Chapter 91 - 031: The Occasional Glimpse of Chaos

Chapter 91: 031: The Occasional Glimpse of Chaos

“Will it hurt a bit? You don’t mind, right?”

“Go ahead!”

Heating a silver needle red-hot over an alcohol lamp, Lynch disinfected Avery’s wounds with iodine before beginning the meticulous work of stitching them up.

“Sizzle…”

The red-hot silver needle pierced the girl’s alabaster skin, emitting a sizzling sound. White smoke rose where the skin was touched, filling the air with the acrid stench of burnt flesh.

Her already pale complexion turned even paler on the spot. Cold sweat poured uncontrollably from her forehead, and her body involuntarily flinched.

Lynch frowned. “Don’t move!”

Stitching a wound was an exceedingly delicate task. Her movement was seriously interfering with his precision.

This was merely Lynch’s instinctive professional response, but what he didn’t know was that his curt remark dealt a significant psychological blow to Avery.

As the purest direct descendant of the Tavendish bloodline, Avery had been born into an immensely exalted station.

Even wizards treated her with respect, and apprentices her age wouldn’t even dare to offend her. In her presence, they wouldn’t as much as raise their voices.

Not to mention her unparalleled beauty—she was considered one of the finest amongst human-like beings. Wherever she went, the gazes of men were filled with nothing but admiration and yearning. It would not be an exaggeration to say they’d kneel just to tie her shoelaces if given a chance.

But now?

Her body was being seen in full, subjected to someone’s whim.

To make matters worse, this person was casually working on her while audaciously pointing things out to her.

The grace, dignity, and nobility she usually carried had utterly vanished in this moment. Avery felt, at this moment, that she was no longer the proud lady of Tavendish…

No, she felt she wasn’t even human anymore. She was nothing but livestock, a test subject sprawled out on an operating table.

And yet, she had to endure silently without lashing out.

“Sizzle, sizzle…”

The alcohol lamp crackled as time dripped away second by second.

Avery’s gaze stayed fixed on Lynch’s eyes.

Initially, there was a hint of wary vigilance in such a gaze. It wasn’t intentional—it was merely an instinctive self-protective response that any woman would have.

But as she continuously failed to detect even the slightest hint of improper intent within Lynch’s eyes, an inexplicable wave of self-doubt began washing over her.

’Am I really that unattractive?’

’No…’

’It must be because I’m so gravely injured that I look unsightly…’

Avery shook her head, trying to dispel the disjointed thoughts from her mind. She found it baffling—these trivial matters should not occupy even a fraction of her attention, so why were they cropping up today?

Was it the unanticipated ambush breaking her emotional dam, unconsciously leading her to channel her anger elsewhere?

Or was it simply a natural reaction to a man touching her body for the very first time?

After all, she was merely a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl. No matter how rigorously trained, life experience was something she lacked. Particularly in matters between men and women, she was utterly unversed. When reason clashed with instinct, confusion was inevitable.

One moment, she admired Lynch’s professionalism. The next, she doubted her own charm. One second, she urgently demanded herself to stay calm and rational. The next, she wondered if the guy in front of her was even normal at all.

Admiration, doubt, composure, and anger—it all tangled into an irresolvable loop.

Avery remained trapped in this cycle of chaotic emotions until Lynch’s voice broke through.

“Done.”

Extinguishing the alcohol lamp, Lynch began tidying up his tools.

Avery stayed silent. At last, she felt certain—this apprentice before her indeed did not see her as a woman… no, he didn’t even see her as a person.

“Is something wrong?”

Noticing Avery’s unusual demeanor, Lynch raised his head in apparent confusion.

“N-No, nothing.”

Even though there was a faint trace of inexplicable irritation within her, Avery quickly regained her composure. She reached into her Space Ring to retrieve a fresh set of clothing and redressed herself.

With her modesty restored and her pristine cloak draped over her shoulders once more, the chaotic whirlpool of thoughts in her mind seemed to have been buried beneath its folds as well. Her expression returned to its usual calm and poise.

She bowed formally to Lynch and spoke with utmost decorum. “Thank you sincerely for your assistance, sir. Today’s kindness, I, Avery Karina Tavendish, will remember for life!”

Lynch shrugged. “Don’t mention it.”

Just pay up, though—the fee for wound treatment isn’t going to cover itself…

Avery walked to the window and gazed outside.

By then, the soldiers had all withdrawn. Before leaving, however, they had set the town ablaze. The wooden structures had caught fire quickly, and the place had turned into a sea of flames, the inferno spreading outward at alarming speed. Soon enough, the fire would likely reach their current location.

Still, the town’s residents had probably either been evacuated or dealt with earlier, as no one could be seen outside.

Avery let out a cold chuckle, mocking, “My enemies truly spared no effort to strike at me.”

She now understood why this mission had experienced such a massive intelligence failure—someone was clearly orchestrating events behind the scenes.

Lynch perked up his ears, a sudden curiosity piqued within him.

Was it a family vendetta? Or a tale of love and hatred?

But unfortunately, Avery had no intention of dwelling on the topic. She turned around and said, “The soldiers are gone. Let’s leave quickly before the fire spreads this way.”

Lynch nodded. “Where to?”

Avery paused in thought.

Their original plan had been to wait for reinforcements here, but that was clearly no longer feasible. Under such circumstances, she couldn’t even be sure whether the wizards sent to help them could be trusted.

After contemplating briefly, Avery answered, “We head west, to Crescent Bay.”

Lynch blinked in surprise. “Back to Crescent Bay?”

Avery nodded and elaborated, “Now that the gloves are off, the enemy will undoubtedly stop at nothing. I suspect the usual routes back to the Shadow Tower are already under strict surveillance.”

“The next wave of enemies won’t merely consist of ordinary humans—Transcendents are likely already on their way.”

Avery deduced that the initial arrangement had been premised on ensuring her death on Ghost Island, without accounting for her returning alive. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have only sent ordinary human armies to encircle her without utilizing Transcendents.

In hindsight, if Lynch hadn’t unexpectedly altered the circumstances, the enemy’s arrangement would have succeeded, and her survival would’ve been impossible.

Her sudden demise would undoubtedly spark a detailed investigation. To avoid leaving any traces that could unravel their scheme, the best move was to maintain distance from her entirely.

But no one could’ve predicted her successful return from Ghost Island. The news undoubtedly threw her enemies into disarray; in their haste, they deployed nearby human forces to eliminate her before she had time to recover.

It wasn’t a flawed strategy, but fortune had favored her. Her enemies hadn’t anticipated the repeated intervention of an anomaly who continually saved her. Frankly, even Avery hadn’t expected that someone hidden within their ranks was concealing themselves so deeply.

His deception had duped both them and their enemies, causing intelligence discrepancies that serendipitously turned the tide in her favor.

Avery continued, “Afterward, we’ll head north into the Ramos Duchy, crossing it eastward to return to the Dark Forest.”

Lynch suddenly understood; it was a case of hiding in plain sight—opting to venture into danger precisely because it seemed improbable.

The Ramos Duchy shared borders with areas of the Gray Witch Domain and the Black Witch Domain. Normally, White Wizards would steer well clear of such regions. Traveling this route would indeed be less noticeable, and even if discovered, organizing a blockade there would be challenging.

After all, based on current circumstances, Avery’s enemies were most likely also from the White Wizard faction, with their influence concentrated predominantly within the White Witch Domain.

“But there’s still one issue we must resolve before proceeding.”

As Avery spoke, she retrieved a Magic Scroll from her Space Ring. At first glance, Lynch froze in place.

This scroll…

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