Chapter 112

Hearing her master's words, Mudrock closed her eyes and focused intently on sensing. The once-dried-up pond within her body was now rippling with water. She felt that after using Originium Arts to her limit in one go, the upper limit of what she could bear had increased.

Normal activities like getting out of bed and walking are no longer a problem. As for fighting, it's still uncertain.

As he pondered, a bold idea suddenly popped into Mudrock's mind. After spending the last few months hugging a cold Stone Statues every day, it seemed like today he might have the chance to hug a real one.

Stop! Stop right now, Mudrock! How could you make such an unreasonable request of your master?

But I really want to hug him...

Once this bold idea appeared, it could no longer be contained. Like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, like fallen chives, it almost took over her entire mind.

Mudrock's rationality told her that doing so was a selfish act. But her emotions also made her desperately want to hug the warm-hearted Shi Lei.

At the very least, you need to have the feeling of having held him in your arms. Only then will you have something to remember when you hold the Stone Statues in the future.

I'm sorry, Master, please forgive me.

Mudrock struggled to close his eyes tightly, his mind already engaged in several intense debates in a short period of time:

"Hmm, I feel a bit stronger now, much better than before. Um, Master, can I..."

Shi Lei didn't hear what she said next, so he asked:

"What's wrong?"

Mudrock was both nervous and apprehensive; she dared not look at the other person's face, her heart pounding.

Can I... hug you?

Seeing how shy Mudrock was, he gave her an uncle-like smile, understanding that it was difficult to say such things.

Shi Lei and she were different individuals, and Shi Lei had no way of knowing the extent of Mudrock's physical recovery. After a moment's thought, he agreed.

"If a hug can make you recover, then go ahead and apply. We didn't do anything wrong; it's all for the treatment. Don't feel guilty."

Seeing that Mudrock was so tense and didn't dare to move, he thought this Sarkaz girl was adorably clumsy.

To be honest, Shi Lei had no idea what the principle behind this kind of touch therapy was, and the system didn't give him a reply when he asked.

Anyway, the system

The fact that it appears and travels through time is unscientific enough; let's just consider it as high technology from Higher Civilizations:

"Don't be shy, come on. Hold me however you feel will help me recover faster, don't worry about my feelings. We need to hurry, don't take too long. I have colleagues waiting, you know what I mean?"

"Um."

Mudrock's face had regained some color, a rosy glow, like a ripe peach that wasn't quite ready to be eaten.

"Then I'll have to offend you, Master."

She had Shi Lei sit on the edge of the bed, then spread her legs and sat on the bed herself, hugging him from behind. Their current position was somewhat like riding a motorcycle. He was the driver, and Mudrock was the passenger, hugging his waist from behind.

Shi Lei felt that her hands were very cold, so he covered them with his own hands to help warm them up.

Mudrock pressed his right cheek tightly against his back, and he felt a fire burning inside him, threatening to melt him away.

So this is what it feels like to hold your owner.

So warm

Texas leaned against the wall, saying nothing.

170 Can I hug you like she does?

Texas stood motionless, her back against the wall. No strange noises followed; instead, the room became eerily quiet.

She knew that the two of them were already embracing.

Texas merely furrowed her brow slightly, otherwise her facial expression remained unchanged. She had no intention of revealing herself and tiptoed away from the third floor.

From the conversation just now, it seems that Shi Lei has some kind of healing method that can be achieved through physical contact.

If someone else claimed to possess this ability, Texas would think it was a fantasy. But when applied to Shi Lei, the Archon fragment, everything makes sense.

Every ability he has demonstrated so far surpasses the comprehension of ordinary people. For example, the Jade Shield, which can block anything, gives people a complete sense of security. He can summon Catastrophe Meteorite from the sky with a simple wave of his hand. And his ability to explode Originium is unheard of in the world.

So the ability to heal through hugs seems, perhaps, maybe... to be true?

As for Mudrock, Texas never doubted it.

The Sarkaz mercenaries called, saying she was too weak to get out of bed. That must mean she was seriously ill; there was no need to lie about something like that. The red and white colossi filling the outpost were the best proof.

Texas once used Sword Rain continuously until she was exhausted, experiencing the feeling of being completely drained of energy. Mudrock is an infected person, and overuse of Originium Arts, besides being exhausting, does indeed carry the risk of developing Originium-related illness.

But seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving.

She couldn't be sure whether Mudrock's claim of feeling better meant her condition had genuinely improved or was just wishful thinking.

And...

Never mind.

Texas shook her head, trying to banish the thoughts from her mind. They were just undergoing normal treatment; she shouldn't let her imagination run wild.

She went up to the second floor and caught a glimpse of Sarkaz mercenary smoking in the corridor. She immediately wanted to put something in her mouth.

Texas patted her pockets, then realized she'd left the chocolate bars in the car. After a moment's hesitation, she walked up to the other person and asked:

"Can I have one?"

The Sarkaz mercenary was taken aback for a moment, but quickly reacted and agreed:

"Miss Texas, of course."

They had met this friend of Lord Shi Lei back in January. They even had a reunion dinner together at the end of January during the Chinese New Year period.

The Sarkaz mercenary pulled out a cigarette case, handed it to the other woman, then took out a lighter and lit it for her while shielding her from the wind with one hand.

"Miss Texas, these are some cheap cigarettes I bought nearby. Please don't mind them."

Texas smiled and shook her head, taking a deep breath through the filter. She felt the air swirling in her nostrils before slowly exhaling wisps of white smoke.

It tastes a bit pungent; you get what you pay for.

She stared straight at the Stone Statues in the courtyard, and asked casually, as if chatting about everyday matters:

How have you been lately?

"It's alright. I recently found a job as a chef apprentice at a hotel with a few brothers. The salary is a bit low, but it's two days on, one day off, and meals are provided, but accommodation is not. We've been mercenaries for so long, and we're only good with knives. Maybe being a chef is the job that suits us best."

Texas nodded and continued to ask:

"If you encounter any intractable problems in your life that you want to solve, feel free to ask now."

"No, no, Miss Texas."

The mercenary, feeling embarrassed, dared not trouble her again.

"We will always remember the help you and Lord Shi Lei have provided. We are already very grateful that we can settle down in Lungmen. As for the rest, we will take care of it ourselves."

Since the other party has made it clear that they hope to resolve any future problems themselves, Texas naturally won't act out of maternal instinct and insist on forcibly helping.

She nodded and slowly exhaled white smoke. Then her gaze shifted downwards to the Silver-haired Lupo, who was crouching on the steps, and she spoke:

"Lappland's temperament is a bit eccentric, please bear with it."

"Once her injuries have healed, I will find a way to send her back to Syracuse as soon as possible."

"It's alright, Miss Texas. Actually, she's usually very polite, and you can't tell anything wrong with her. But once you try to have a deep conversation, she likes to threaten you or tell some dark jokes, which ruins the atmosphere. Anyway, it's just a temporary stay, not a long-term one, so it won't be a problem."

Before she knew it, she had smoked half a cigarette. Texas looked down again, only to find that Lappland was gone.

Did you see where she went?

The Sarkaz mercenary had been so engrossed in chatting that he hadn't noticed the commotion downstairs. He peeked out and said uncertainly:

"With these Stone Statues in the square, she can't escape. She should still be on the first floor."

Texas had been guarding the stairwell, making it impossible for Lappland to bypass him if she wanted to go to the third floor.

A vague sense of foreboding crept into her heart, and she quickly stubbed out her cigarette and went downstairs. She checked each room in order, finally finding the other person in the bathroom.

Lappland had a vegetable and meat porridge for breakfast, which was very watery and made her feel the urge to urinate. Seeing Texas standing at the door, she invited her to share the restroom:

"Don't stand outside, come in and join us!"

Texas's face immediately darkened. Not wanting to pay any attention to this guy, she turned around and went back to the Entrance/Exit on the first floor.

She heard a noise on the second floor, and when she went up, she found that Shi Lei and Mudrock had come out.

V was overjoyed to see his boss recover.

"See? I told you the adult could cure you."

Mudrock lowered his head slightly, not daring to respond.

Fortunately, there was no third person present when she was holding her owner, otherwise she would have wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Texas secretly observed her and noticed that her complexion was rosy and radiant. Coupled with V's genuinely happy reaction, she was certain that Shi Lei possessed the special ability of touch therapy.

It's unclear whether this only applies to Mudrock or to everyone.

Mudrock bowed deeply, expressing his heartfelt gratitude:

"Sir, thank you so much for coming all this way. Are you still at work? I need to hurry to the Lin Residence to give those people an explanation."

"Okay, let's go then."

Shi Lei turned his head and glanced at Texas. Without needing further explanation, the two, accompanied by the Sarkaz, passed through the red and white colossus formation.

Lappland hasn't come out yet, and even if she did, she wouldn't be able to keep up; at most, she could only watch longingly.

Texas got into the car first, and while Shi Lei was busy explaining things to Shi Lei and Mudrock others and had no time to pay attention to this place, she gently drew her Bronze Sword and used the sharp blade to cut a small wound on the ring finger of her left hand.

As soon as he sheathed his sword, Shi Lei waved goodbye to everyone. He then got into the passenger seat, ready to depart.

After the car started and left the base, Texas turned her head to look at the man beside her. At that moment, she really wanted to ask, "Can I hug you like Mudrock did?"

Although we didn't see what their positions were, hugging and cuddling are probably just a few common poses.

However, such words were simply too shameful. Texas struggled internally for a long time before finally blurting out:

"Shi Lei, give me your hand."

171. Arrogant and Easily Lost Dog

Give me your hand.

Shi Lei didn't know what she meant, but he did as she said. He extended his left hand and opened his palm.

Texas pulled over, his right hand covering her left. The instant their hands touched, she felt a rapid, meaningless electric current flash through her mind.

Shi Lei looked puzzled and asked:

What are you doing?

Texas closed her eyes and tried to feel it carefully, but she didn't experience the energy infusion that Mudrock had described. Apart from a slight warmth remaining on her fingertips, there was nothing else unusual.

A few seconds later, she opened her eyes. She glanced at the small wound on her left ring finger, which showed no signs of healing.

"Nothing."

After saying that, Texas quickly removed her hand. She stopped the car but didn't turn off the engine, and drove forward on the gas.

Shi Lei stared at his left hand, then looked up at Texas, whose face was cold and stern, and quickly understood.

He opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak. Only after the car had driven several hundred meters away did he finally ask:

"You just... peeked, didn't you?"

"No."

Shi Lei shrank back, clearly not believing her answer, and continued to press:

"Then why did you suddenly borrow my hand?"

Texas remained composed, appearing quite calm. However, she quickly repositioned her injured left ring finger, using the steering wheel as cover.

"Didn't the Sarkaz mercenaries say that Mudrock was too weak to get out of bed? You're neither Doctor nor did you bring any medicine, so how come he was fine after just a short while?"