"Ah!"

The Red Dragon Queen felt warmth flow into her icy chest, forcing away the coldness and numbness . She instantly recovered her feeling . This wasn't a good thing because what followed was an intense pain that made her go crazy .

It was terrifying, like someone plunging a blunt knife into her body and then cutting her into pieces, bit by bit, before rolling her into a ball of ground meat . She felt like her bones were getting shattered!

Under this extreme pain, all she could do was scream .

But the small movement brought new pain . The pain came in waves, each stronger than the last . It felt like her intestines were breaking and her soul was scattering .

What's wrong? Who's torturing me?

Gretel couldn't think properly under the pain . Her vision was black, and she couldn't see anything . Her mouth was numb and swollen too . There seemed to be a block of wood inside so she could clench her teeth .

Those two questions remained in her mind for a long while . Suddenly, another warm current surged . More numbness was driven away . Coming back to life, her body grew more sensitive . Even more unbearable pain came, shattering her mind .

She started floating in the sea of pain . Surrounded by darkness, she didn't know when she would see land or why it was like this . She just waited for time to pa.s.s in the torture, confused and lost .

After who knew how long, a shred of light appeared in the dark sea of pain . It came from the sky .

The only thought in her mind was: what is that?

The light approached quickly . When it was close, Gretel vaguely saw that it was a hand . This hand of light came from the sky and grasped her body, pulling her from the endless torture .

It was like a hallucination but also a bit real . She couldn't distinguish real from unreal .

But she felt that the pain had reduced to something bearable . Gretel also felt a bit of her vision recover . A blurry figure appeared—he was familiar . A familiar voice sounded in her ears too .

Gretel couldn't hear the voice clearly, but it seemed to be warm like winter sunlight . She calmed instantly .

The warm current from before kept surging into her . This time, the pain reduced when it appeared again . What resulted was indescribable warmth and comfort .

Slowly, Gretel's vision sharpened more, and she saw the figure clearly . She saw the young yet plain face and the black battle robe . The sleeves were rolled up, and the hands were covered in blood . They reflected the moonlight . There was something like a thread and needle in the hand . It was doing something in her chest and abdomen . The warmth she felt came from these hands .

The memories of before returned to Gretel's mind . She'd run into the Light Magician Halino . She hadn't been his match . A few moves later, she had been nailed to the wall by the Spear of Light . Then Link had appeared, and Halino had detonated the spear . She didn't know what happened afterwards .

But Link was healing her now . At the very least, this meant Halino hadn't defeated him…This young man was incredibly powerful . He'd killed the Black Magician Eugene who had been undefeatable for centuries . He'd also survived a battle with the Light Magician . Unfortunately, he had his own path and didn't belong to the dragons .

Looking at Link's focused expression and the sweat on his forehead, and feeling her body recovering quickly, Gretel stopped caring . She threw away all worries . Without speaking, she gazed at Link, looking at every curve and detail on his face .

She wanted to remember all of this .

On the other hand, Link was focused completely on healing Gretel's injury . Instead of the flesh magic puppet spell, he used Vance's anatomy method . He also used Realm Essence to urge Gretel's body to heal itself . The effect wouldn't be as fast as the flesh magic puppet spell, but it would help Gretel recover to its original state . There wouldn't be many side effects .

Gretel's injury was grave . That explosion had practically shattered her body . Link had used two hours just to keep her from dying . Then he used three hours to help her regain consciousness and get rid of the pain .

But she was still far from recovered . Link couldn't help much during this process . It depended on Gretel's own recovery ability .

After another half an hour, Link finally treated all the surface wounds . From the outside, Gretel's body had recovered . There were just st.i.tches everywhere that looked menacing and scary . To prevent scarring her mentally, Link washed the blood off his hands and wrapped her with the magic gauze he'd prepared .

"Your Majesty, your wounds are treated but are still grave . You need at least ten more hours before he can move . "

As he spoke, Link placed a fur cape on Gretel's body and a clean s.h.i.+rt under her head for a pillow . Now, Gretel had collected the weak emotions that had come out . She was once again the Red Dragon Queen .

"How's Halino?" she asked softly .

"He's dead . " Link wasn't surprised by the Red Dragon Queen's actions . They'd chosen different paths and were both rulers . If the prior disagreement still existed, they would have no room for negotiations .

Gretel was shocked . She didn't think that things were more dramatic than she'd imagined . Link had killed both Light and Dark Magicians . After a moment, she asked the most important question . "Did you get the piece?"

When asking the question, she wished that Link would tell her he didn't . Even if it was a lie, she would accept it and move on .

So what if Link became the ruler? He had the ability . As the ruler of Ferde, the territory had prospered instead of sinking into darkness . Anyway, she didn't want to care anymore . She couldn't care . As long as Link lied, she wouldn't be conflicted .

But Link nodded . "I did . "

The Red Dragon Queen's heart turned bitter . She said with difficulty, "You shouldn't have saved me . You should've killed me!"

Link smiled . He rolled down his sleeves and pulled a book from his waist . "Actually, we were all fooled by the protector . The piece can't do anything . It's just a key . What I received, in the end, was a book of Secret spells . "

Link opened the leather buckle on the book and flipped through for Gretel . "Do you see? It's all Secret spells and some Soul spells . This was left behind by some powerful ancient Magician . It has nothing to do with the World Tree . "

"Really?" Gretel's eyes sparkled with happiness . The pained expression in her brows dissipated .

"When have I ever lied to you? In reality, you're the one who's always lying . Do you still remember the Dragon Valley?" Link asked in return, smiling .

Gretel sighed in relief . Link was right . She'd indeed lied to Link many times, tricking him into the Dragon Valley . Of course, these were nothing now . Even if the Soul spells in Link's book were mostly forbidden, that didn't matter either .

The most terrifying disagreement between them had disappeared . They didn't have to kill each other anymore . It was enough .

Gretel's brows curved and her voice became gentle . Her entire temperament grew gentle . "Thank you for saving me, Duke . "

"Duke?" Link arched an eyebrow in confusion .

"I think that your idea before was right . The dragon race can't remain in the same spot . When I recover, I will return and persuade the elders to share the secret of the Dragon Power . "

Then, fearing Link wouldn't agree, she asked, "Will you come back?"

"Your Majesty, I'm very happy you can understand me . " Link smiled and nodded . He agreed .

"Duke" was only a t.i.tle to represent that he saw himself as part of the dragon race . But now, he and the Red Dragon Queen didn't have any difference in status .

In reality, this was like an alliance . Link lowered his t.i.tle in consideration of the ego of the ancient dragon race . (Take the Qing Dynasty tribute trade for example . It was trade but was called "tribute" for the Qing Dynasty's ego . )

Gretel obviously knew they couldn't return to the past . But after experiencing this event, she understood something . Decisions shouldn't be made in a hurry . She should look forward—it may be a good thing .

"Where are we now?" Gretel looked around and only saw icy walls . There was a magic light above her head .

"We're still in the extreme north . This is a hole I dug randomly to keep warm . " Link chuckled . As he spoke, he felt that Gretel's wound had used up all her power again, so he started feeding her power .

"Your injury is very grave . The power cycle may even be damaged, so every now and then, I must feed your power to boost recovery . A few hours later when you're better, I'll take you to Ferde . "

Right now, the Red Dragon Queen didn't have any power at all . It was all supplied by Link . She couldn't recover it anymore, and Link didn't know why . But seeing as her body kept using up power to heal itself, it was highly possible she would recover .

Gretel nodded in agreement .

After a pause, she suddenly thought of something . "What about those who'd come with you?"

"They're okay . The test we experienced was actually an illusion . My people have returned to Ferde . The Mountain Sage also returned to Dwarf Mountain . The Warrior from the Isomerism Realm has also disappeared . I checked the tracks in the snow . They seemed to have gone towards the Black Forest . "

"Oh, that's good . " Gretel sighed softly . "This way, we won't be able to stop the fusion of the realms . Firuman will have trouble . "

Link nodded . "Indeed, but we're still alive . There's hope that we can solve it . "

Gretel looked at the young man . He was calm when he spoke . Even something as shocking as the realms fusing couldn't shake him .

She smiled and thought, You're wrong . As long as you're here, then there is hope .

Chapter 601: Can I Still Call You Duke?. Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Ah! The Red Dragon Queen felt warmth flow into her icy chest, forcing away the coldness and numbness . She instantly recovered her feeling . This wasnt a good thing because what followed was an intense pain that made her go crazy . It was terrifying, like someone plunging a blunt knife into her body and then cutting her into pieces, bit by bit, before rolling her into a ball of ground meat . She felt like her bones were getting shattered! Under this extreme pain, all she could do was scream . But the small movement brought new pain . The pain came in waves, each stronger than the last . It felt like her intestines were breaking and her soul was scattering . Whats wrong? Whos torturing me? Gretel couldnt think properly under the pain . Her vision was black, and she couldnt see anything . Her mouth was numb and swollen too . There seemed to be a block of wood inside so she could clench her teeth . Those two questions remained in her mind for a long while . Suddenly, another warm current surged . More numbness was driven away . Coming back to life, her body grew more sensitive . Even more unbearable pain came, shattering her mind . She started floating in the sea of pain . Surrounded by darkness, she didnt know when she would see land or why it was like this . She just waited for time to pa.s.s in the torture, confused and lost . After who knew how long, a shred of light appeared in the dark sea of pain . It came from the sky . The only thought in her mind was: what is that? The light approached quickly . When it was close, Gretel vaguely saw that it was a hand . This hand of light came from the sky and grasped her body, pulling her from the endless torture . It was like a hallucination but also a bit real . She couldnt distinguish real from unreal . But she felt that the pain had reduced to something bearable . Gretel also felt a bit of her vision recover . A blurry figure appeared—he was familiar . A familiar voice sounded in her ears too . Gretel couldnt hear the voice clearly, but it seemed to be warm like winter sunlight . She calmed instantly . The warm current from before kept surging into her . This time, the pain reduced when it appeared again . What resulted was indescribable warmth and comfort . Slowly, Gretels vision sharpened more, and she saw the figure clearly . She saw the young yet plain face and the black battle robe . The sleeves were rolled up, and the hands were covered in blood . They reflected the moonlight . There was something like a thread and needle in the hand . It was doing something in her chest and abdomen . The warmth she felt came from these hands . The memories of before returned to Gretels mind . Shed run into the Light Magician Halino . She hadnt been his match . A few moves later, she had been nailed to the wall by the Spear of Light . Then Link had appeared, and Halino had detonated the spear . She didnt know what happened afterwards . But Link was healing her now . At the very least, this meant Halino hadnt defeated him…This young man was incredibly powerful . Hed killed the Black Magician Eugene who had been undefeatable for centuries . Hed also survived a battle with the Light Magician . Unfortunately, he had his own path and didnt belong to the dragons . Looking at Links focused expression and the sweat on his forehead, and feeling her body recovering quickly, Gretel stopped caring . She threw away all worries . Without speaking, she gazed at Link, looking at every curve and detail on his face . She wanted to remember all of this . On the other hand, Link was focused completely on healing Gretels injury . Instead of the flesh magic puppet spell, he used Vances anatomy method . He also used Realm Essence to urge Gretels body to heal itself . The effect wouldnt be as fast as the flesh magic puppet spell, but it would help Gretel recover to its original state . There wouldnt be many side effects . Gretels injury was grave . That explosion had practically shattered her body . Link had used two hours just to keep her from dying . Then he used three hours to help her regain consciousness and get rid of the pain . But she was still far from recovered . Link couldnt help much during this process . It depended on Gretels own recovery ability . After another half an hour, Link finally treated all the surface wounds . From the outside, Gretels body had recovered . There were just st.i.tches everywhere that looked menacing and scary . To prevent scarring her mentally, Link washed the blood off his hands and wrapped her with the magic gauze hed prepared . Your Majesty, your wounds are treated but are still grave . You need at least ten more hours before he can move . As he spoke, Link placed a fur cape on Gretels body and a clean s.h.i.+rt under her head for a pillow . Now, Gretel had collected the weak emotions that had come out . She was once again the Red Dragon Queen . Hows Halino? she asked softly . Hes dead . Link wasnt surprised by the Red Dragon Queens actions . Theyd chosen different paths and were both rulers . If the prior disagreement still existed, they would have no room for negotiations . Gretel was shocked . She didnt think that things were more dramatic than shed imagined . Link had killed both Light and Dark Magicians . After a moment, she asked the most important question . Did you get the piece? When asking the question, she wished that Link would tell her he didnt . Even if it was a lie, she would accept it and move on . So what if Link became the ruler? He had the ability . As the ruler of Ferde, the territory had prospered instead of sinking into darkness . Anyway, she didnt want to care anymore . She couldnt care . As long as Link lied, she wouldnt be conflicted . But Link nodded . I did . The Red Dragon Queens heart turned bitter . She said with difficulty, You shouldnt have saved me . You shouldve killed me! Link smiled . He rolled down his sleeves and pulled a book from his waist . Actually, we were all fooled by the protector . The piece cant do anything . Its just a key . What I received, in the end, was a book of Secret spells . Link opened the leather buckle on the book and flipped through for Gretel . Do you see? Its all Secret spells and some Soul spells . This was left behind by some powerful ancient Magician . It has nothing to do with the World Tree . Really? Gretels eyes sparkled with happiness . The pained expression in her brows dissipated . When have I ever lied to you? In reality, youre the one whos always lying . Do you still remember the Dragon Valley? Link asked in return, smiling . Gretel sighed in relief . Link was right . Shed indeed lied to Link many times, tricking him into the Dragon Valley . Of course, these were nothing now . Even if the Soul spells in Links book were mostly forbidden, that didnt matter either . The most terrifying disagreement between them had disappeared . They didnt have to kill each other anymore . It was enough . Gretels brows curved and her voice became gentle . Her entire temperament grew gentle . Thank you for saving me, Duke . Duke? Link arched an eyebrow in confusion . I think that your idea before was right . The dragon race cant remain in the same spot . When I recover, I will return and persuade the elders to share the secret of the Dragon Power . Then, fearing Link wouldnt agree, she asked, Will you come back? Your Majesty, Im very happy you can understand me . Link smiled and nodded . He agreed . Duke was only a t.i.tle to represent that he saw himself as part of the dragon race . But now, he and the Red Dragon Queen didnt have any difference in status . In reality, this was like an alliance . Link lowered his t.i.tle in consideration of the ego of the ancient dragon race . (Take the Qing Dynasty tribute trade for example . It was trade but was called tribute for the Qing Dynastys ego . ) Gretel obviously knew they couldnt return to the past . But after experiencing this event, she understood something . Decisions shouldnt be made in a hurry . She should look forward—it may be a good thing . Where are we now? Gretel looked around and only saw icy walls . There was a magic light above her head . Were still in the extreme north . This is a hole I dug randomly to keep warm . Link chuckled . As he spoke, he felt that Gretels wound had used up all her power again, so he started feeding her power . Your injury is very grave . The power cycle may even be damaged, so every now and then, I must feed your power to boost recovery . A few hours later when youre better, Ill take you to Ferde . Right now, the Red Dragon Queen didnt have any power at all . It was all supplied by Link . She couldnt recover it anymore, and Link didnt know why . But seeing as her body kept using up power to heal itself, it was highly possible she would recover . Gretel nodded in agreement . After a pause, she suddenly thought of something . What about those whod come with you? Theyre okay . The test we experienced was actually an illusion . My people have returned to Ferde . The Mountain Sage also returned to Dwarf Mountain . The Warrior from the Isomerism Realm has also disappeared . I checked the tracks in the snow . They seemed to have gone towards the Black Forest . Oh, thats good . Gretel sighed softly . This way, we wont be able to stop the fusion of the realms . Firuman will have trouble . Link nodded . Indeed, but were still alive . Theres hope that we can solve it . Gretel looked at the young man . He was calm when he spoke . Even something as shocking as the realms fusing couldnt shake him . She smiled and thought, Youre wrong . As long as youre here, then there is hope .