Chapter 77 Following
As the sky’s twilight faded, the afterglow of the setting sun was swallowed by the deep night. The wind of the Windy Season still carried a bone-chilling cold, and the branches and leaves rustled.
“Huff, huff…”
The sound of the wind could not reach her, and only her increasingly heavy panting could be heard.
Verafia shuffled forward step by step. Her light body felt as heavy as iron. In such a short time, she had forgotten how many times she had fallen, and she was once again burning her spirit.
As her spirit grew weaker, the world she perceived gradually became hazy.
Verafia couldn’t help but regret not explaining things clearly to Ig, and instead stubbornly sulked.
“Hmph… I just didn’t want him to see me in a weak state. I can’t put myself in danger…”
Even Verafia herself couldn’t believe these self-serving words. Is wandering aimlessly in the Sunset Forest truly safer than being by Ig’s side?
“Wh-whatever, it’s all his fault! If it weren’t for this ungrateful wretch, would I be so badly injured?”
Verafia thought resentfully. Because of this ungrateful young man, her strength had not only fallen from Star to Platinum, but she had also planned to hunt the Demon Tree to help improve Ig’s cultivation progress… This young man, not only ungrateful, but even treated her like this!
If it weren’t for that, what was a Star-level Royal Guard to her!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. The girl’s slender and weak ankles suddenly twisted, and Verafia couldn’t help but let out a soft cry of pain, falling to the ground.
Beside the girl, the clear water surface slightly reflected the silver glow of the Twin Moons. The water surface, without a single ripple, was as tranquil as a mirror.
Verafia struggled to move, leaning against the tree trunk with difficulty, hugging her sprained ankle. Pain, fatigue, and weakness washed over her spirit.
She suddenly raised her gaze slightly and saw the girl’s face reflected on the tranquil water surface.
Her long, golden hair was slightly messy, and strands of hair dampened by cold sweat clung to her skin, making her pale and exquisite face appear even more delicate and frail.
She looked completely like a girl… slender and fragile, as if she would shatter with just a gentle gust of wind.
On her fair face, a mocking smile quietly appeared. Verafia lowered her gaze and saw her slender little hand.
She looked completely like a girl…
Yes, if I were the former Lothel, would I be like this, irrational and throwing a tantrum like a little girl?
Ig truly knew nothing, and all it would take was a few gentle words of explanation from her, but at that time, the anger and fury that surfaced completely messed everything up.
Even though she felt vulnerable at the time and wanted a place to rely on and rest, as a legendary Sword Master, should all these emotions have appeared?
Verafia scoffed at herself. She tried to move her hands to hug her knees.
It seemed that she had truly regarded herself as a girl, and even believed from the bottom of her heart that she should be a noble lady of a wealthy family… a girl who needed care, affection, reliance, and support.
It was simply ridiculous.
Her thoughts grew increasingly tired and heavy. Verafia knew this was the effect of her previously forced spiritual power depletion. However, now, there was not a single trace of strength left in her body to command, and even her spiritual sea had dried up.
The girl’s delicate body leaned against the only tree she could rely on, and gently closed her increasingly heavy eyes.
“I need to rest for a while… just a little while.”
The girl thought silently.
—
The sound of the wind stirred the leaves, and the ripples broke the reflection in the mirror. Verafia slowly opened her eyes, which she had closed.
Under the night sky, the ground, which had gradually deepened to black, swayed with shadows. A tall, hideous, and distorted figure walked towards her.
“Reske? You’re not dead…”
Verafia let out a faint sound.
Opposite her, the man, entangled by the abyss’s black energy, was missing an arm, and his face was grotesque from corrosion and mutation. However, the girl could still recognize this mercenary who had clashed with her before.
“Heh heh, I didn’t expect Young Lady to still remember a mere mercenary like me… But it’s thanks to you that I managed to barely escape with my life.”
Verafia recalled the attack she had launched when the Abyss Envoy made a move towards Grisia. It was probably because of this that this mercenary was able to escape the encirclement of the Abyssal Demonic Energy, with only one arm lost.
However, there was no trace of gratitude in Reske’s voice. With a face filled with hatred and greed, his intentions were self-evident.
Verafia slightly pressed her little hand on the ground, sat up as straight as possible, and let out a cold voice.
“Since that’s the case, you still dare to appear before me?”
“Young Lady, you don’t need to pretend to be fierce anymore. Don’t you know that I’ve been following you for half an hour… If I hadn’t come out now, perhaps you wouldn’t have noticed it yet?”
The mercenary’s voice, corrupted by the Abyssal Demonic Energy, was sarcastic in the air. Verafia slightly raised her face and suddenly said again.
“How do you know I’m not deliberately waiting for you to come before me?”
“What would I do by your side? Do you want to take off your skirt and sit on me for fun?”
“However… Young Lady, although you are beautiful, even if you were willing to throw yourself into my arms and serve me, in my eyes, you are nothing more than a shell. With your blood, how many women can I not find in the future?”
Reske’s steps did not stop at all. He landed heavily on the ground, and the demonic energy emanating from him withered the surrounding vegetation as he continued to walk towards the girl. His teasing words made Verafia’s gaze even colder.
“Forget it, Miss Verafia. I know that with your strength, killing me would just be a matter of waving a finger. If you still had any strength left, why would you wait for me to come to you?”
Verafia remained silent for a long time, then suddenly raised her head and said.
“You are about to die. The abyssal power is corroding you.”
“How terrifying… However, I don’t feel any discomfort at all. In fact, I feel more powerful than ever.”
Reske had already reached the girl’s front, his ferocious face becoming even more distorted under the Abyssal Demonic Energy.
“Of course, the abyss is definitely not a good thing. When I return to Vist City, I will definitely find a priest to cleanse it. But that will have to be after I get you.”
Verafia’s gaze was like looking at a talking corpse.
“What terrifying eyes! Miss Verafia, I know your strength is immense. If you recover a little, you might be able to crush a mere me with a wave of your hand. Moreover, mercenaries like me won’t have the money to buy anti-magic items that can restrain existences like you, so…”
Reske forced a smile, his expression suddenly turning fierce. He drew his long sword, and the cold light reflected a dark, faint glow.
“It’s best to cut you down first!”
Suddenly, at the same moment, a fierce sound of drawing a sword appeared. Following the sound of the young man’s rapid panting, an extremely sharp sword Qi tore through the evening wind, slashing towards Reske’s raised long sword!
