Chapter 183 Anna [1]
Chapter 183 Anna [1]
Chapter 183 Anna [1]
Thank you for your support, swcowboy!
Additional Chapter.
1/2
===
"Anna..."
Adam sighed and stood up from his seat, walking towards the water nymph who was crying, covering her face with her hands. He gently picked her up (like a princess) and kissed her forehead. Feeling his strong grip around her waist and the support he offered, Anna turned and buried herself in his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Sob. Sob.
Her tears, soaking into his shirt, left a beautiful glow, and Adam felt a pleasant coolness as well as the nourishment of his life energy. This was what they called "Nymph's Tears," which in ancient times were part of a recipe for an elixir that extended one's lifespan.
He tilted his head and kissed her head as Amarantha stroked her soft blue hair.
A few minutes later...
Adam sat on the couch with Anna sitting on his lap, leaning against him. She closed her eyes and peacefully slept while Adam caressed her beautiful and soft-to-touch blue hair, and her long eyelashes quivered every time she inhaled his scent and calmed down.
"She cried for a long time. What a crybaby, ha-ha," mumbled Adam, kissing her cheek, to which the woman opened her eyes.
"Stwaap!"
Adam chuckled when Anna turned to him and embraced him, hiding her face in his chest. He smiled and rested his cheek on her head, while Anna listened to his heartbeat, which served as her lullaby.
After what felt like endless minutes of tears, she had finally returned to her usual mood, much happier and more cheerful. The color of her face became healthier, although some paleness still lingered, which couldn't help but make Adam worry. However, he already had a plan.
"Hmm? What is she doing here?" Amarantha murmured in surprise, wrinkling her nose. "Adam, did you excite her again with something?"
"Why is it always my fault, tell me, please?" he asked in response, smirking. "I need her to help Anna, got it?"
"Huuh?"
Anna and Amarantha didn't understand the meaning of his words, but the sudden appearance of Veronica in the room made them tense up and instantly discard any unnecessary thoughts. As soon as Veronica entered the room, she noticed Adam, especially how he was lying, and most importantly, who was lying to him."
"Tsk."
"Hey, did you just click your tongue?" Amarantha asked rhetorically, getting up from her seat.
"No, you must have imagined it. Anyway, I'm ready for the ritual. We just need the water nymph to be ready. How is that going, Adam?" she asked indifferently, sitting in the armchair and crossing her arms on her chest, glaring at Anna, who was lying carefree on his lap.
Adam got up, lifted Anna, and approached Veronica. He gently placed Anna on her feet and smiled.
"Thank you for your help. Anna is already prepared for the ritual, although I haven't had a chance to explain everything thoroughly."
"What? Well, for politeness, you could at least say what it is, or it will end up in chaos," Amarantha suggested.
"Okay."
Nodding, Adam turned to Amarantha and Anna, who were watching them with incomprehension. He fake-coughed, apparently picking up this amusing habit from Ricky, and then began to explain what they were about to do. With each passing minute, as they listened to his explanation, their faces distorted, and astonishment turned into shock. Amarantha, in particular, was surprised because she was well aware of the origin of this item. However...
"First of all, where did you get this item? If I recall correctly, it was supposed to disappear altogether because the Demon King also disappeared along with hell. Could it be..." Amarantha started speaking and then shifted her gaze to Veronica, raising an eyebrow. "Could you have had this item all along? It's amazing that being a mad scientist, you agreed to give such an important item to Anna. What are you trying to achieve?"
"Maybe you shut up, for heaven's sake? I don't have anything to study anymore, besides, I've been familiar with this item since ancient times. Despite its rarity, it doesn't interest me. You know that, by surpassing a certain boundary, we become almost an infinite source of magical energy," Veronica replied, wrinkling her nose and snorting. "We borrowed it from an acquaintance of mine on certain conditions. So, you can relax."
"I'm not better off because of this. Who is this acquaintance? Under what conditions did she lend you this item?" Amarantha asked, frowning, but no one answered.
Even when Adam asked, he remained silent too and didn't want to discuss this topic because she would be a hundred percent against it and wouldn't calm down until his safety was guaranteed. This made him sigh again and again as they descended into the basement, which had long been cleared of corpses.
***
The ritual in question was an operation in which the source would be replaced by a foreign object and required special attention. It was like heart surgery, where everything had to be done carefully and quickly, not wasting a second. And no one, except Veronica, had experience in this matter.
"By the way, where do you know this ritual from?" Adam once asked her out of curiosity, and...
Veronica recounted the story of how, in her youth, she had captured Demon Generals and forced them to participate in an experiment. She started merging them one by one with this item, trying to replace the source and thus create a higher-quality version of demons. She succeeded in doing so, but she bitterly discovered that the "Right Eyes of Demon King" had limited potential and barely reached Demon Marquis, which did not satisfy her.
The story was accompanied by illustrations that were quite bloody. However, Adam decided to trust Veronica because he had no other choice. At first, Anna was frightened and naturally asked Adam not to use such an important item on her. Still, when faced with his determination, she decided to trust him. She now lay on the operating table, waiting for Veronica to prepare all the necessary instruments.
"Adam... I'm scared," she murmured, pressing Adam's hand to her, which gave her courage. She looked at him with teary eyes and said, "I'm afraid that all of this will be in vain. That I'll still die, and the important item will be lost. You still haven't told me what price you paid for this, which also worries me. I don't want to be a burden to you..."
"You're not a burden, Anna. Don't speak of yourself that way, understand?" Adam said firmly, leaning down and kissing her forehead. During this kiss, Anna closed her eyes and sighed, feeling comforted. He raised his head and smiled at her, seeing his reflection in her crystal-clear eyes. "You will never be a burden to me. You and the other girls are my moral support, and my love, which I will cherish until the very last moment of my life."
"But... what if the ritual fails?" she asked, squeezing his hand with both of hers.
Adam fell silent. Even he found it difficult to imagine what would happen, as you could never avoid failure. However, he still believed in the success of this ritual and didn't want to show doubt on his face.
"Everything will be fine. I'll be with you, and Amarantha will support you. I'll be with you from beginning to end, and I'll bear your pain. Trust me... alright?" he said, smiling at her. His smile was bright and full of confidence, momentarily charming all the women in the room. Even the gloomy Anna seemed to be affected, as she smiled back and closed her eyes.
Soon, she fell asleep. Adam sighed and looked at Amarantha, who had an obvious unwillingness on her face, but under his persistent gaze, she still cast the spell.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea. Part of the pain would be suppressed due to shock," Amarantha said, helping Adam sit on a chair. "And during the spell, you'll feel all the pain. It's twice as bad."
"Anna has a low pain threshold. She feels pain twice as intensely, which I can't allow. Besides, I'm used to this pain, it's nothing to me," Adam replied, maintaining an indifferent expression, even though he was in agony inside. It was as if he was being burned alive on a blazing fire.
Looking at Anna, who slept sweetly, he smiled gently and then turned to the concerned Amarantha, who was wiping sweat from his forehead.
"You know me, although I'm a scoundrel, I can't let her feel pain again. Otherwise, what's the point of being a husband?"
Pain is the body's protective signal in response to external or internal danger. Every living being has a pain threshold, which determines the reduction of perceived pain. For those who practice magic, their pain threshold is usually very high, aiding them in battles.
However, there are exceptions, like Anna. She feels this pain twice as intensely, making the ritual excruciating for her. Given her pregnancy, it would be extremely dangerous for both the unborn child and the woman herself. That's why Adam made this decision.
"Ha-ah... ha-ah..."
He breathed heavily, struggling to catch his breath and regulate his breathing. His body was wracked with excruciating pain, which felt like a combination of internal injuries and Veronica's actions. Her actions were far less delicate than one might expect, almost bordering on a dangerous level that could inflict severe pain on the subject. However, Adam didn't complain.
Sitting in a chair, he clenched his fists, trying not to succumb to the pain. Amarantha sat beside him, gently wiping the sweat from his brow, and then used her magic to alleviate the pain, although it provided only limited relief.
To be continued...