After Thirteen recovered a bit, Kate carried him away from the scene, using the strength of her cultivation to find a safe place to hide.
Thirteen pointed her in a direction where he thought that they would be safe for the time being.
"A kilometer in that direction, you will find a place covered with vines," Thirteen said, as her consciousness started to fade away. "Behind those vines is a small cave that leads deep underground. It will be a good place to rest for the time being."
Kate nodded and ran as fast as she could, making sure to use the skill, Air Step, to ensure that no traces of her steps would be found.
A few minutes later, she finally spotted the wall of vines that the young man had spoken about.
Thirteen had already fainted from exhaustion, his face as pale as a white candle.
Although Kate was worried, there was no time for her to rest.
She parted the vines and found an opening big enough for two people to enter side by side.
Without any hesitation, she entered the darkness, holding the young man in her arms.
Kate had purchased the skill, Dark Vision, so she could see within the darkness of the cave.
She needed Dark Vision because her pursuers preferred to hunt at night, using the darkness as a cover for their surprise attacks.
The young lady traveled for nearly half an hour before arriving at a spacious underground cavern.
Glowing crystals were embedded in the walls of the cave, and an underground river flowed silently a few meters away from her.
After making sure that there were no dangerous beasts in the vicinity, she gently laid Zion on the ground before taking out a bedroll from her storage ring.
Once again, she lifted the young man and carefully placed him on the bedroll, so he could at least lay on something better than hard rock.
Kate then rummaged inside her storage ring and took a few health potions, which she sprinkled on Thirteen’s body, hoping it would allow him to regain consciousness.
"I’ll check outside and tell you if there are any enemies around," Princess Xynalia volunteered.
"Thank you, Xynalia," Kate replied. "I’ll watch over Thirteen until he regains consciousness."
The succubus princess nodded and flew away, passing through the stone wall like some kind of ghost.
She had wanted to wake up Thirteen from his dream, but a part of her wanted to know what would happen to Kate and her unborn child.
This feeling had become so strong that she wished that time could move faster so she could see the ending.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t a follower of the Skip God whom Thirteen recognized as his Patron God.
Finally, night had fallen inside the forest, and its denizens, who prowled at this time of day, started to stir.
Thirteen’s hand twitched as he slowly regained his consciousness.
Kate, who had been silently watching over him, immediately leaned closer.
Relief softened her tense features when she saw his eyelids flutter open, though his gaze was still hazy and unfocused.
"You’re awake," Kate said softly, carefully brushing away strands of hair sticking to his sweat-damp forehead.
"...Kate," Thirteen’s hoarse voice cracked, and his hand weakly reached for hers. "Are we safe?"
"For now," Kate answered softly, squeezing his hand as if to anchor him back to her. "We’re inside a cavern. No one will find us here easily."
Thirteen’s gaze shifted to the glowing crystals on the cavern walls, then to the faint shimmer of the river nearby.
His gaze then shifted back to Kate. But when he saw the traces of blood on her clothes, his face turned solemn once more.
"Are you hurt?" Thirteen asked as he attempted to prop himself up in a sitting position.
However, his body was as heavy as lead, and his strength had failed him.
"Don’t get up," Kate replied. "This is not my blood. It’s your blood. I’m safe. They didn’t manage to harm me thanks to you."
At that, Thirteen’s face finally softened a bit, as the tension escaped his body.
He looked so weak and vulnerable, and it pained her to see him this way.
Kate would rather bicker with him or be called an idiot than see the person she cared the most about in the world look like he was about to breathe his last.
"You’re not allowed to leave me without my permission," Kate said, holding Thirteen’s hand tightly. "Promise me."
"You’re so silly," Thirteen replied. "I am your System. Even if this vessel perishes, I will just return to how I was in the past. You don’t need to worry about me."
"But I want you to remain in that body!" Kate insisted. "I want to hold you when the nights are cold. I want to laugh with you, even if you laugh creepily. I want you to stay by my side because I need your warmth."
"... So, you’re only after my body?" Thirteen blinked.
"Thirteen, you’re supposed to be the smart one between the two of us." Kate smiled through her tears. "Why are you being silly right now?"
His lips curved faintly, but the effort seemed to drain him, and his hand fell limp against hers. Kate tightened her grip as if her strength alone could keep him anchored to the world.
"You really... are troublesome," Thirteen whispered, his voice soft but steady enough to carry a strange warmth. "Even now, when I should be worried about the pursuers, you make me think about things that don’t matter."
"They do matter." Kate insisted, her eyes shimmering. "To me, they do. You matter."
Thirteen’s gaze softened, but soon, he exhaled slowly, his lashes lowering. "Kate... I don’t know how much longer this vessel will hold. Every time I borrow from the Vault of Heaven, it consumes me. Next time... I may not be able to return."
Kate shook her head violently. "Then don’t. Don’t use it anymore. We’ll find another way. We always do." This update is available on novel⦿fire.net
Silence lingered between them, broken only by the quiet trickle of the underground river.
Finally, Thirteen’s eyes closed halfway, his voice almost a murmur. "I don’t regret it. Protecting you... protecting the baby... It’s worth more than anything else."
Kate felt her chest tighten, tears threatening to spill again. She bent low, pressing her forehead against his. "Then promise me this, Thirteen. Don’t disappear. Not without a fight. Not without me."
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, faintly, his lips curved again. "...Fine. I promise. But only because you asked."
Kate lowered her head and planted a kiss on Thirteen’s forehead, praying to any God in the heavens willing to take pity on them to let them stay together for as long as possible.
In a town outside of the Forest...
"You’re really useless," A Sorceress chided the Champion who had come to their inn to make a report. "No wonder the Queen asked us to hunt down that Heretic."
"Now, now, you don’t have to be mean to him," a warrior holding a spear commented. "But there were so many of you, yet you failed to capture a single girl. Did something happen?"
"She wasn’t alone," the Champion replied. "There was a man with him who summoned these magical weapons that easily killed our team. I was only able to escape because I was the fastest of us."
"You mean the most cowardly among you." The Sorceress sneered.
"Thalia, don’t cause trouble," a handsome man with short blonde hair and blue eyes said in a solemn tone. "We are on the same side, so cut him some slack, will you?"
"Fine." The Sorceress smiled. "You’re lucky Neil has a big heart. Now, tell us everything you saw, and don’t leave any important information behind."
The Saintess, who was seated beside the Hero, Neil, nodded in agreement.
"We need accurate information in order to hunt down the Witch, who is prophesied to bring ruin to this world," the Saintess said in a serious tone. "She mustn’t be allowed to live."
The Champion then narrated what happened in great detail, making the five-member Hero Party understand what transpired in the forest.
"If what you say is true, then that man is really dangerous," the warrior with the spear frowned.
"Fear not. As long as I am around, you won’t need to worry about getting petrified," the Saintess patted her chest with confidence. "That heretic will not be able to do anything against me."
"I will burn her to a crisp without fail," the Sorceress smiled evilly.
The Archer, who had remained silent until now, exchanged a glance with the Hero, Neil, who gave a confident smile.
"Yes, as long as we are together, there is nothing we need to fear," Neil said. "Rest now. Tomorrow, we will hunt her down and make sure that the evil of this world will finally be put to rest."
The members of the Hero Party all nodded in agreement and called it a night.
All of them believed that they were the saviors of the Kingdom, tasked with the important role of killing the Heretic in the prophecy.
None of them believed that they were in the wrong because justice was on their side, and they planned to make the Heretic that they were pursuing regret that she was ever born in this world.