What kind of stupid task is that? They could ask me to kill the giant spider or something more professional.
Then, it occurs to me, the demon queen is watching somewhere. She probably has a hand in the task. That is probably why it is so absurd.
"As beautiful as you are, I'm sworn off women. Just let me die in peace". Xian Xi says and touches a hand to his chest.
He makes a show of piety that makes me want to pull all his long, shiny black hair off his skull.
"I am kissing you whether you like it or not. If you still want to die after that, that's your business. I can always keep the white lotus for myself".
He opens one of his eyes.
"If you kiss me forcefully, that would be considered as rape".
I roll my eyes at him.
"I think you would prefer to be kissed by that spider. It won't take long before it spots us".
"I have already told you to go. It's not like I am dying for real. I will wake up in the Vault and kidnap you again".
"Not a chance. Your number one rank affords you priveleges that can be very useful for our plans. If you die now, you lose that rank. I can't let that happen".
He covers his eyes with his bloody hands and makes a face. His skin is very pale, completely devoid of any colour, ashen white.
He does not have much time left.
"Here I was, thinking that you are desperate to kiss me because you find my charms hard to resist".
"Keep deceiving yourself".
I lean down to take his blue-ish lips. He holds out his hand to stop me. His hand accidentally presses my breast. We both stare at each other.
I ignore it and press my lips over his cold one. He no longer resists, neither does he make an effort to kiss me back. I try to deepen the kiss when nothing happens. Where the hell is the white lotus?
We kiss for a couple of minutes before I decide to give up. When I sit back on my haunches, I see something glowing white in his hands.
The damn white lotus?
"When did you get that?"
He opens his eyes lazily.
"Oh, this? A few minutes ago".
He shrugs. I do my best to keep myself from strangling him.
"So you preferred not to tell me so I could keep kissing you?"
He rests his arms underneath his head and sighs loudly.
" Precisely. Your lips felt very good on mine. They reminded me exactly of all the reasons I swore off women".
I grunt in disgust. He took advantage of me. Once he takes that white lotus, I would jab him in his ribs.
"Eat the damn thing already". I say and hiss under my breath.
The spider is crawling around in circles around one particular spot.
"Don't rush me, darling." He whispers.
I am so annoyed. I take it from his hands and shove it into his half- parted mouth.
He shoots annoyed eyes at me.
"Chew!" I whisper angrily.
He chews very slowly to annoy me.
I now wonder why I haven't left the idiot behind. He clearly doesn't care about his rank and priveleges, and I can clearly do without him.
His body starts glowing and the wound starts closing up. Colour gradually returns to his face and he takes in a deep, loud breath.
I cover his mouth with my hand quickly, but unfortunately, I am not quick enough.
The spider spots us and starts crawling in our direction.
Till now, I am yet to see how this bloody asshole is number one in the rank. So far as I know, good looks can't be what got him this far no matter how much of it he has.
I bite my arm as I run.
I squint my eyes shut as pain flashes through the arm.
The hot blood runs down my arm and forms a blade.
I turn around, but he is nowhere in sight.
I stop and look around. Is he looking for a death wish?
I see him standing in front of the spider and talking to it.
What form of madness is this?
I watch him without letting down my guard. I am counting the seconds till when the spiders will tear him apart.
To both my dismay and my relief, that does not happen.
The spider gradually melts into a pool of black liquid. I watch with my mouth open, waiting for something worse to happen.
Nothing happens.
He turns to me and waves.
I walk toward him hesitantly. Even with that, I stop only a distance away.
"Did you see what I just did?"
"I would be blind not to. You are completely insane".
He smiles brightly.
"Not insane. I think the right term would be brilliant ".
I scoff.
"It's probably a trick. How are you sure it's dead? How were you so sure that the spider was not going to rip your empty head off?"
He laughs.
"It's a little secret that has got me this far in the game. Since I kind of owe you my life..."
"Kind of?"
He lips quirk up at the side in a submissive and embarrassing smile.
"Since you saved my life, I owe you a life saving tip".
"Can you just get to the point".
"I found out in my 97th nightmare, that it is just a nightmare. The elements in the nightmare represent things that you have feared in your existence, those you are concious of, and those you never knew you feared".
I am barely grasping the connection between my question and his answer.
"These nightmares feed off your fear. They are only as real as your fear of them. The moment you stop fearing them, they stop being a nightmare".
I want to laugh.
"So is this a 'conquering your fears' quest?"
"Conquering your fear is the hardest thing to do, but it's not impossible".
"How did a spider end up as your nightmare?"
He looks away.
"My mother died of spider venom."
I know how he feels, but I don't offer any form of comfort.
"So, is this what you have been doing to become the number one?"
He nods slowly, his eyes glinting with pride.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
"Probably because your nightmares are made of spiders and cockroaches".
He glares at me.
"I have very dark nightmares".
"I doubt that. Have you seen things so dark that the mere mention of it makes you pull your own hair out?"
He doesn't answer.
"I thought so". I murmur.
---
"Do the demon lords know about your little technique?"
He rubs his jaw in comtemplation.
"Probably, probably not. No one has come to take me away and turn me into a mindless demon".
I tense.
"Demons have minds of their own".
He looks at me with the most emotion I have seen since I met him. Anger.
"And how the hell do you know that?"