Chapter 745: The Reason to Persevere
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 745: The Reason to Persevere
"Come on, say 'ah'..."
"..."
"Don't be shy, Miss Muse. Come on, 'ah'..."
"Ah..."
"Good girl. Another bite."
One bite, then another, and another.
Watching the spoon in her hand being delivered repeatedly between Miss Muse’s delicate lips, Ariel felt a profound sense of satisfaction deep within her heart, even though she was currently enduring her own hunger without having eaten a single bite.
Personally feeding a beautiful girl! According to all those various romantic works, this was a prime method for boosting favorability!
Moreover, this was also a way to test the other party's feelings. Just look at Miss Muse’s current state—that "resisting yet welcoming" look, that "wanting to speak yet holding back" vibe, that... whatever it was. Anyway, it was a mix of shyness, distress, and nervousness. If anyone claimed she didn't feel something for Ariel, who would believe them?
Ask yourself: if you were seriously ill in a hospital and being fed by some old lady hired as a caregiver, would your heart flutter in the slightest? Would your expression waver at all?
Of course not.
Miss Muse’s shy and adorable posture—the way she clearly wanted to refuse but felt too embarrassed to do so—was definitive proof that her heart was racing just as much as Ariel’s!
Judging by her own vast emotional experience, Ariel was certain she couldn't be wrong!
"Come on, let's keep going..."
"Um... that’s enough. I’ve had my fill," Miss Muse suddenly said.
"Eh? So soon?"
Ariel blinked, feeling a sudden sense of loss.
The wonderful feeding time had ended so quickly; she hadn't had nearly enough of it yet.
"You're full already? Is your appetite a bit small, Miss Muse?" Ariel asked suspiciously, worried that this was just the typical reserve of a beautiful girl.
It was just like Liya—she would clearly be craving small cakes like crazy, yet she’d grit her teeth and give them up because of her gradually filling-out figure.
Of course, Miss Muse’s figure didn't need any dieting. Her being so reserved...
Could it be that she didn't want to leave an impression of being a glutton in front of Ariel?
"Miss Muse, please rest assured. Even if you could eat a whole cow, I wouldn't look down on you," Ariel said immediately with total gravity. "In fact, I’ve always felt that being a big eater is a 'moe' point for a beautiful girl!"
"No... this is already the third bowl. That’s not a small amount. Also, eating a whole cow is a bit terrifying."
Miss Muse continued to offer an awkward yet polite smile.
What she had just displayed was clearly the appetite of an adult man. After all, the meat stewed in the pot wasn't ordinary meat; the mana within this magical beast meat from the frigid Northern Plains went without saying, and it was packed with calories and fat. It was the kind of food where a normal person would gain three pounds just by eating a small piece.
However, by Ariel’s standards...
It really was a small amount.
If she truly opened up her stomach, she probably really could eat a whole cow.
"Ariel, you haven't eaten yet. Please."
"Ah, thank you."
Ariel straightened her back.
The joy that had dissipated because she couldn't continue her "feeding play" with the beautiful girl surged back once more.
Because she suddenly realized something very important.
The food that was about to enter her mouth was something Miss Muse had made with her own hands!
"Thank you so much! I will definitely eat every last drop with a heart full of gratitude!"
Without even using a bowl, Ariel directly took the small pot that was still more than half full.
The rich aroma stimulated her taste buds, and even before she tasted it, her saliva began to secrete uncontrollably.
Ariel was moved. As expected of Miss Muse—even her cooking skills were superb!
"Itadakimasu!"
"Wait!"
Miss Muse suddenly called out to Ariel, a faint trace of horror in her expression.
In Ariel’s eyes, however, that was a look of heartfelt concern.
"Is there a problem?" Ariel asked, puzzled.
"A problem... well, there’s no big problem, but..."
Miss Muse’s gaze fell on Ariel’s hand, the corner of her mouth twitching imperceptibly.
"That spoon... you just used it to feed me, right?"
"Yes, I did."
"Well... change it for a new one. It’s not very hygienic."
"What are you saying!"
Ariel suddenly balled her fist, her expression solemn.
"Miss Muse, do you think I’m the kind of person who would be disgusted by a spoon you’ve used?"
"No... that’s not what I meant... I’m afraid you’ll regret it later..."
"Why would I regret it? Being able to share a spoon with Miss Muse—isn't that proof of how close our relationship has become?"
As expected, was Miss Muse still this shy?
But it didn't matter. As a master of romance, this was the time to use practical action to prove her feelings!
An indirect kiss or whatever—she definitely didn't have such disgusting thoughts in her head!
Without giving Miss Muse any chance to react, Ariel gripped the spoon Miss Muse had personally used and quickly began tasting the food Miss Muse had personally made.
"So good..."
With the double buff of Miss Muse’s involvement, this simple meat broth was actually on par with her favorite Panini cakes in terms of deliciousness!
She really hoped she could eat food made by Miss Muse often in the future.
"...My sins, my sins. May the Goddess..."
"Huh? What are you saying, Miss Muse?"
"Nothing. I’m just praying to the Goddess for my future."
For some reason, Miss Muse had her hands clasped together, looking like a devout believer of the Goddess.
"Is Miss Muse a believer of the Goddess of Life?" Ariel asked curiously. She hadn't seen any traces of the Life Church on Miss Muse, so she hadn't expected her to be a believer.
"Strictly speaking, I’m half of one."
"Half?"
"I don't really believe in the Goddess myself, but someone I’m very close to does. So, occasionally, I’ll ask the Goddess for help."
"I see... Haha, that’s pretty much the same as me."
Ariel smiled faintly, once again feeling a striking similarity in their fates.
She was the same way; because of Liya, she would occasionally offer a prayer or two to the Goddess of Life.
Since it didn't cost anything, she might as well believe a little.
To even have this in common—was this the level of compatibility between Miss Muse and herself?
Love it, love it.
"So, what were you praying for just now, Miss Muse?"
"..."
"Is it inconvenient to say?"
"No... it’s nothing much."
Miss Muse paused, then suddenly tilted her head back slightly, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. She said in a melancholy tone:
"I just hope that when the time comes, I can at least leave behind a whole corpse..."
"A whole corpse? What do you mean?"
Ariel immediately grew tense. "Is Miss Muse worried about our current situation? Don't worry, I will protect you well. I will never let anyone hurt you!"
Oh no, she had been so immersed in matters of the heart that she had forgotten their current predicament.
Miss Muse must feel very insecure right now!
What should she do here? Should she be brave and just go in for a hug? Or...
"Ariel."
At that moment, Miss Muse’s suddenly grave tone interrupted Ariel’s wild thoughts.
Ariel looked up and saw that Miss Muse’s expression had become very serious.
"Miss Muse, is something wrong?"
Sensing the change in atmosphere, Ariel also snapped into a serious state.
"Are your injuries any better?"
"My injuries..."
Ariel looked down and moved her fingers, which were still wrapped in bandages.
Because she had been hit by a series of "pink" events since waking up, she only now had the time to sense her own physical condition.
"I’ve recovered... well, I’ve recovered some, but I’m still a long way from being completely healed."
They were such severe injuries, after all. Even for her, it was impossible to fully recover overnight.
"Then, can you walk?" Miss Muse asked.
"Walk... of course I can."
Ariel stood up and hopped around a few times. Although accidentally straining her wounds made her expression slightly strained, she indeed appeared capable of moving freely.
"That’s good."
Miss Muse let out a soft breath and continued, "Listen carefully to what I’m about to say next."
"What is it?"
"About... what comes next."
Miss Muse poked at the campfire, making the flames that were about to die out struggle to burn their final embers.
"First of all, if my deduction is correct, the lead hound of the pack that has been tracking us should be that First Demon General, Zagu."
"Zagu?"
Ariel’s gaze sharpened.
She had fought Zagu and was the one he had knocked off the High Tower. She even held a grudge over her "flattened chest." Therefore, she knew better than anyone what a terrifying opponent that First Demon General was.
"So it really is him? Then it’s no wonder we’ve been chased so miserably."
"Zagu seems to want to use his hunting dogs to bleed us dry first before finishing us off personally to ensure nothing goes wrong... In a sense, among a bunch of brain-dead demons, his intelligence is quite outstanding. However, a few hours ago, I used a small trick to temporarily delay Zagu’s pace and severed the tracking item on me. He shouldn't be able to lock onto our position so easily now."
"Really?"
Ariel’s eyes widened in surprise.
She hadn't expected that while she was unconscious, Miss Muse had not only temporarily escaped danger but had also done so much.
So impressive...
"But..."
Miss Muse’s tone shifted.
"According to my intuition, that guy definitely won't give up so easily. He’ll definitely catch up again."
"True. Having come this far, Zagu has no reason to give up."
Ariel rubbed her chin in thought. "Not to mention he was toyed with by you, Miss Muse. Back on the High Tower, after I toyed with him, he looked absolutely livid. He won't swallow that insult easily."
"No, there should be other reasons. The one who wants to kill me probably isn't Zagu, but..."
Miss Muse paused, still not saying that name.
It seemed Ariel wasn't going to leave of her own accord, so saying that name would only add to her psychological burden.
"In any case, our crisis hasn't been resolved yet, so..."
"So?"
"We flee that way."
Miss Muse suddenly raised her hand, pointing in a certain direction.
The campfire flickered but couldn't fully illuminate the surroundings. When Ariel followed the direction Miss Muse pointed, she could still only see a deep, profound darkness.
"What’s over there?"
"I’m not entirely sure. My intuition tells me it’s very dangerous. Even from this far away, I actually feel a sense of dread."
"Is that so?"
Ariel frowned and sensed carefully.
She felt nothing.
It was as if there was nothing on the other side of the darkness and mist.
However, just as Miss Muse had said, behind this emptiness, she faintly sensed a hair-raising chill.
That direction... really did seem very dangerous.
"But, since it’s so dangerous, why are we going there?" Ariel became increasingly puzzled.
Even someone as headstrong as her wouldn't charge into a place she knew was dangerous when both of them were heavily injured.
"For a certain reason, I must go there. Of course, I only sensed the danger after coming down the cliff... Ariel, are you willing to believe me?"
Miss Muse suddenly looked directly into Ariel’s eyes.
"Believe me. Go in that direction."
"..."
Now it was Ariel’s turn to be silent.
"Believe" was perhaps one of the most frequently used words between lovers.
Believe me, I won't look at other women.
Believe me, I only have eyes for you.
Believe me, I will love you forever... and so on.
But between life and death, it was the most powerless and thin of words.
Because even for lovers, the word "believe" becomes fragile in the face of death.
However...
"What are you saying?"
Ariel’s silence was incredibly short.
She put her hands on her hips and tried her best to puff out her flat chest.
"Didn't I say it a long time ago? I will always believe in Miss Muse! If I didn't believe in you, I wouldn't have saved you, nor would I have fought those guys for your sake. Wouldn't it have been better for me to just run away alone back then?
"So, why are you still saying such hurtful things now, Miss Muse?"
Indeed.
The two of them had already come this far. Why was there a need to specifically say such things or ask such questions?
"True. You are Ariel, after all."
Miss Muse smiled. Her expression was still so complex—so complex that Ariel couldn't quite read the deeper meaning within it.
Perhaps when the day came that she could understand what was contained behind that smile, she would be able to truly enter this beautiful girl's heart.
At least, that was what Ariel thought.
"Then, for the time being, I’ll have to leave things to you again."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Ariel was stunned again.
But before she could react, she saw Miss Muse suddenly slump to the ground.
"Miss Muse!"
Ariel’s heart skipped a beat. She stepped forward, grabbing Miss Muse’s wrist while placing her other hand on the side of her neck.
Fortunately, her pulse was there, her heart was beating, and her breathing was normal.
There was no immediate danger to her life.
Ariel breathed a temporary sigh of relief.
But...
"Her face is so pale."
Miss Muse’s profile had been illuminated by the firelight, so it wasn't until the fire began to dim that Ariel suddenly realized Miss Muse’s face had become so pale that not a trace of color remained.
Even someone who hadn't seen the sun for years wouldn't be this pale. Rather than saying she was weak, it was more like she was a zombie that had just been dug out of a grave.
"Why is she so pale? Her blood and qi aren't depleted, which means what’s depleted is... her spirit?"
Ariel’s lips trembled, a look of disbelief on her face.
She was often given spiritual power training by her teacher, and she had fought consecutive battles with enemies to the point where her spiritual power was nearly exhausted.
She knew the pain of spiritual exhaustion better than anyone.
But even she had never let her spirit be depleted to this extent.
It was like a clear spring; Miss Muse had not only scooped out all the water but had even sucked out every last trace of moisture remaining inside, leaving it completely parched.
Not only did this risk damaging the spring’s source and affecting her future potential, but the pain of that total desiccation and the willpower required to endure it until now was something even Ariel found difficult to imagine.
"Why did you force yourself to hold on until now...?"
"You could have rested once we shook off the enemies. Why risk your life to keep going?"
"Could it be..."
Ariel placed a hand over her chest, her eyes shimmering as she murmured:
"For me?"