After they had sealed the entrance, Kent went to check on Rendell. "How is he?" He asked Aurora who was by his side.
Looking at the sleeping Rendell, Aurora felt worried. "He fell asleep. I hope he will recover from this. With the state of his wounds, he needs immediate medical attention, but we are still far from Greyork." She bit her lower lip.
Kent furrowed his eyebrows. Rendell was their main combatant. Without him, the journey towards Greyork would be more perilous. They couldn't afford to leave without him in tip-top condition. "Watch over him. Have Ericka take turns with you." The only thing they could do now was hope that he would recover from this.
"Alright." Aurora nodded before turning her gaze to Rendell. Looking at his scar-riddled face, she felt that he was quite pitiful. She couldn't imagine the hardships he had gone through before they encountered him. "It must have been hard surviving by yourself." She muttered as she gently caressed his face.
Kent no longer disturbed them. He still had other things to do.
"James, we should search every corner of this basement." He called out while pushing up his glasses. Although Rendell had already eliminated the threat, he wanted to make sure that the place was safe.
James nodded. "Alright."
The two walked side by side along the dark hallway of the basement. Their only source of light was the flickering flame on top of James' palm.
"Kent, aren't you afraid?" James asked while staring at him. They had been friends for a long time. The Kent he knew was a quiet and timid person, but his personality changed after the apocalypse. It was like he became a completely different person. He had become a capable strategist and also a good leader.
"Of course I am," Kent answered truthfully. The only reason he could remain calm was because of his Gift. With the right timing, he could defend against any attack.
"You've become a cool person, Kent." James chuckled teasingly.
Kent shook his head. "I just want to survive." He responded in a calm voice.
James became silent when he heard that. With danger lurking everywhere, they had to be on high alert every time. The environment also forced them to mature and make rational decisions.
After a long time of silence, James suddenly spoke. "Do you think we can safely arrive in Greyork?" His voice carried a trace of hope and expectation.
Kent sighed and shook his head. "I don't know." They still had a long way to go and there was no guarantee that the journey would be smooth sailing. They hadn't even gotten out of Lochwall, but Rendell was already seriously wounded.
'I just hope that none of us will die…' Kent muttered in his heart.
***
Rendell opened his eyes. He felt weak all over his body. "Urgh…" He let out a groan when he tried to sit upright.
It was painful.
"What are you doing?! You should lie down and rest!"
He turned his eyes and looked at Aurora who was staring at him with concern.
Aurora bent down and helped him lean against the wall. "Don't move around too much. Your wounds haven't healed yet. They might open up if you force yourself." She said in a reproachful tone.
Rendell didn't say anything and just stared at her face.
Aurora felt a bit shy when she sensed his gaze. She touched his forehead using the back of her hand to feel his temperature. "You're temperature is still high. Stay here. I'll get your medicine."
Rendell nodded his head.
She then stood up and went to look for his medicine.
"Is he awake?" Ericka asked after seeing her carrying the medicine box.
"Mn. He just got up and his temperature is still not normal. Let's talk later. I'll let him drink this first." Aurora grabbed the medicine and a bottle of water.
"Alright." Ericka nodded.
Aurora headed towards Rendell and gave him his medicine and the water bottle. "Here. Drink this."
Rendell complied without saying anything.
"Sir Ralph is still cooking our breakfast. I'll get your share once it's ready."
"Thank you…" Rendell muttered.
"Hm?" Aurora almost thought that she had misheard it. 'Did he just thank me?' She looked at him in surprise, but he had his head lowered so she couldn't see his expression.
"Do you need anything?" She asked.
Just as he was about to shake his head, he noticed that he was shirtless and his pants were covered in blood. "Can you help me get a set of clothes? It's in my backpack."
Hearing this, Aurora couldn't help but stare at his body. After leveling up continuously, his body changed drastically. He was no longer the scrawny man he was before. His muscles had developed and his figure had become more defined. He didn't have the face of an actor, but he was filled with masculine charm.
"Ehem! What are you guys doing?"
A voice echoed behind Aurora, making her jump in surprise. "Ah!"
"Why are you so surprised?" Ericka laughed at her. "You're still so clumsy." She patted Aurora's head. "Did you enjoy watching his body?" She whispered with a grin.
"Huh?" Aurora blushed in embarrassment. "W-What are you saying?!" She then nervously stared at Rendell to see if he had heard Ericka's words.
His expression was calm and it didn't look like he heard anything.
Seeing this, she heaved a sigh of relief. She then glared at Ericka and left to get Rendell's clothes.
Looking at her leave, Ericka chuckled in amusement. She then stared at Rendell and said. "She was looking after you the whole night. I told her to rest, but she refused."
Hearing this, Rendell was surprised.
"You should treat her well," Ericka said while inspecting his wounds. "We'll change your bandage later after you eat your breakfast."
Rendell stared at his hand and mumbled. "I didn't think that there is actually someone who would show concern for me…"
"Did you say something?" Ericka stared at him. She heard him whisper something, but it was inaudible so she didn't know what he said.
Rendell didn't respond so Ericka shrugged her shoulders.