Chapter 68: Sleep Forever?
"Make way! Make way!"
Outside the Lotran snack bar, a crowd had already gathered.
The snack bar was mostly destroyed, its tattered curtains blocking people’s view. The magical energy occasionally emitted from inside kept the crowd at a safe distance.
A large number of soldiers arrived, and the leader shoved through the crowd with a longsword in hand.
He took a deep breath, pointed his sword at the Lotran snack bar, and shouted to the soldiers behind him, “Squad One, follow me in! Everyone else surrounds the place. Don’t let anyone escape. It’s probably those damn non-humans causing trouble again. Stay alert!”
“Yes, sir!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the squad leader led his team into the building.
But as soon as he kicked the door open, a nauseating stench hit them.
Corpses were scattered all over the snack bar, horribly mutilated, showing clear signs of being gnawed on.
If it were regular citizens, they’d likely vomit at the sight.
But these were trained soldiers. Though they frowned, they carefully scanned their surroundings.
However… The snack bar was now completely empty.
“Damn it! Definitely the work of non-humans.”
“Captain, how can you be so sure?”
“Look at the corpses, idiot. All signs point to non-human methods.
I think tough times are ahead. So many dead—such a huge incident. The whole city will be on high alert. Stay sharp, all of you.”
“Yes, sir.”
…
…
Meanwhile, Erika had already brought the injured Isana back to her home.
Gladys wasn’t back yet. Erika gently laid the wounded Isana on the bed.
Isana’s face was pale, her eyes half-closed, with a slight sheen of cold sweat on her forehead.
“Isana?”
Looking at the wounds on her fair arm, Erika bit her lip and quickly began rummaging through the house.
She had no idea how to treat wounds. She only knew disinfecting with alcohol was basic first aid. She found some alcohol and gauze and clumsily started bandaging Isana.
But Erika wasn’t skilled at these tasks—it took a long time just to stop the bleeding.
“Ah… Isana, maybe… maybe you should go back home. I’m no good at this…”
She muttered anxiously. The earlier battle had drained her, but she couldn’t just leave an injured Isana alone. Supporting her with both hands, Erika was deeply worried.
“I’m fine, Erika.”
Isana squinted her eyes and gave a faint, miserable smile.
Seeing this, Erika panicked.
“You call this fine!? You look like you’re on the verge of death!”
“You brat, what do you mean by ‘on the verge of death’? You’ve got a real mouth on you.”
Isana chuckled bitterly and reached out her small hand. “Help me sit up first.”
“Okay…”
Quickly wrapping her arms around Isana’s waist, Erika gently propped her up.
She couldn’t deny that Isana’s joking words had eased her heart a bit—it meant she still had some energy left.
The bleeding had stopped and the wounds were bandaged. Erika didn’t know what else to do. Should she get Isana something to eat?
But in the next moment, Erika’s face turned bright red like a steaming kettle.
“I-I-Isana—!”
She shrieked in embarrassment, nearly jumping up.
Her hands were still supporting Isana, whose small hand had somehow slid down and now rested right on Erika’s chest.
It felt like someone had deliberately given it a squeeze. Erika blushed furiously, her voice panicked.
“W-Where are you touching!?”
“Mm… Erika, I’m tired.”
“You’re not tired at all!”
Erika was furious—this weak act was fake! “You just want to… want to…”
“Want to what?”
Isana blinked innocently, mimicking Erika.
“You know what! Something bad…”
“Hehe, Erika, you’re still young. This isn’t a bad thing.”
“You don’t look much older than me!”
“I didn’t mean age—I meant development.”
“…”
Isana’s comment left Erika speechless.
What kind of logic was that?
She had done it on purpose! Pretending to be weak just to do this! That’s why she didn’t want to go home!
Realizing this, Erika patted her own flushed cheeks. She didn’t want Isana to keep getting away with her mischief. She quickly laid her back down on the bed and stood up.
“Hmph! Looks like you’re fine after all. I’m going to take a bath and then go to sleep!”
“A bath?”
Hearing that, Isana perked up. “Erika, I want to bathe too. Let’s do it together.”
“No. You can bathe later when you get home.”
But Isana didn’t listen. She grabbed Erika’s waist tightly to keep her from escaping.
“Come on, Erika. I feel all dirty too.”
“Let go of me, Isana.”
“No.”
She rubbed her face against Erika’s shoulder, one hand still playfully kneading Erika’s thigh.
“Hmph, after eating so much of my stuff today, the least you could do is share a bath.”
“That’s not the same thing at all! And you’re injured!”
Erika tried to resist, but Isana’s lips brushed close to her ear—her gentle breathing sending tingles through Erika’s earlobe.
Just a little more…
And her lips would have touched…
“Isana… stop… stop doing that.”
“What am I doing?”
“Your hand… and your mouth…”
Seeing Erika’s tone soften, Isana became even bolder. Her hands roamed more freely, continuing to knead Erika’s thigh.
“Then transform for me again—I want to see. I like it.”
“No…”
“Why not? It’s just the two of us here.”
“Gladys is coming back soon…”
“Gladys?”
Isana paused. “Who’s that?”
“My… family…”
“Oh, right.”
At that, Isana let go. She suddenly remembered this was Erika’s home. If her family came back and saw this, it might cause trouble.
The moment Isana released her, Erika immediately ran out of the room. She bit her lip, covered her chest with both hands, and shot a flustered glare back at Isana. Her voice regained its firmness.
“I’m going to bathe! If you’re fine, you should go home, okay!?”
“Nope. I want to see what you look like after your bath.”
“Whatever! Stay if you want.
I’m tired. After my bath, I’m going to sleep. And if anyone dares disturb my sleep—I’ll make them sleep forever!” Erika threatened fiercely.
But that threat only excited Isana more.
“Sleep… sleep forever? Erika, you really… could make me sleep forever?”
“Aaah—! What are you even talking about!? That’s not what I meant!”
Unable to understand this perverted girl, Erika hurried off to bathe.
She really was exhausted—completely drained.
The battle using her half-dragon form had consumed a lot of energy.
The Dragon Core Crystal’s power was amazing, but Gladys had been right: if she didn’t start training her body more seriously, she could end up hurting herself.
Since she’d taken the Dragon Core Crystal from Meladin, from now on, she had to find a way to fully integrate it.