Chapter 125: You saw it?
Tobias’s headless body fell to the ground yet no blood came out. A layer of ice covered the severed part of both head and body, blocking the flow of blood.
Noah put his sword back in his storage ring, and held his injured shoulder where Tobias had almost severed his arm. It was being held together by ice.
"It is over now," he said, his gaze shifting to Chloe and Vlad on the ground. "You did well hanging there."
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An hour passed as Vlad fell asleep to recover from the damage caused by Mana Deviation. Meanwhile Chloe guided the rescued back to the city where they were given emergency treatment. Noah tied all the bandits to the trees around the camp and contacted the authorities.
When Vlad woke up, the bandits had already been arrested and taken by the authorities. He opened his eyes to find Noah and Chloe’s figures sitting beside him, leaning against the wooden wall of the camp.
"How are your injuries, Chloe?" Vlad asked, the moment he woke up.
"I’m fine," she replied, shaking her head. "Are you feeling well?"
Vlad gave Chloe a silent look. Her nose had reddened as she said those words. Her hand slowly shifted to her face, covering it, realising Vlad was catching on to her lie.
Strangely, he did not persist and answered with a nod, "I am fully healed now after resting."
The internal injuries and strain to his mana circuits that he had suffered due to Mana Deviation had been completely healed now, thanks to his Draconic Heart and his body’s high healing ability.
His gaze shifted to Noah, or more accurately his shoulder, where only torn cloth was left, the wound completely gone, leaving red skin beneath.
Vlad did not need to ask what he did to heal himself. He had used a healing potion.
"Thanks for saving our lives," Vlad said, his tone calm.
"No need. We were a team," Noah said, his eyes turning sideways. He was not one to welcome gratitude. "On the contrary, I owe you an apology. I persisted in finishing this quest, causing you to suffer injuries."
After a brief pause, he asked, "Why did you not leave when I asked you to?"
"We are a team," Vlad repeated his words, saying the obvious. "Moreover, I never abandon my friends."
A brief silence followed as Noah struggled to find the right words, his eyes darting, revealing his flustered expression.
He released a sigh and said, "I will appreciate it if you two keep it a secret that I can use Sword Aura."
Perhaps the reason he told Vlad to run away was because he did not want him to know that he was hiding his true strength. He even went as far as to only reveal it when Chloe and Vlad were completely helpless. Vlad did not know the reason behind it nor did he ask him.
"Your secret is safe with us," he replied in assuring tone.
He rose to his feet as they prepared to leave the forest. Chloe had only taken a dozen steps but her breathing had grown even heavier, her skin dampened with sweat as each movement took a toll on her.
Vlad was about to say something to Noah when he himself spoke up, "I am leaving first to share the details about the quest with the academy."
Vlad understood the intent and nodded in response. Once Noah left, he said to Chloe, "You know you don’t have to act tough. Just say it if it hurts."
"It doesn’t," the words barely left her lips, her fists tightened at her sides.
Vlad released a sigh and told her to sit down beside a tree.
"Why didn’t you ask the doctor to treat your wound when you went to the city with the abductees?"
"The doctor was a man," she replied, her chest rising and falling, her eyes barely opening.
He took out a healing potion from the storage ring and said, "It will hurt but you need to use this. You are in no condition to reach the academy as you are."
Vlad handed her the potion before stepping a few meters away and turning his back to her, giving her the privacy she needed.
With trembling hands, Chloe reached for the hem of her skirt, trying to lift it. But even that simple motion proved beyond her. Her arms quivered before all the strength drained from them, and her hand fell limply back to her side.
She tried again but this time, she could not even move her limbs. Her gaze shifted to Vlad as she bit her lower lip, making the difficult decision.
"Vlad," she called him in barely a whisper. "Do it for me."
"H-huh, you sure?" Vlad asked, a bit taken aback. She was always self-conscious about showing her skin to anyone, even Vlad.
"Yes."
Vlad turned around only to find that her skin had turned pale. Her condition was clearly worsening. He quickly reached her side, worry clearly etched on his face.
"I’m lifting your skirt," he said as he grabbed the hem.
She gave a slight nod. Once he had her approval, he lifted the skirt up to her chest, revealing a terrible purple bruise on her torso. The skin was torn from her lower chest all the way down inside her trousers.
"Oh god, you were walking around with this injury," Vlad gasped, his tone carrying a hint of scolding.
Chloe did not respond. She had no energy left to give any reaction.
Vlad did not waste a second. He raised the skirt to her neck and lowered her trousers.
"This will hurt, Chloe," he said as he poured the healing potion onto her skin.
The green liquid seeped into her skin, producing a sizzling sound. The skin burnt and twisted, filling the air with the smell of burning flesh.
"Angh...anh..." Chloe groaned, her limbs flailing. Vlad sat on her thighs to make sure she did not turn over and get dirt in her wound. He grabbed both her hands by her sides, his fingers intertwined with hers as he said in a soft tone, "It will be all right. Just bear with it for a few seconds."
Chloe’s eyes were shut tight, tears trickling down from them due to agony, her back arched as she squirmed below Vlad for the whole treatment.
When the injury was healed, Vlad’s eyes traced her serene figure below him. The potion had burned away her undergarments, revealing her reddened skin bare to his eyes.
His face turned completely crimson, fumes reaching his ears as he instantly pulled up her trousers and moved her skirt down. He felt as if he had seen something he definitely should not have.
The sight was still lingering in his eyes when his gaze shifted to Chloe’s face. Her lips were shivering, her cheeks turned a rosy hue while she was still breathing heavily.
Fixing Vlad with her lavender eyes, she demanded, "Y-you saw it?"