Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 222 - Even Men Need to be Protected

Ole stood at the doorway, gazing grimly into the room. He could no longer hear Xiqin's weak breaths. As Xiqin lay completely still with her eyes closed, Ole knew in his heart that his daughter had passed.

He stood silent, unable to speak. To Xiqin who had suffered tremendously over the past years as she was tortured by the dark creature within her, death might have been a relief. But her father, Ole, still felt deeply guilty for making the decision, even knowing it was for her sake.

On top of it all, Xiqin's mother had passed away long ago. In the blink of an eye, Ole was left all alone. It felt like he had been submerged in an endless sea—isolating, suffocating, and it filled him with despair. It was hard to breathe.

Ole wiped his face with his hand, his gaze still fixed on the room. Inside, Cassius stood up slowly from the chair, gently lifting Xiqin up by her waist and knees. With a certain gentlemanly grace, he laid her down on the bed.

Cassius walked toward the door slightly dazed, as if deep in thought. Amos, who had been standing in the doorway, stepped back. He glanced up and down at Cassius, noticing something slightly different. Cassius still looked the same, young and beautiful,, but now there was a faint, almost tranquil, aura about him.

Amos couldn't help but think Cassius resembled a plant, radiating a natural and fresh warmth. Just a glance at him evoked images of forests and meadows. Being the straightforward person that he was, Amos did not hesitate to voice it out loud.

Cassius was rendered momentarily speechless when he heard this, but after some thought, he had a guess. It likely had to do with the special vibrations that had been transferred from Xiqin earlier. The vibrations were unique since they had to circulate through his body several times before being absorbed. Perhaps that had slightly altered his aura, making him more appealing.

On that note, wasn't this similar to Xiqin’s charm, albeit much weaker. It was just enough to make people feel a slight fondness for him and find him more approachable.

It was quite a good thing. If he could bring this aura back into his real world, it would balance out his typically cold and intimidating demeanor. His strong life force and physique usually made him seem aloof, sometimes even frightening. A touch of this newfound charm might make people less afraid of him.

It got him thinking about his two bodies. If he successfully fulfilled Li Wei's lingering attachment, would this delicate, beautiful young body fuse with his real-world muscular form? Would the two bodies blend into something entirely new to create a more balanced version of himself?

Well, one thing was certain: he was going to be quite the looker. After all, his current body, enhanced by the Golem Covert Martial Arts, was strikingly attractive, and his original appearance wasn't too bad either. The fusion of the two could make for an incredibly refined and handsome man.

Beside him, Ole, his eyes red-rimmed, asked in a subdued voice, "Mr. Li Wei, may I go in and see my daughter?" Despite being the division head, he still felt inclined to get Cassius's approval.

Cassius, still deep in thought about the fusion of his two bodies from the current timeline and the real world, nodded absentmindedly.

Ole took a deep breath and walked past Cassius. "Thank you."

His shoes made no sound as they touched the carpet. Gently, he moved to the side of the bed where Xiqin lay, not bothering to move a chair. Instead, he got on one knee, quietly studying his child on the bed.

It had been so long since he had looked at his daughter this closely. He had not been this close to Xiqin since the accident that day. It also marked the disappearance of his smile.

Looking at his daughter who looked like a delicate doll as she lay on the bed, tears finally streamed down Ole's cheeks. Men rarely shed tears, but only because they hadn't yet reached the depth of their sorrow. He gazed at Xiqin's blurred face, and his thoughts turned to another woman who looked like her—his beloved wife.

"They're all gone. It's my fault. I should have never joined Black Ops Agency in the first place. If I'd just been a regular civil servant, neither of you would have been dragged into this..." Ole muttered to himself, his tears obscuring his vision.

The administrators of the Black Ops Agency stepped inside the doorway and stood quietly beside Ole, at the edge of the bed.

Ole held Xiqin's hand, still speaking in a soft voice, "You've always loved lavender. Tomorrow, I'll find the most beautiful lavender field, and I'll make your grave there."

"Huu... Huu..."

A faint snoring sound made him freeze in place.

Ole blinked hard, trying to clear his tear-filled eyes. He wiped his face with his hand, pulling back in disbelief. He turned to look at Xiqin with bewilderment and disbelief.

He saw that Xiqin's pale face, resting on the soft pillow, had the peaceful countenance of a sleeping child, and soft snores escaped from her nose. Perhaps from being too comfortable, a small smile played on Xiqin's lips as a tiny drop of drool glistened at the corner of her mouth.

"I... What?!" Ole shot up from the floor, head whipping first to his daughter and then to the two administrators beside him.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He had been mourning just moments ago, but now, a strange joy was beginning to rise. The conflicting emotions twisted his expression.

Ole slapped himself across the face. Then he bent down, carefully placing his fingers under Xiqin's nose. He felt the faint puff and recede of her breath.

"She's not dead? She's okay?! Th-this... this..." Ole looked again at the two administrators in incredulity, before rushing a few steps forward in a hurry.

He grabbed Cassius, who was still lost in thought about how best to use the effects of the Golem Covert Martial Arts, and pointed at Xiqin.

"My daughter... she's breathing! She-she..." Ole stammered. Regardless of how strict or dignified a man might be, when it came to his loved ones, there would always be moments of panic.

His emotions had been on a rollercoaster ride, climbing from the depths of despair to an unexpected high. Ole feared that this moment of hope was just a fleeting illusion, a brief mental clarity before the end.

Seeing Ole point at Xiqin, Cassius snapped back to reality. His expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Oh, your daughter's fine."

Ole's face lit up with a mixture of disbelief and amazement. Still in shock, he asked again, "Is she really alright? But earlier, you said there was a high chance she'd...die."

"Well, that was then, and this is now. It was my first time dealing with a dark creature so miscalculations happen," Cassius replied offhandedly, his mind still filled with the lingering thoughts brought on by the full completion of the Physical Body stage of the Golem Covert Martial Arts. @@novelbin@@

After finishing that thought, he added reassuringly, "Don't worry. The dark creature inside your daughter has been dealt with. In fact, she's healthier than most adult men now. Her body is free of any hidden threats. She can live a normal life again."

Cassius's words hit Ole like a shot of adrenaline. Immediately, he stood tall, brushing his disheveled hair back and pulling out a white handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the tears streaking his face.

After smoothing out his clothes and adjusting his collar, Ole walked gingerly to the side of Xiqin's bed. He took a deep breath and was about to bend down when he suddenly stopped and turned to Cassius. "Li Wei, should I wake her up now? There won't be any lingering side effects, right?"

"No," Cassius responded quickly. He understood Ole's feelings as a father.

Hearing this, Ole felt reassured. He gently patted Xiqin on the shoulder. A few seconds later, a pair of beautiful black eyes slowly opened. They were deep and clear, like two black gemstones.

Ole's face broke into a smile, tears of joy welling up. He sat by the bed, softly saying, "Thank goodness, you're awake, that's all that matters..."

Xiqin shifted slightly in her bed, her black eyes reflecting the four figures standing nearby. Her sleepy expression slowly shifted into a smile.

Seeing her smile, Ole's heart nearly burst with relief, and he smiled as well. He spread his arms, ready to embrace his daughter who had seemingly returned from death, but found himself hugging nothing but air.

Xiqin leaped from the bed with startling speed, her eyes locked on Cassius as she bolted toward him.

Smack!

She clung to Cassius like an octopus, her soft body pressing tightly against his as she nuzzled his neck like a puppy, inhaling his scent.

"You smell so nice. I really like it..." Xiqin murmured, her voice somewhat dazed.

She had her arms and legs completely wrapped around Cassius, her dress slipping up to reveal her round, pale thighs. Her full chest pressed tightly against him without a hint of hesitation and her silky hair smelled floral.

Near the bedside table, Ole, body still frozen in a hugging attempt, turned and saw Xiqin now clinging to Cassius. His tears flowed even harder, his emotions a tangled mess.

"I'm your father... How could you hug someone else..." Ole's emotional walls finally broke. After investing so many feelings, his reward was only to be overlooked. Still, the joy of his daughter being saved outweighed everything else. He sighed deeply, straightening up and slowly walking to the foot of the bed.

Honestly, Cassius himself was taken aback by the situation. One moment, he had been lost in thought. The next moment, an unexpected addition attached itself to him—a fragrant, soft, and...rather springy addition.

Whatever fleeting insight he had been chasing vanished in an instant. Cassius turned and locked eyes with Xiqin, their faces mere inches apart. Her delicate, almost witch-like beauty now wore an expression of innocence, her pure gaze meeting his.

In the next moment, her soft, pink lips moved toward his, but Cassius quickly turned his head, yanking Xiqin off him. He looked at her with mild confusion, extending a hand to grip Xiqin's shoulder. Instantly, he activated the Golem Covert Martial Arts again to assess her condition.

It was the same as before. Xiqin's body was in perfect health, with a magnetic life field one and a half times stronger than that of a normal adult. However, what caught Cassius's attention was that her magnetic life field, in some ways, seemed to resemble the Golem's magnetic life field.

As Cassius probed the frequency of her magnetic life field, a sense of familiarity struck him.

This was... He didn't need to guess; the answer was obvious.

Just like how the special vibration frequency from Xiqin had influenced Cassius's aura, the vibration transmitted to her by the Golem Covert Martial Arts had also affected her. Because her magnetic life field was particularly weak, Cassius's aura had a stronger influence.

In other words, Xiqin survived but because of the subconscious influence of Cassius's magnetic life field, she would instinctively feel a strong attachment to him, viewing him as someone important.

Judging from her earlier behavior, Cassius's importance in Xiqin's heart seemed even greater than that of her father which was unusual. If it had been a normal person receiving Cassius's power transfer, they wouldn't have been affected to this extent. At most, they would have felt some level of goodwill or a slight sense of familiarity toward Cassius.

Xiqin's reaction needed no further explanation. Even from half a meter away, she still squirmed, clearly drawn to Cassius as though he had some irresistible pull over her.

Ten minutes later, Xiqin lay on the bed once more, sleeping soundly. Cassius gently withdrew his hand from her grip, which still carried a lingering floral scent. He met Ole's eyes. "Physically, she's perfectly fine, but there may be some aftereffects, mentally. She'll need time and need to put in some work in order to make a full recovery."

From the tests earlier, everyone realized Xiqin had likely been tormented by the dark creature for too long. Although her body had recovered, her mental state was fragile, with many gaps in her memory. She seemed lost, like a child with an empty soul seeking safety. That explained why she had impulsively rushed toward Cassius earlier.

A moment later, Cassius and the others decided to step outside to continue their conversation. Faint voices from the patrol team reached them from outside the small building. Among them were shocked exclamations.

"What the...!"

"I've never seen anything like this!"

"No way!"

"What's going on outside?" Cassius glanced at Ole. After an exchange of looks, they, along with the others, decided to check it out.

That same evening, a rumor spread throughout the Beiliu County branch of the Black Ops Agency. The skinny, pasty-looking Jack had challenged the muscular Oliver to a one-on-one brawl in an outdoor arena with an unexpected outcome—Jack had emerged victorious!

The incident sent ripples throughout the entire branch, sending a chill down every man's spine. Soon, it was decided that night patrols were to be done in larger groups—after all, men needed to protect themselves too.

As for the two combatants, to everyone's surprise, Ole, the head of the Black Ops Agency, didn't mete out any punishment except to dole out a verbal scolding.

This leniency left both men deeply grateful, and they began to regard Ole as their benefactor.