Chapter 216: Human Or Beast?
Chapter 216: Human Or Beast?
The sound of chilling winds and falling snow could be heard from within the cave.
It was like the howling of beasts, and occasionally, one could hear the snarls of creatures as they walked through the snow, in the dark night sky, looking for prey to hunt while also trying to avoid becoming the prey.
All of this, Nolan heard as he sat down within the cave, burning with gently blue flames that gave off some illumination while seated before the girl.
She appeared to be in an exceptionally deep slumber, and he could feel her body was slightly cold to the touch. He didn't know how deep of a slumber she was in, nor did he try to wake her up.
He simply left her be, but remained by her side.
He had checked her body for any sign of injuries, but he found nothing. However, he had also seen many strange features that night reveal to him that the person before him was definitely not a Celestial Heir.
Firstly, there were some green scales that covered the girl's body. Scales that looked like those of a dragon, shining with a bit of light. The most prominent feature was the small horns that stuck out of the side of her head, making them look like small bumps.
He had already asked the system if anything was wrong with her, but he had been told that she was suffering from nothing and in the best condition.
So, Nolan had eventually let her be.
From within his spatial ring, he had brought out a large hoodie of his, which he spread on the floor to stop the harsh stony ground from hurting her soft skin.
He also covered her body with another shirt.
That was the most he could do to make sure she was okay.
He had no idea who she was, or what she even was.
But he knew she was just a kid and deserved care.
[You're strange...] the system suddenly mentioned as Nolan raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
[You act beyond your years. Look at you, Nolan, you're acting like a man. Like a father, but you're just a boy. How do you know to care like this?]
[You're a victim of bullying; your heart should be cold. But your heart is anything but cold. It's weird, Nolan.]
[And also, your actions are stupid and hateful, and absolutely against my principles.]
[Like when you decided to help that Luna girl. I saw it as nothing but an unnecessary headache. But you helped, and in the end, you secured an ally for yourself.]
[Right now, you're protecting this small girl. And truthfully speaking, Nolan, she's a burden, let's face it.]
[You're here on this god-forsaken world, where surviving is already hard for you alone. But right now, there's a girl with you again. If you don't leave her, your chances of survival will only greatly lessen even more, as she'll no doubt drag you down.]
[The smart choice in such a scenario would be to leave her...] the system said, and Nolan smiled.
"So that's your entire point. I should leave her... to her death?" Nolan asked, easily figuring where the system was going.
[You're not leaving her to her death, Nolan. You're leaving her to fate.]
[If she's destined to die, then she will die. If she's destined to live, then she'll live.]
[It doesn't have anything to do with you.]
The system said, but he simply snorted at the idea.
That was just bullshit.
If he left her alone in his cave, she would die. There's no fate about it.
but if he stayed with her, then there's a minuscule chance of her surviving. There was also no fate about that too.
Fate was nothing but an excuse to make the most selfish decisions.
[Ahhhhhh, I can see you've made your choice again.]
[A stupid choice like always. Well, it's up to you...] the system said before quieting down.
It knew it couldn't change Nolan's mind, so there was no point in even trying at all.
Silence passed, and eventually, he decided to let off some steam and relax too.
He moved to the corner of the wall and shut his eyes, but still, his brain was working, only at a lesser frequency.
'I've found a person, but I don't know if she's an intelligent species or not. But I guess she shouldn't be just a brainless beast.]
'Perhaps from her, I'll be able to get some information. She should no doubt have people, and judging by how the dragon carried her to the ground, it's safe to say she's being chased for life, and the dragon was trying to keep her safe.'
'If such a powerful beast can be nothing but her companion, then she must have quite the powerful background.'
'Once she's awake, I'll try cajoling some questions out of her about this world.'
'If I can get all the information about this world and a mind map of it, then all my trouble of saving her won't be for naught.'
Nolan mused to himself.
Of course, he wasn't some good guy. He helped her because he knew that from her, he should be able to obtain some good answers.
If he could get the answers from her and get himself a mind-map, then that means he wouldn't need to hurry through this entire land, wandering aimlessly.
Who knew how many years it would take for him to find another intelligent race?
That was why Nolan was willing to care for her. It was because there was something in it for him too. It was the nice rule of life.
With that, he quieted down his brain and tried going deeper into slumber, but he also kept himself alert and didn't completely drift off.
Time quickly passed, and soon, his eyes shot open as he rose to his feet and listened quietly.
Now, he could no longer hear the sound of the wind howling, and even the falling snow had quieted down a lot.
Judging by the hours he had spent, it should be safe to say it was currently morning now.