[Chapter 178: Captain America Also Needs Rescue]
Standing in front of the mirror, Scarlett suddenly froze. She stared blankly at her reflection, her entire being caught in a daze.
Then, she slowly reached out and touched the mirror's surface, as if confirming what she saw. A smile blossomed on her lips, growing into excitement.
She rushed over to Daniel, leaped up, and exclaimed, "Daniel, I've gotten taller! I really have!"
Although she was smiling, tears streamed down her face.
Seeing Scarlett's joy, Daniel smiled, too. "I see it."
Scarlett had indeed grown quite a bit. Originally 5'3", she'd suddenly shot up, now standing at 5'5 1/2". Though this height wasn't considered tall in Hollywood, it was certainly above average.
Put on a pair of heels, and she'd stand solidly over 5'7".
Scarlett screamed with excitement and lunged forward, planting a fierce kiss on Daniel's face.
"Wait..." Daniel caught her face, holding her steady.
"What's wrong?" Scarlett struggled, wanting to keep kissing him.
Daniel teased, "Are you satisfied with just this much? Don't you want to keep growing?"
"Can I still grow?" Scarlett's eyes widened in surprise.
Daniel grinned. "Who said you can only grow once? As long as you're not afraid of the pain and itching."
After a brief hesitation, Scarlett nodded seriously. "I'm not afraid."
"Then take this." Daniel handed her another Osteogenic Elixir.
Another long, grueling process began.
When it was all over, Scarlett rushed to the mirror again. Looking at her two fair, slender legs, she covered her mouth in disbelief, excitement practically spilling from her face.
This time, she'd grown another four centimeters, reaching 5'7".
That height placed her among the taller women in Hollywood. From now on, she wouldn't need those sky-high stilettos at events -- just a simple pair of heels would do.
And those would be for style, not height.
"Daniel, I love you to death," Scarlett said, then ran back and threw herself at him, kissing him desperately.
Daniel held her close, savoring her passion.
After a long enjoyable session, Scarlett noticed she wasn't as exhausted as before.
"Daniel, my body feels so much stronger now."
Daniel smiled. "Soon, you'll be able to easily break into Hollywood action roles."
Scarlett's eyes curved playfully. "That sounds pretty cool."
...
The next morning, the moment Scarlett woke, she clung to Daniel again like a greedy kitten hooked on affection. She'd just finished filming and had no upcoming projects.
For the next two days, she barely left Daniel's place, staying indoors and repeatedly exchanging bodily fluid transfers with him.
Her recovery was astonishing; she could be completely drained one moment and fully recovered the next.
Without the magic supporting Daniel as a Lesser Ascendant, he wouldn't have been able to keep up.
In this, she was even more enthusiastic than Anne Hathaway.
Just as Scarlett kissed Daniel again, his phone rang.
...
Daniel reached out and caught it midair, glancing at the screen.
It was Chris.
"Don't worry about it," Scarlett, caught up in the moment, pushed his hand away from the phone.
Daniel said, "It's Chris."
She froze. "Why is he calling?"
Daniel reminded her, "You forgot -- I said that night he might be in trouble."
Scarlett's expression darkened. "Is he in danger?"
"Possibly."
"Then answer it," she urged, stepping back.
Daniel breathed a quiet sigh of relief and picked up the call.
"Daniel, help... help me..." Chris's voice was faint and broken.
Daniel's expression hardened. "Where are you now?"
"Ho... home," came the weak reply.
"Hang on. I'm coming."
Daniel hung up and moved to leave.
Scarlett was about to follow when Daniel stopped her.
"Scarlett, stay here. It might be dangerous. If something happens, I won't be able to protect you. You're safest here."
She thought it over and agreed. Not only could she not help, but she might only complicate things.
"Okay. But you have to stay safe, too."
"I will."
Daniel kissed her cheek and hurried downstairs.
He got in his car and sped toward Chris's house.
As a Lesser Ascendant, he never forgot a place he'd once been.
...
Over half an hour later, Daniel arrived at Chris's villa.
The gates were firmly closed. Daniel parked outside, then leapt over the fence, landing inside the property.
Inside the house, he used his Spiritual Sense to locate the life aura.
Following it, he found Chris sitting blankly on the sofa, his phone on the floor.
Chris sat motionless, but a strange smile lingered on his lips, as if he were savoring something dark.
Seeing this, coupled with Chris's sudden distraction at the party, Daniel knew a part of Chris's Soul was trapped in some kind of predicament.
Daniel touched Chris's forehead, sensing his condition with a surge of magic power.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand.
Chris's Soul was dangerously weak -- most of it had left his body. If his Soul fully departed, not even a god could save him.
With a flick of his wrist, Daniel placed a Seal on Chris's forehead. He formed a sequence of seals with his hands and began the invocation:
By sealed authority, let the scattered soul be gathered.
Let every wandering fragment return to its rightful vessel.
By consecrated light, preserve the spirit and restore its wholeness.
Authority affirmed. Return and be made whole.
Boom!
The Seal ignited, surrounding Chris's entire body with a mysterious power.
Instantly, Chris's frozen expression shifted. His lips quivered, his brow furrowed deeply, and the strange smile faded, replaced by evident pain.
"Help... help..." he struggled to call out.
Suddenly, his body shook violently, his features twisting into a tight ball.
Clearly, some force was tugging at his Soul, trying to keep it from returning fully to his body.
"Hmph!"
Daniel snorted coldly. He stuck another Seal on Chris's forehead and repeated the incantation.
Authority affirmed. Return and be made whole.
Chris's trembling intensified -- it was no longer a simple tremble but a violent shake.
With a thud, Chris collapsed to the floor, twitching as if having a seizure.
But as he convulsed, his dull eyes gradually brightened.
Focus steadily returned.
His expression, once contorted, smoothed as he calmed.
His body relaxed back to normal.
Then suddenly, Chris rolled over and sat up, gasping for breath.
*****
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