Chapter 394: A Critical Moment

“Visky!” Without waiting for Lucy’s response, Nightingale turned to Visky and said, “From now on, you must protect Lucy. Don’t let anything happen to her!”
It was a simple sentence, yet it filled the usually strong Visky’s eyes with tears, turning them red. How could he not realize that Nightingale was leaving instructions for after her death? Her condition must truly be beyond salvage.
“It won’t happen, sister. You definitely won’t be okay. When the time comes, we’ll all leave this place together with Big Brother!” Visky shook his head vigorously and spoke loudly.
The atmosphere in the room was utterly desolate. Lucy’s cries and Visky’s sobs were heart-wrenching.
“I’m so tired. Maybe it’s time to rest. I’ve spilled too much blood in this life!” With a sigh, Nightingale gazed at the ceiling and murmured to herself. She could clearly feel her life force fading away little by little. She didn’t know if she could hold on until tomorrow, until Rod returned!
“Come, sit next to me,” she said, signaling Lucy to sit beside her. Nightingale moved awkwardly, the pain making her frown deeply. Some unknown force within her made her feel as if she were trapped between fire and ice, with heat and cold constantly attacking her body.
“Remember my words. If I’m no longer here, take good care of Rod. He’s the best choice for you! The two of you will be happy together!” With a faint smile, Nightingale repeated her instructions to Lucy. If there was anything in this world she couldn’t let go of, it was Rod, her nominal husband. And then there was the hatred toward her brothers. But at this point, Nightingale seemed to have grown indifferent to that hatred.
“Sister… I…” Lucy grew anxious, her face turning slightly red.
“No need… no need to say anything! I… I can see that you like him! He feels the same way about you… It’s just that… he’s like that—indifferent to everything, sometimes not even knowing what he’s thinking… So you need to take the initiative… Believe me, the two of you will be very happy together!” Nightingale urged Lucy to continue.
Visky, standing beside them, seemed to want to say something. He opened his mouth but ended up sighing instead, remaining silent.

“Promise me!” Seeing that Lucy didn’t respond, Nightingale pressed on!
“I can tell… not only you… but also… Aida from the opposition—everyone has feelings for Brother Rod. You just haven’t voiced them. Even that fool of his can’t see it!” With a helpless sigh, she added, “He’s really a great person. If possible, you all should seize the chance—don’t be selfish. He’s an excellent man, and such a man can’t belong to just one woman. You need to understand that!” As she spoke, a faint smile appeared on her lips, perhaps recalling the moments she spent with Rod.
Her voice was very soft, almost a whisper. Fortunately, the room was utterly quiet, so only Visky and Lucy could hear them.
Time passed by, and both of them waited eagerly for Rod’s return. Lucy kept talking to Nightingale, bringing up every possible topic, hoping to keep her awake and prevent her from falling into sleep. Both knew that once she fell asleep this time, she might never wake up again.
At some point, Merk came by to check on Nightingale. His brows furrowed in surprise—surprised that she could still hold on under such circumstances. He was also amazed by the energy within her—an incredibly powerful energy! It was this strong vitality that kept sustaining her life! The Rainbow Ice Spirit truly was a rare treasure in the world. It indeed had miraculous effects! Even with the pill he had given her, Nightingale’s condition seemed slightly better.
But it wasn’t enough. Her injuries were too severe, and her recovery was too slow. At this rate, it could only slow down the loss of her vitality, not restore it. Unless all the energy in the Rainbow Ice Spirit could be unleashed at once. Merk could see that at that moment, only a tiny amount of energy was being released from the Rainbow Ice Spirit inside Nightingale, very slowly, because her body couldn’t withstand such a massive energy surge. Unconsciously, the Rainbow Ice Spirit released energy to replenish her vitality based on her body’s condition—this was the power of such a rare substance! It already possessed a certain degree of spirituality.
Looking at the sky, dawn had arrived. Unnoticed, another night had passed.

Nightingale was pale, and what about Rod? Had he obtained what was needed? Based on her observations, Nightingale could barely hold on until noon; by then, even the Rainbow Ice Spirit would be of no use, as her body would no longer be able to withstand any energy shock.

“Father, how is it?” Lucy asked softly, seeing Merk’s gloomy expression. Visky beside her also waited anxiously for the result.

“A little better!” Merk said with a bitter smile, his lips twitching.

“Really? That’s great! It must be the Rainbow Ice Spirit working. Sister Nightingale will definitely recover!” Lucy said excitedly, seemingly unaware of Merk’s expression.

Visky, on the other hand, looked worried. He had seen Merk’s expression clearly and could easily understand what was going on. Only someone as naive as Lucy wouldn’t notice.

Visky’s expression grew heavy as he glanced at the sky, silently hoping Rod would return soon. All their hopes now rested on him—whether Nightingale could survive depended entirely on him.

……

Cockcrowing echoed outside, and the sky gradually brightened.

The first rays of sunlight streamed into the room, golden with a hint of pink, breathtakingly beautiful. In the sunlight, tiny particles of dust floated gently.

“Open the window!” Nightingale whispered to Lucy. “I want to see the sunlight!”

Hearing this, Visky quickly opened the window. Immediately, the outside view came into view—the sky was painted in hues of pink, and the rising sun cast a warm glow, bringing a gentle warmth. Although a cold breeze blew, the dawn still felt somewhat cool. How many days had passed? It had been rainy almost nonstop for a month, giving off a lifeless atmosphere. Now, the sunlight brought a sense of vitality, making everyone feel relaxed.

Outside, the members of the Death Scythe Squad, though tired after a night on duty, still stood at attention around the courtyard, meticulous in their duties. Seeing the window open, they all turned their gaze toward the room.

“What a beautiful sun! I promised Brother Rod that I would accompany her to the seaside to watch the sunrise and sunset in the future. It seems that won’t happen after all. Lucy, if you get the chance in the future, please help me see those views. I’ve never seen the sea before!” Gazing at the sunlight, letting its rays fall on her face, Nightingale spoke slowly, with a hint of anticipation and distraction.

Lucy really wanted to tell her how the seaside looked, but having grown up in the Source of Darkness, had she ever seen the sea at all? The mountains and jungles around her were all she remembered.

The sun climbed higher little by little, and time slipped away bit by bit as Death drew closer step by step! Everyone became anxious. Before they knew it, morning had arrived. At this moment, the sun was fully in the sky, and the sunlight became bright. After the gloomy weather, the sunlight shone brightly, bringing with it the scent of soil—a simple, pure aroma. There was no blood smell, no smell of gunpowder, only a simple, primal fragrance.

Merk and Doron entered the room again, both looking grave. They glanced at Nightingale, sighed once more, and left with shaking heads.

Behind them, Lucy and Viski quickly found an excuse to follow them out!

“Is there any news from Brother Rod?” Lucy asked anxiously. Time was running out! But Nightingale’s condition didn’t seem to be improving at all. “If Brother Rod doesn’t return soon, Sister Nightingale will…” Tears streamed down involuntarily as Lucy sobbed. In truth, she understood everything. Her excitement in the morning was just to comfort Nightingale! After going through so much, how could she still be as naive and innocent as before?

“No news. Even if we go to the nearest Ice City, it will take three days to and from. One night is simply not enough!” Doron sighed. Time was indeed insufficient. Too little time had been given to them.

“There are still three hours. Hopefully, he can return in time!” Merk said helplessly, his eyes filled with worry as he looked into the distance. What would Rod become if something happened to Nightingale now? He couldn’t imagine it.

The four of them remained silent. At this moment, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it made breathing difficult!

“Alright, I believe Rod will make it back. The clouds are clearing, and the weather is getting brighter. There’s no difficulty we can’t overcome!” Eventually, it was Doron who comforted them.

After giving their final instructions, the two left. There were still many matters they needed to attend to, and with the city in chaos, they had to go take charge, so they could only spare a little time to make this stop.
“Big brother, where are you? Come back quickly!” Looking into the distance, the remaining Lucy and Viski sighed, their eyes filled with worry as Lucy murmured.