Chapter 341: Searching for the Dragon Talisman
"Sigh..." Gwen looked at the listless group and shook her head. "Guys, we're at our stop."
"Oh! Right!" Peter stood up and nudged Ned, only to find that Ned hadn't been sleeping at all.
Silas Parker looked at Felicia, who was still asleep on his shoulder. He gently picked her up in his arms and said, "Let's go."
"I don't know what Felicia was doing last night," Gwen said, exasperated. "She said she wanted to visit Frieda, but she's so exhausted she's practically comatose."
Silas, knowing the truth about their all-night gaming session, said nothing. He was actually quite tired himself and needed a few hours to recharge.
The group got off the bus and followed Ned to a ward on the third floor.
Click!
Ned opened the door. Seeing Frieda sitting up in bed reading a book, a smile instantly broke across his face. "Frieda! How are you feeling?!"
"Ned?!" Frieda looked up in surprise, seeing Ned at the door followed by Gwen and the others.
"Hi~ Morning, Frieda." Gwen took the flowers from Peter and placed them by Frieda's bed.
"Oh~ thank you," Frieda said, inhaling the fragrance of the fresh blooms.
Gwen sat by the bed and observed Frieda. Her complexion looked decent—a bit pale, but her color was gradually returning. "How do you feel?"
While they chatted, Silas placed the curled-up Felicia onto the empty bed next to Frieda's.
"What's wrong with Felicia?" Frieda asked, startled.
"Asleep. No idea what she did last night, but she passed out the moment we hit the bus. You can't even wake her up," Gwen said, rolling her eyes at the sleeping girl.
Frieda couldn't help but laugh. "Let her sleep. At least now I have a roommate, haha~"
"Want something to eat, Daisy?" Ned asked caringly.
Frieda looked at him with eyes brimming with affection. "Hmm~ I'd love a fruit salad."
"Fruit salad? You got it. I'll go grab one right now." Ned turned and hurried out of the room.
"Ned is a good guy," Gwen thought to herself, wondering if Peter would ever treat her with that much devotion.
"He is..." Frieda watched Ned leave, the sparkle in her eyes fading the moment he disappeared.
Gwen noticed the shift. She frowned and asked, "What's wrong, Daisy?"
"Gwen... I'm going to die." Frieda's words were a bombshell that shocked everyone in the room.
Weren't you just recovering well? Why would you say that?
Peter and Silas stopped their own conversation, looking at Frieda in disbelief.
Frieda felt their gazes and leaned her head against Gwen's chest. "The doctor told me I won't last a week."
"Why?" Gwen asked, holding Frieda and gently stroking her long hair.
"There's something left inside my body. If they take it out, I'll die. If they leave it in, I'll still die—it's just a matter of time."
Frieda seemed prepared for this, but she had waited until Ned left to say it. Gwen's breathing hitched, and her hand stopped moving.
"I don't want Ned to know, but I know I can't hide it forever." Frieda's face showed no fear; she had come to terms with it.
The atmosphere in the room plummeted from joy to heavy mourning.
"Don't worry. I'm just reporting to Heaven a bit early," Frieda said, flashing her brightest smile for them.
Noon
The group walked out of the hospital. Unlike the others who knew the truth, Ned was in high spirits, rambling excitedly about everything.
"Ned..." Peter started to speak, but Gwen silently shook her head, signaling him not to tell him yet.
"What is it?" Ned asked.
"Nothing! Just... I wanted to ask, Daisy will need months to recover. What are you going to do in the meantime?" Peter managed to pivot.
"Hmm~" Ned thought for a moment and patted his stomach. "I'm going to train hard. I want to lose all this fat before Daisy gets discharged, hehe~"
"Yeah," Peter nodded half-heartedly.
Once outside, Ned headed home first to prepare some small gifts for Frieda.
"I actually think telling him might be better," Peter sighed. The happier Ned was now, the more devastating the truth would be.
"But do you have the heart to break his spirit right now?" Gwen asked. Seeing Ned's happy face made the words stick in her throat.
Silas currently had no easy solution either. His magic was mostly offensive. Among the talismans, the Horse Talisman could remove all external abnormal influences from a body. However, Silas didn't have it yet. He was currently pursuing a different one: The Dragon Talisman.
The riddle for the Dragon Talisman had been simple. Leveraging the concept of "Descendants of the Dragon," Silas had unlocked the Talisman Tracker for it. His Shadow Ninja squad was already on the move around the world, searching for its traces. It would likely take half a day.
It wasn't that Silas didn't want to save Frieda, but talisman locations were random and the riddles had to be solved. To get further clues required ten times the "Evil Points" or "Justice Points" each time; a fifth hint would cost a staggering ten million.
He could use one of his remaining Shadow Masks on Frieda to save her, but Silas was hesitant. Masks changed a person's subconscious; at best, they gave power, but at worst, the wearer could be consumed by the Shadow General's consciousness. He didn't want to do that to someone he knew unless there was no other choice.
"Silas! If you want to head home, go ahead," Peter called out suddenly.
"Huh?" Before Silas could ask where Peter was going, Peter walked off with Gwen.
Well, I know what he's up to, Silas thought.
"Aww~ look at Gwen and Peter. Their relationship is moving so fast~" Felicia said, intentionally nudging Silas.
Silas nodded. "True. I hope Peter steps up and actually wins her over."
"..." Felicia was speechless at his response. That wasn't the point!
"Silas, what are your plans for later?" Felicia decided to switch from defense to offense.
Silas didn't notice her expression; his mind was still on Frieda. "Nothing much. Go home and sleep? I was up all night, I need to recharge." He was planning to use the Sheep Talisman for astral projection once he got home.
Felicia's mouth twitched. Could you not just say you're free so I can suggest something?
"Ahem. Want to come over to my place? You've never seen where I live," Felicia said, looking around at the scenery, not daring to meet his eyes.
Silas snapped out of his thoughts. If he didn't understand that hint, he'd be an idiot. "Really? I guess I haven't. Sure, let's go."
Silas wasn't a shy boy; he wasn't afraid of such things. Felicia's eyes widened in surprise and a hint of satisfaction. No matter how you act, Silas, you'll end up falling for me.
The two walked in the opposite direction of Peter and Gwen. Felicia lived in a residential building. New York rent was expensive, and for a single woman like her, a relatively cheap apartment was the most practical choice.
"Hold on." Standing at her door, Felicia reached into her top and pulled out a key.
"Wait, what?!" Silas was genuinely surprised to see her pull the key from between her "headlights."
Felicia wasn't shy about it at all. She skillfully unlocked the door, revealing a floor covered in... lingerie.
"Sorry! Sorry! Since no one usually comes over, I haven't had time to tidy up!" Felicia quickly scrambled to scoop up the various undergarments into balls and shove them into a closet.
She looked embarrassed. This was Silas's first time here; would he think she was a slob?
"Uh... I understand," Silas nodded, thinking it best not to offer to help her tidy those specific items.
While Felicia cleaned, Silas surveyed the apartment. It was a one-bedroom, one-living room setup, and it was fairly spacious. However, the living room was a disaster zone—worse than a typical teenage boy's room. Clothes were strewn over the sofa, and the coffee table was covered in half-eaten snack bags.
Silas sat on a chair, waiting. Two minutes later, Felicia finished a haphazard cleanup. "I was in such a rush this morning, I forgot to organize."
"It's fine. My room is the same," Silas lied to comfort her. In reality, his room was spotless because the Shadow Ninjas cleaned it every day.
"Really?" Felicia felt much better. "Let's go to the bedroom..."
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