Chapter 35: I rescued your sister, where’s the reward?

Squelch!

The dragon scale pierced the monster’s eyeball.
The Calamity avatar, wracked with pain, went berserk, thrashing its head to fling Charis off.
The scale slipped from her hand as she tumbled across the ground.

“Cough, cough! Did it work?”

Charis struggled to her feet, staring at the monster’s bleeding eye.
It closed the wound, absorbing the scale into its body.

The bleeding stopped.

“Roar…”

The monster growled, its massive bone-white skull baring fangs—it wasn’t dead!

Thud, thud!

It crept forward, closing in on Charis, its venomous glare burning with rage.

‘My dragon scale didn’t work?
This Calamity can self-heal?
Demon King, don’t screw me over!’

Charis had mustered all her courage for that strike, but now, out of tricks, she could only run.

“No need to run. Just watch.”
Talos’s voice was calm as still water.

“Huh? But it’s coming!”

Charis scrambled to flee, but the Calamity avatar, mid-lunge, suddenly staggered, its massive head crashing to the ground.

The earth trembled.
Charis froze, watching the monster writhe, its body shrinking, unable to control its changes.

“Remember Sherri from the clinic?
She wanted your abdominal scale—your innate dragon scale.”

Talos spoke casually, prompting Charis to press for clarity.

“My innate dragon scale is special?”

“Dragon scales can transfer and hold curses.
Pureblood dragon scales can harness any power for your use.
That’s why I had you absorb the Calamity.”

“What?
I won’t go mad like Penny, will I?”

Charis felt a chill, eyeing the monster rolling in agony, shrinking as the blood mist was sucked into something within.

“Human bodies can’t handle curses, but for most demon races, what humans call curses are blessings.
Dragon scales filter out mental side effects.”

“Oh, I get it—I’m safe!
So… I can get a huge power boost!”

“Theoretically, yes, but…”

“Awesome! Freedom’s closer than ever!”

Charis clenched her fist, thrilled with her gains.
A human’s catastrophic talent became her ticket to strength—this bait-and-lure paid off big!

Seeing Charis’s excitement, Talos stayed silent, letting the Calamity fade completely.

The Calamity avatar collapsed, letting out a mournful hiss skyward, its body still, dissolving into a blood mist.

As the mist cleared, only Penny lay there, bare, with the golden dragon scale on her chest, now faintly veined with blood—the curse contained within.

“Don’t look… I didn’t see anything.”

Charis covered her eyes, avoiding Penny’s exposed form, but she had to approach.

“Oh, got it.”

Charis had an idea.
Her tattered saintess dress could spare some fabric—she tore it into a makeshift skirt.

Rip, rip.

The cloth became a temporary cover for Penny’s vital areas.
Charis dressed her, confirming a heartbeat—she was alive.

“Hmph, lucky you, sister-lover.”

Charis poked Penny’s cheek, her face a younger version of Ophelia’s, unmistakably sisters.

“I take losses with your sister every day.
You owe me big for saving your life, got it?”

Charis grumbled, hoisting the unconscious Penny onto her back and tucking the dragon scale into her abdomen, a surge of strength washing over her.

The Calamity’s power merged with the scale, easing Charis’s fatigue.
Glancing at Penny, not much bigger than herself, she planned to milk this for all it was worth with Ophelia.

“Hmph, weak sword saintess, I saved your sister.
Better grovel with gratitude!”

Charis hustled back, following the forest’s trail of destruction, jogging with Penny on her back, a breezy wind trailing her, as if celebrating her victory.

…

At the execution grounds, Ophelia, barely mobile, stood with her mother’s help, who tended her with curses and potions.

“Ophelia, I’m sorry… all these years, you bore so much.
I still couldn’t find a way to heal Penny.”

“Mom, it’s not your fault.
I have to go after them—Charis can’t do this alone. She’ll die.”

Ophelia forced herself past the pain, her heavy breaths showing she could only limp forward.

“Ophelia, don’t go.”

“But Mom, I can’t just watch them!”

Ophelia remembered clearly—Charis’s selfless act at the critical moment was etched in her heart.

If Charis died, Ophelia would never forget she was a righteous young dragon, unlike any other demon.

Taptaptap.

Footsteps grew clearer.
Ophelia froze, looking toward the path beyond the grounds.

At the horizon where blue sky met the dirt road, a silver-haired girl appeared, huffing and jogging, her dress in tatters, filthy as if she’d rolled in mud, carrying another white-haired girl on her back.

“Hey! Someone lend a hand? I can’t run anymore!”

Charis shouted at Ophelia, who stared, emotions swirling.

Joy, shock, disbelief?

More than that, a wave of gratitude surged in Ophelia, tears welling uncontrollably.

“Charis!”

Ophelia found sudden strength, rushing to meet Charis, taking Penny into her arms as her mother took over, gazing at Charis in awe.

“You… are you okay?”

Ophelia bent down, checking Charis’s shoulders.

“What could happen to me?
You better start thanking me—I risked half my life to save your sister!”

Charis lifted her head proudly, her grimy, tattered state leaving an indelible mark on Ophelia.

“Penny… she’s healed? The curse’s aura is gone!”
Lady Rodley held Penny, weeping with gratitude, as if witnessing a miracle.

Charis’s head rose even higher, standing defiantly before Ophelia.

“Charis… I…”

“Hmph, skip the basic thanks.
I want…”

Charis was about to demand a big reward, but Ophelia swept her into a hug, planting a firm kiss on her cheek.

‘Huh? Wha—what?!
Why’s she kissing my face?!
That’s not the reward I wanted!’