Selene was feeling deeply embarrassed. A boy was sucking on her thigh, and to her shame, she started enjoying it. The pleasant sensation intensified with every passing second, and each moment felt like an eternity. Pleasure, shame, and embarrassment—every emotion collided within her like a storm.
When Alex finally moved away after extracting the poison, Selene remained frozen in a haze, her mind still adrift in the skies.
Alex sat cross-legged nearby, closed his eyes, and began circulating his dark element through his vessels.
Rina didn't disturb him. Instead, she knelt beside Selene, who was still flushed with emotion. She had seen everything and sympathized; after all, she had felt a similar shame just a few days ago.
"Selene, are you okay?" Rina asked gently.
Selene blinked and returned to reality. "Y-Yes... I think," she replied in a meek voice.
"Then get up and sit down. Do you have extra clothes? You should cover that area," Rina said, pointing toward Selene's exposed thigh.
Groaning slightly, Selene got to her feet and retrieved an extra pair of jeans from her spatial ring.
"You should wait to wear them until your wounds are fully healed, or the fabric will be ruined. Let's wait for Alex. Don't disturb him," Rina advised.
Selene looked over at Alex. His skin had turned a ghastly blue, and bulging veins snaked across his forehead.
"Is he going to be okay?" she asked, worry creeping into her voice.
"He said he will be. So he will," Rina replied firmly, with full trust.
Selene was stunned by the conviction in Rina's tone. The same Rina who trusted neither her father nor her brother was placing full faith in this mysterious boy.
Rina offered no explanation for her trust. She merely watched.
Alex was trying to absorb the poison the same way he had with the Red Snake's venom—but this time, he attempted it with his wood element. The Red Snake's poison had been easier to absorb due to its origin, but the true challenge was merging it with his dark element. Alex focused intensely, working on that balance.
After half an hour, his skin gradually returned to normal. His eyes snapped open, and he took a deep breath before standing up.
He saw both girls sitting and chatting, seemingly relaxed. Alex frowned slightly at their carelessness.
"Let's move. We've already wasted too much time here," he said, his voice curt.
"She's still wounded. She needs healing," Rina reminded him.
"Oh… right," Alex responded. He knelt beside Selene, examining her injuries. Small slashes marked her legs and arms, but the worst was a deep gash across her right arm.
"Let's start with this one," he said, placing his hands over the wound. Green light from his wood element glowed faintly as he forced it into her skin, closing the wound.
Then he moved to the legs, sealing the smaller cuts. Watching him, Selene couldn't hold back her thoughts.
"You haven't learned anything about how to properly use the wood element, have you?" she blurted.
"No, I haven't," Alex admitted.
Selene was speechless.
After five minutes, Alex stood. "Let's go."
"I need to change clothes," Selene said.
"We'll do it once we reach a safer location. We can't linger here. The scent of blood will attract monsters," Alex replied.
Selene gave a short nod. "Okay."
Meanwhile, in the shadow of the mountains where towering fortress-like walls protected the student encampment, Riven sat on a wooden chair, eyes reflecting flickering lamplight. His gaze was distant, contemplative.
"Will the monsters come by themselves… or should I lure them in?" he mused, a half-smile curling on his lips.
A chilling howl shattered the stillness of night.
From the darkened forest, a pack of monstrous wolves emerged. Their fur shimmered metallic blue under the twin moons, and their glowing eyes burned with hunger. With terrifying speed, they surged toward the encampment.
Water surged beneath their paws. Their claws sliced through tents like blades of ice. Screams echoed through the night. Blood sprayed across the walls. The once-quiet camp was now a scene of one-sided slaughter.
Riven stepped out into the chaos, his violet eyes narrowing as he observed the carnage.
Just then, a cold blue screen flickered before him:
System Notice:
Direct intervention prohibited.
Objective: Rescue Meika Noctshade only when she is helpless.
Failure to comply: Death.
This task cannot be refused.
"I know," Riven muttered, jaw tightening. "You don't need to remind me."
With a shimmer of air, he vanished using his dimensional travel—a rare skill that allowed him to phase into a separate layer of reality. It lasted fifteen minutes and could only be used once per day.
Elsewhere, Meika Noctshade stirred from her slumber, instincts flaring as howls pierced the night. She slipped from her bed, twin daggers in hand, and melded into the shadows.
Outside, she saw chaos. Without hesitation, she moved—darting between tents, ambushing wolves, her black blades slicing skulls with eerie precision. She vanished and reappeared like a phantom.
Tch. Where is that bastard? she thought, wiping blood from her cheek.
Unseen, Riven watched from his dimensional veil, brows furrowed. In under ten minutes, Meika had slain half the pack.
"She's too efficient," he murmured. "At this rate…"
Time was slipping away.
Spotting the pack leader—a monstrous wolf twice the size of the others—Riven smirked and tossed a vial of Monster Essence into its path. The scent triggered a frenzy. Its eyes turned crimson, muscles bulged, and it let out a feral roar before charging straight at the shadow Meika was hiding in.
She barely reacted in time.
The beast's claws slashed the air, tearing into her arm and shoulder. Blood splattered across the ground. Meika staggered, pain flooding her senses.
How did it find me? she thought, retreating once more into the shadows.
But the pack leader followed relentlessly, driven mad by the essence.
Two more minutes passed. Her wounds deepened. Her breathing grew ragged. Kneeling on one leg, she braced for the final strike.
Is this… how I die?
Reality bent. A spatial rift slashed through the air—silent, precise. The pack leader was cleaved in two before it could strike.
A figure emerged from the fold in space, eyes glowing with faint violet light.
Riven stepped forward and caught Meika as she collapsed.
His face was etched with concern.
Meika smiled faintly. Then she lost consciousness in his arms.
The expression on Riven's face immediately vanished.
My acting is still good, he thought.
System Notification:
Mission Complete.
Reward: +5 Charisma.
+20 Favorability – Meika Noctshade.
Riven looked down at her bloodied form and smiled coldly.