135 Chapter135-The Reason Behind It All
Wales spoke to himself, but the joy that danced across his features was hardly containable. Had Howard seen it, his curiosity would have surely intensified.
After all, it was Howard who had reaped the benefits, so why did Wales beam with such delight?
If Wales truly held Howard's welfare at heart, why then did he withhold his hand at that crucial moment between life and death?
Or did Wales believe that Howard wouldn't so easily meet his demise?
Regrettably, Howard saw none of this.
A descent from dozens of meters high is no small ordeal, even with the Soul Blood Pact from the Oriental Divine Dragon, it was too much to bear.
Upon impact, darkness claimed Howard's sight, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.
Time trickled away in the darkness, indiscernibly slow.
How long it had been, Howard couldn't tell, but gradually, the sound of water dripping nearby grew clearer, and his consciousness began to wane back.
Opening his eyes was an arduous task, and when he finally did, endless darkness was all that greeted him. Even the space a mere few feet ahead was shrouded in obscurity.
A heavy sense of oppression followed, making every breath a struggle for Howard.
His hand reached out, fumbling, and upon feeling the warmth of Shelley Chan's body, confirming she was still alive, a sigh of relief escaped him.
As long as he could wait out the duration of Shelley Chan's Nirvana State, there remained a hope to return to Crimson Dragon City.
In truth, at this juncture, Howard could leave unscathed on his own; after all, the precious cargo he was tasked with escorting from Shelley Chan was now in his possession.
The pursuers were clueless of Howard's true identity; if he just removed the Death Mask, he could extricate himself from this quagmire.
But alas, Howard was not the type to betray a benefactor.
Regardless of the circumstances, he had gained considerable benefits from Shelley Chan and could not, in good conscience, abandon her to peril.
Howard's mind raced as he steadied his breath, regaining composure.
Holding Shelley Chan close, Howard slowly rose to his feet and rummaged through his Storage Bag, drawing out some dry food and potions to replenish his health.
After ingesting these, vigor quickly surged through his body.
A slight flexing of his legs, and he was standing, his mind shifting slightly as he summoned the skill of the fireball.
The fiery element converged furiously, illuminating their surroundings.
With the aid of the flame's light, Howard could finally discern the environment he was in—an underground riverbed!
Fortune seemed to favor him, for he had landed on a dried riverbed, spared from the fate of crashing against the rocks or plunging into the water, thus surviving the ordeal.
This realization brought immense relief to Howard, and he promptly began to scrutinize their surroundings carefully.
He needed to be certain—were there any monsters nearby?
"Cough, cough... Put out... the fire... Extinguish it!"
Shelley Chan's feeble voice suddenly cut through the silence, prompting Howard to look down quickly, only to find Shelley Chan's eyes also open, her face pale as death, devoid of any color.
"You're awake!" Knowing that Shelley Chan possessed vast experience, Howard immediately dissipated the fireball, whispering, "I have some health potions here, do you need some?"
"My... Storage... Bag... has..."
Shelley Chan's cracked lips barely moved, making speech a laborious task.
Howard, patient and unhurried, fetched Shelley Chan's Storage Bag, and with a mere thought, he began to extract its contents.
Shelley's gaze swept over the array of items and then gestured towards a small bottle.
Howard swiftly picked up the small, white jade porcelain vial, uncorked it, and poured out a translucent pill.
He reached out to feed her, but Shelley Chan was far too weak; even her tongue struggled to move.
Even when the pill was placed in her mouth, swallowing it seemed an impossible task.
Witnessing this, Howard hesitated for a moment before an idea struck him, reminiscent of scenes from novels he had once read.
"Senior Shelley, I may have to commit an impropriety," he announced.
Howard took the pill and put it in his mouth, chewing it thoroughly.
Then, lowering his head, he brought his lips to Shelley Chan's, his tongue gently coaxing the saliva-mixed medicine into her.
With this intimate aid, Shelley Chan finally managed to consume the pill. Color gradually returned to her pallid face, and her breath steadied and calmed.
Feeling her regain strength, Howard couldn't help but release a sigh of relief.
Shelley Chan was finally on the mend.
While waiting for Shelley to fully recover, Howard, still holding her, felt a warmth spreading through his body. His mind, however, wandered to thoughts that were somewhat less honorable.
Soon after, Shelley Chan had regained enough strength to speak. "You can put me down now. You've had quite the ordeal because of me," she said softly.
"Of course!" Howard hastily complied, chiding himself internally: "Keep it together, Howard! She may look young, but she's a woman of advanced years. Don't get carried away because of her youthful appearance!"
Truth be told, it wasn't that Howard found himself attracted to Shelley Chan, but rather that the pair had been through extreme dangers together, with both their minds strung tight as wires.
Now that they had escaped their pursuers and found this temporary sanctuary, Howard, even without assurance of their safety, found a rare moment of mental repose.
In such moments, it was natural to feel a certain special connection with Shelley Chan, who had shared in his adversity.
This was the so-called "misattribution of arousal" or more poetically known as the "suspension bridge effect."
Shelley Chan sat across from Howard, and due to the profound darkness of the underground river, they were positioned closely to one another to remain visible.
They were so close that each could feel the other's breath.
For a moment, Howard's breathing grew rapid and shallow.
Shelley Chan, too, perceived Howard's restlessness, but having never been touched by emotion herself, she was oblivious to the cause of his disquiet.
After a long silence, Shelley Chan sighed, "You don't have to be so tense. Although I'm furious that the benefits ended up with you... you did it to protect me, to save your own life by forming a pact with the Oriental Divine Dragon!"
Her perplexity was clear as she questioned, "What I wonder is how you were able to form a contract with the Oriental Divine Dragon?"
Shelley's gaze grew intent, sharp with curiosity, "The Oriental Divine Dragon was yet to hatch, contained within a Space Ring. How were you able to communicate with it?"
Being in a state of Nirvana, Shelley Chan was immobilized, but her consciousness remained intact, hence she was aware of all that had transpired during their ordeal.
Particularly, Howard's repeated sacrifices to protect her, even at the cost of his own injury, had kindled a sense of gratitude within her.
Gratitude, an emotion that transcends age, correlates not with the number of years one has lived, but with the alignment of one's values and beliefs.
Any normal person, irrespective of their age or experiences, would naturally feel thankful when someone extends a helping hand.
And so, Shelley Chan could not bring herself to harm Howard.
"Ah?"
Howard shook his head, his voice tinged with confusion, "I don't know why it happened either. At that moment, I thought I was a goner. Then, suddenly, a voice asked if I wanted to live. I said yes, and it instructed my soul not to resist, and then... everything changed. To this day, I still don't understand what exactly happened."
Upon hearing this, Shelley Chan fell into a brief silence before speaking, "The Oriental Divine Dragon, for centuries, has been the guardian deity of my Crimson Dragon City. Each Divine Dragon, upon signing a Soul Blood Pact with a human, gains the ability to merge into one being."
"In such a state, the awakened power receives a terrifying boost. Dragon Chan, the great general and ancestor of my Crimson Dragon City, was once the guardian who possessed the Oriental Divine Dragon's protection."
"Regrettably, the nurturing capability of the Oriental Divine Dragon is exceedingly feeble, giving rise to but a single offspring every century, making it nearly a solitary lineage."
"However, seventy years ago, a mysterious and powerful being launched a surprise attack on our Divine Dragon during a victorious return from battle against alien races. Although the invader was slain, the dragon's fertility was severely damaged."
"To ensure the continuation of Crimson Dragon City, the old Divine Dragon, by burning a great portion of its own bloodline and soul, managed to rejuvenate a lifeless egg from three thousand years past. That... is the egg of the Oriental Divine Dragon you see before us. After an arduous search, we finally located it, yet our enemies discovered our secret, leading to the relentless pursuit we now face."
With these words, Howard finally grasped the entire picture.
No wonder Shelley Chan would rather see so many perish than compromise her safety. This dragon egg symbolized the very hope of Crimson Dragon City.
Now, with the guardian dragon of Crimson Dragon City devoid of the ability to reproduce, having burned away much of its bloodline and soul, the city faced a bleak future if a new divine dragon was not found.
In this brutal world where only the strong survive, a decline in strength heralds the impending doom of extinction.
"You…" Shelley Chan took a discerning look at Howard and said, "Once I regain some of my strength, let's split up. I will draw their fire while you, disguised and bearing my jade pendant, make your way to the Chan family of Crimson Dragon City."
"The Oriental Divine Dragon, after all, is our clan's nurtured deity, painstakingly raised through untold hardships. Since you have inadvertently bound yourself with it through a blood pact, I implore you to visit our family once!"
"No," Howard shook his head firmly, stating with conviction, "If we are to die, we die together; if we are to live, then we live together! Once you're recovered, and if I can also master the ability to transform, we still hold great hope!"
"After all that has transpired, I cannot face my ancestors... nor can I bear the shame of meeting with the clan leader!"
Shelley Chan's face was etched with a deep sorrow.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Red_Skin_Duck
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