Chapter 424 - 423: Severe Injuries
Colin felt terrible.
To be more specific, it felt as if he’d been encased in concrete. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t move his limbs or even open his eyelids.
In fact, he could barely feel his own limbs and body at all.
’So, is this what death feels like?’
’It must be because I’m not from this world,’ Colin thought. ’That’s why I can’t enter the Divine Kingdom of the Gods and am just stuck in this state.’
’Come to think of it, I remember reading in a book before I transmigrated that death was nothing but an endless void. I guess for a Transmigrator, this kind of outcome is to be expected.’
’We won that last battle, right?’
Although he didn’t know what that thing Edwin faced in the end was, Colin had complete faith in the Legendary Paladin. Since Edwin had arrived, the village should be safe.
’Kase is probably furious right now.’
Colin thought to himself that he had died after single-handedly taking down a living White Dragon—the exact kind of death the Half-Orc had always dreamed of.
As for Orelia, he figured the young girl might cry, but he couldn’t comfort her now. Still, she would probably move on quickly; that kid was pretty tough.
Then there was Ale.
To be honest, Colin couldn’t quite imagine what would become of the Half-Elf. She was still too much of a mystery.
After amusing himself with these thoughts for some time, a question suddenly surfaced in his mind.
’Do you regret it?’
’Of course not,’ Colin thought.
He knew what the wisest course of action had been in that situation, and more importantly, he knew what his own heart truly wanted.
Colin searched his heart. He had chosen the path he wanted most, fully aware of the consequences. Therefore, he had no regrets.
’So, I guess it’s time to enjoy the void now.’
Just then, the sound of faint humming reached Colin’s ears.
The voice was soft, humming an unfamiliar melody he had never heard before.
’Who knew there’d be music after death? Is this some kind of private listening room?’ Colin thought with a bit of sarcasm.
He couldn’t do anything else, so he just listened quietly to the singing.
As time passed, the sound didn’t fade. Instead, it grew louder and louder, as if... as if it were right beside his ear.
Colin really wanted to know who was singing.
He tried to move his body again.
Colin felt as if he were wrapped in a silken cocoon; no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t move an inch.
After struggling for a while, he suddenly opened his eyes.
Before him was the light green canopy of a bed, embroidered with figures of Elves, some standing and some sitting.
Colin lifted his head slightly.
Faint sunlight streamed through a window, illuminating the white sheets that covered him. The song that had been echoing in his ears was coming from beside him.
Colin followed the sound of the singing with his eyes.
A petite figure in a long white dress sat before an open window.
Her arms rested on the windowsill, her face turned to gaze outside.
A gentle breeze swept by, causing the verdant leaves outside to sway lightly.
Her platinum-blonde hair and the white curtains danced in the breeze. Even the finest silk in the world would likely pale in comparison to those radiant strands.
The breeze subsided, and her hair gently brushed against her delicate, beautiful face, revealing a pair of bright, platinum-gold eyes.
Those eyes looked over at him, then widened in surprise.
"Colin, are you awake?"
The singing stopped abruptly as Ale’s voice reached his ears.
Colin was stunned for a moment before he replied, "Yeah... I’m awake."
His voice sounded strange, as if there was something caught in his throat.
Ale quickly turned and shouted out the window, "Colin’s awake! Come quick, Colin’s awake!"
This was immediately followed by the THUMP THUMP of boots on wooden floorboards. The sound grew closer and closer, until the door was thrown open with a BANG.
Colin struggled to turn his head and saw that it was Edwin.
The Paladin walked to the bedside and said, "You’re looking pretty good, Colin."
"Have you seen Kase and the others?"
"You don’t have to worry about Kase and the rest. They’re in much better shape than you are."
Hearing this, Colin managed a smile.
He tried to move his arms and legs, but Edwin saw this and gently held him down. "You were gravely injured from taking the full force of the dragon’s breath."
"A good deal of the White Dragon’s Magic Energy has seeped into your skin. If we healed you directly without dealing with it, there could be side effects. But don’t worry, you’ll be fully recovered in a couple of days."
"Alright, then." Colin nodded.
"You did a magnificent job. Judging by its size, the one you killed must have been a young adult White Dragon, around seventy-something years old," Edwin said with a smile.
Colin asked again, "What about the village?"
"The village was saved in the end, but casualties were high. Even the elderly and the children charged into the fight... Still, compared to the fate that would have awaited them, this is a pretty good outcome."
"The villagers’ will to fight is very strong."
"You deserve some of the credit for that."
"Me?" Colin was confused.
The smile on Edwin’s face faded slightly. He said, "The Church is located at the highest point in the village. Over a thousand villagers could see someone fighting a White Dragon on its roof.
"Honestly, no one could remain indifferent after witnessing a scene like that, especially when it was their own home under attack. Your incredible performance undoubtedly inspired them. You single-handedly turned the tide of battle and changed the fate of over a thousand people."
Hearing that over a thousand people had witnessed his fight with the White Dragon, Colin felt a mix of complicated emotions.
"Alright, I won’t disturb you any longer. You need to rest quietly for a while."
With that, Edwin stood up, patted Colin’s shoulder, then turned and strode out of the room.
Colin looked at Ale beside him and asked, "So what ended up happening? I didn’t get a chance to ask."
"Mr. Helder said you need to rest. I’m not going to tire you out with all that," Ale said with a smile, then gently sat on the edge of the bed and straightened her dress.
Colin stared at her expression, momentarily stunned.
The Half-Elf’s expression was very restrained. If he hadn’t been looking closely, he might not have even noticed she was smiling. Even so, this was one of the very few times he had seen her do so.
Colin blinked and asked, "So I just lie here now?"
"I can read you stories about Knights, or would you like some fruit? I can peel and cut it for you... If you need anything at all, just tell me..."
The Half-Elf rambled on, a completely different person from the one he had first met.
For some reason, Colin felt a strange impulse rise from the bottom of his heart.
He couldn’t help but say, "I didn’t die, Ale."
As soon as he said that, Ale’s voice faltered.
She lowered her head, her hands on her lap clenching her dress tightly. A few droplets landed on the white fabric, disappearing instantly.
"Mm... Thank you, Colin."
"Sorry, I didn’t mean to."
Unable to move, Colin could only watch her reaction in silence.
’For Ale, having a friend who could survive an assault from the Dragon Worship Cult must be a very happy occasion.’