55. IT'S BEEN ONE MONTH

(A.N: This chapter will be slow and revolves around Nix and Cinzia. Maybe that's how I felt because of the continuous actions.)

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"Huh?" he pondered feeling a squishy sensation around his body. He pressed the two soft mounds that were pressing on his face drowsily.

When he opened half his eyes sleepily, he found himself in the embrace of Cinzia with his head buried inside her breasts who was soundly asleep.

She squinted her eyes as she found his gaze on her.

"Tch, you woke up?"

She patted his back as he stared at her. She rubbed her eyes a few times to confirm if it was true that he woke up. He looked at her with a question mark on his head.

"Uhm?... "

She hurriedly distanced herself from him and blushed a little.

"Oi, good morning" Cinzia who was pondering how to strike a conversation somehow managed to start it with a greeting.

"Ah. Ghud mowningh... I am fwelinh a biht tihired can I...."

He closed the distance between her and hugged her tightly.

"bastard wake up!" she yelled and shook him to wake him up.

"Huh?"

As he opened his eyes and scanned around, he found himself in a cozy room built of wood with a window. The jade spear was made to lean against the wall along with some utensils. It was a treehouse made by Cinzia.

'Where am I?' After coming to his senses, he questioned himself inwardly.

When he tried to raise his body and felt a numbing sensation all over his body. He slowly tried to stand up and fell again. Cinzia helped him and made him lean against the wall.

He only had trousers covering his bottom and his torso was wrapped by his shirt as a bandage but, seems like he didn't need it since he was almost fully healed. Indeed it was Dark elixir's performance that he was revitalized so quickly.

"It's alright get rest for a bit... take it slow," She said. calmly.

"Uhm... Miss Cinzia, where are we?" he inquired.

When he glanced at her she was wearing a simple laced bra and nothing more and she had her pants on, the one she wore during their quest. Nix didn't gawk at her huge mounds although it was very distractive for him.

"Still in the forest." She replied nonchalantly.

"I see we survived it?" I mean we are alive!" He gave a soft smile.

"Alive? my Ass!... I thought you turned into a brainless asshole!" She grimaced at him.

"Miss Cinzia, calm down a bit. Exactly how many days has it been?" He questioned.

Her face fumed red in anger. She was exactly a cold-hearted woman although she cried when they were in the temple. Now her attitude seemed wholly different from how she used to be,

"It's been a month since you went unconscious. All you did was eat, sleep, and cling on to me like a brainless kid. Are you a fucking brat? I was doing all the heavy lifting. Do you know how hard it was for me? I was fucking alone! Those guys from Zerast came searching for us again... I was barely able to hide your ass ..."

What she said was true though. After she woke up she found him and her near the shore with the jade spear. Her mind was filled with resentment and hatred which drove her to persevere. She bewailed for a while and she came to her senses. she immediately checked his pocket and drank the dark elixir to get a boost up. After that, she bandaged her broken leg with her clothe and hid Nix's body, and decided to protect him safely.

She chose to not dwell in the past and move forward. She went hunting and slowly built a treehouse and created utensils. As Nix began screaming like a beast at night because of his excruciating pain she slept giving him a hug and that's when he started to act like an annoying baby. Since he wasn't conscious she didn't care much and started using him as a body pillow but nonetheless, she was the one wrong for spoiling him.

Before she could finish he intervened in her continuous rant.

"Cinzia look at me! I was barely able to fight at that moment. I am glad that you guarded me. I take it as your gratitude for saving your ass. If you think of me as a bad guy for not fighting for your clan members. I can't help with it. I myself didn't have the confidence to the level, I could reach that moment. And I don't know when I ate or slept. I don't have those memories... I did what I could. Once again thank you! I won't cause trouble again. I will get going."

and added.

"Seriously? I had a little respect for you. But you just lost the respect I had."

Explaining his position he rose from the place and began walking unlike before he was able to handle walking by himself.

She lowered her head and began talking.

"I am sorry. It's just that. Never mind... You helped me. I am sorry for accusing you because of my inability to protect my clan members as a leader."

Her tears fell on the floor but her face didn't show much emotion. Her cold-hearted trait seems to heavily suppress her grievance.

'Did I go overboard? I get it and I feel sorry for her. She lost her siblings and clan members. But I can't feel or understand her pain Because I didn't lose anyone precious to me. It's better being alone...' He thought to himself.

"It's okay Cinzia! ... since this isn't an official mission I can call you by your name, right? I am sorry for your loss but, just think about me! I am a completely new guy here... how can I help others When I can barely save myself?" He questioned.

She began speaking after wiping her tears.

"It's okay, Nix you can call me whatever you want. After all, you are the benefactor that saved my weak ass. I can understand your position and am able to understand the power you used was gained for the exchange of suffering great damage."

She was a strong woman but anyone would lose their composure if they lose someone dear to them. So, it is not surprising that she cried even though she was acting tough all this time.

Nix furrowed his brows.

"You think you are weak? I looked up to you all along our journey. In fact, I did have an idea of working along with you but I changed that thought after your secretive plot of tricking me into the quest though."

She smiled. "I am glad Nix."

'One minute she is crying and the next minute she is smiling... She is absolutely one hell of a cold-hearted woman. Not that I care about.'

With those thoughts running in his mind, he rose from his place using the wall as balance, and slowly walked towards the door even though it was a bit hard for him. Cinzia agitatedly rushed towards the exit and blocked his path.

She opened her mouth staring daggers at him.

"Tch, Can't you check your pathetic self? Just take a rest. Don't take what I said in your mind okay?"

"I can't. I already caused you trouble and I don't wanna be a freeloader." He said.

She sighed.

"Hah, Listen, In your current condition you can't possibly fight monsters, and Zerast's members are keeping their eyes like a hawk. Once they find you. you are as good as dead."

and added.

"I don't know in our current state if we can go out... "

'We huh? You added yourself to my party."

She stopped there and waited for Nix's reply, he got the hint from her speech.

'This isn't my tendency but, thinking back Dark Nix's advice. I should gain more allies. It's a waste that Varde turned into deceiving trash and the others died. If not, maybe I could have had them as my allies.'

"Alright, I have an offer for you... I mean I will support you if you are in trouble but in exchange, you have to support me. More like partners... Yes, you are senior to me in experience but, I want to be treated as an equal individual, not like a kid in your clan. I know you want to destroy Zerast. I don't want to run away. We will fight head-on. I have things to do. So you in?" He said.

"Oi, Quite cocky aren't you? just because you possess a trivial power with you. What can a single guy like you can do who is just a newbie? how will you fight a whole clan?" She questioned him with a mocking smile.

"I mean I got you and we can figure out about destroying Zerast later after I recover." He said with a serious face.

'Hmm, strange... '

She had an intrigued expression on her face.

" I don't know where your confidence is coming from, but I will see about it."

"Can I take it as a yes?" he questioned.

"Hah, I mean yes, I accept. You got skills so I don't see a problem. But currently, I have to go back. I am planning on raising a new clan again...We will talk about it later." She said as she was annoyed by his question.

"Alright what are we going to do from now on?" He questioned.

"It's better if you rest," She said.

He furrowed his brows.

" I merely woke up today and you want me to rest up again?"

She sighed.

" hah, You are so persistent dammit. I wonder how you dragged me down that mountain with those terrible wounds. I forgot to ask why did you save me?"

"Hmm, just an instinct... I don't know at that moment I saw you and decided to take you down. I was barely conscious, maybe I subconsciously took you instead of the loot bags?" He said with a smile.

"Is that so? Well, whatever. Which god do you go for leveling up?" She questioned.

He furrowed his brows.

"Hmm, AL Zalam why did you ask so suddenly?"

Her facial expression changed upon hearing his words.

"Al Zalam, The god of darkness. hmm, That explains why you are so powerful."

" My ass! that god didn't bestow any class to me but, he wants me to rise a war between cities to gain three levels in one go. The power I possess is something trivial. I heard a voice in the morning before getting teleported and he said he was me... Blah-blah and I gained some private abilities and that's it."

He continued to speak while his eyes reddened.

" The gods of integrity banished me out of the Ranrak city when others gained power and I was declared as an outlaw. So, I didn't gain anything from these so-called gods even though they summoned me. All I did was get into trouble after trouble. I survived on my own although, on the way, I met some kind people and many with evil tendencies. Seriously I want to get out of this fucking world...."

Cinzia embraced him and patted his back.

" You bastard! Why are getting so worked up? You just regained consciousness back and you begin to get your mind filled with rage? It's alright, Everything will be okay."

Her corner of the lips arched up into an evil smile as she looked at him.

"Oi, You know what? I have hatred and resentment too... Your anger turns you into nothing more than a brainless maniac. Keep it cool and just wait for the right time."

'Hmm, I like her style.'

He smiled at her.