Chapter 227: Holding Him Tight From the Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood

Deep within the cave.

Evangeline watched Drake in the medicinal tub. His fair skin was stained crimson, his body a gruesome sight as it bobbed in the liquid. The medicinal solution seemed to stimulate his nerves, wracking his body with excruciating pain. His brows were tightly knitted, and his clenched jaw emitted a CRACK, CRACK sound.

Mending his muscles and bones was not difficult, but it was agonizingly painful, like having one’s flesh scraped from their bones. However, this was no time for sentimentality. ’Drake was unlucky to have this happen to him, but destruction breeds creation. This might be his greatest opportunity.’

Suddenly, something stirred in her waist pouch. A small, furry head poked out, then zipped up to Evangeline’s shoulder with a SWISH.

It tilted its head, glancing at Drake in the tub. Its jet-black eyes scanned the medicinal solution, and its little nose twitched. The rich Spiritual Energy surging from the tub made the tip of its tail involuntarily stiffen.

"If you dare jump in, we’re dying together." Evangeline’s voice was cold, her head still lowered. She didn’t stop her methodical movements, continuing to add Spiritual Medicine to the tub to ensure the solution could ceaselessly repair Drake’s shattered body.

Hearing her voice, the Snow Ferret froze instantly, its paw, which had been reaching out, now fixed in place.

It slowly retracted its paw and tightened its grip on the fabric of Evangeline’s shoulder. Its jet-black eyes stared at her, but all it could see was the side of her face, tinged with a faint blush as if from the steam.

Evangeline ignored its gaze. After glancing at the Spiritual Energy misting over the tub, she turned, walked over to a pile of straw, and sat down cross-legged.

"I know you’re following me to use my Spiritual Energy to suppress the poison in your body. But the Spiritual Medicine gathered here is for saving a life. If you absorb it and he can’t be saved, then we die together."

She closed her eyes, her voice frigid. A moment later, a shimmering halo of Spiritual Energy began to rise around her.

The Snow Ferret’s damp nose twitched. In the end, it refrained from jumping into the tub for a "feast." It curled up on Evangeline’s shoulder, its furry tail brushing against the side of her sweaty neck as it quietly absorbed the Spiritual Energy emanating from her.

Silence fell over the cave, broken only by the gurgling of the medicinal solution and Drake’s pained, stifled gasps.

Two full days passed. The medicinal solution in the tub had been changed countless times, but Drake’s agony never ceased.

That evening, a "CRACKLE, CRACKLE" sound suddenly echoed from the tub, sounding exceptionally eerie in the silent cave.

Evangeline, still sitting cross-legged on the straw, snapped her eyes open. The Snow Ferret on her shoulder straightened up as well.

Evangeline rose and hurried to the tub. She watched as Drake’s severed limbs began to reconnect, the new bone gleaming with a jade-like luster. But the expression on her face didn’t relax; instead, it grew even more tense.

The Spiritual Energy entering his body and mending his bones was only the beginning. This moment of supreme agony was also the optimal time to reforge his Star Pattern. The dual layers of pain meant that the slightest misstep would lead to failure.

And if he failed...

Evangeline stared at Drake for a long moment, her lips pressed into a thin line.

In the tub, Drake’s body convulsed uncontrollably. His bones shattered and reformed. His skin cracked inch by inch, only to be rapidly healed by the nourishing Spiritual Medicine. This cyclical torment, like death by a thousand cuts, made him snap his eyes open!

His crimson-gold eyes were bloodshot, but he couldn’t even lift a hand to grip the edge of the tub.

Emerging from a chrysalis as a butterfly has always been a matter of life and death.

Evangeline’s pupils contracted. "Drake! Focus your mind!" she snapped.

Before her voice had even faded, blood began to seep from his pores. In an instant, Drake was drenched in it, a man of blood. The sound of his bones shifting and cracking continued as he tremblingly raised his head. His interwoven crimson-and-gold eyes looked at Evangeline, his pupils dilated and unfocused, the aura of death spreading around him.

The Snow Ferret on Evangeline’s shoulder watched Drake quietly. Just as it was about to look away, it sensed the person beneath it move.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Evangeline stepped into the tub. The medicinal solution instantly soaked her clothes.

The Snow Ferret shot away like a bolt of lightning, not following Evangeline into the tub. It hovered in mid-air, flicking its tail. A rare trace of astonishment appeared in its usually emotionless, jet-black eyes.

It couldn’t seem to understand why Evangeline would care so much about a dying male.

Evangeline pulled Drake into her arms. Her arm wrapped around his waist, letting him lean against her. The turbulent Spiritual Energy from her body enveloped the medicinal vapor from the tub, spiraling layer by layer into Drake’s bones and blood. Under the crushing pain, Drake’s body convulsed even more violently.

"AHHH—"

His head rested on Evangeline’s shoulder as he let out a pained, guttural roar.

Dominated by the agony, he suddenly lowered his head and bit down hard on the neck so close to him. His sharp canines pierced her skin. Warm blood trickled down her collarbone, staining the medicinal liquid a deeper shade.

Evangeline didn’t even flinch.

Evangeline just held him quietly, her Spiritual Energy washing over Drake’s shattered body like a tidal wave. It traced intricate patterns across the surface of his bones. While it couldn’t take away his pain, it would be of immense benefit when reforging his Star Pattern.

The Snow Ferret’s Obsidian-like eyes reflected the image of the two embracing in the tub.

It saw the mangled, bloody wound where Evangeline had been bitten, and it saw her back suddenly tense and turn pale.

In a daze, Drake felt as if he had been thrown into The Abyss.

His limbs were severed, his bones crushed, his body drenched in blood. Even breathing triggered heart-rending agony. He couldn’t move, forced to let the Wild Beasts gnaw on him. The intense pain of being on the verge of death sent his whole body into unending spasms.

The pain was so extreme he couldn’t even scream.

Gradually, the Wild Beasts dispersed, leaving him as nothing but a broken skeleton.

But even so, he wasn’t dead. A single breath remained.

A cold wind howled as pain swept through his entire being, bringing a bone-chilling cold. ’Finally... am I going to die?’

"Drake..."

Faintly, he heard someone calling his name. The voice was soft and gentle, somewhat strange yet also familiar. ’Who is it?’

Amid the agony, the coldness receded, and he was enveloped in warmth. It was as if someone had gathered up his broken skeleton and was holding him close. The faint scent of medicine lingered at the tip of his nose, mixed with an indescribable hint of sweetness.

"Drake, don’t be afraid..."

"I’m here..."

The whisper-soft voice pierced his numb senses like a sharp sword, each word clear and distinct.

Drake’s blood-stained eyelashes trembled slightly. With great difficulty, his unfocused pupils began to converge.

Through his hazy vision, he saw a neck as white as jade. But at this moment, on that otherwise flawless skin, the flesh was torn open and mangled, as if bitten by a Wild Beast. It was a gruesome, bloody, and shocking sight.

Drake’s muddled consciousness suddenly cleared.

He tried to pull away but found his limbs were weak and heavy, completely devoid of strength.

Just then, a sharp cry rang in his ear, "Focus your mind! Reforge the Star Pattern!"

’This is Evangeline’s voice.’

The realization sent a jolt through Drake’s body. He finally understood where he was. He lowered his eyes to look at the female’s slight shoulder line. It was so slender it looked as if it could snap at any moment, yet now it was his only support.

The one who had pulled him out of The Abyss and held him tight was her.

’Reforge the Star Pattern?’

’That’s right. She said she would let me soar through the skies again.’

Drake took a sharp, gasping breath. Leaning on Evangeline’s shoulder and inhaling the thick scent of blood, he had never felt so clear-headed.

’The wound on her neck... did I do that?’