Chapter 75: Cake

It only looked like a slice of red velvet cake. It wasn't anything like chocolate. It was hard and compact with a flaky texture and didn't have much taste, but it wasn't bad or inedible. it was more strange than anything. Zach ate a little more than half before putting it down and wrapping it neatly again.

Still tired and weak, Zach grabbed Yanael and pulled her up next to him. He hugged her and brushed her golden blonde hair out of her bleeding face.

Fortunately, it seemed the injuries weren't serious. All head injuries could be serious, but it wasn't like she had lost an eye or gotten her forehead caved in. Yanael just had a few cuts and bruises that had already stopped bleeding.

Zach hugged her next to him and fell asleep, the relief of survival washing over him and strengthening his exhaustion.

Yanael woke up first and since her last memories were of a scarily strong enemy grabbing her by the back of her head and ramming her into a wall, she was about to enter full combat mode. But then she felt the cold arms wrapped around her and the weak heartbeat thumping against her back.

It was calming. It was also Zach.

Yanael didn't even unsheathe her sword. She glanced around.

They were in the room again. There was no sign of the enemy. They appeared to be safe.

Yanael had no idea what had happened when she was knocked out or how she had arrived back with Zach, but for now, the only thing that mattered was that they were together and alive.

Zach also woke up not long after.

"Yanael?" He asked with a whisper, afraid to wake her up in case she was still knocked out.

"Master?" Yanael faked suppressing a yawn and stretched to pretend she had just woken up.

"How are you feeling?" Zach let go of Yanael.

"I'm fine, Master. What about you? How's your leg?" Yanael got up and moved over to inspect Zach's leg.

Zach frowned and looked at his wrapped wound. He carefully poked it. Yanael moved his hand aside to stop him from doing that.

"...I think it's healed?"

"Master, this isn't the time for jokes. If your mouth is feeling dusty, how about you explain how I got here?" Yanael carefully started unwrapping the makeshift bandage.

"I was serious, but sure. Jigak carried you. He was also the one who knocked you out. He…He didn't actually apologize. But he did prepare a way to the others and a way out. He also gave me some cake and drew a circle on my map."

"...What?" Yanael frowned and accidentally tugged on the cloth around Zach's leg. It should have made him wince. It didn't. But Yanael didn't even notice since she was busy looking at Zach's face to try to guess whether he was joking or being serious. He looked like he was being honest.

Yanael didn't believe it.

Zach nodded.

"A superstrong underworlder almost an arm taller than you with wings and a tail came carrying you by the back of your head. He said some things about respecting the principal and not wanting to kill students. Then he talked about why he came. It was to pick up an experiment. It was thanks to us breaking in that he could easily access this Locale since the experiment failed successfully.

Then he said something about this not being the place I was looking for so he drew on my map. Then he left."

Zach spewed the words nonstop as he told Yanael what had happened as a way to confirm that he was alive. He wasn't crazy. He hadn't imagined it. He wasn't dead.

"...Are you serious, Master?" Yanael was still doubtful. Why would an underworlder spare them? Maybe he was just eccentric and didn't like killing students as he had said. But why go so far as to help them?

But Yanael could tell clearly that Zach wasn't lying. There was a sense of desperation in them.

Zach nodded.

Yanael met his eyes.

"I understand." She turned her gaze to the injured thigh. Zach was telling the truth. That meant the source of doubt and confusion was the underworlder. Sёarᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Yanael's eyes widened as she looked at the bare thigh beneath the cloth wrapping. It was a bunch of sticky, half-dried blood. But the gaping wound was practically gone. The only thing that remained was a star-shaped scar that was still not completely healed.

"Told you so." Zach shrugged cockily when Yanael looked at him for answers as to why his leg had suddenly healed. Yanael frowned.

"...Did that underworlder do this, too?" She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Zach hadn't mentioned it. Had the underworlder done it in secret? Why?

Zach shook his head.

"At least not directly." Zach glanced at the wrapped package next to him.

"It's one of the gifts he gave me. I ate it. After a few bites, my leg started itching. After half, it felt like I had enough. And boom! Leg healed." Zach pointed at his leg with both hands.

Yanael gave him a blank stare before grabbing and inspecting the cake. She looked at it closely, sniffed it, and gave it a lick.

Yanael nodded slowly.

"Mmm. It's certainly not poisonous, but I don't think you should be eating too much of this."

Zach nodded.

"That's a given. I should save it for the next time I get shot in the leg with an arrow."

"Riiight."

Yanael rewrapped the cake and put it in the bag along with everything else. Then, she grabbed Zach's hand and helped him up. Although his wound looked like it had healed completely, there was no reason for her not to help her master stand up.

Zach stretched, jumped, and crouched on the spot a couple of times.

"As good as new."

"That's great, Master."

"Let's get out of here."

Zach and Yanael left the room and followed the torches Jigak had left lit.