The air between Rex and Ayana seed to thicken, growing heavier by the second. As he held her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, Ayana’s entire body was pressed against him which was both electrifying and comforting. The warmth of her body against his sent a wave of heat rushing through him, and Rex found himself drawn into the sweet scent that emanated from her.
Her sweet, floral scent shook Rex’s heart and it beated rapidly as the sll swept into his nostrils, filling his senses and clouding his thoughts. It was impossible not to be entranced by it. Every breath he took felt like a high, each exhale deeper than the last. She was so close, their faces nearly touching, and the heat between them made it hard to breathe.
The scene felt oddly similar to the ti when they were in the cabinet and what happened next during the ti there was... His eyes locked onto hers, and for a brief mont, the world around them ceased to exist. It was as if they were the only two people in the world, caught in a suspended mont of ti. Ayana’s pupils glistened, her breathing soft, but Rex could feel the rhythm of her pulse quicken in sync with his own.
Ayana’s eyes fluttered shut, as though giving herself up to the mont.
’Just like before’
She waited, thinking it would be the sa as last ti. Yet, as the seconds dragged on, that feeling she hoped for the touch, the closeness didn’t co. Opening her eyes again, Ayana saw that Rex wasn’t looking at her at all. His eyes were gazing at a direction, focused on sothing in the distance. She glanced in the sa direction, and saw that, Cedric, the man they were tracking, was getting pumlled by the gang mbers. His body was being kicked and beaten rcilessly
It imdiately made her blood boil not because of the old man but because they were disturbing her ti with her master. It had already been two tis since it happened today.
"Let handle this master"
It seed as if dark mist was coming out of her body but it was not because of her power but because of her anger. Darkness started to surround her body and like a flash she disappeared.
"Ayana..."
Rex wanted ask her to be careful. But Ayana was already a step ahead, and she was already gone.
__ __ __
Fast forward,
Inside the building, the leader of the gang who had used the Xeon gun had blood oozing out from every part of his body, dark golden flas danced across his skin, twisting like serpents as they consud him alive. His entire body was burning flesh, bone, even the very essence of his soul and he scread in agony. Rex’s face was full of anger as he burned the person alive, screams echoed out of the spiked hair’s mouth as each part of his body lted alive before his eyes.
He could feel it, the pain relentless, gnawing at his very core. It felt as if the flas would never stop, as if they were alive, feasting on him. His screams echoed through the building, but the more he scread, the more the flas intensified, twisting tighter around him, until finally, his body gave way and he passed out.
Releasing his hand from the neck of the man, Rex breathed out and released his remaining anger. He couldn’t kill this person yet but grabbed the gun from the body of him. Seeing that he was knocked out cold, Rex looked at Ayana who was looking at the old man who had passed out.
"Ayana, are you okay"
Rex was waiting for Ayana’s good news, when he heard he sounds of a pistol firing and getting closer to see that it was a Xeon gun, he was worried that it might have hurt Ayana. Afterall he didn’t know the grade of the weapon though the person using it wasn’t strong it was still fatal if the grade of the weapon was high enough.
Ayana smiled back at him, her expression soft but a touch strained.
"I’m fine, Master," she said, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Rex could feel the difference. He had been with her long enough to know when sothing was wrong. As soon as he grabbed her arm, she flinched slightly which she tried to hide, but Rex had already noticed it.
"Ayana," he said sternly, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"You’re lying, show ."
Ayana hesitated but knew it was futile to hide things from him. With a soft sigh, she lifted her sleeve, revealing an area where her skin turned purple and black. Blood oozed slowly from the wound, staining her skin with a deep red. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make Rex’s heart tighten with worry.
Despite her reassurances, Rex knew she was hurt. Without another word, he swiftly moved and lifted her into his arms. She let out a surprised yelp at the unexpected movent of Rex. His hands cradled her in a princess carry.
Ayana was about to protest, but the expression on Rex’s face told her it was pointless. She looked up at him, her eyes softening, thoughts in her head and her face reddening. She snuggled close to him, the warmth of his chest comforting her.
__ __ __
The soft click of the door opening pulled Rex from his thoughts. He looked up, and the doctor entered, a look of calm professionalism on his face.
"Lord, she’s fine" the doctor said, bowing slightly.
"It’s just a skin injury"
"I’ve applied the necessary dicine and given her so healing pills"
"She’ll recover fully within an hour"
Rex nodded, but his mind was already turning to other matters.
"What about the old man?" he asked.
The doctor looked montarily hesitant, but then spoke.
"The old man is fine as well, my lord"
"He’s been stabilized. Though..." He paused, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"His wife, however, is in grave condition."
Rex raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
"What’s wrong with her?"
The doctor continued,
"She was diagnosed with Aphyraxia"
"A rare disease, but it’s not a disease that is gained normally but can only be inflicted by another person or the person itself"
"It is not dangerous for mortals but for cultivators, it drains the their life force and it also makes their cultivation stagnate"
"With the right dicine, we could extend her life for another month, but she would still need a third rank mid grade pill, Carbifine"
"It’s not too rare, but because our city lies on the border, trade routes are limited, and the cost of acquiring such things is exorbitant"
"We don’t have the necessary materials to refine the pill, lord"
Rex’s eyes narrowed as he absorbed the information.
"How long has she lasted with such a disease?"
The doctor glanced at the floor briefly before continuing.
"That is the strange part, my lord"
"She’s been living with it for at least several decades"
"It’s likely that her cultivation base has slowed the progression of the disease and she should have known it"
"But she has never received treatnt"
Rex stood still, his mind racing. A disease that could drain a cultivator’s life force and slow down their cultivation, it was an oddity he had not expected. The old man’s wife had allowed herself to suffer, had lived with the disease for decades without attempting to cure it. Why, he didn’t know unless he asked the person herself
"Just give the needed resources to Ayana"
"Yes, Lord"
"You may leave now"
The doctor, who had been the head of the hospital for many years, straightened up after delivering his report and left the hallway.
Mortal and cultivator couples, though an oddity was not rare. The reason for that was simple, they simply didn’t live in each other’s circles. Mortals were called mortals and were only citizens of the kingdom because they simply didn’t have high enough talent to be selected as sothing other than to be a mortal and a citizen.
The other defining factor was longevity. Cultivators could live for centuries, with their lifespans vastly extended through cultivation and the enhancent of their life force. In contrast, mortals no matter how much they cultivated would not reach essence absorption realm. Most mortals could not live beyond a century, and their aging process was far quicker than that of cultivators. This disparity in lifespan was a significant factor that made relationships between the two so difficult.
But of course there were still ways to live beyond their innate talents. The key was resources. Even if they were mortals, they could still progress in cultivation if they were enough resources.
"My lord"
Rex looked at the direction of the sound to see a group of n. They wore dark armour adorned with intricate insignias. It was Callan and his group who were the private personal soldiers of Rex. They were the one who had handled both Cedric and the gang leader.
"We have kept him in captivity and made sure that he survives as per your orders"
"Good, I have so use for him"
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