SAINTESS [Chapter 62: The blessings are endless ~?]

With a tremor caused by spatial ripples, the scene before Winnie instantly collapsed. A strong sense of imbalance suddenly surged through him, as if the entire world had tilted. Instinctively, Winnie tightened his embrace around Isatia.

“You can close your eyes if you're afraid,” Isatia offered him a subtle reminder.

The girl's voice was cold, yet carried an unwavering steadiness, an authority that brought an unusual sense of security.

It felt as though you had to listen to her, and if you chose to, you'd surely be safe. Because of this, Winnie instinctively closed his eyes.

Wait a second... this... this isn't right, is it??

Winnie couldn't shake the growing feeling that it was turning into one of those “domineering CEO falls for me” scenarios.

With his eyes closed, Winnie felt himself tumbling through darkness, as if stuffed inside a shaking black plastic bag being tossed around.

The only thing he could perceive was that familiar, faint orchid fragrance, like an anchor in the chaos, steadying his heart from fluttering wildly alongside his body.

Hmm, it felt like being adrift in unknown waters, tossed by spinning waves, yet simultaneously protected by an invisible force, seemingly perilous, yet utterly safe.

He didn't know how long it lasted. Eventually, the shaking ceases, the world steadied. Winnie heard Isatia's voice again by his ear, no longer cold and steady, but now carrying noticeably more warmth, a magnetic allure, as if she were whispering directly into his ear.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Hiss... hiss... hiss...

Winnie immediately sensed danger. His ears felt hot, and his cheeks flushed.

“Are we... safe now??” Winnie asked without opening his eyes, unsure of their surroundings, where they were, or whether they were still in the Mars dungeon.

“Mm, we're safe. Don't be afraid.” Isatia's voice, just as before, brimmed with distinctly feminine charm and magnetism.

“Uh... uh..." Winnie still felt weak, his condition far from fully recovered. But he had enough strength to open his eyes. Since Isatia said they were safe, they probably were. So, Winnie opened his eyes.

His first glance confirmed they were back on the Terraria Continent, no longer trapped within the Mars dungeon. Undoubtedly, this was excellent news.

But...

immediately, Winnie realized this might almost not be such a good thing after all.

When the dungeon collapsed, those inside another dimension will be forcibly expelled, teleported out. The location of that teleportation, however, was generally random. The Mars dungeon, though, typically returned people to the same spot they entered, which made sense considering the sixty-four entrance gates, entry and exit points being the same was logical.

Winnie knew Aesphyra had gone to seek help from the academy, but he didn't expect she'd bring back so many rescuers.

“Draw this detection magic circle here, yes, right here. And engrave this other magic circle here; it can detect the approximate location of the two students. Hurry up, the time flow inside the dungeon is different from the outside world.... What? Suddenly unable to receive the dungeon's signal?? Impossible?? Could it be an emergency? Did the dungeon shut down??” The professional dungeon rescue instructor was still guiding other instructors in drawing and engraving magic circles when he suddenly received the news, no longer sensing the dungeon's presence. He immediately grew anxious.

Just as he forced himself to calm down and think of a plan, he noticed the surroundings had suddenly gone silent. The previously noisy crowd of teachers and students was now eerily quiet.

What's going on?

The instructor was puzzled.

Earlier, after Aesphyra returned to the outside world, she immediately informed the on-site instructors about the true nature of the Mars dungeon. She also told them that two students had entered the Deep-Buried dungeon and couldn't use their tokens to teleport out.

With the dungeon exploration having gone awry, the instructors quickly summoned academy specialized instructors for emergency rescue. To prevent other students from accidentally entering the Deep-Buried dungeon, the instructors canceled the entire exploration session and ordered all students to return.

The students, confused and dazed, simply stood in front of the dungeon entrance, unaware of what had happened.

The instructors didn't explain anything, urging them to leave immediately.

Many students speculated something had gone wrong and left the scene. But many others, driven by curiosity or a desire to see the commotion, lingered, even if they had to watch from afar.

That's how the current scene came to be.

Upon learning that two students were trapped inside the Deep-Buried dungeon, Student Council President Mirexia arrived as well. When she heard from Aesphyra that one of the trapped students was Winnie, Mirexia instantly lost her composure.

“Don't worry, President Mirexia. Winnie and the others will be fine,” Aesphyra said. “When they were trapped in the Deep-Buried dungeon, I gave them plenty of alchemical potions and magic scrolls.”

“Thoughtful as always. Thank you, Aesphyra,” Mirexia said solemnly.

Thank you...?

Was Mirexia thanking her on Winnie's behalf?

Aesphyra merely smiled, not responding to Mirexia's gratitude. Even she might not know why.

“They'll be fine.” In the past, Aesphyra would have seized this moment for physical contact, perhaps reaching out to hold Mirexia's hand in comfort. But this time, she didn't. Instead, she stood calmly, arms crossed.

“Mmm, I know.” Aesphyra spoke with such certainty, as if she knew Winnie intimately. Mirexia glanced at her, her eyes unreadable, but she voiced agreement.

Mirexia knew that even if things went wrong, Winnie could still rely on Vanessa. As long as Vanessa was involved, everything would be okay.

Maybe it was the influence of her perception, but Mirexia always felt that as long as Vanessa was around, the sky would never fall, and every problem could be solved.

And Winnie's other identity was a secret known only to her.

But regarding this matter, neither of them could help. Even Aesphyra understood that in such moments, it was best to leave things to the professionals.

Thus, the two stood side by side, watching the dungeon entrance.

Since one was the Student Council President and the other was directly involved, both were allowed to remain on-site, positioning them closest to the entrance.

When they noticed spatial distortions and changes at the dungeon's entrance, they were the first to notice, and the ones who remained the longest in silence.

Woah...??

Winnie was stunned. They had just escaped danger, yet the moment they emerged, many eyes were fixed on him and Isatia, including two very familiar faces: Mirexia and Aesphyra.

Wait, Aesphyra being here was understood, but why was Mirexia here too??

After a moment of confusion, immediately embarrassed Winnie.

Damn it! Why are so many people staring?!

His expression instantly stiffened.

Winnie, though a notorious delinquent, still cares about appearances, at least a little. Sure, not much, but he had to maintain the dignity of a fearsome delinquent, right?

Under the gaze of so many people, the mighty delinquent he was known to be was being

carried by a black-haired beauty, where was his dignity now?

And the girl appeared far calmer than him, showing no sign of being embarrassed about holding a male classmate. Meanwhile, he, a grown man, was acting awkward and flustered.

This contrast made Winnie feel utterly humiliated.

They were back. They were safe. But he was socially dead.

“Isatia... uh... could you put me down now??” Winnie opened his mouth slightly, whispering so only Isatia could hear.

“Can you walk now?” Isatia didn't let go. She asked calmly.

"I can! I can! Just put me down already! So many people are watching!" Winnie grew a little desperate.

Among the crowd were even members of Isatia's fan club. Winnie wasn't afraid of them, but as the saying goes, a gentleman doesn't stand beneath a crumbling wall. Why invite trouble?

“Can you really walk, or are you just embarrassed?” Isatia's sharp return left Winnie speechless.

“If you can't stand, I put you down, you'll fall. That'd be even more embarrassing,” Isatia analyzed coolly, making perfect sense.

“Then... you can hand me over to the healing priests.”

“And have them carry you?” Isatia remains expressionless. “What's the difference between them carrying you and me carrying you?”

“No, no, I mean, Isatia, you're in bad shape too. Both of us are exhausted and injured. We should quickly follow the academy's instructions and go to the church for examination.” Isatia's relentless logic cornered Winnie completely, leaving him with no choice but to say this.

“But I'm not tired.”

“Don't push yourself. I know you're tired.”

“Do I look tired?” Isatia calmly stared into Winnie's eyes, showing not a trace of fatigue. Just as Winnie struggled for a response, Isatia leaned closer, whispering into his ear.

“Right now, I've never been more alert, energized and clear-minded.”

“All thanks to you.” Isatia was referring, of course, to Vanessa's Daylight Hymn halting the further collapse of the [Eternal Imperial Crown].

This expedition, not only had Isatia recreated the Mars Palace, but also resolved a long-standing internal threat, truly a rewarding journey.

With the [Eternal Imperial Crown] issue settled, Isatia's spirit had returned to its former state, still not quite at its peak, but greatly improved.

To the constant fatigue and darkness she'd compared endured, she cherished and reveled in this bright world before her.

“Winnie, I've never felt sunlight so radiant. Thank you for sharing a few rays of your warm world with me,” Isatia continued, whispering beside Winnie's ear with that cool, magnetic voice.

“And thank you even more for showing me hope.”

“I will cherish the light and hope you've given me. And I will cherish you.”

Ah... ahh??

Winnie could still process what Isatia was saying at first, but by the end, his mind went completely blank.

Did he mishear? Or was he experiencing emotional hallucinations?

Was that... a love confession? It sounded exactly like one!

Is this how Isatia always speaks??

You're a girl, right?? How can you whisper love confessions into a boy's ear in front of so many people??

I'm the guy here, aren't I??

At that moment, it felt as if a muffled thunderclap had exploded in Winnie's head, leaving him utterly speechless.

Who could possibly resist a cold, aloof black-haired beauty, someone no one could ever approach, publicly whispering such seductive, magnetic confessions into their ear?

Who could stay composed? Only someone nearly divine, yet far removed from humanity, could endure it.

Winnie suddenly recalled something. In the original story, Isatia was the most popular heroine among female students. The love letters she received from girls were millions, more than even Aesphyra, who was notoriously good at charming girls.

At first, Winnie found it strange. But now, everything suddenly made sense. He finally understood how those girls who sent love letters, addressing her as “Elder Sister,” must have felt.

With such overwhelming charisma and dominance, combined with her status as the continent's pinnacle and her breathtaking beauty, if he were a girl too, perhaps he'd feel a little flutter as well.

Wait, could it be that she mistook him for a girl and flirted with him??

“Uh... uh..." For some reason, Winnie's chest tightened. He looked at Isatia, who was still carrying him, then at the others watching from afar, each wearing different expressions.

The instructors and students didn't matter much. The instructors' reactions were simply, “They're back, they're safe.” Most students were utterly shocked; Once they recovered, their eyes, practically glowing green, locked onto Winnie, especially the Imperial Faction students. Their stares spoke volumes.

But Winnie could ignore those gazes. The real problem lies in the front row, the two girls standing not far from him.

Aesphyra remained as before, smiling silently. Upon seeing Winnie and Isatia, she crossed her arms, just as earlier, almost unchanged.

Well, almost. Her hands had tightened ever so slightly, a subtle movement she hadn't even noticed.

Then, she stood there, wearing that half-smile, half-frown expression, silently watching Winnie without a word.

As for Mirexia, she first felt relief upon seeing Winnie seemed unharmed. But then, upon recognizing the other person and the position they were in, she fell into an eerie silence. Her expression didn't change much, but it became visibly stiff. Her smooth lips parted slightly, as if wanting to say something, yet no words followed.

“Well, I did say Winnie would be fine. Looks like not only is he unharmed, but he's also enjoying quite the fortune,” Aesphyra said lightly. It was unclear whether she was speaking to Mirexia beside her, or to someone else entirely.