The Heroine Must Die

His face was pale. He yawned tiredly. “Let me sleep,” he muttered. “I’ll tell you when I’ve recovered.”

Lauren rubbed her forehead in frustration.

She was dying to know. But he genuinely looked like shit.

“Do you need anything?” she asked.

“Blanket.”

“…Alright.”

She found another piece of animal hide and draped it over him.

He closed his eyes almost immediately.

Lauren stood there for a moment longer, staring at him, before turning back toward the outside world.

Outside the tower, Ulysses still lay unconscious.

But the ashen gray deathly pallor that had covered his face was gone. In its place was a faint, healthy flush.

Lauren stayed by his side, standing guard.

After a long while, his eyelids twitched. Then slowly, he opened his eyes.

“Mr. Ulysses—you’re awake. How do you feel?” Lauren leaned forward immediately.

Ulysses stared at the ceiling as if unsure where he was. Then he lifted his hand and examined it, turning it over and over. “I’m… still alive?”

Lauren pressed her lips together.

From the look of it, he had known he was going to die. If he knew that, why the hell had he spun the Gossip Plate like a madman?

Her curiosity burned even hotter now.

“You’re alive,” she said gently. “You were unconscious for a while. That’s all. Are you feeling alright?”

He pushed himself upright and closed his eyes, circulating his spiritual energy to inspect his body. After a moment, he exhaled a long breath.

“I’m not dead…” He looked almost stunned. “Forgive me for worrying you. Since I didn’t die this time, I won’t die. I’ll need a year or two to recover fully, but that’s nothing.”

Lauren let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

Then his gaze sharpened. “Lauren. What did you do to me?”

She froze. “I—”

“Did you give me Karma Fruit?”

She nearly choked. Karma Fruit?

How was she supposed to explain Edmund blasting death energy out of him with a glowing paw?

Before she could stumble through an answer, Ulysses nodded to himself.

“It must have been Karma Fruit. Drake must have foreseen this and entrusted it to you in advance, didn’t he?”

Lauren blinked. …If that’s the explanation you’re offering, I’m not about to argue.

She gave a small nod.

Ulysses stroked his beard and chuckled warmly. “I never imagined I’d have such fortune. Worth it. Truly worth it.”

He slowly stood, leaning slightly on the railing for support.

“Lauren,” he said, smiling faintly, “I assume you understand what must be done next. I’ve done what I can. I will enter seclusion to recover. The rest… is up to you.”

Lauren stared at him.

Up to me? Up to her to do what, exactly?

Before she could ask, he was already moving toward the stairs.

“Come,” he said. “I’ll have Xavi escort you down the mountain.”

That’s it? That was the grand conclusion?

He descended far more slowly than he had climbed. His steps were careful, heavy. The old vigor was gone.

Lauren followed behind, helping him when needed.

His use of “your” earlier had been deliberate.

She didn’t fully understand it. But Edmund probably did.

By the time they reached the bottom of the tower, Xavi had returned with Wayne and Briar.

The moment Briar saw Lauren, she bolted toward her and wrapped herself tightly around her leg.

Lauren looked down, baffled. What happened now?

Xavi walked in laughing. “Lauren, your little girl is so shy!”

Lauren forced a polite smile. “It’s her first time traveling so far.”

“That’s good,” Xavi grinned. “Less likely she’ll get kidnapped.”

He stepped forward to support Ulysses. “Senior brother, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Perfectly fine,” Ulysses said cheerfully, despite looking like he’d crawled back from the underworld.

To survive a calamity was a blessing. How could he not be pleased?

“See them down the mountain,” he told Xavi.

“Of course.” Xavi turned to Lauren. “Please.”

Wayne also came to her side. Lauren took his hand, Briar clinging to her other leg.

Xavi escorted them all the way down.

At the foot of the mountain, he looked at Briar with exaggerated reluctance. “Lauren, bring them again next time!”

Lauren smiled. “Of course.” Pure courtesy.

Behind her, Briar shook her head furiously and hid. “Don’t agree to him,” she whispered urgently.

Lauren ruffled her hair. “It’s just polite talk.”

Briar frowned. What was polite talk? Humans were confusing.

Instead of using the teleportation array, Lauren brought them onto her flying boat.

Wayne blinked. “Aren’t we going back to the mountain?”

“Not yet,” she said lightly. “I’ll show you around this area first. No rush.”

Nearby was a mountain range thick with demonic beasts.

At its edge stood a small town where cultivators traded fresh inner cores—first-hand goods, taken straight from hunted beasts.

Edmund hadn’t asked for anything. But having quality demonic cores on hand couldn’t hurt.

Fifth-tier demonic beasts could already take human form. She wasn’t about to touch those.

After half a day of moving through the outskirts and buying what she could, she managed to gather over thirty fourth-tier inner cores.

Too little. Nowhere near enough.

When she asked a vendor about the shortage, he shrugged.

“If you want inner cores, come in the morning. West Street. That’s when everything gets traded—cores, pelts, whatever you want.”

Lauren bowed slightly. “Thank you.”

She found a nearby inn and rented the only suite available.

The place was basic. Rough wooden beams, thin bedding, nothing impressive.

The moment they entered, she set up a defensive array and pasted talismans on the door.

Only after the room was sealed did she relax.

“Briar,” she said, crouching down. “Take care of Wayne. Don’t wander.”

Briar nodded seriously.

Lauren stepped into the adjacent room connected to the suite.

Once alone, she closed the door behind her— And entered her inner space.

“Edmund,” Lauren called softly as she entered her inner space, “look what I brought you.”

No response.

He was still curled up on the leather blanket, breathing slow and shallow—deep in hibernation.

She knew this state.

Some demonic beasts used prolonged hibernation to repair their bodies and souls. When he first left Sky-covering Valley with her, he had slept for what felt like forever. Back then, nothing could wake him.

Lauren crouched beside him and thought for a moment.

Then she took out the thirty-odd fourth-tier inner cores she had collected.

One by one, she crushed them in her palm. Spiritual energy burst out in shimmering waves.

Carefully, she guided the energy into his body, controlling it so it wouldn’t overwhelm him.

The process was slow and delicate.

If she rushed it, she could damage him instead of helping.

It took the entire night to funnel all of the refined energy into him.

By the time she finished, her back ached and her spiritual sea felt slightly drained.

Outside the inner space, in the inn’s modest suite, Wayne and Briar were sitting at a small wooden table.

Between them lay a plate of fragrant roasted demonic beast meat.

Wayne had gone downstairs and bought it from the innkeeper.

Lauren had given him flower dew earlier, but he was still a kid. When the smell of roasted meat drifted upstairs, his stomach growled loud enough to embarrass him.

It wasn’t like he was broke.

He had spirit stones of his own—his sect paid him a stipend, and his family had stuffed his storage pouch full before he left home.

Buying a bit of meat was nothing.

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