If he asked, she wouldn’t know how to explain it, after all, that scar was something she hastily healed with Spiritual Power.
Isaac Vaughn still didn’t use his hands to paddle, relying only on a gentle flick of the silver-scaled fish tail.
Seraphina Caldwell looked down at the hem of her dress.
The simple white hem floated gently with the current, yet strangely wasn’t stained by a single drop of water.
Behind them, Wyatt Yardley’s silhouette silently transformed.
Wyatt Yardley let out a low growl, his figure rapidly shrinking, morphing into a Zenthor.
Above their heads, Evan Orwell spread his wings, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
On the shore, Gideon Larkin and Kaelan Hawthorne were running with all their might.
This was Seraphina Caldwell’s first waterway journey, and she hadn’t expected that going downstream would feel so light and effortless.
She couldn’t help but turn her head to ask Isaac Vaughn.
"Traveling by water saves so much time. Why didn’t we use it before?"
Isaac Vaughn’s fish tail swayed slightly.
"The first few stretches of water are too swift, with many undercurrents and whirlpools hidden beneath the surface. One wrong step and you could be pulled into a deep pool. Taking detours is actually slower. From here onwards, the flow is steady, the river wide, and we can truly make good time heading downstream."
Seraphina Caldwell murmured an acknowledgment, nodding gently, and didn’t question further.
Yet, she didn’t believe it in her heart.
It’s not that they couldn’t travel by water; they just didn’t want to, given that the urgency to find her father was solely hers.
Perhaps, they were hoping she’d find him slower, giving them a chance to dissolve their Contract?
For matters detrimental to her, those people never missed any opportunity.
No matter, the current speed-up was something she couldn’t afford to dispute over.
Seraphina Caldwell took a deep breath, forcing down those chaotic speculations.
Isaac Vaughn looked down at Seraphina Caldwell in his arms.
His gaze swept slowly over her face, from the tip of her nose to the corner of her lips.
Suddenly, he leaned close.
Seraphina Caldwell felt the light before her dim as a tall silhouette approached her line of sight.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she wanted to shrink back.
But she was held so firmly that she couldn’t move.
Isaac Vaughn’s forehead touched hers, the coolness instantly dissipating half her stifling heat.
She was taken aback.
"Are you okay? Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"
Seraphina Caldwell felt a blockage in her heart.
Isn’t it because you suddenly got so close?
This person, ice-cold one second, is right up close the next.
Clearly, he did it on purpose!
But she couldn’t refute, since he asked quite justifiably, leaving her no grounds for disagreement.
She turned her head aside and laughed awkwardly.
"No, it’s nothing. It’s just the sun, it’s too harsh."
"I didn’t think about that." Isaac Vaughn immediately continued.
He freed one hand and pulled out a green leaf from the Beast Skin Bag, shielding her from most of the heat.
Seraphina Caldwell stared at that leaf, stunned for a moment.
Isn’t this what she had casually handed over yesterday?
He actually kept it?
At the time, he had simply thanked her softly, and she hadn’t paid it any mind.
But now this leaf was not only intact but infused with Spiritual Power for use.
Moreover...
Why did Isaac Vaughn seem like a changed person?
The formerly aloof and reticent person was now not only showing concern for her but also being mindful in preparing methods to shield her from the sun.
This transition was too sudden, too unusual.
Was it because of some mating season?
Or was it something else?
She bit her lip, quickly analyzing in her head.
"Isaac Vaughn, at this speed, when will we arrive?"
"Barring any delays, we should get there by sunset tomorrow."
Isaac Vaughn answered calmly, his gaze still on her face.
Seraphina Caldwell couldn’t help but slow her breathing.
At that moment, she suddenly remembered reading in a novel that Merfolk Clan’s songs could intoxicate listeners.
The stronger the merfolk, the more enchanting their songs, even capable of manipulating minds.
And as a primary antagonist, Isaac Vaughn, with his unique gifts, must be exceptional in this regard.
But Isaac Vaughn is a villain...
She couldn’t dare hope for such a fortune to fall upon her ears.
She nodded and kept silent.
Yet just a thought away from meeting her father, her heart warmed.
Inheriting the original host’s memories, she recalled a father both towering and imposing, yet exceedingly gentle with his children.
The leader of the Eagle Clan, powerful and renowned for his fierce protective nature.
As long as he was there, no one dares to lay a finger on his children.
She thought of these things, a faint smile creeping up her mouth, unbeknownst to herself.
Isaac Vaughn, however, saw it all clearly.
He knew what she was thinking, and he also knew the "safe haven" she was about to seek refuge in.
Yet, he didn’t interrupt, merely held her tighter.
If only this waterway could be longer.
Not because of any attachment to its tranquility, but because she was currently so close to him.
He knew once they stepped onto land, countless watchful eyes would be lurking.
But for now, at least, she could sit safely at his side.
Suddenly, "Splash!"
A great crash tore through the water’s calm, spraying a huge spurt of water high into the air, rocking the little boat violently.
From the water’s center, a massive shadow exploded forth, bringing with it a stench of fetid, aqueous air.
The water erupted as a gigantic, deep green-scaled Viperdile soared into the sky!
Its vertical pupils were blood-red, and its mouth was lined with fangs, thick saliva dripping from their tips.
It’s the Great Viperdile!
Its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, the stench hit Seraphina Caldwell’s face head-on!
This type of Fiend Beast is extremely rare, residing deep in the swamps, immensely powerful, and incredibly fast.
More terrifying is the venom gland it harbors, just a single drop of its poison can reduce a fierce tiger to a puddle of goo within ten heartbeats.
It targeted the weakest aura on the boat, Seraphina Caldwell, and launched an unhesitating attack.
The stink of its breath rushed at her, and that gaping maw swiftly enlarged in her view.
Seraphina Caldwell’s mind went blank as she instinctively burrowed into Isaac Vaughn’s embrace, her hands clutching his neck tightly.
She forgot to breathe, forgot to scream, only holding onto this person in front of her as tightly as she could.
Her fingers turned white from applying too much force, nails nearly digging into his skin.
Yet, Isaac Vaughn wasn’t bothered in the least, instead slightly shifting his position to wholly shield her behind him.
Isaac Vaughn’s expression darkened, and his other hand suddenly swung out, spiritual power fiercely striking at the serpent’s head!
A violet blade sliced through the mist, carving several bone-deep gashes on the Great Viperdile’s skull.
He looked up and shouted.
"Evan Orwell! Get her out of here!"
He knew this battle was unavoidable, but he wouldn’t allow Seraphina Caldwell to be exposed to mortal danger.
Even if there was only a slim chance, he had to ensure she was kept far from the battlefield.
Evan Orwell had already been eyeing this side, spreading his wings as he swooped down.
The Celestial Crane, though appearing graceful, had remarkable combat prowess, its speed and spiritual sensitivity far exceeding beasts of the same level.
Seraphina Caldwell reacted quickly.
She immediately let go of Isaac Vaughn, scrambling atop the white-feathered Celestial Crane’s back, clutching its neck tightly.
She didn’t dare look back, didn’t dare to take another glance, fearing that she’d falter from fear and fall.
Her knees scraped painfully against the feathers, but she didn’t care, only striving to anchor herself firmly on Evan Orwell’s back.
From the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of Isaac Vaughn entangled in a fierce battle with the serpent.
The Celestial Crane cried aloud, wings beating as it soared skywards, flinging away all the combat and stench below as it rose into the unseen sky.
And Seraphina Caldwell, now carried from the danger zone, was suspended mid-air, overlooking the fierce life-and-death struggle below.
"Evan Orwell, aren’t you going to help them?"
Seraphina Caldwell lay on Evan Orwell’s back, staring at the entangled figures in the water, her voice trembling.