguar. And she slightly missed, causing the jaguar to survive with low health.

Nubram didn’t clearly see what exactly happened. He used [Flash] to summon a bright light before Manna to blind her. Nubram didn’t know if it actually worked but one thing he was sure of was that Tier actually landed an arrow at Manna’s wrist, ever so slightly misdirecting the attack.

Furious and seemingly wary of the powerful attack, the jaguar circled around Manna and struck at her from behind with blinding speed. Both the paladin and the jaguar’s HP were very low. One or two attacks from Tier would definitely finish her.

Alas, the final attack from Tier never came.

While both Manna and the jaguar kept duking it out on each other, Tier stood motionless. Manna tried to buy some time by casting [Soul-saving Arc]. However, the jaguar circled around and was ready to pounce her from behind.

What happened next had made Nubram disappointed. The jaguar’s attack never landed on Manna. There was a Tier standing between the beast and Manna. The hunter had taken the blow for the paladin.

“Please… stop this, I beg you,” Tier said in a heartsick tone. “The taming process had already started when you first struck. If you hate me, then strike at me. Take me down, the fight will end.”

Manna didn’t answer while the jaguar circled both to take another attack. Tier took the damage again for himself. There was no groan nor moan being let out from the hunter’s mouth. There was just a frustrated plea, “Please, don’t. This is my only chance to….”

“[Justice Wrath]!”

Not a single word was being listened to by the paladin. She quickly spun on her heels to avoid Tier, then smacked her poleaxe at the jaguar. Both the hunter and the wizard could only watch in desperation and horror at the dead body of the snow jaguar.

Tier fell down to his knees, unable to move nor react to it.

However, among all the infuriating things Nubram had seen lately, perhaps what Manna said afterwards was the worst of it all.

Without even the slightest sense of remorse or guilt, she jollyly said, “Well, apologies, I put everything on mute to avoid hearing Pitoy’s rambling.”

She offered her hand to Tier and said proudly, “Now, we are even, my dauntless deskmate, you are forgiven.”

People in this region would describe what Nubram felt and saw as a ‘lightning strike in broad daylight’. He was so dumbfounded by the claim and attitude that he couldn’t say any word to respond.

There was no answer from Tier. The hunter was silent and cold like this valley.

“My, my, do not worry, it is just a game, I will help you tame it next time.” Manna patted Tier’s shoulder. “Do not think too much about it.”

“Yes.. this is just a game…” Tier growled in pain. He was shaking.

“Of course, deskmate.”

“Just a game… for the likes of you… liars….”

“Eh?”

“You TRAITOR!”

“Kyah!”

Tier roared like a wounded beast. Like a possessed being, he pounced on Manna, pushing her down to the snowbed. His hands were so quick in taking his arrows and held it up high like a dagger. One strike from the hunter and Manna would lose her position.

“Liar! Traitor! Manipulator! You are just using me! You are nothing but a pretty face! You’re just like them! You’re… you….”

Tier raged at the top of his lungs, shouting all his pent up emotion at the paladin. Yet, he never landed his strike. His words got fainter as he dropped the arrow from his hand.

“Why…” Tier cried softly. “Why did you lie to me? What did I… do to you? And you said… you’d… wait for me… in Clashing Realms… but you…”

Tier’s visage was a mix of many emotions. There was fear, anger, sadness, and pain. The only other time Nubram had seen it was when Pras asked for help in a fighter plane arcade simulator match.

The hunter slowly stood up, and walked away in silence while Manna didn’t give any answer. Nubram knew the hunter would be in danger if he strolled alone like that, he offered, “Pras, I’ll make you a portal to Silveraxe.”

Tier shook his head and continued walking unsteadily until he disappeared from their sight. All that time, Manna still lied motionless. Her eyes staring at the sky with a clear shock.

Nubram couldn’t lie when there was a new burning spark raging in his chest. He snapped at Manna, “Have you ever considered what others felt or what others had done for you? Have you ever tried to listen? Muting everyone, nice gesture you have there, girl!”

Nubram knew it was not his place to say it, but he couldn’t hold his emotions anymore, “Yes, we are grateful to you for guiding us, or even for saving Ega that one time. But have you ever considered how much you also endangered us? Especially Pras?”

“I know you didn’t ask for it, but at least have the decency to listen. In that first dungeon, we worked our buttocks off to avoid you getting killed and losing your status only for you to grumble at us when we had enough of your nonsense? Pras held Lyra for you in Arika Hills and you just came crashing at Arkengrad like you’re some kind of suicide squad.”

“And did you even realise that just now Pras could take away your remaining HP several times but he didn’t? Have you ever considered that some people actually cared about you? Have you ever tried to listen to their reasoning instead of sitting on your high horse all this time?”

After all the fumes from his chest had seeped out, Nubram sighed another protest, “I heard some people in school called you a lonely queen. I guess you really deserve to be called that.”

The wizard turned around and was about to cast teleportation to return to Silveraxe. But then, he remembered Tier’s numerous efforts to help Manna and thought that if she died because she had a problem going back, then it would all just be in vain. Thus, Nubram casted a portal spell to Silveraxe.

It was during the casting that Nubram finally heard Manna’s first response to it all, “Am I… really… just a pretty face?”

Nubram almost raged again at the question. After all these, that's what she’s worried about? How shallow could someone be?!

As he walked into the portal, Nubram said coldly, “Zero is still better than minus. Pras saying 'nothing' was too kind of him.”