Watching the men chasing her get slaughtered easily left Cao Ling stunned.
The abilities Skafael displayed were rare—energy condensation and telekinesis.
As the slips flew, Cao Ling instinctively ducked to avoid them hitting her and her friend.
Once the men lay dead on the ground, she stood up, still supporting her companion.
Her eyes fixed on Skafael; she was grateful to have survived the enemy's attack, but her mind was occupied with what he might do to them next.
But soon, as Skafael turned around, Cao Ling noticed something—something that could be their salvation right now.
"Wait!" she shouted.
Hearing Cao Ling's cry, Skafael paused before getting back into the car, but only glanced at her without asking what was wrong.
"You're a member of Hydra Commission, aren't you!" Cao Ling said as she walked closer.
"I want to hire your services! 30,000 Tc... Take us to the main hospital," she requested.
On his end, Skafael heard the request but gave no reply. After a moment's thought, he pointed toward the black vans.
The gesture clearly confused Cao Ling for a moment.
"What? You mean... use one of those vans?" she said hesitantly, her voice laced with worry.
It was obvious the situation was already dire. While it was true she could try to drive one of the vans, her biggest concern was whether she could last until they reached their destination.
Turning back to Skafael, Cao Ling called out loudly, "I can't drive a car!"
Yes, that was indeed a factor—she was injured, after all.
Letting out a sigh and rolling his eyes, Skafael walked over to Cao Ling. Seeing him approach, she instinctively tensed up, ready for anything.
"What's the guarantee?" Skafael asked.
"Huh?"
The question left Cao Ling confused. "So Hydra Commission requires collateral?" she mumbled.
Still trying to understand what Skafael meant, she looked at the items she had on her—her ID card, credit card, and a badge.
It was true; she had no cash on her now, and her phone was broken, left behind in their car.
"Um... hold on."
Hesitantly, Cao Ling pulled out the items from her pocket and handed them over with trembling hands.
"Ugh, for crying out loud—why do I not have my card terminal with me right now?" Skafael grumbled in frustration as he took the ID and credit card, ignoring the badge in Cao Ling's hand.
"Get in," he said.
A faint smile crossed her face as she carefully helped her friend and herself into the car.
Instantly, the vehicle felt a bit cramped with three people inside. Especially since Cao Ling was quite large—standing around 200cm tall, she had to hunch over, and even her horns nearly touched the ceiling.
The car started up and moved forward without a second glance at the vans; Skafael simply plowed through by ramming into them.
Some time passed during the journey. Exhausted, Cao Ling had fallen asleep while holding her friend.
Focused on driving, Skafael didn't notice the dragon woman shifting beside him. Restlessly, she began to wake up, and when her eyes opened, she immediately panicked—her head was resting on Cao Ling's arm.
She blinked a few times until her vision cleared. Realizing she was inside a car, she turned to see who was driving, but upon seeing a stranger, she instinctively lashed out, kicking at Skafael repeatedly.
With the added force from her heeled shoes, her kicks connected. Struck by the dragon woman's blows, Skafael was thrown against the car door, nearly wrenching the steering wheel out of place. He immediately let off the gas and slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to an abrupt stop.
The jolt shook the vehicle slightly, and Cao Ling's head jolted forward, waking her up.
"Who are you?!"
The dragon woman kicked again, but this time Skafael caught her foot.
"Hah... what's going on? Are we there yet?" Cao Ling said, rubbing her eyes.
"Cao Ling—who is this?!" the dragon woman demanded bluntly.
Regaining her composure, Cao Ling turned to see Skafael holding her friend's leg.
"Cao Ling! Do something quick!"
"U-uh, hold on, Yi Shuang—calm down! He's the one who helped us," Cao Ling quickly replied.
"Helped us?!"
"Please, Shuang—don't cause a scene right now."
"Cao Ling, what do you mean 'cause a scene'?"
After Cao Ling managed to calm Yi Shuang down at least a little, Skafael released her foot.
"Damn women," Skafael muttered in his native language.
Coughing, Yi Shuang felt something strange with her body.
"Shuang—what's wrong?" Cao Ling asked worriedly.
Yi Shuang's breathing grew heavy, and her heart began to race. Sweat beaded on her skin as her expression showed she was fighting through pain.
"Damn it... the drug's still active," Yi Shuang gasped.
"What?! Shuang, hold on!"
Letting out a heavy sigh, Skafael felt annoyed at what was happening to Yi Shuang. So there really are idiots who use that instead of a proper tranquilizer. he thought to himself.
Reluctantly, he opened the cooler box, grabbed a bottle of water, and tossed it gently to Yi Shuang—it landed right on her stomach.
"Wash your face and drink it," he said.
"W-wait, he—"
Before Cao Ling could finish speaking, Skafael tossed another bottle to her, cutting her off.
"You too," he added. Perverted fools—you're really stupid to use an aphrodisiac, he scoffed in his native language. "So cliché. If left untreated, this'll definitely be a hassle."
.....
After passing through the desert, the forest came into view—a stark contrast as they entered. Not far ahead, tall buildings began to appear; Chennan City was close.
As they drove into the city, they were greeted by the orange glow of the setting sun filtering through the gaps between buildings, creating a stunning divine light effect.
The car stopped in front of the main hospital gate. The doors opened, and Yi Shuang and Cao Ling got out. Yi Shuang looked better now, though she still seemed to be fighting off the drug's effects—evident from her expression and the way she pressed her thighs together.
That was quite impressive, showing she had a strong constitution and was no ordinary woman.
After closing the car door, Cao Ling glanced at Skafael through the window. Her mouth opened and closed as if she struggled to find the right words. Letting out a sigh, she said, "Come by to collect the payment later."
"U-uh... right," Cao Ling replied softly.
After their brief exchange, Skafael stepped on the gas and drove off, leaving the two women at the gate.
Turning to Yi Shuang, Cao Ling immediately took hold of her shoulder and waist, and without warning, swept her up in a bridal carry.
"H-hey, Cao Ling—what are you doing?!" Yi Shuang shouted in surprise.
"Enough—we need to hurry and get you treated! That must be incredibly uncomfortable!"
....
Pulling up to a 20x20 meter, four-story building, Skafael parked his car. Getting out, he walked toward the door while twirling a key around his finger. The doorknob turned, the door swung open, and voices could be heard inside.
"I'm home."