Chapter 336: 111. Self-seeking (Two-in-One, Alliance Leader Extra Update)
“What’s going on, why can’t we stop the bleeding? At this rate, Ral is going to die?!”
Under the faint flickering of the flames swaying slightly on the nearby wall, Raphael’s roar echoed through the underground palace like the breath of a giant dragon, making all the doctors of various races listening to her words lower their heads in regret. In the enormous cave where Raphael resided, Ral lay bleeding and gasping for breath on a makeshift bed, covered with blood.
Her blue scales continuously shed, and hot blood gushed from the flesh that had been violently shattered by artillery fire, soaking the cloth beneath her. There were herbs laid over her, and several circles of precious healing magic sparkled among them, but none of the healing magic they could muster exceeded level five. The healing magic that the humans brought from the Southern Continent was insufficient, let alone anything they could seize.
But Ral was struck head-on by Shivali’s artillery fire and was close to death when brought back. Raphael had already urged the various tribes to try their ultimate means, yet they still couldn’t heal her.
“Lord Raphael, Keshil just rode off from Twilight Valley, heading to the Treant Tribe in the Northern Forest to seek the help of their High Priestess.”
The Bat Clan Leader, Emray, approached and whispered to Raphael, who was sitting beside Ral’s bed.
“The Treant Tribe? They’re a three-day journey from here, and they can’t ride horses. Even if their High Priestess is willing to come, Ral won’t last that long.”
Raphael’s fiery horns glowed brighter as she looked down at Ral, who was gasping for breath on the bed; hot tears fell from her aquamarine eyes.
Ral was quite young, not even an adult. Although she had been doing very well during the time she followed Raphael to establish the New Dragon Court, it was a mistake to send her to notify the Sheepkin to retreat with the other dragons today. Had it not been for her orders, she wouldn’t have been in this situation.
Beside the bed, Ral’s mother, a deep blue dragon, covered her face, unable to bear the tragic sight of her child being harmed by ruthless artillery fire. She kept sobbing, but her words to Raphael remained verbalized under her fragile composure as she held Raphael’s trembling shoulders and said through tears:
“Raphael, this isn’t your fault. Ral has always wanted to help you, even if it’s just a simple task. Giving her such a mission was her honor; she was very happy about it last night. We can only blame the human artillery. Many dragons who went with her were injured, and many Sheepkin lost their lives in the attack. Ral, as one of them, isn’t anything special. You’ve done your best, Raphael.”
Raphael’s dragon tail drooped weakly to the ground as she looked down at Ral, whose life was draining away. The sense of helplessness transformed into anger, rising like a flame, yet her rationality continued to remind her that it wasn’t the time to seek revenge for Ral and the subhuman compatriots who died due to human invasion.
Sometimes, the greatest pain for intelligent beings is the contradiction between emotion and reason, or desire and reality—the torment of helplessness and the inability to change has long plagued every sleepless soul, crying without end.
Even as the Dragon Queen, the appointed world destroyer, a powerful leader, she found herself powerless in this situation.
Sensing the queen’s silence, everyone present lowered their heads—the Bat Clan leader couple, Mill reunited with her husband, Ral’s mother, the guard Fashir, and the doctors from various races.
Just as the atmosphere became increasingly silent, a sudden flurry of footsteps and urgent calls echoed from the path above the cave.
“Lord Raphael, I found the doctor who can save Ral! Lord Raphael!”
The silent Raphael quickly turned her head, as did everyone present, and they saw Keshil running towards them with an odd-looking subhuman who wore strange fabrics, followed by the Brain Demon Ke Lili who was responsible for translating.
Even with Emray’s experience as the Bat Clan leader, he had never seen the subhuman trailing behind Keshil before. They all looked at the strange subhuman in astonishment. The scrutinizing gazes made Jasmine a bit embarrassed; she awkwardly waved at everyone present but received no response.
“What’s going on, Keshil? Didn’t you go to the Treant Tribe? Why did you bring this one?”
Fashir stepped forward with a frown, first sizing up Jasmine before quietly asking Keshil.
“It’s a long story. This one is from the ocean, encountered during yesterday’s pursuit of the traitors by Ke Lili and the others. She seems to be a Whale Folk, Miss Jasmine. She says she can heal Ral, so I…”
“From the ocean? An unknown subhuman outside of the Dragon Court? What are you thinking?”
“But even if we rush to the Treant Tribe, let alone whether they can treat such serious injuries, there won’t be enough time for the round trip!”
“You!”
Just then, Raphael, sitting beside the gathering, suddenly raised her hand. An invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire cave, causing the arguing Keshil and Fashir to fall silent and step aside, revealing the rather shy Jasmine behind them.
Jasmine pressed her lips together, her azure eyes curiously gazing ahead, and suddenly spotted a stunning woman with twin horns, unlike the single horn of other dragon races. She was quite tall, even taller than Jasmine herself, and calmly regarded Jasmine from a height difference.
This dragon being captured Jasmine’s attention the moment she appeared. She had breathtaking beauty, but the hint of tears in her aquamarine eyes revealed a crack in her strength, making her image feel much more approachable.
“Can you help me save Ral?”
Raphael’s words snapped Jasmine back to reality. She hurriedly nodded, then shook her head, a bit shyly saying, “Can I first take a look at the patient?”
“…”
Raphael hesitated for a second, then stepped aside to clear the path, revealing the fragile life lying in a pool of blood on the bed. Jasmine muttered a “thank you” and quickly went to Ral’s bedside to assess her condition.
“There are fragments of human bullets inside her. Luckily, I arrived just in time; otherwise, she might not survive until this evening. I’ll first help her stop the bleeding and regain vitality. I’ll need to operate to remove the fragments later. I need two treatments—one now and one at night to take out the fragments.”
Jasmine’s shyness immediately faded upon seeing Ral’s condition. Her azure eyes focused on Ral’s wounds, then she gently placed her fingers on Ral’s body. As the unique light of her blessing shone, pure life force flowed into Ral’s body.
That miraculous power acted instantly upon entering Ral’s body, in conjunction with the healing magic and herbs used by other race doctors. The blood that had been continuously pouring from Ral stopped at this moment, and her gasping breathing became steady and powerful again. That almost miraculous power deeply moved everyone present.
The near-death Ral truly revived before their eyes, all thanks to this strange subhuman from the ocean who could pull her back from the hands of death.
“Whew, this treatment is about done for now. I’ll do the rest tonight…”
Jasmine stood up, taking a breath. Since mastering the curse, this level of vitality healing was nothing to her; it only made her feel a bit fatigued, far less than before.
But what Jasmine didn’t expect was that as soon as she stood up, Raphael suddenly embraced her. This excessive act startled Jasmine, leaving her frozen in place. But when she felt the warmth of Raphael’s body slightly trembling, repeatedly thanking her, Jasmine smiled and patted her back.
“It’s all right. This is what I should do. As a follower of Ramastia, I cherish the value of every life.”
Raphael released Jasmine. Although puzzled about what “Ramastia” was, she quickly turned to the doctors behind her and urged,
“Please check Ral’s condition again. I need to ensure she’s out of danger.”
“Yes, it’s truly miraculous. Ral’s injuries aren’t healed yet, but her vital signs are very stable now. She is out of serious danger, though we still can’t confirm if there are bullet fragments inside her as Miss Jasmine said.”
Raphael sighed with relief, glancing back at Jasmine, commanding those present,
“Miss Jasmine, I hope you’ll continue to help Ral through this evening. If you have any requests, feel free to mention them now. I’ll do my utmost to meet them.”
Jasmine quickly waved her hands, smiling at Raphael, “Where, I don’t save lives for any rewards. Seeing her live through this is the best reward for me. I’ll be ready here. If possible, could you prepare dinner and tools for me tonight, along with fire and sharp utensils?”
Seeing the calm Jasmine before her, Raphael, who had just been quite flustered and vulnerable, also regained her composure. For some reason, she felt she could trust the person before her. Even though it was their first meeting, there was a sense of familiarity that felt like a connection they couldn’t quite articulate.
But she merely trusted Jasmine enough to turn her head to let her subordinates prepare the items Jasmine needed, while she herself stayed to assist Jasmine in preparing for the upcoming operation.
“Clank”
That night, the crisp sound of bullet fragments clattering echoed continuously in the cave. After hours of surgery, the curtain finally fell.
At this time, only those who were closest to Ral and Raphael remained in the cave: Keshil, Fashir, Mill, Ral’s mother, and the translator Ke Lili—all of them intently watching Jasmine, who was skillfully maneuvering a knife at Ral’s bedside, as the bullet fragments left within Ral’s body were gradually extracted, symbolizing Ral’s complete departure from danger.
“Done, everyone.”
Jasmine sighed with relief, wiped the blood off her hands, and then infused another pure life force into Ral’s body to aid in her wounds healing better.
“Fortunately, she was unconscious; otherwise, without anesthetics, she would have suffered unbearably. But now it’s okay, she’ll be fine. With a few weeks of recovery, she should be as good as new.”
Raphael and everyone behind her breathed a sigh of relief. Raphael stepped forward to check Ral’s breathing, and after confirming it was steady, she turned back to the few dragons who had stayed here all day.
“Alright, Ral is fine now. We owe thanks to Miss Jasmine from the ocean for helping Ral recover. You all can go back and rest. I wish to have a talk with her.”
“Yes, Lord Raphael.”
Even Ral’s mother chose to leave after taking a last look at Ral. Once Keshil and Fashir also departed, Ke Lili glanced at Jasmine and Raphael with a smirk, commenting,
“Lord Raphael, if I’m not around, you might not understand the language she speaks. After all, I’ve never heard that language before.”
Jasmine, who had just been planning to talk with Raphael, suddenly realized and smacked her forehead, muttering, “Oh no, I forgot this is the Southern Continent. How could anyone speak the language of the underwater realm? Aside from that, I only know Nali. If Lord Ramastia could teach me the language used in the Southern Continent, that would be great.”
Beside her, Raphael seemed surprised, suddenly speaking to Jasmine in Nali, “You can speak Nali?”
“Uh, yeah, a little. Wait, why can Miss Raphael speak it too?”
Raphael paused slightly, then revealed a hint of nostalgia. “That’s a long story.”
Seeing them converse in Nali, Ke Lili nodded approvingly and left the cave where Raphael resided to rest. As the last Ke Lili departed, only Raphael and Jasmine remained awake.
Raphael pointed to a seat on the ground beside them, inviting Jasmine, “Please sit. The conditions in the Dragon Court are still quite simple; I hope you don’t mind. By the way, would you like something to drink?”
“Oh no, that’s okay. I’ve never had any before.”
Jasmine waved her hands. She had never tried such things growing up; there was neither wine in the ocean nor a need for it. When she was in Nali, she had rarely attended student drinking parties. It was said Xu had tried it but didn’t quite like that taste.
In such refusals, Jasmine suddenly noticed a carriage with obvious human characteristics standing behind Raphael, and it appeared to be of the Nali type. This seemed to explain why the Dragon Queen could speak fluent Nali; had she once been acquainted with a Nali person?
Raphael twisted open a jar of strong-smelling liquor. In the shocked gaze of Jasmine, Raphael “gulped” down the entire jar as if it were water, crucially, without any change in her expression.
Can all dragons drink like this?
“Sorry, I haven’t drunk in a long time. I just started today. With everything regarding Ral, I feel a bit guilty pressing you to help right after your arrival. I heard you assisted Ke Lili and the others in capturing the traitors. Although I was a bit surprised, I’m still very grateful for your help. By the way, I forgot to ask, you can speak Nali, so does that mean you’ve been to Nali?”
Even Raphael herself didn’t realize that a hint of hope slipped into her tone, but Jasmine felt a bit nervous afterward. She suddenly thought of how the Dragon Court was a subhuman organization rising up against human colonization, and the leading force behind colonization was Nali. Will she think I’m a human spy?!
Recalling what Ramastia had reminded her earlier, Jasmine quickly waved her hands and explained,
“Uh, I’ve been to Nali, but not for long, and I’m not familiar with anyone there, so don’t worry.”
Hearing this, Raphael felt a bit disappointed. She gazed at the torch on the wall without speaking for a long time, finally smiling and saying,
“It’s fine; I was just curious to know about a person, and it’s unrelated to whether you’ve been to Nali. May I call you Jasmine?”
“Uh, yes, and can I call you Raphael?”
“Of course. So, Jasmine, what brings you to the Southern Continent?”
Without hesitation, Jasmine replied,
“To grow stronger. I have someone I want to protect, but I lack the strength to do so, so… that’s why I left the ocean to come to the Southern Continent seeking trials. I hope to become stronger during the long journey, to…”
Jasmine’s words caused Raphael to pause. In that moment, she felt somewhat bittersweet, as if she could empathize with Jasmine.
After all, Raphael’s goal was to ensure that the subhumans suffering under human oppression could live equitably without their land being corrupted by artillery, ultimately in accordance with her efforts so that one day she could stand equally beside that man who would announce her existence to the world.
However, she could only bury such thoughts deep in her heart. During the time she had been separated from Fisher, aside from a few subhumans who had connections to her earlier journey, no one knew the true identity of Raphael’s husband. They only knew that their Dragon Queen had a fixed suitable tail partner, yet no one had seen the true form of that partner.
Some even began to suspect that the Dragon Queen’s husband had died during the human invasion of the Dragon Tribe, which was why she resisted the invasion with such fierce determination.
Raphael could not reveal her husband’s identity as a human to anyone; this was a particularly sensitive time. As the awareness of resistance against humans was about to awaken among all subhumans, to admit that the Queen’s husband was a human they resented would be catastrophic for the New Dragon Court.
Therefore, naturally, she wouldn’t disclose any details about her husband to Jasmine. Yet, hearing Jasmine’s words now also made her a bit sad. She once more took a deep swallow of her drink, trying to wash away the bitterness in her heart with a slight spiciness. Unfortunately, dragons were quite tolerant of alcohol, which meant they rarely got drunk.
Jasmine noticed Raphael’s expression and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? You seem very sad.”
“…Yes, a little. Mainly, I haven’t seen my husband in a long time, so I miss him.”
Upon hearing this, Jasmine bit her lip. She hadn’t seen her teacher Fisher in quite a long time either, he was still being pursued by Princess Elizabeth when they parted ways, and she had just left him without knowing how he was doing now. The thought of Fisher suffering and wandering endlessly made Jasmine even more determined to grow stronger.
“Raphael, I understand. I haven’t seen the person I miss in a long time either. Although I don’t know what having a husband feels like, I do know the urgent impulse to grow stronger for them. If there ever comes a day when I have to choose a husband, I’ll definitely choose him. That sense of inevitability brings the pain of separation; I understand.”
Jasmine’s words infused Raphael with immense courage, as if at that moment, two lonely souls found similar goals, and the feeling of mutual understanding lifted Raphael’s spirits considerably. She simply raised her head and looked at Jasmine.
“Jasmine, although I’m being a bit selfish in saying this, I genuinely mean what I say. May I invite you to join the Dragon Court on my behalf? Although I’m not sure if being here will help you achieve your goals, I’ll do my best to assist you, even if it’s for a similar purpose as yours. But this request is not compulsory. If there comes a day you must leave or if I fail and perish, you are free to depart at any time.”
Jasmine held her breath, feeling somewhat nervous, but upon seeing the firm green gaze of Raphael, she breathed a sigh of relief and extended her hand to Raphael.
“Raphael, you also have similar goals, right? Since our goals align, even if it’s for different people, I’m willing to help you achieve your wish. I’m willing to assist you, if only to help you see your husband sooner.”
Raphael gladly grasped Jasmine’s hand. The warmth radiating from their touching palms seemed to connect their hearts.
“And for you to grow stronger soon and protect those you want to protect.”
“Mm!”
The two fiery souls, within the not-so-luxurious cave, closely intertwined, bursting forth with dazzling light, almost bringing tears to the observers’ eyes. Even in any story, such a scene would be one of admiration.
Of course, the prerequisite is that you do not know their mutual goal is the same person.
Unfortunately, the watchful Ramastia nearby was such an entity. Even though it was powerful, at this moment it still couldn’t help but feel a sense of discomfort. If it were able to speak, it would definitely say, “Fisher, may you fend for yourself.”
The battlefield hasn’t yet reached the point of eruption; when Fisher returns to the Southern Continent unknowingly in Volume 5, only then will things become more lively, as Eil is also in the Southern Continent.
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(End of this chapter)
