Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree-Chapter 546: Return
Duke restrained all potentially aggressive or threatening energy fluctuations, and even the yellow sand swirling around him quietly dispersed, leaving only the pure and gentle Water Element Affinity flowing around him.
He attempted to communicate again, this time without directly using Spiritual Power to impact, but instead integrating his thoughts into the surrounding water flow, gently transmitting them like gentle ripples, with goodwill in the intentions of his Spiritual Power.
Duke knew very well that he must handle this matter properly, otherwise, it could bring great trouble to himself.
The girl in front of him was clearly heavily involved, with a mysterious and ancient aura and a sense of youthful vitality of new life.
The girl’s curled-up body seemed to relax a little, the fear in her azure eyes slightly receded, replaced by a mix of curiosity and timid scrutiny.
She still didn’t speak, but at least she was no longer trying to hide her entire face.
Duke was extremely patient, not approaching further, but instead standing quietly in place, maintaining a peaceful aura, as steady as a reef.
He even slowly sat down, lowering his height to make himself appear less imposing.
Time flowed in silence, with only the pulsation of the blue light in the cave and the girl’s slight breathing sound.
After some unknown period, the girl seemed to confirm that Duke was not dangerous.
She cautiously and bit by bit raised her head, her gaze fixed on Duke.
She looked into Duke’s calm eyes, feeling the somewhat familiar and reassuring aura, and finally, her tense body slowly relaxed.
Seeing her emotions stabilize, Duke attempted a simple gesture, pointing to himself and then outside the cave, conveying a vague message of leaving here through Spiritual Power.
A hint of confusion flashed in the girl’s eyes, followed by some unease.
She looked at the closed cave around, then at Duke, and finally, her gaze fell on her own naked body, a faint, pearl-like blush appeared on her face, and she clung her arms tighter.
Duke immediately understood her embarrassment and took out a spare, soft black Wizard Robe from his storage ring, using Magic Power to control it, gently and unthreateningly sending it to the girl.
The girl looked at the robe floating before her, hesitated for a moment, and then glanced at Duke’s turned back.
She quickly stretched out her hand, grabbing the oversized robe and clumsily but eagerly draped it over her petite body.
In this deep-sea environment, the soft fabric was thoroughly soaked upon contact with the seawater, clinging tightly to the girl’s skin.
The originally oversized Wizard Robe, now soaked and semi-transparent, adhered completely to her body’s curves, accentuating her youthful but already graceful silhouette more than nudity did.
She didn’t seem to mind the cold or discomfort, her hands tightly grasping the wet, heavy fabric at her chest, as if this thin, wet layer was the only sense of security she could attain to shield herself from external unfamiliar gazes.
After a while, Duke felt a cool, soft small hand still damp with seawater gently and tentatively pull on his sleeve.
He turned around, seeing the girl wrapped in the wet black robe clinging to her body, her skin appearing even whiter, slender and fragile.
The wide hood covered part of her face, revealing only a delicate chin and tightly pressed, bloodless lips.
She looked up at Duke, her eyes still carrying a trace of lingering fear, but more so a dependence and trust akin to a fledgling bird, as if, in this unknown dark world she awoke to, Duke was the only driftwood she could hold onto.
She still didn’t speak, only using those deep blue, water-filled eyes, emphasized by her wet hair, to silently express her willingness to follow.
Duke inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that initial trust had been established.
He nodded, trying to make his expression appear gentle, then turned and led the way outside the cave.
Duke originally thought he had found some treasure, only to unexpectedly pick up a girl, or more accurately, a problem.
He now only wished to quickly return to Blade Ridge Camp and hand this girl over to the Sea Race.
Before that, he had to ensure her safety as much as possible, make sure she didn’t encounter any problems, at least not under his watch.
Given the Sea Race’s past emphasis on the Beauty Shell, this girl was undoubtedly something special.
The girl immediately followed closely behind him, her small hand tightly grasping a corner of his Wizard Robe, as if afraid of losing track.
She seemed naturally adapted to the deep-sea environment, moving gracefully and effortlessly through the water, the wide robe corners floating in the current, like a ghostly orchid of the deep sea.
Duke suddenly thought of something, pausing for a moment, and reached back to retrieve the remaining large shell.
The girl curiously watched this scene, seemingly not understanding how the shell had suddenly disappeared.
The return journey was more cautious because he was accompanied by her; Duke remained highly vigilant, avoiding any potentially troublesome places along the way.
The girl continuously and quietly followed behind, not making any sound, occasionally casting curious glances at the strange and bizarre deep-sea scenes along the way.
When they finally reached the vicinity of Blade Ridge Camp, Duke could feel the girl’s grip on his robe corner tighten slightly, evidently nervous about this unfamiliar area.
Duke did not return directly to his courtyard but instead led her straight to the area of the camp where Sea Race members usually resided, a section constructed of huge corals and glowing crystals.
His appearance, especially with a silent girl dressed in a human Wizard Robe but exuding a pure Sea Race aura, immediately caught the attention of the surrounding Sea Race Warriors.
Several tall, trident-wielding Sea Race Warriors covered in scales quickly surrounded them, their eyes full of vigilance and scrutiny.
The leader of the warriors, whose aura had clearly reached the Level 2 Life level, sharply scanned Duke and finally focused on the girl behind him.
When his gaze met the slight strands of azure hair protruding from her hood and sensed the pure oceanic aura from the essence of life that remained undeniable even when concealed, his expression changed dramatically.
His face was filled with incredulous shock, followed by zeal and reverence almost overflowing.
He abruptly knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and shouted something in Sea Race language with a trembling voice. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
The other Sea Race Warriors behind him initially froze, then seemed to understand something, quickly imitating and collectively kneeling, their heads deeply lowered, not daring to look directly at the girl.
