Chapter 309 Suffering (1/2)

When they awoke in the in

Her skin was bright red all over, and in so to blister Even with the pills, it see her li way to go Because as his sword's Sense told him, the area they were in was completely devoid of treasure

”You look like you've slept well,” she said, casting a look at Arran that held suspicion and envy in equal parts

And no wonder Even without the pills, Arran's skin was only barely beginning to show signs of the barrage of violent Essence While the feeling had become mildly unpleasant by now, the environment was no more than a sin

Arran shugged ”I'm ahead of you in Body Refinement”

There was soth in Body Refinein's would Yet so far, his resistance to ic meant that there weren't any injuries to heal in the first place

Negin looked at him with barely veiled incredulity ”How did you beco without the Imperium's methods?”

It was a question she'd asked at least a dozen times since they met, and none of Arran's answers had satisfied her curiosity But telling her the truth wasn't an option, and he responded with another shrug

”I've already told you,” he said ”Hard work and good fortune But we should getThe sooner we're out of here, the better”

”Are you sure we should be in looked at hi even harsher

”I a weapons, we'll have to head deeper into the battlefield”

Negin sighed, then gave hi, the worry in her eyes was as clear as the burns on her skin

They set off again onlyfurther into the wasteland as the sun began its ascent into the sky And as twilight faded, the light of day illuminated a landscape that spoke only of ruin and devastation

This far into the battlefield, the remnants of battle still looked fresh, as if the battle had been fought round around theic the likes of which Arran could only barely iiants had descended frole spot of ground reh the area, tens of paces deep, and gaping craters riddled the earth like giant pockmarks

Had Arran not knoas a battlefield, he reat natural disaster — a cataclys up against those elt its surface

Yet he knew that the devastation before hies were ultiht es The power to unleash destruction on such a scale caused even Arran to feel uneasy

They navigated the forbidding landscape as best they could, cla And the further they traveled, the stronger the effects of the Essence on Negin grew

By now, h the wounds were still superficial, Arran knew that would not last er This close to the center of the battlefield, the pressure of Essence grew stronger with every step

Then, he Sensed soh his sword — starmetal, barely half a mile away

”We should search over there,” he said, pointing in the direction of the treasure his sword had found

”Why there?” Negin asked, so

”The dae is heavier over there,” Arran said ”That couldin that area — and perhaps more casualties”

He'd invented the explanation on the spot, but with a closer look, he saw it ht not be far from the truth While the devastation was near-complete wherever he looked, the area his sword had indicated seereed without any further questions or objections Even if the hostile environment hadn't shaken her wits just yet, every second on the battlefield was an effort to her, and she had little energy to spare for argument