Chapter 737: Sleep Talk
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 737: Sleep Talk
"I really have to thank you this time, Ariel."
Gazing at the blood-stained Ariel, a gentle curve formed at the corner of Muen’s lips.
This girl—even if her head was filled with nothing but her own 'crystal palace'—was still resilient, brave, and kind. She truly lived up to her status as the original novel's protagonist; she possessed the qualities to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.
"But I’m sorry, it’s impossible for me to give myself to you in marriage to repay this debt."
Muen’s tone shifted.
After all, he was a hundred percent pure man. This current appearance was merely a desperate necessity.
He certainly wasn't the golden-haired, wavy-locked beauty that Ariel liked.
Muen sighed inwardly. After quickly steadying his own condition, he moved to Ariel’s side.
Compared to his own depleted spiritual power, Ariel’s physical injuries were the priority that required urgent treatment.
He could still rely on his will to keep from collapsing, and he had just used the Black Flame to incinerate and devour the corpses of those demons, recovering some strength. But Ariel...
He had originally assumed Ariel’s external wounds would heal on their own. After all, by all rights, her recovery speed shouldn't be inferior to his own despite his Black Flame.
But as they traveled, Muen could clearly feel blood still flowing from Ariel. It had soaked through her clothes and seeped onto the skin of his back.
It was cold.
The blood was cold.
Ariel’s body was even colder now.
"Is it because she’s too weak?"
Muen performed a careful check.
Earlier, due to the time constraint, he had only hurriedly fed Ariel some recovery pills. Looking at her now, those things had only served to keep her barely hanging on by a thread.
She was too weak. She had no strength left to heal her external wounds; her body was instinctively using what little life force and medicinal power remained to repair more critical areas.
Like her internal organs.
The wounds on her body weren't just punctures through flesh and bone. The demonic fighting spirit attached to the Skinner’s Bone Knife was still inside Ariel’s organs, locked in a life-and-death struggle with her vitality.
Thus, even though Muen wasn't particularly skilled in medicine, he knew...
"If these external wounds aren't treated manually..."
The grand, ultimate Soaring Phoenix of her generation, the protagonist among protagonists, the Child of Destiny... would probably die a ridiculous death from blood loss.
That would be a truly unpleasant ending. In a story, an author who wrote such a brain-dead plot would surely have their entire family tree "greeted" by furious readers.
Even if it was just out of the guilt of "she ended up like this to save me," Muen couldn't let that ending become a reality.
But then came the problem...
Manual treatment?
Looking at Ariel’s currently tattered clothing and the bandages that had mostly fallen away, held to her body only by sticky blood... Muen couldn't help but swallow hard.
If he wanted to treat her manually, he would have to temporarily remove these obstructions, clean the wounds, and then apply medicine. The kind of healing seen in TV dramas where power is transferred through clothes didn't exist in this world's logic.
But...
To dare offend the grand, ultimate Soaring Phoenix of her generation, the protagonist among protagonists, the Child of Destiny—to do this to her while she was unconscious...
Would he really not be beaten to death afterward?
No, if Ariel found out she had been "defiled" by her most hated Muen Campbell, she would undoubtedly beat him to death.
Muen understood this mindset perfectly. If he woke up one day to find some filthy gay guy tenderly bandaging his wounds and shyly asking if it hurt...
His instinctive reaction would definitely be to punch that filthy gay guy into permanent disability.
Wait, no.
That analogy wasn't quite right. He wasn't the filthy gay guy who deserved to be sent flying. On the contrary, Ariel, lying right here, was the filthy lesbian whose head was filled with nothing but ruining beautiful girls.
"Haha... is it because I’ve exhausted too much spiritual power? My head is getting a bit muddled."
Muen suddenly slapped his forehead, annoyed at his own indecisiveness. At a time like this, why did all that matter?
Even if he really was beaten to death by a rampaging Ariel afterward, so be it. Had he done few things that might get him killed by her?
If he were truly that afraid, he wouldn't have shared that deep, intimate exchange with Liya under the starlit night.
"At worst, I die!"
Muen reached into his storage magic device and pulled out a delicate little glass bottle.
Ah, this was the antidote for the Senior's magic potion.
Surely, no matter how strong this transformation potion was, once he drank the antidote, this shameful form of his would be dispelled...
Muen looked again at Ariel, who was quieter than ever, sleeping like a babe. Then he looked at the crimson-gold greatsword still tied to her hand...
He’d... he’d die a bit later.
It wasn't that he was a coward; it was just that the situation was urgent. Escaping was the priority; now was not the time for internal strife.
Muen silently put the antidote back.
Then, he took out the bandages and external medicine he would need from his storage magic device.
They were just ordinary bandages and medicine.
Because Muen had given almost all of his recovery items, potions, healing scrolls, and even the Goddess statue gifted by his beloved Liya to the Imperial defense line, he could only produce these basic emergency supplies now.
"Is this the taste of poverty?"
Muen shook his head with a bitter smile.
He didn't dwell on the frustration for long. Muen quickly focused his mind and concentrated on the task at hand.
First, he tore away the tattered clothing that had been completely dyed red by gore. Some parts had adhered entirely to her skin, so Muen had to carefully use Elizabeth to separate them.
After the outer layers were torn away... Muen’s brow couldn't help but twitch.
Ariel’s vital areas on her upper body were wrapped in bandages—likely injuries from when she was knocked off the high tower by Zagu. So, aside from once again lamenting her "flat-chested" situation, there wasn't much to see.
As for the lower body...
"See no evil, see no evil."
Muen quickly closed his eyes.
Regardless, as a gentleman, a man of integrity, and a Duke’s son bearing the name of Campbell, he would never use his gaze to desecrate a pure woman.
Therefore, he definitely didn't see that... whatever-it-was printed with cute little cakes that looked rather childish.
"Now is the time to test the results of my cultivation," Muen muttered.
Since he couldn't use sight, he would have to use a more "upright" method to assist the treatment.
Long-term tempering and training of his physical body had made Muen’s perception and sense of touch extremely acute. Thus, even without looking, he could...
Not good.
The feeling of touch seemed even worse.
Though it was only a light, fleeting touch with his fingertips, perhaps because he couldn't see, Muen felt the smooth, tender texture—like mutton-fat jade—even more clearly.
It wasn't a steel plate.
Nor was it hard.
That softness, that silkiness, all served to remind Muen that the person before him was also a vibrant, beautiful young girl.
...
After the critical areas were cleaned, medicine applied, and bandages replaced, Muen finally opened his eyes.
With the blood and gore washed away, the beauty belonging to a young girl was fully revealed.
Where it should be slender, it was slender; where it should be firm, it was firm; and her limbs were quite long and elegant.
Of course, the "regrettable" part was truly regrettable.
"This girl... aside from that regrettable spot, her figure is nothing to scoff at."
Even though a certain area lacked feminine aesthetic, her body as a whole was still very balanced and harmonious. From another perspective, it was a kind of perfection.
However.
The wounds currently scattered across her delicate skin truly ruined that beauty.
"..."
Muen fell silent, the last trace of stray thoughts thoroughly banished from his mind.
He knelt down and very carefully helped Ariel clean and bandage her wounds.
When everything was done, Ariel had been wrapped up like a zongzi; every place with a wound was meticulously covered.
Finally, only that crimson-gold greatsword remained.
Muen took it from Ariel’s palm and lightly tapped the blade:
"I’ll protect your master from here on. Can you go back for a bit? You’re so big, it’s quite a hassle."
Hum.
The blade vibrated slightly.
The Heavenly Fire Greatsword hovered into the air, circling Muen once as if inspecting him.
"Don't worry," Muen said with a smile. "You see me wasting precious escape time just to bandage her wounds. Do you think I’m the kind of scumbag who would leave her here now?"
"Trust me, I am definitely not a scumbag."
Muen looked entirely sincere, like an ordinary uncle tricking a child into eating candy.
Hum, hum.
The Heavenly Fire Greatsword let out a few more soft chimes before finally returning to Ariel’s spatial magic device.
"Having a Living Spirit really is convenient," Muen remarked.
Hum, hum.
Elizabeth, at his side, also let out a soft chime.
"Don't worry, this is Ariel’s stuff. I wouldn't dare touch it recklessly."
Muen picked up Elizabeth, soothing her while lightly clashing the twin blades together.
Ding.
An electrical arc spread out, and the alchemy domain that isolated their presence expanded.
Muen then took out some of "Miss Muse’s" clothes and temporarily draped them over Ariel. Only then did he crouch down and lift Ariel onto his back.
Oh no, did I tie the bandages too tight? There really isn't a single ripple this time.
Hopefully, Ariel wouldn't mind such small things.
Having finished this, Muen set off again, sprinting toward the depths of the cave, seeking to put more distance between them and the pursuers behind.
But he hadn't run far before he suddenly stopped again.
"Ngh..."
With a soft moan, Ariel on his back slowly began to wake.
"Mu... Miss Muse?" Ariel asked in a weak voice, her eyes fluttering open slightly.
"Yes, it’s me."
"It really is Miss Muse... You haven't left yet?"
"Of course I left."
Muen looked back with a slight smile. "I’m just taking Miss Ariel with me."
"Mm... You didn't have to..."
Perhaps because of her injuries, or perhaps because she wasn't fully conscious, Ariel lacked her usual sharp edge. She was like a docile kitten, leaning gently against Muen’s back.
"Miss Muse won't leave me alone and disappear again this time, right...?"
"...I won't. Don't worry."
"Hehe, that’s good..."
Ariel squinted her eyes, resting her head on Muen’s shoulder.
"Then, can I sleep for a while?"
"Yes, go to sleep."
"Okay."
Ariel obediently drifted off.
This was perhaps the most fragile, most well-behaved version of Ariel that Muen had ever seen—the Child of Destiny, the Soaring Phoenix protagonist of the story.
Even the most terrifying monster has moments when they mutter cute things in their sleep, huh?
"Sleep," Muen said softly. "Sweet dreams."
Then, his hands tightened. The cold, glinting Elizabeth appeared in his grip at some unknown moment.
"As I thought, the alchemy domain alone isn't enough to block a lock-on targeted at the soul."
Muen looked around.
Shadows flickered in the surroundings, looking utterly hideous.