Chapter 729: Healing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 729: Healing
(A small bug occurred in the previous chapter; Ariel has actually met the Grand Duke of Bewitchment before. This has been corrected.)
"A Demon?"
Ariel’s gaze sharpened. She immediately reached behind her, gripping the hilt of her sword in a defensive stance.
The environment was dim. Even with magic providing illumination, the rushing water obscured much of the figure's appearance. Given their current perilous situation, Ariel had every reason to be exceptionally cautious.
"No, wait."
Ariel reacted quickly as she realized something.
"It’s a human!"
There was no demonic aura, no horns on the head, and the pale arms occasionally bobbing in the waves confirmed the figure's human identity.
"And it’s a woman!"
Ariel hurried over.
She didn't let her guard down easily, though. She first circled the riverbank, leaving flames for illumination in every blind spot and dark corner. Then, she pulled a spherical magic device from her storage ring and tossed it into the river.
The sphere spun around the water before returning to Ariel’s hand.
"Good. No ambushes, no traps."
Ariel breathed a sigh of relief. "There aren't even any signs of anyone else having been here. Was she washed down from upstream? Or maybe... No, now isn't the time for that. Save her first!"
With a splash, Ariel leapt into the river.
The water only reached Ariel’s waist, but it was more bone-chilling than she had imagined. She waded to the other side of the river bend and grabbed the woman, who happened to be snagged against a large boulder. With a few quick movements, she dragged her onto the shore.
Normally, this would have been a simple task for Ariel, but as she climbed onto the bank, she winced, her teeth bared in pain. The movement had pulled at her freshly bandaged wounds, sending a piercing ache through her.
"Thank goodness, she’s still alive."
Ariel didn't have time to worry about her own minor issues. When she had grabbed the woman’s wrist earlier, she had felt a pulse. Though faint, it meant there was still life in her.
As long as she was alive, there was hope.
Ariel quickly gathered the flames she had used for scouting and threw a few stones into the pile to act as fuel.
There was no firewood here, so she had to rely on her Divine Blessing power. While using this power didn't consume mana, it drained the user's physical stamina.
For the current Ariel, stamina was even more precious than mana.
But she had to keep this fire burning.
For a young woman who had lost consciousness and been soaked in water for who knows how long, the warmth of a fire could be the difference between life and death.
After stoking the fire and setting up warning magic devices at all the narrow entrances of the surrounding cave, Ariel finally had the chance to properly look at the woman she had rescued.
She had a slender build and was somewhat taller than the average woman. Her clothes were tattered, yet they still covered most of her body, failing to provide any "legally permissible" glimpses of her charms.
However, her exposed arms and thighs were pale and enchanting, leaving Ariel momentarily dazed.
But most importantly...
"Blonde hair?"
She had a head of striking long golden hair. Though it was soaked and matted messily against her face, it hadn't lost its luster or silkiness.
In this life, the thing Ariel hated most was blonde hair—and the thing she loved most was also blonde hair.
The hatred stemmed from that damn blonde bastard, Muen Campbell. That detestable guy’s actions toward her were so infuriating that whenever she saw a blonde punk on the street now, she felt an urge to drag them over and give them a thrashing.
As for the love...
Her childhood sweetheart, her former "capture target," the frog who had sat in the pot for ten years only to eventually fall into the clutches of the aforementioned blonde bastard... Liya also had beautiful platinum-blonde hair.
And besides Liya, there was another beauty who had recently made her heart flutter—a woman whose fate seemed so intertwined with hers that Ariel couldn't help but think it was destiny. Miss Muse... her dazzling, wavy golden hair was truly unforgettable.
"But is this a coincidence, or..."
Ariel’s heart skipped a beat.
An immature, highly improbable, yet not entirely impossible thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.
Could it be...
"No, there’s no way..."
Ariel swallowed hard.
No, no matter how you looked at it, if that were the case, it would be too much of a coincidence.
The Abyss was massive. Gutons Fortress was massive. Even this underground cave system was enormous.
If you scattered a hundred people across these locations, they might never cross paths in their entire lives.
So, even if they had both been captured and brought to the Demon stronghold, it was impossible that...
"Anyway, let’s just see..."
Ariel reached out with a slightly trembling hand, slowly brushing away the messy strands of long hair that veiled the woman's face.
Then... her trembling intensified. For a moment, her breath hitched.
Because...
"It’s actually her..."
That face.
That breathtakingly beautiful countenance.
Though she was currently bloodless and pale as a sheet, her brow furrowed in pain... Ariel could never mistake her.
The beautiful girl before her, fragile as a delicate flower and inspiring an infinite sense of pity...
Was the very Miss Muse she had been pining for!
"How... how can there be such a coincidence in this world!"
Ariel couldn't help but clutch her racing heart.
A hundred people could wander this massive Gutons Fortress for a lifetime and never find each other.
And yet, only a day after they were separated, she had found the Miss Muse she was planning to search for!
Combined with their previous chance encounters and coincidences... if this wasn't the hand of fate, what was?
Ariel took out her Voice Transmission Stone. Feeling the frequency within that she could dial at any moment, she began to indulge in a beautiful fantasy...
Could it be that her Crystal Palace was finally about to...
"No, now isn't the time for this! I have to save her!"
Ariel snapped out of her endless pink-hued delusions.
For a second there, she had almost finished planning how she and Miss Muse would spend their most wonderful night together... but first things first. If something happened to Miss Muse, none of those wonderful things would ever happen!
Ariel, who had been acting with composure until now, suddenly began to panic.
"Body temperature... I have to maintain her body temperature first..."
She made the fire burn even brighter, but that wasn't enough.
Ariel pulled some of the stones she had been heating out of the fire and quickly dug up a pile of dry sand. She buried the stones—which were so hot they were nearly melting—under the sand and finally covered the sand with a blanket. Thus, a simple, warm heated bed was complete.
Ariel carefully lifted Miss Muse in a bridal carry and placed her on the bed.
"Next... did Miss Muse just drown? Do I need to perform CPR and... and mouth-to-mouth?"
Ariel’s cheeks instantly flushed. Despite being physically exhausted, she suddenly felt her blood surging through her veins, her heart pounding like a war drum!
"I-I’m not being a creep. I’m saving a life!"
Who could blame her? Her fighting spirit and mana were depleted; she had no choice but to use these primitive first-aid methods.
Ariel moved to kneel over Miss Muse’s abdomen.
The woman's stomach was firmer than expected; she must exercise regularly.
From this angle, Miss Muse’s figure was even more impressive. Not only was she tall and lithe, but the curves of her chest were perfectly contoured, looking as if they had been sculpted by a master artist.
Ariel took several more deep breaths.
I’m just saving a life...
I’m just saving a life...
I’m just saving a life...
"That’s right, I’m just saving a life!"
Having finished her mental preparation, Ariel suddenly leaned down. Using a standard technique, she pressed her hands firmly against Miss Muse’s chest.
"Huh?"
Ariel froze.
Something... felt off.
Why was Miss Muse’s chest so... solid?
It didn't have the soft, pillowy feel of the "big cow" Liya (whom Ariel had secretly touched before). Instead, it felt like pressing against a slab of marble—extremely firm and powerful.
Was this also because of her regular exercise?
Since Ariel had only ever touched herself and Liya, her experience in this department was severely lacking, making it hard for her to judge.
"It’s fine. I like firm and powerful too. But at this rate, CPR is going to be difficult... Should I skip this step?"
Ariel’s gaze suddenly landed on Miss Muse’s lips, which looked incredibly soft.
Her throat went dry. Even though those lips were currently pale, they still possessed a certain magnetic charm.
Gulp...
Ariel swallowed hard again.
"I’m not being a creep, I’m not being a creep, I’m not being a creep..."
That’s right, she was doing this to save her, like a hero saving a cursed princess!
With her mental resolve set once more, Ariel gently pinched Miss Muse’s cute little nose, pried her lips open, and then...
Slap!
A crisp sound echoed through the cave.
Ariel slowly sat up straight, a large handprint blooming on her face, her expression full of self-loathing.
She had slapped herself.
"What on earth am I doing?! I am being a creep!"
In truth, the moment her hands had touched Miss Muse’s chest, Ariel had realized that the woman's breathing and heartbeat were normal, if a bit weak. The only reason she had been deceiving herself and trying to "go with the flow" was because...
She was lusting after Miss Muse’s body! She was being depraved!
"No! Taking advantage of someone in danger is not what a hero who saves beauties should do. I’m not trying to capture Miss Muse’s body; I want to capture her heart!"
Had she studied so many romance masterpieces just to be a creep?
No!
It was to conquer the hearts of young maidens!
A Crystal Palace where the girls entered of their own free will—that was a true Crystal Palace!
Taking a girl's virtue before winning her heart was a despicable act only a "blonde bastard" would do.
She was a Pure Love Warrior!!!
"Inhale... exhale..."
Adjusting her breathing, a calmed Ariel rose from Miss Muse’s body.
She could already tell that Miss Muse was no longer in mortal danger. The life force within her body was gradually recovering.
Though slow, she was far from death's door.
However, much like herself, she seemed to have suffered extremely severe injuries.
While her exterior didn't look too battered, her skin was so pale it looked almost newly grown, and her clothes—even after being washed by the river—were still covered in bloodstains. All of this spoke of the intense battle and devastation she had endured.
"What a strong girl... she hits my 'strike zone' even more now." A small smile played on Ariel’s lips.
It was a pity her Eye of Truth had suffered a backlash when she looked directly at the Grand Duke of Bewitchment earlier and was currently unusable. Otherwise, she could have used its "insight" ability to analyze the extent of Miss Muse’s injuries.
For now... she could only use gentler healing methods.
Ariel took out some medicine used to replenish blood and life force and carefully fed them to Miss Muse.
Sensing that the woman's breathing had stabilized significantly, Ariel finally felt at ease.
"Your brow is furrowed so tightly... you must be missing someone too."
After finishing her tasks, Ariel crouched beside Miss Muse, gently smoothing out the frown between her brows.
"Don't be afraid," she whispered softly. "I will always protect you..."