Chapter 173 - Taming Truth - 3

Ren sat up slowly, taking in their surroundings. The room was beautiful, with rich furnishings and tasteful decoration. But the walls themselves seemed to hum with the energy of detection beasts, their presence a constant reminder that this comfortable prison was still very much a cage.

To his surprise, the potions sat untouched beside his bed. They hadn't taken them away... His gaze drifted to the adjacent bed where a familiar figure lay.

"Liu," Ren noticed his roommate's dejected expression on the nearby bed. "Are you alright?"

"Define alright," Liu attempted a smile that came out more like a grimace, his usual cheerfulness nowhere to be found.

"Are you still hurt? Does anything pain you?"

"Not really... maybe just my ego," Liu tried to smile again but only managed a twisted expression. His eyes fixed on the floor, unable to meet Ren's gaze. "I tried to stop him, you know? When I saw he had a girl..."