"Seems like I have to get used to seeing you like this. Unlike your previous life where you fought against mortals who didn't have any ethereal arts, in this world you can't face your enemies with the same mentality. You have to learn to expect the unexpected. The guy you killed only had trashy ethereal arts but he still got one over you because of your negligence. Hmph, getting beaten black and blue like this is the best way for you to learn." Luna's critical remarks boomed in Damien's mind.
"Okay, okay, jeez...don't nag me any more. I will be careful next time. Right now, I need some shuteye." Damien could only wryly smile hearing her remarks and thought that he still needed to build up some battle experience to fight against cultivators with ethereal arts.
'Damn my poor ribs...I need a ride. Doggy!'
"Woof"
Doggy came near Damien and kneeled down like a tamed and obedient dog. He got on its back and commanded, "Go!"
Just as it heard it's master's command, it sped through the forest towards where Valentina usually waited for Damien.
'Haa...this is so comfortable...I never thought the infamous Red Eyed Hound could be used as a good mount.'
Feeling the wind hitting his face as Doggy sped through the forest, Damien felt as if he was riding in a car.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})If anyone saw how a human was riding a Red Eyed Hound, the first thought that would pop up in their minds is whether it is a special breed of herbivore hound. Because as a man eater ethereal beast, the last thing people could imagine is anyone using them as mounts.
Even if the hound was a bit weaker than them, they wouldn't dare to be careless and play with it.
Soon enough, Damien reached the meeting spot but was surprised to see Valentina in her ethereal beast form baring her fangs at Doggy and her ruby red eyes had a fevered gleam.
"Hisssss…."
A few moments ago, Valentina sensed Damien's blood before he even reached her place. As she had tasted Damien's blood before, she would be able to sense it at least a few hundred meters away.
She got worried and unsettled thinking how he got hurt and was going to rush towards him when she sensed an ethereal beast closing in on her place and Damien was lying on top of it.
Thinking that the Red Eyed Hound was the one responsible for hurting Damien, blood boiled in her body as she instantly transformed into her ethereal beast form without giving any thought to why the hound was even rushing towards her place.
She knew Red Eyed Hounds were extremely bloodthirsty and the last thing she wanted was for it to do anything worse to Damien.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Valentina looked too small and cute as she was only 20 cm tall compared to Doggy who easily towered over her with its 2.5 meter height. She knew that the hound was way stronger than her but she hardened her heart and chose to stand in its way to save her Big Brother Damien.
Damien saw how she misconceived the situation and was even willing to risk her own life. He instantly commanded Doggy to kneel.
"Relax, Valentina...this dog is my slave." Damien tried to calm Valentina down as he slowly got off from Doggy's back.
Seeing that the hound was being obedient to Damien, instead of getting surprised, she relaxed thinking that the situation was not as she thought. But still seeing Damien's wound's, she instantly transformed into her human form and rushed towards Damien without even putting on any clothes.
"Big Brother Damien!!"
She held Damien's arm and put it over her petite shoulder in order to support Damien.
Damien saw the worried expression in her eyes and said with a reassuring smile,, "I am fine...don't worry. It's just a small scratch."
But beads of tears had already started rolling down her cheeks as she said in a wobbly voice, "B-but you are hurt so bad. Your chest has been again injured. Let's sit down here and let me help you feel better."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"Okay, but don't cry...it doesn't suit a cute and strong girl like you." Damien said softly.
Valentina nodded slowly and wiped off her tears with her arms. She felt a strange emotion in her heart when she saw Damien hurt and before she knew it, tears were already coming out of her eyes. She couldn't comprehend what exactly her heart was feeling as this was the first time she had ever cried in her life. All she knew was that her heart ached seeing Damien covered in blood.
Damien let Valentina slowly rest him down against a tree knowing that she wanted to heal him and ease his pain. But he motioned her to first put on a dress to which she hesitated for a moment and quickly put on her clothes from her spatial ring that Damien had given her before.
He wanted to make sure nobody sneaks in on them even though he had ordered Doggy to keep watch.
Valentina parted Damien's hair and slowly moved her mouth towards his neck as two tiny fangs became visible in her mouth. Damien closed his eyes as he also tried to focus his ethereal energy for healing and pulling the broken ribs together in order to let them heal on their own.
He felt a slight stinging sensation as he felt Valentina's tiny fangs pierce into his neck, but just after that he felt a warm and comfortable sensation spreading from his neck towards his chest.
Valentina infused her ethereal energy into Damien's body in order to boost his healing process.
After a few moments she took out her fangs from his body and suddenly bit her own wrist as bright red blood gushed out.
Damien got shocked seeing her suddenly biting her own wrist and shouted, "What are you doing? Are you crazy? Why did you hurt yourself?"
Hearing Damien's scolding, Valentina didn't budge but instead said with a smile, "Here, drink this Big Brother...it will heal your chest faster." She knew he was worried why she suddenly injured herself and told him the reason without being bothered by the pain or the blood gushing out from her wrist.
"No, no need for all this. I don't want you to hurt yourself in order to help me." Damien's heart clenched thinking about how she even hurt herself in order to heal him.
"Please Big Brother, you have to drink this...otherwise it will all go to waste." Valentina saw how Damien didn't expect and wanted this kind of help from her. So she instead thought of somehow convincing him to drink her blood.
When she infused her ethereal energy before, she found out that his injuries were more serious than she imagined leaving her with only a single choice.
Damien sighed and held her tender forearm. Since her blood was already flowing out, he didn't want to let her intentions go to waste.
He pressed her wrist towards his mouth and started drinking the blood streaming out from her wrist. Valentina felt a little ticklish as Damien's mouth pressed over her wrist and started sucking her blood. However, a happy expression formed on her face seeing that Damien didn't refuse to drink.
Damien felt that her blood tasted sweet and slightly bitter. He didn't expect her blood would taste different than the normal metallic taste of blood. He guessed that it must have got to do something with her blood elemental seed.
As her blood entered his system, he felt that his ribs were completely mending themselves together and regenerating his lost blood cells at a rapid rate!
A few moments later, he didn't even feel much pain and felt his body getting re-energized with all the fatigue and exhaustion being washed away. He speculated that he would be completely healed within a few days.
'Oh shit...what am I doing.' Damien removed Valentina's wrist from his mouth as he realized that he had been sucking off her blood like a hungry vampire for a while. Basking himself in the relaxing and comfortable feeling he got while drinking her blood, he momentarily even forgot about the fact that he was still sucking her blood.
His heart became taut when he saw how Valentina was still smiling even though her face had become a little pale. He felt guilty and asked in a worried tone, "I am sorry...are you okay?"
