I Thought I Didn't Have Long To Live! Chapter 98

Published at 21st of July 2023 06:59:47 AM

Hot. Lariette, who closed her eyes and clung to Asrahan's back, felt a fever in the palms of her hands. Not just her palms, but everything she touched. As if she would never let go again, his shoulders, back, and arms were warm. Even the breath that brushed against her ears was warm.

At first, she thought her body was overheated because she had been crying so hard. It was so hot that her eyes filled with tears, the tip of her nose was sore, and her whole face was swollen. But the heat wasn't just because of the crying. Especially, she had a lot of contact with him.

"...Asrahan?"

When she realized something was wrong, she anxiously called out his name. Asrahan still breathed heavily. There was no response. Only his broad back rose and fell intermittently.

"Asrahan!"

Lariette grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him firmly to confirm his condition. His face, which was always as clean as if it had been drawn, looked very ill. She felt her heart sink.

Even more so because it was the first time Asrahan had shown her such a pained expression. She urgently examined Asrahan's body.

His whole body was covered in scratches. His limbs were attacked and torn, and a large wound remained on his back. It seemed that he wasn't known as the Empire's top swordsman for nothing, but there were many injuries, and although there was none deep enough to threaten his life, if that was the case, it meant the problem was inside.

"Poison...!"

Unlike monsters from other parts of the world, desert monsters had very strong poisons that could only seep through the body. Lariette was able to survive among these monsters because she was a purification mage better than anyone else. As soon as the poison permeated the skin, the purifying energy rushed in and detoxified it.

The life-threatening poison was neutralized to a dizzying degree, and even after getting used to the battle, she properly protected herself with protective shields. That's how she was able to reach Ashtar, but Asrahan couldn't. He achieved overwhelming victory against countless monsters, but he couldn't stop the poison that soaked into his skin. He was resistant to a certain degree of poison, but the battle continued, and the amount of exposure exceeded the limit.

"How much mana is left?"

Lariette identified the amount of mana remaining in her body. It wasn't much because it had been used to fight monsters on the way here and to stop the storm.

It seemed that even if she used all her mana as much as possible, she wouldn't be able to fully heal Asrahan.

Even that wouldn't guarantee a safe return to Ashtar. If she used up all the mana, it would be difficult to walk, and in severe cases, she would collapse, but there was no way she could carry Asrahan, pierce through the storms and monsters in that situation. Which means healing him could end up killing them both.

"If it's not cleansed right now, his life will be in danger no matter how fast we are," thought Lariette, covering Asrahan's face. He was looking at Lariette even as he was poisoned to death. Asrahan, unable to take his eyes off her, slowly raised his hand to her face and couldn't touch it, but his fingers moved in the air. Then there was a voice of concern.

"You were hurt."

Asrahan said, looking at the scratch on Lariette's cheek. While he was in agony, he wasn't concerned about his own injuries in the slightest. The situation was so bittersweet that Lariette laughed out loud.

"Asrahan is more injured."

"Go back quickly for treatment. I'll be with you."

Asrahan suggested with a warm breath. He didn't want to be separated from her at all, but Lariette's safety was more important than his desperate heart. His head felt heavy and his vision was spinning.

Asrahan realized that this might be his last time. No matter how much he missed her, he couldn't take her to the other world. At least, he saw her face once before dying. Asrahan laughed a little, thinking that. But Lariette responded with a smile.

"Let's go together."

The same goes for her, not wanting to fall again. She wanted to return together when she returns and die together when she dies.

"Everywhere, together."

Life without Asrahan means nothing. Lariette added that and took Asrahan's hand.

A bright light burst in all directions in the sandstorm. The purification magic was more intense than ever. In the light, the lovers embraced each other tenderly. Like any other day of love, a happy smile and a warm, delicate energy spread through Asrahan's body.

Even this familiar touch was too precious to Asrahan. The light dimmed, and Lariette's body collapsed helplessly. Asrahan had held onto her body tightly and supported her even in an uncured state.

Yama, who had been waiting for them so quietly, suddenly let out a long sound, like an animal warning, unafraid when facing large monsters.

Asrahan felt something approaching them, and it was natural after such a large light spread everywhere.

Thssss

Chapter end