Chapter 309 Suffering (2/2)

When they reached the area that held the piece of starmetal, Arran searched for half an hour, curious to see if there would be so, and eventually, he moved to the spot his sword had Sensed

There, buried under so, curved dagger, exquisitely crafted and made completely from starmetal

He took the weapon in his hand, then called out, ”I found so instantly While the pressure of Essence had slowed her earlier, the exciteorated her in an instant

When she arrived, Arran made a disappointed face, then handed her the weapon

”It's just a dagger,” he said ”You can have it”

”Are you sure?” Negin looked at hiive up the treasure so easily

Arran feigned a sigh ”It's no use to me,” he said ”I need a proper weapon But this should help you, shouldn't it? With this, you can head back”

Yet as he spoke, a frown crossed her face Then, she shook her head ”I can't,” she said ”Like you said, it's not a proper weapon Returning with this…” She sighed deeply ”It would bring me honor, but not nearly as much as a real weapon would”

Arran frowned at her words He'd expected that the dagger would be enough for her to leave the battlefield, especially in her current condition

In truth, he'd long wanted to be rid of her It was clear that her body wouldn't withstand the pressure er, and her presence was an obstacle to his real search

”But you can't go much further,” Arran said ”At most, you'll last another day or two, and that's if you're lucky”

”I have to,” she replied sharply, her expression determined despite the burns on her face ”This is a chance I won't get again I can't give up now Not e're this close…”

Arran realized that arguing would achieve nothing, so he gave her a nod ”Then let's hurry”

They set off again without delay, though Negin left her sword behind Instead, she held the dagger in her hand, gripping it so tightly her knuckles were left white from the effort

Byelse, and Arran was beginning to grow increasingly worried about his co with every step she took, and she looked as if she'd fallen into a blackse In several places, her skin was cracked and bleeding, and he worried that she could fall at any ed her to return, she merely clenched her jaw and refused Even noith her body on the brink of failure, she was deteroal

Arran wasn't sure whether to be impressed with her perseverance or disappointed at her stupidity It was clear that she was determined to succeed even if it cost her her life — which, if they didn't find so soon, it most likely would

Just afterthat instantly caused the girl to slip to the back of hishe could not have drea Shadow

At once, Arran pointed in the direction of the treasure ”There,” he said, unable to fully keep the exciteo there Iin did not reply, but she followed a few paces behind Arran as he hurried toward the treasure ahead

While Arran had no idea how he'd use another shard of Living Shadow, his heart was filled with excite Shadoeapon lay ahead, someone truly powerful would have died there — and they would have carried h terrain, claes and past a misshapen hill as he approached the treasure

But then, as he finally laid eyes on the area where he expected to find the treasure, his heart nearly stopped

The treasure was there, just as his sword had Sensed Yet it did not lie buried beneath the rubble Rather, it hung at the belt of a woht at hiin caught up with him And when she saw the woman ahead, her reaction holly different fro to her knees next to Arran ”That's a Knight!”

He hesitated, but only for an instant Then, he fell to his knees at Negin's side And as he glanced up, he saw that the wo them