As Jade's vision faded to black, he instinctively activated his basic healing skill, stabilizing his injuries and accelerating his recovery. When he came to, he was still lying on the cold stone floor, but he felt a noticeable improvement in his condition. The ogre's massive body layed nearby, its icy fragments slowly melting away.
Jade sat up, assessing his injuries. While he was still bruised and battered, his healing skill had significantly reduced the severity of his wounds. He took a deep breath, feeling a sharp pain course through his side. But it bearable.
Jade struggled to his feet, using the nearby wall for support. As he looked around, he noticed a pedestal beside the pillar closest to the throne, and on top of it layed a chest adorned with intricate locks and symbols. The treasure! Jade's heart skipped a beat as he stumbled towards the pedestal, his eyes fixed on the chest..
He approached the pedestal, knowing he needed to act fast. The dungeon's energy was already beginning to destabilize, and he could feel the walls starting to shake. He quickly gathered the magic stones scattered around the room, storing them in his inventory. Niamh had mentioned they were very valuable and worth a small fortune, and he couldn't afford to leave them behind.
Next, he harvested the ogre's corpse, storing it in his inventory as well. The corpse itself was valuable, that too would fetch him a handsome sum.
With the stones and corpse secured, Jade turned his attention to the pedestal. The chest on top of it was still intact, and he could sense the treasure inside. He opened the chest, and a warm, golden light spilled out. Inside, he found a collection of rare materials, magical artifacts, and a mysterious, glowing crystal that seemed to hum with power.
As Jade reached for the crystal, the dungeon's energy surged wildly, and the walls began to collapse. Jade knew he needed to escape immediately. He grabbed the treasure and activated his teleportation ability, disappearing from the dungeon just as the walls come crashing down.
Jade found himself back at the entrance of the dungeon after multiple teleportations, the treasure clutched in his hands. He took a deep breath, feeling relief mixed with excitement . He had acquired a small fortune's worth of loot and he had made it out before daylight. After checking his body to confrm his injury wasn't noticeable as most of it had healed after activating basic healing multiple times, all that was left were some little cuts and bruises -but those too were fading fast. He breathed another sigh of relief.
" This fragile body", he muttered, forgetting he was just 7 years old . After checking himself thoroughly, he disappeared from where he stood, heading home . He had levelled up multiple times today and even completed his quests. He couldn't wait to check his Precious rewards, but he couldn't do it in the junkyard alley.
....
Jade materialized in front of their shack, the treasure still clutched in his hands. Putting it in his inventory, along with the disguise clothes he wore, He took a deep breath, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation.
He prayed silently to any god in charge except for that distasteful goddess for Niamh to still be asleep or at least not notice He was gone , as he hadn't exactly gotten permission to go on this hunt, and he wasn't sure how Niamh would react.
As he entered the house, he saw Niamh sitting on the worn couch, her eyes fixed on him. She looked worried, her brow furrowed with concern.
Jade froze in his tracks. Looking blankly at Niamh sitting in front of him, eyes blazing in anger as well as worry. His little mind spun rapidly , trying to conjure up an excuse, anything to save him from this situation.
"Jade, where have you been?" she asked, her voice laced with anxiety and anger .
Jade hesitated, unsure of how to approach the situation. He knew he'd disobeyed her, and he wasn't sure if she'd be proud of his accomplishment or angry at his defiance.
Then his mind clicked . " I went for my usual exercise, I decided to go earlier today". He said , trying to sound confident. Come to think of it , it was about time for Niamh to wake up to start preparing for her scavenging work, so it was no brainer why she was awake . He thought to himself breathing a sigh of relief for his quick thinking.
"You went out to exercise since last night ?", Niamh asked him again. Jade's mind tripped upon hearing the question. "Sigh"... 'So she knew since I stepped out'. Since the cat was already out of the bag , he decided to come clean and hoped she wouldn't be too pissed.
"I went on a hunt," he said, bringing out the treasure box from his inventory. "I cleared the dungeon and got some really valuable loot." He added, hoping to use the treasure allure to divert Niamh's attention .
Niamh's expression turned from worry to shock, and then to anger. "You what?" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "You went on a dungeon raid ? Why would you do something like that after I warned you about the dangers involved ? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"
Jade took a step back, feeling a bit intimidated by Niamh's reaction. "I didn't mean to worry you," he said. "I just really needed to get stronger, and I didn't think you'd let me go."
Niamh's face was red with anger and worry. "You're right, I wouldn't have let you go," she said. "Because it's not safe for you to go on hunts like that alone. You're still a child Jade, too young !. What if something had happened to you? What if you'd gotten hurt or worse.... killed?". She said , muttering the last past with a tremble In her voice.
Jade looked down, feeling ashamed. He knew he'd taken a risk, and he shouldn't have disobeyed Niamh. "I'm sorry," he said. "I won't do it again." At least not without informing you ". He added.
Niamh took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "See that you don't," she said. Her expression smoothening out but still laced with worry.
"Strip". She said.
"H..huh?". Jade stuttered. Did he hear wrong? Or did Niamh just told him to strip?
"I said strip young man, I need to see if you're injured", she shot back, looking at the dumb look on Jades's face.
Jade blushed in embarrassment from his neck to his ears. He was used to Niamh seeing him bare since he was a babe, but it was still embarrassing!... Even if he looked like a 7 year old now, his soul was still that of a middle aged man!. Although Niamh appeared to be older than his last life self ,it was still embarrassing to strip in front of her .
Niamh watched amusedly as Jade slowly turned red after she asked him to strip.. The contrast of his eyes and hair to his reddening skin made him look exceptionally adorable. She wanted squeeze this adorable pumpkin so badly but she held herself back.. He had to realize he was wrong so she tried to keep a stern face even though her hands were shaking.
Jade slowly took off his clothes with a red face , praying silently for the rest of the cuts and bruises to have faded or he was cooked.
....
Niamh's eyes scanned Jade's body making him redden further, and her expression turned from anger to worry as she saw the bruises and scratches on his skin. "Jade, you're hurt," she said, her voice softening.
Jade winced, feeling a bit embarrassed about his injuries. "It's nothing, I'm fine," he said, trying to downplay it.
But Niamh wasn't having it. She strode over to him, her eyes blazing with concern. "Don't lie to me, Jade," she said, her voice firm. "I can see the bruises. You were hurt, weren't you?"
Jade nodded, feeling a bit ashamed. "Yeah, I was. But I healed myself. So I really I'm fine now Niamh."
Niamh's expression didn't change, and she reached out to gently touch the bruises on Jade's skin. "You should have been more careful," she said, her voice laced with worry. Hand tracing the marks on the otherwise flawless skin. Thankfully, the cuts had already scabbed .
Jade looked down, feeling a bit guilty. "I'm sorry," he said.
Niamh's expression turned stern, and she reached out to twist Jade's ear. "You disobedient little scamp," she said, her voice firm but playful. "I told you to stay out of trouble, and what do you do? You go and get yourself hurt again."
Jade pretended to yelp in pain, feeling a bit embarrassed but also relieved that Niamh wasn't too angry. "Ow, sorry," he said, rubbing his ear.
Niamh let go of his ear, her expression softening. "I'm worried about you, Jade," she said. "You're like a magnet for trouble. I swear, every time I turn my back, you're getting into some kind of scrape."
Jade smiled, feeling a bit sheepish. "I'll try to be more careful," he said.
Niamh nodded, her expression still concerned. "See that you do," she said. "Now, let's get you cleaned up and patched up. You're going to need some rest and recovery time."
....
Niamh gently wiped Jade's skin clean with a warm washcloth, removing the dirt and grime from his adventure. Jade winced slightly as she cleaned his bruises, but he knew he deserved it after disobeying her.
After she finished, Niamh headed to the mini kitchen in the corner of the room to prepare a warm meal for Jade. She returned with a steaming bowl of soup and a warm smile. "Eat this, it'll help you recover," she said, handing him the bowl.
Jade took a sip of the soup, feeling the warmth spread through his body. It tasted amazing, and he devoured the rest of the bowl in minutes.
Niamh smiled, satisfied that he was eating. "Now, listen to me, Jade," she said, her expression serious. "You're not going anywhere today. You're going to stay here and rest. You're still recovering from your injuries, and I won't have you making things worse."
As Niamh told Jade to stay home and rest, Jade's expression turned worried. "But Niamh, are you sure it's safe for you to go alone?" he asked, feeling a pang of concern for her safety.
Niamh chuckled and flicked Jade's head gently. "Don't worry about me, kiddo," she said. "I've been scavenging those junkyards for years before you were born. I know them like the back of my hand. I'll be fine."
Jade looked up at her, still feeling a bit uncertain. "But what if something happens to you?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.
Niamh's expression softened, and she ruffled Jade's hair. "I'll be okay, Jade," she said. "I've been doing this for a long time. You just focus on getting better, okay?"
Jade nodded, feeling a bit reassured by Niamh's words. He knew she was experienced and capable, but he couldn't help feeling worried about her safety.
Niamh smiled and handed him a blanket. "Now, get some rest. I'll be back before you know it."
Jade took the blanket and wrapped it around himself, feeling a bit more at ease. He watched Niamh as she prepared to leave, still feeling a bit worried about her but knowing she could take care of herself.