Jenni had awakened at fifteen, advanced to Copper just a year later, and beca an Iron ranker before twenty. The speed, while admirable, was nothing extraordinary. Her main focus had been on building a solid foundation from which she could ascend higher into the path. But this foolish incident not only put cracks in her foundation but also drained her of the essence.
About half of her essence had been ripped out of her by that dark power that clutched at her being. Well, she was alive, as the man said, she could gain them. But what would her father say if he saw her like this?
To him, getting rid of such a daughter in marriage would be the best outco. Now, what about the challenge? How could she et with that centurion fiance of her and rub it in his face in her feeble state? It will take her years to gain back what she lost.
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Agnes said, rubbing her cheeks softly.
"Yeah, you can regain what you lost," the man added. "It won't even take as long as before, speaking from personal experience."
"You had a case like this too?" Agnes asked the man, a frown appearing on her brows.
"Oh, I hadn't ntioned that yet, had I?" he smiled ruefully. "Well, my condition is more complicated, not that I can say much about it."
"Ahh, I forgot about your condition..."
After talking among themselves a little more, they left her to rest in the tent, reassuring her that nothing of the sort she experienced would befall her again. Jenni believed them.
Her frustration at losing her power and potential hadn't eased up at all, but under the exhaustion and feeble state she was in, Jenni found herself succumbing to drowsiness sooner rather than later. For the ti being, she didn't fuss over how she'd beco a master Runesmith.
She slept for a long ti and was eventually awakened by a nightmare. She jerked awake and was relieved that she wasn't drowning in that deep, murky water. Panting heavily, she found her clothes wet, even the blanket over her had got wet. And it wasn't simply her sweat.
"How much of a fucked up state I am in to wet myself in my sleep?" she cursed and then clasped her mouth, lest others be alerted and co to check. She would never let anyone see her in such an embarrassing state, Captain Agnes might be alright, but not in front of the healer.
It seed they had checked on her internally, as there was a dim light construct near her feet. Moreover, her body had healed more; the cold feeling was still there in a weaker state, but moving her body didn't hurt as much. At least so relief to her problem. Now, all she needed to do was to make all the evidence of her embarrassnt disappear.
Jenni didn't need to ponder deeply on how to do it; a simple Tier-1 cleansing script would suffice. But before she could begin runesmithing, she heard a muffled moan. A woman's moan? In pain? Captain Agnes?
"Perhaps you should rest a little," a man's voice said, just from the side of her tent. "No need to be impulsive."
Jenni blinked, a frown appearing on her brows. The moans gave way to wailing; it was soft, yet in the silence of the night, it carried into her ears. Could it be? The imperious Captain Agnes, with that man? Jenni couldn't help but think. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
But why did it feel like a wailing of pain, instead of pleasure? Are they...
"No!" Captain Agnes wailed. "I have handled worse than this... I did not stop you in your turn... don't try to stop now."
Jenni felt silly, but she drew closer to open the tent just a little to check. It could be many things... she just needed to make sure it wasn't what she thought it was.
Opening the tent slightly, Jenni peeked out. She looked around and found the two of them ahead. And no, they weren't involved in any intimacy, as she had thought. Captain Agnes was seated cross-legged, her face pale and bloodless, with wisps of dark power swirling fanatically around her. anwhile, the healer continued casting golden healing spells.
Of course, she was training, Jenni mused. What was I thinking?
With her idle curiosity satisfied, Jenni drew on her own power. Instantly, a ripping sensation surged through her channels. She guessed she wasn't completely healed, but she didn't stop either.
Hopefully, the pain she was in wasn't like what the captain was enduring. After five minutes of wrestling and tugging with her energy, Jenni completed the Tier-1 Cleansing script, which usually took her only a few seconds. She applied the script all over her wet clothing and blanket, allowing it to consu the moisture.
Now, it was only wet, like water; there was no stench. Thankfully, she found a waterskin and emptied it without a second thought. While her throat was certainly sore, she could use the excuse that she spilt the water all over herself while trying to drink.
Jenni let out a triumphant sound. Now, she was ready to co out of the tent and check on the captain. Maybe even ask for her dinsion cube to change into new clothing.
"You seem to have regained so of your colour," the man said, turning his head in her direction as she ca out. She nodded, her eyes lingering on the captain's troubled form. "What's happening to her?"
"She's absorbing dark essence greater than what infested your system." Jenni was dumbfounded. She could finally take a good look at the man; he was common-looking, wearing janitorial clothing over his armour, oddly enough.
"Don't worry, she seems to have absorbed most of it already," he said. "Give her so ti to finish. In the anti, are you feeling unwell?"
His eyes lingered on her wet clothing, as Jenni unwittingly made herself scarce, wrapping her arms around the wet gown.
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