Chapter 441 – Pardon

“Hurry, save that child!”

Just as Ovakain was immersed in sorrow, Aisha’s urgent words suddenly reached him.

Following Aisha’s pointing finger, Ovakain quickly spotted the scene unfolding on a nearby street.

There stood a blood-soaked goat-headed creature on an elevated platform, laughing maniacally while brandishing a blade. In its other hand, a delicate little girl with two horn-like pigtails was crying in terror, her floating pink short hair drifting like helpless clouds in the sky.

“Damn goat-head, not even sparing such a young child,” Ovakain cursed inwardly as he immediately hurled the prepared “Burning Blast” toward the creature’s back.

According to the black dragon’s calculations, this “Burning Blast” would detonate in mid-air behind the goat-headed creature. The terrifying scorching flames would incinerate the monster without harming the little girl, while the resulting shockwave would propel her into the air. Then, by using “Rapid Shift” to dash over and catch her, he could execute this perfect rescue.

An apparently perilous but actually well-conceived rescue plan formed almost instantly in Ovakain’s mind. His first “Burning Blast” exploded precisely at the predetermined location.

“Child, maintain a standing posture in the air. Keep your hands close to your sides and don’t resist the shockwave. Let it carry you outward. Don’t be afraid of the height—I’ll catch you.”

Almost simultaneously with releasing the “Burning Blast,” Ovakain’s urgent message flooded into the pink-haired girl’s mind.

Without excessive response—mischievous children were rare in this world, and most knew to obey adults in critical moments—this clearly well-bred girl immediately followed instructions.

Right after receiving Ovakain’s message, the girl who had been struggling desperately to break free from the goat-head’s grasp suddenly stilled. She closed her eyes tightly, placing her delicate pale hands against her thighs. Though her pallid face and tightly pressed lips still betrayed her fear, she ultimately trusted Ovakain’s words and prepared for the black dragon’s rescue.

The next instant, a firework-like blast erupted in the air far behind the goat-headed creature.

BOOM!

A dull roar mixed with high-pressure air shockwaves spread outward. The scorching flames shone as brilliantly as a sun descending to earth. The laughing goat-head—who had been about to sever the girl’s head with its bone blade—was engulfed in flames before it could react. The subsequent shockwave sent the girl flying backward at terrifying speed.

“Good child, don’t be afraid. I’m coming to save you.”

Seeing the girl’s petite form tracing a pink arc through the air, Ovakain immediately prepared to cast his spell and rush to catch her.During this time, he considered Aisha’s safety beside him. To prevent her from being swarmed by goat-men during the few seconds he’d be away, Ovakain deliberately erupted with magical energy to blast away the goat-men surrounding Aisha.

He also considered the little girl’s state of mind, knowing she must be feeling the terrifying high temperatures. If she opened her eyes, she would see flames filling her vision. Worried the girl might struggle mid-air and get injured by the shockwave, Ovakain specifically transmitted another gentle message to comfort her.

However, there was one thing Ovakain failed to consider – the possibility of his spellcasting going wrong!

Ovakain was a peak-level 19th Archmage, and “Rapid Shift” was a high-level spell he had personally improved. When it came to constructing this spell model, Ovakain could even make his dragon form move rapidly while dreaming. Casting “Rapid Shift” had become part of his instincts, just like how people don’t worry about their fingers suddenly becoming uncontrollable when rubbing their eyes. The concept of “Spell Instant failure” simply didn’t exist in Ovakain’s mind.

But… fate’s jokes are always so malicious and unpredictable. His excessive familiarity with the ability and 100% success rate ultimately made Ovakain forget about his current soul state, forget that “Rapid Shift” was ultimately a difficult Master-Level spell, and forget that his personally improved version – with faster casting speed and longer shifting distance – wasn’t entirely stable yet.

Perhaps at his peak, Ovakain could effortlessly cast even the most difficult spells. But the current Ovakain was far from his peak condition – in fact, his soul was still full of stinging pain and cracks at this very moment.

Thus, tragedy struck suddenly at the most unexpected place.

Just as Ovakain’s “Rapid Shift” spell model was about to complete construction, just as the black dragon had stretched out his arms in preparation, just as Aisha had turned her gaze away… accompanied by excruciating pain resonating from the depths of his soul, Ovakain’s “Rapid Shift” spell model – collapsed!

“Big brother, Ya Nuo will be very good and obedient. Ya Nuo isn’t afraid. The big brother who can even defeat the bad guys will definitely come catch me.”

The little girl’s final thoughts traveled through the temporary mental channel Ovakain had opened, reaching his heart. The black dragon could sense it was a very pure trust. Though the girl’s heart was still filled with fear, at the final moment, she unreservedly placed all her trust in Ovakain who had made the promise. From beginning to end, she strictly followed Ovakain’s instructions, remaining completely still while enduring the shockwave’s baptism, because Ovakain had said he would come catch her.

But… in reality, what awaited the little girl wasn’t a gentle embrace, but… the cold ground.

“Thud”!!

The dull sound of something heavy falling from height ended the girl’s expectations and concluded this rescue attempt.Pink clouds turned into crimson mire, splattered blood stained the earth, a glimmer of light slowly faded in the air, the sound of shattering bones sharper and more piercing than the explosive crack of splitting ground.

Ovakain had no time to rescue her. The collapse of his spell matrix caused the fully charged energy to scatter completely. The black dragon, already poised for action, could only stare blankly as the girl in the distance crashed into the ground, transforming into a blood mist too ephemeral to even utter a final cry…

There are many things beyond one’s control, leaving no room for regret, for no one could have foreseen such unknown outcomes before they occurred.

Yet, how could guilt and sorrow that seem to shatter one’s very soul be absolved by mere words of “unforeseen circumstances”?

(End of Chapter)