Author's Note: Back from my break! Also, sadly, from now on, I will be replying to comments less frequently since I will be very busy with my personal life. If you have any urgent questions that needs to be answered, please ask on my message board or through discord!

I am always flooded with notifications, so I might miss your questions if you ask them in the chapter.

I will still try to reply to the comments, it's so sad that I can't interact with each and everyone of you ;_;

Cecil had the necessary materials in her storage ring to set up a campfire, and a brewing pot for her to make medicine out of the herbs she would collect along the way. Xue was lying on the ground close to the campfire, though he was completely still and his face was awfully pale. If it weren’t for his chest moving up and down slightly, one would assume he was completely dead.

Cecil turned to look at Hana and K’xug, choking on her saliva when she saw the two embracing one another passionately. She looked away, coughing harshly as she hit her chest. 

The cough jolted the pair awake from their daze, and Hana stopped her tears instantly. 

K’xug withdrew from the hug, his eyes wide as he realised he had embraced Hana since he felt too emotional. He glanced away awkwardly from Hana, before reverting back to his indifferent self and he finally remembered about Xue on the ground.

He hurried over to Cecil’s side, kneeling down and Cecil recovered from her coughing bout, blinking rapidly K’xug looked at her with sharp, questioning eyes. 

She recoiled back slightly, not knowing what K’xug was trying to ask. 

Hana joined Cecil, kneeling down beside her and she observed K’xug for a moment. 

“He is asking what happened to Xue, and if he is okay.” 

Cecil looked at Hana, and she looked back at K’xug.

K’xug nodded in agreement. 

“You...cannot talk?” Cecil asked gingerly. 

K’xug shook his head. 

Cecil frowned, she did not recall the novel saying he was mute. 

“I do not know if you know this but...Xue’s soul had been split into fifty pieces and scattered around the world, and he absorbed a soul that had drunk demon blood,” Cecil explained, resting Xue’s head on a makeshift pillow. “Whether he is okay…I do not know, one of his soul fragments said Xue’s presence was...gone.” 

Cecil ducked her head down, biting on her lower lip. “He...he absorbed the soul for me. Because of me, Xue ended up in this state.” 

“Cecil…” Hana muttered sadly.

“It’s all my fault,” Cecil said, her voice becoming hoarse as she fisted her dirty clothes in her hands. “If only I had been stronger, to take care of myself and not let myself get hurt, he…he wouldn’t have stupidly...” 

K’xug stretched his hand forward, waving it in front of Cecil who had her head ducked down. 

Cecil brought her up head, pushing back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. 

K’xug patted himself on his chest, pointing towards Xue as he nodded. 

Cecil looked at Hana, waiting patiently for her translation. 

“He is saying that he can help Xue!” Hana beamed happily as she looked at K’xug. “Am I right?” 

K’xug nodded. 

Cecil couldn’t sense any malicious intent from K’xug. Also, seeing that he had hugged Hana rather...passionately and concerning himself over Xue, Cecil could tell K’xug wasn’t an enemy to Xue, unlike the rest of the heavenly realm and demon realm. 

Cecil started to assessed K’xug’s physical condition and she furrowed her eyebrows in concern. “Just by looking at you, I can tell you are badly injured, are you sure...you are in the condition to help Xue?” 

K’xug blinked, his face impassive.

“Your condition might even be as bad as Xue, just that you aren’t unconscious.” 

K’xug blinked once again, pointing towards Hana as he looked at her. 

“Eh?” Hana tilted her head, puzzled as she pointed to herself. “You want me to help?” 

K’xug nodded.

“How can I help?” 

K’xug frowned and he raised his hand, hovering it over his arms.

Hana shook her head, pouting. “I don’t know what that means.”

He grew troubled at her answer, glancing back and forth between Cecil and Hana, before he sighed in resignation, hovering his hand over his arm once more. All of a sudden, a small ball of light sprouted out from his palm and it gradually grew bigger, floating towards the cut on his arm. 

The cut was healed but the man had become more pale, his chapped lips losing colour. His body swayed as he panted, and the two ladies gasped, hurriedly stabilising him. 

“K’xug!”

“Are you okay?” 

K’xug pushed their hands off, shaking his head as he looked at Hana once again, gesturing his hand over his arm again. 

Do what I just did, use light magic to heal me.

I cannot fully heal myself as I am not a full-fledged angel, especially since I am wounded this badly. 

Hana copied his gestures, blinking. “You want me to do what you just did?” 

K’xug nodded.

“But I don’t know how to do it!” Hana tilted her head once again, bewildered. 

K’xug tilted his as well, mimicking her confused expression. 

He pointed to her and his arm, shaking his head with the same confused expression.

Hana shook her head back in response. 

K’xug straightened himself, growing more confused, shaking his head once again.

Hana shook hers once again, pouting as she made a noise. 

Cecil blinked rapidly, her face a deadpan. 

What even is this conversation?

In the end, the two of them turned to look at her and Cecil widened her eyes, glancing between both of them. 

“Wh..what?” 

“He keeps asking me to heal him like did just now!” Hana said with a chirp. “I can’t do it, so you do it, Cecil!” 

Cecil looked at K’xug, and K’xug just looked her up and down. 

You can’t do it.

You are just a mortal.

Somehow, Cecil had a feeling he was saying she cannot do it, by the way he eyed her in disappointment. 

K’xug glanced back at Hana again, troubled.

Cecil finally understood.

Ah, he doesn’t know what happened to Hana at all.

He must have been stuck down here for a long time. 

“K’xug, come with me for a moment,” Cecil said quietly before raising her voice slightly. “Take care of Xue, Hana.” 

“Okay!” 

K’xug followed Cecil, still looking at Hana with a troubled look. They stood a distance, far enough for Hana not to overhear their conversation. 

“K’xug, Hana lost her memories completely,” Cecil explained. “Even her angelic powers, so she is just like me, someone from the mortal realm.” 

K’xug widened his eyes in disbelief, his head snapping towards Hana again and he looked back at Cecil, frowning. During his time stuck here, he only heard what happened to Xue and Hana vaguely from eavesdropping in conversations, but he didn't understand until what extent.

“You want to know how it happened?” 

K’xug nodded.

“You have to ask Xue when he wakes up.” 

K’xug appeared thoughtful for a moment before he waved his hand at Cecil, nudging his head towards Xue. 

It was obvious he was telling her to follow him back to Xue. 

They went back to Xue, stumbling upon the sight of Hana drenching the cloth that Cecil had brought out from her storage ring in water. Since she was a water element, carrying out a hidden water bottle was a must for emergencies. 

Hana wringed the cloth, placing the cool, damp cloth over Xue’s forehead and she pouted sadly, observing him. 

“Xue, get well soon.” 

K’xug paused at the sight of the scene, and Cecil glanced curiously at K’xug. However, she couldn’t understand his thoughts since his face was completely blank. 

A moment later, K’xug moved, sitting down opposite of Hana and Hana looked up, watching carefully as K’xug started gesturing to her. 

Cecil had no idea what K’xug was trying to say. 

Eventually, Hana nodded and turned to Cecil with a smile. “K’xug said he will be able to help Xue! And that he will leave the rest to us!” 

Cecil was puzzled by the last few words. 

Leave the rest to us? 

K’xug went to work, putting his hands over Xue’s chest and he closed his eyes. A second later, his wings sprouted out from his back without warning, startling Cecil and Hana was composed. It was as if she had seen this happen a million times, even though she hasn't.

His wings, one side belonging to an angel while the other side a demon, was still torn and bloodied. K’xug was in apparent pain as his face twisted, and a drop of sweat rolled down his face. A few seconds later, K’xug started to draw out a trail of blood from Xue’s chest with one hand. The trail of blood was accompanied by a swirl of black mist, and it was enough to fit inside a vial. 

K’xug scrunched his face even more and the trail of blood started to shudder as another trail of white mist shot out from K’xug’s other hand, surrounding the blood. They tangled together and the trail of blood eventually exploded and dissipated into the air, leaving nothing behind. 

The entire process lasted seconds and K’xug panted heavily, keeping his wings. His body swaying as he collapsed to the ground. The two women rushed over to K’xug, and Hana slowly positioned his body to face her, meeting his different coloured eyes. 

“K’xug?!” Hana exclaimed in worry. 

Hana couldn’t understand why she was so worried for a man she had just met, but she felt her heart dropping when she saw him collapsing.

K’xug squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, opening them and the exhaustion was apparent on his face. Moving his head tiredly, he glanced to Xue laying beside him, their faces both equally pale and he looked back at Hana, smiling slightly.

Xue should be fine now. 

Sorry, I’ll be troubling the two of you to take care of me as well. 

Hana nodded her head, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. 

Cecil looked between the two people, noticing an odd atmosphere between them, especially with the way they stared at one another. 

K’xug lost consciousness a second later. 

“He says it's all okay now, and that he is sorry for the trouble.” Hana informed Cecil, looking visibly upset. 

Seeing Hana’s expression, Cecil did not say a word and simply smiled. “There isn’t any need for him to apologise.” 

Cecil looked back at K’xug, tapping her fingers on her chin, pensive. She is shocked at how Hana can easily understand him, which meant that their relationship weren't simply just acquaintances.

Yet, at the same time, they don't seem like an actual couple either.

***

The two women had their heads buried in a book of their own. One was a book about medicine aiding in the recovery of a sick patient, while the other was a book about food for the ill. The books that they had placed into the storage ring on an impulse turned out to be useful. 

A few seconds later, they looked up, nodding to each other, seemingly resolute. 

“I’ll head out to see if I can find any herbs or flowers,” Cecil said, touching the storage ring on her finger. “What do you need to cook, Hana? You remember storing some of the cooking tools and the ingredients in the kitchen?” 

Cecil realised the storage ring was truly worth all her points she had accumulated. Including the unlimited storage attribute, the storage ring could preserve any food or elixir of any kind for as long as she wanted, and they would still remain fresh. 

“I...I cannot remember what I put in there…” Hana pouted. 

Cecil thought back to the packing session that they had in the mansion. Instead of packing, Hana was clearly shoving everything she could think of into the storage ring without any careful thought.

Sadly, there were no herbs back at the mansion. There were only emergency medical supplies that were of no help to the two men who were recovering. 

“It will be a miracle if you could remember everything,” Cecil smiled helplessly. “You just pushed everything into the ring.” 

Hana beamed sheepishly, stretching her arms out. “I wanted to bring eeeeeverything!” 

Cecil laughed softly, withdrawing a long, white cloth from the storage ring as she laid it on the floor. Hana assisted her, and Cecil slowly took out the ingredients and cooking tools that Hana had asked her to bring along. 

Hana recognised the ingredients she needed, her eyes gleaming happily. She seemed eager to get her hands on them, to get to cooking.  

“That’s all, and this tool here is to create fire and to--”

“Mhmm! I know them all, Cecil! I learnt how to use them in the academy!” 

Cecil was surprised by Hana. 

There were people who, if they finally found something they were passionate about, they would remember every single detail of it. Cecil was reminded of people like that now that she looked at Hana. 

Cecil smiled. 

She was glad Hana had found something she was truly passionate about, and she was no longer a woman that sat still and looked pretty.

“I’ll go out and look for herbs.” 

“Mhmm! Be careful, Cecil!” 

Cecil glanced back at Xue and K’xug laying side by side, sighing heavily and she picked up her lantern. She advanced towards the entrance of the cave until she finally saw the familiar sight of a forest surrounded by mist. 

She halted, frowning to herself. 

How am I going to find my way back? And how am I able to spot out for any herbs in this mist? 

[ Cecil Lan, please access the Points Shop~
There may be something there to help you out~ ]

“Why do I feel like this is another scam for my 5000 points?” 

[ … ]

[ Please select the category.
1. Equipment
2. Potions
3. Vanity
4. Enchantments
5. Weapons
6. Misc. ]

“...I didn’t tell you to open the points shop!” 

[ Please select the category. ]

“...”

“Potions.” 

[ Unfortunately, with your measly amount of points, there are no potions available for purchase! ]

Cecil wanted to cough blood at the word “measly”. How expensive were the portions for 5000 points to be considered measly?!

“How about something that will help me find herbs?” 

[ That will be under the equipment category. ]

[ Since you have previously achieved 28,000 points, more items have been unlocked in the Points Shop! ]

“Just show me what I can purchase with 5000 points.” 

[ Huge-ass Fan
Description: It is actually a small fan, but with one swing, it will create a huge-ass gust of wind that will blow everything away! Unfortunately, it is only for one single charge. Use it wisely!
Price: 3000 points ]

[ Radar
Description: The convenient radar found in your modern world! However, it only detects flora and fauna near you and nothing else! Unfortunately, this radar expires within 12 hours upon purchase. Use it wisely! 
Price: 5000 points ]

Cecil sighed at the time limit for the radar. Alas, it was better than nothing, it was good enough as long as she could find the herbs. She would think of another way to find her way back to the cave.

“Get me the radar.” 

She confirmed the purchase with the system and the radar soon appeared in her hands. Somehow, seeing her points back at zero, Cecil felt something cracking a little in her heart. 

Back to zero points again…

[ You are back to 0 points again!
Do not worry, you will gain them back soon enough~
You just have to suffer being a peasant for a while~ ]

Cecil felt her eye twitching in irritation. 

***

Pt. 1

《 start 》

K’xug…

I wonder who he is.

I wonder how I know his name?

It’s like I know him, but I do not know him!

I think...I do care for him like how I care for Xue, but…

It’s different.

It’s completely different!

《 stop 》

***

Pt. 2

《 start 》

Hana...forgot her memories?

They were wiped out? 

Xue allowed them to be wiped out?

...only that weird devil is capable of doing all of this. 

What exactly happened to them when I was trapped down here for forty years? 

If Hana’s memories were all wiped out, then…

…

...whatever it is, I am sorry I couldn’t be there for the two of you. 

Hana. 

Xue. 

《 stop 》