Chapter 97 - The Past: Another Promise

3 months ago...

It was raining heavily, Shin and Aella were sitting under a tree.

'Ding'

[ You have used the skill Heal ]

[ The damage on the target is detected to be less ]

[ Estimated time for complete recovery: 00:00:01:00 ( 1 minute ) ]

"Aella, don't run on your own...", Shin said while using the skill Heal on her.

It seemed as if her legs were bleeding, the rear ones.

"Listen Aella, from now on we need to stay near each other...", Shin said with a low voice.

"Yes...", Aella replied with a similar tone.

The sound of raindrops striking the ground and the tree leaves and branches were being heard.

Silence had filled their surrounding.

"We ran away and somehow ended up reaching this great forest..."

"We know nothing about this so I hope you don't do anything foolish.", was what Shin said.

Aella nodded while agreeing to what he said.

'Ding'

[ You have entered the forest Thuren ]

[ -> The 4th largest forest in the continent ]

[ -> 5th most dangerous forest in the continent ]

Shin said this based on the notification that had popped up not long ago.

"It's good that I arrived in time, otherwise you would have been dead by now!"

"You should be glad that the only thing that happened to you was a bit of bruise and wound in your legs...", was what Shin said.

He was basically giving a lecture and was telling her about what would have happened.

"We have been together for 3 months, and I want to be together with you for longer...", Shin said.

The moment he said that, Aella's heart fluttered all of a sudden. This was the first time this had happened.

Until now she was playful due to which she wouldn't listen to Shin now and then, however now she was hearing him out without saying much.

Shin meant what he said, he didn't want to lose anyone else.

Shin took a look at his profile to see how much of a change he had undergone in three months.

Although it wasn't much, it was still remarkable.

[ Profile ]

Name: Shin

S.e.x: Male

Age: 128:00:06:51 ( 128 days 0 hours 6 minutes 51 seconds )

Weight: 4.7 Kg 

Race: Lupus (wolf race)

[ Knight Wolf ]

Rank: C || Max. rank: ???

Level: 39 || Max. level: 50

MP: 320/350 || Max. MP: ??? 

Exp: 3155 || Max. Exp: 3499

Atk: 220 || Max. Atk: ???

Def: 210 || Max. Def: ???

Speed: 430 || Max. Speed: ???

Int: 93 || Max. Int: ???

[ Skills Gained ]

[ Active Skills ]

1] Bite Lv.6

3] Copy Lv.4

4] Heal Lv.5

5] Transformation Lv.2

6] Flame Wave Lv.2

7] Dark Manipulation Lv.1

8] All Seeing Eye Lv.5

9] Aura Control Lv.5

10] Dragon's Roar Lv.1

11] Dragon's Aura Lv.2

12] Hymn Of The Dragons' Lv.???

13] Total Curse Immunity Lv. Max

14] Curse Eraser Lv.2

15] HP Eater Lv.2

16] Wind Run Lv.3

17] Aero Slash Lv.2

18] Dispel Lv.2

19] Hurricane Lv.1

[ Passive Skills ]

1] Cold Resistance Lv.4

2] Heat Resistance Lv.5

3]Shock Resistance Lv.2

4] Predator Lv.???

5] Hunter Lv.???

6] Moonlight Warrior Lv.2

7] Language Translation Lv.2

8] Poison Resistance Lv.2

9] Poison Destroyer Lv.2

10] Protector Lv.1

11] Pain Nullification Lv.1

12] Fire Resistance Lv.1

'I wonder how we will survive here...', this was because Shin knew nothing about the place where they had run to.

They had spent three months in the previous forest and had searched many places. They probably roamed the entire forest due to which they had an idea about each and every location.

However, now that they were in a totally new place, they had to be cautious.

Just a while ago, a large centipede attacked Aella due to which she was injured.

Shin took care of it with ease, Aella had shown almost no growth for the past three months, at least SHin felt that her growth was quite less.

"Um..."

"Master..."

Shin had stepped saying anything else, he was just healing her when suddenly she spoke.

"Why do you care about me?", was what she asked.

"Huh?", Shin initially didn't understand the question and dodged it.

However, she asked it again and now he has to listen to it properly.

"Why are you helping me and taking care of me, master...?", was what she asked.

"..."

Shin didn't want to answer that because he was too busy healing her.

However, he thought that there was a need to answer her question due to which he said, "Because I am your master and you are my vessel."

When Aella heard this, she was somewhat disappointed and happy at the same time.

She was happy to see that Shin thought of her as his vessel, however, she was sad because that was the only reason why Shin took care of her.

The silence returned, and the only sound that was heard again was of the raindrops that splashed on the muddy water nearby.

'Ding'

[ You have completely healed the target ]

Since Aella had become his vessel, Shin had been restless. It was because he was always thinking about protecting her.

Also, he didn't want to be alone. The forest scared him, more than that loneliness scared him.

"Master..."

When Shin thought that silence had finally returned, Aella called out to him again.

"Yes...?"

"If this is the only reason, then why did you save me back then?"

"I was just a stranger, you had no idea who I was so why...?"

"Why would you go out of your way and protect me against a natural predator?", Aella was referring to the Grizzly against which Shin was thinking of battling.

When she asked this, Shin was forced to ask the same question to himself.

'Why did I save her again?', he questioned himself.

'Was it because she resembled my sister?', his sister was definitely a human, in the previous life that is.

Also, he never even got a chance of mingling with her, so it was almost impossible to see a human-like figure or character in a pup!

He thought about it for a few seconds while Aella waited patiently for him to answer.

She was curious and right now she raised a question that had been lingering on her mind for a long time!

"It's because..."

"I had met a wolf after a long time.", Shin answered.

"Eh...?", Aella was surprised by his answer.

But whatever he said as the truth, he had indeed met a wolf, someone similar to himself after a long time. That was why he thought that it would be good if he were to save her.

However, that didn't explain why he went out of his way and put his life in danger just so that he could protect someone of his kind.

Was it because of his human nature?

But his human nature had been corrupted enough and be selfish and think like a killer, so it couldn't have been that.

Then what was it exactly?

'It was just a feeling - I wish I could tell her that.', he said to himself.

In any case, he had answered after which Aella didn't question anymore. All that they did was wait there until the rain stopped.

"..."

"I wonder how long it would take for the rains to stop...", Shin said it out loud because he was genuinely frustrated.

It was daytime however the clouds covered the sky. Everything was visible despite that, Shin was worried that the ones that were following might end up finding them since they were only at the edge of the forest!

"Master...", Aella called him again.

"Yes?"

"Master, if one day I would be hunted by some evil enemy..."

"What will you do?", Aella asked.

Shin didn't hesitate and almost immediately said, "I will rip the bastard apart and eat him completely while he would be alive!"

He was referring to any and everyone that would harm her, the instant answer was what pleased Aella!

Aella was shocked by his sudden reply and stared at her for a moment.

She smiled and then lied down on the ground.

She was probably the happiest at the moment, regardless it seemed like she had something else to say.

"Then, can you promise me one thing...?"

"Hmm...?", Shin wondered about the promise which she talked about.

"If..."

"And only if..."

"I were to die, then please run away instead of doing anything crazy..."

"..."

Shin's eyes widened right after which he asked in a low voice, "Are you still worried about what that crazy bastard said?"

"..."

Aella didn't say anything and decided to keep her mouth shut.

"Haha, don't worry, no one will be able to kill you..."

"Not until I am alive at least..."

"..."

Back to the present...

"I promised to protect her..."

"..."

[ Status ]

-< dead >-

"..."

'Aooooooooo'

To be continued...