Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 241 - Extending a Helping Hand [2/5]

"Help?!"

Hmm?

What’s going on here?

Upon hearing the child’s cry, Yumo’s eyebrows furrowed involuntarily. As she caught sight of the young boy with blood streaming from his shoulder, with tattered clothes, while his pleading hazel eyes met hers, Yumo’s azure eyes suddenly contracted.

Although Yumo had made a decision to mind her own business when she left home, she couldn’t just ignore the injured child. In the next moment, she propelled herself forward, causing the ceramic floor tiles to crack. Yumo transformed into a black figure and appeared right beside the white-haired young boy.

Under the envious gazes of many members of the Black Rose family behind her, Yumo reached out and held the swaying boy, pulling him into her embrace. Sensing his trembling body and the overwhelming fear that surrounded him, Yumo spoke softly to comfort him.

"It’s alright, don’t be afraid..."

"..."

The boy didn’t respond. His limbs started to grow cold, and the glimmer in his eyes gradually faded.

Hmm?

’His injury seems quite severe...’

Unable to bear it, Yumo quickly retrieved the healing elixir called "Tears of Nature" from her spatial ring and carefully dripped it into the boy’s mouth. As the elixir took effect, the wound on the boy’s shoulder gradually healed, and his life force stopped diminishing. He began to regain consciousness.

Relieved to see the boy’s breathing stabilize and the bleeding cease, Yumo let out a sigh of relief. Then, the black-haired girl turned her head slowly and cast a cold gaze toward several blue-clad guards standing frozen in place not far away.

Although she didn’t know what the boy had done wrong, Yumo was displeased to witness such treatment of a child in front of her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice laced with coldness.

Hearing her words and sensing the sharpness in the girl’s eyes, the five pursuing guards involuntarily revealed looks of fear. The Chief Jailer Derek, who was leading the group, couldn’t help but grit his teeth. He was already furious because they had been unable to capture the boy for so long, and now, just when they were about to apprehend him, this unexpected interference occurred?

"Damn it!"

Derek cursed inwardly, knowing that all he could do was curse silently. He was well aware that the person before him was someone he absolutely couldn’t afford to provoke...

’fu@k!’

’The members of the Black Rose family, how did they end up here? And what a "coincidence" to come across an escaped brat like this?!’

’Damn it!’

If it were an ordinary person, Derek wouldn’t hesitate to take action and retrieve the young boy. But when faced with the Black Rose family? Acting recklessly would be akin to walking straight into the King of Hell’s domain.

He couldn’t resort to violence. He had to outsmart them...

And so, Derek put on a sycophantic smile and said,

"Apologies, apologies, for interrupting your leisure. That ignorant slave over there, I’ll bring him back now and won’t bother you any longer!"

"A slave?"

"Yes, indeed. This is a recently acquired slave from our Cowport Estate, not yet properly trained."

"A slave to be shot on sight?"

"No, no. We simply want to prevent his escape. Besides, he’s a slave who pilfered something from the Marquis. Being shot would be his just dessert."

As Derek spoke, he approached Yumo, bending over slightly.

"So, miss, please hand over that boy to us. We need to take him back and report to Marquis."

"..."

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flickered in Yumo’s narrowed eyes. However, before she could say anything, Ed, who was gradually recovering under the effects of the healing elixir known as "Tears of Nature," displayed an expression of immense anger upon hearing Derek’s words. Suppressing the intense pain in his shoulder, he turned around, glaring at Derek with eyes full of hatred.

"You’re spouting nonsense! I’m not a slave, and I would never steal anything from you!"

After speaking, Ed turned back, his eyes pleading with the black-haired sister standing behind him. Though he wasn’t entirely certain of her identity, judging by Derek’s demeanor, this woman must hold a significant position. Perhaps she was his only chance for salvation...

"Sister, I implore you, save me! I’m not a slave of the Marquis’s household at all. Look, I don’t even bear the mark of a slave! And if they take me back, they’ll drain my soul and turn it into a ’Soul Gem’! Please, I beg you, save me!..."

As he spoke, tears choked his voice.

Yumo’s brow furrowed even deeper.

"A Soul Gem? Draining souls?"

Upon hearing Yumo utter those words, Derek immediately grew flustered. After all, the matter of creating "Soul Gems" had been strictly instructed by the Count himself and must not be disclosed. If the girl before him were to spread the boy’s words, the consequences would be unimaginable...

Upon hearing this, Derek hastily began to defend himself.

"No! Young lady, don’t believe that kid, he’s just spouting nonsense! Our Marquis Cowport has been serving the Emperor for decades as a renowned noble house! How could we ever engage in such cruel acts as soul extraction?! Miss, please, you must..."

"I’m not spouting nonsense. More than forty children are held in the third level of your dungeon! I have personally witnessed you extracting the souls of five children!"

"Heh, witnessed it with your own eyes? Are you making things up, you little lowly slave? Surely, Miss, you wouldn’t believe the words of a slave, right?"

"Sister, you have to believe me! These people are truly monsters. They are indeed carrying out these actions right inside the dungeon!"

"Heh, what a joke. You, Fu@ing slave, I think you’ve gone mad, haven’t you?! I advise you to stop talking nonsense! Otherwise, later on, you..."

...

...

In this way, the voices of Derek’s "defense" and Ed’s weeping continued to reach Miss Yumo’s ears, causing the black-haired girl’s brow to furrow even tighter. After observing their argument for a moment, Miss Yumo, unable to bear it any longer, saw a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"That’s enough..."

The girl’s icy voice suddenly rang out, causing Derek, who was in the midst of his deceptive argument, to tremble, with a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. Although the black-haired girl hadn’t exerted any power, her pure gaze contained an indescribable chilling intent, which sent a shiver down Derek’s spine.

His words came to an abrupt halt.

However, soon enough, Derek gathered his courage once more and "righteously" pointed toward the dirty little boy in Miss Yumo’s arms.

"Miss, you really have to believe me. The things this boy is saying are all to evade punishment, all lies to deceive you! Our Cowport family is a well-known aristocratic family! Can we still deceive you..."

However,

Before Derek could finish his words, Yumo’s patience had completely run out.

She completely ignored Derek and his subordinates’ nonsense and cast a sidelong glance at the Black Rose Knight standing beside her.

"Make them quiet."

"As you wish, my lady."

Upon receiving the instruction, the Black Knight, with a wide grin beneath their helmet, seized the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of Lady Yumo. After all, chances to impress thier Lady were not few and far between.

In the next moment,

Under the astonished gazes of Derek and the others, a robust black-armored knight strode towards them, exuding a terrifying aura and an unmistakable intent to kill. The tremors caused by the knight’s overwhelming presence shook Derek’s legs.

"Hey!... Hey! You... What do you... What do you... What do you want?! Wait!... Don’t come any closer! I’m a member of the Marquis Cowport Knights. You can’t..."

Unfortunately,

Before he could finish his words, an iron fist rapidly enlarged in Derek’s eyes...

The Black Rose has always had a noble tradition,

That is, being helpful.

Seeing Derek blabbering so much, this Black Rose Knight couldn’t bear to let him continue. So, reluctantly, they took action~

...

"Boom~"

After a few loud noises, a battered and bruised Derek swayed for a few moments before collapsing to the ground, unconscious and seeing stars. The people from the Cowport family surrounding him were silenced by the scene, cowering in the corner, trembling in fear, afraid of becoming the next target of the Black Knight’s "service"...

Seeing that no one continued to babble,

Yumo shifted her attention back to the little boy, Ed, in her arms.

"Child, I believe you didn’t lie. So, what exactly happened? Tell your Big sister everything."

Caressing the boy’s head, Yumo spoke gently,

Feeling the concern in the girl’s words and the indescribable warmth in her palm, tears fell uncontrollably from Ed’s eyes, like pearls off their strings. Unlike the tears shed earlier out of fear, the reason for Ed’s current tears

was rooted in different emotions...

Looking at the big sister in front of him, extending a helping hand in despair and willing to believe his words, a deep sense of gratitude spread wildly in Ed’s young heart...

The image of the black-haired girl in Ed’s mind also became majestic...

--

"Oh, this feels familiar,"

Watching Yumo who was helping the child,

Sebastian, who had been silently observing, couldn’t help but reveal a smile filled with mixed emotions after locking eyes with Qi Mingtong for a moment. After all, when they were young, they had experienced a scene that felt familiar.

Recalling their past experiences, Sebastian couldn’t help but show a hint of envy,

"Heh, I envy you, kid, being embraced by Lady Yumo..."

Although he felt grateful when Yumo saved him in the cold winter forest, he was also scared half to death at that time. After all, Yumo hadn’t transformed yet and used her eerie blood-colored energy arm...

And there were also a bunch of lurking Abyss Demons around, including a dumbass wolf...

Compared to them back then, this little boy now is truly enviable.

However,

When Sebastian’s gaze fully shifted to the little boy in Yumo’s arms, a profound meaning gradually emerged in the smile on his aged face...

The next moment,

Under the "ill-intentioned" gaze of several Black Rose family members, the emotionally calmed little boy, after wiping away his tears, gathered the courage to hold onto the hem of Yumo’s dress and pleaded urgently:

"Big sister! Please, save my sister, Aisya! And the other children too! Otherwise, they will all be turned into ’Soul Gems’..."

Miss Yumo: "..."