As soon as Max left, Shawn Young strode toward the small cell. Just as he was about to enter, he realized the door was locked with a heavy iron padlock. Without hesitation, Shawn drew his divine weapon, the Raikiri Dagger, and slashed with full force—"Ka-chunk!" The padlock snapped instantly. The Raikiri Dagger truly was a blade that could slice through iron like mud!
Shawn Young pushed open the cell door and walked in. Inside, Fiona Tang heard the footsteps and struggled to sit up from the floor, waving her hands frantically in front of her and crying out in terror: "Who’s coming in? It’s so dark—why is it so dark? I—I can’t see anything!"
"Uh—Fiona, it’s me, Shawn. What’s wrong?" Shawn quickly squatted in front of Fiona Tang, grabbed her hands, and asked anxiously.
"Ah?! Shawn, you—you finally came! Thank goodness! Where’s Gerhard? He’s really strong, you must be careful of his darkforce powers. I was hit by his darkforce technique—that’s why I’m like this now!" Fiona Tang said, her voice trembling.
"Fiona, don’t worry. I’ve already taken care of Gerhard!" Shawn quickly reassured her.
"Oh! You killed Gerhard? That’s great! That means our mission won’t be so hard after all. But right now, I can’t see anything—everything’s pitch black! And I—I feel so weak, I can’t even stand. My chest hurts, and my inner energy just won’t gather. Am I… am I dying?" Fiona Tang clung tightly to Shawn Young’s hand, her voice trembling.
"Uh—Fiona, don’t say that. Your inner energy was just scattered by Gerhard’s darkforce. I’ll find a way to heal you! Trust me!" Shawn comforted Fiona Tang while channeling a stream of energy to check her meridians.
Shawn quickly discovered that Fiona Tang’s meridians were filled with chaotic, scattered inner energy, and traces of darkforce were mixed in, stubbornly rooted in her vital channels. The situation was even worse than he’d imagined. If he didn’t help her expel the sinister darkforce soon, it would spread through her meridians with the chaotic energy and could erupt again at any moment, destroying her channels. Her soul would become unstable, and she’d be completely ruined! Shawn fell silent, knowing that saving Fiona Tang wouldn’t be easy.
"Shawn, I—I feel so cold and weak—and I can’t see anything at all. Am I… am I about to die?" Fiona Tang sensed Shawn’s silence and shook his arm, her emotions running high.
"Fiona, don’t let your mind run wild. With me here, nothing will happen to you—trust me!" Shawn Young gripped Fiona Tang’s hand and comforted her softly.
But Fiona Tang could clearly feel how weak she was. She thought Shawn Young was just trying to comfort her, so she gave a sad smile, shook her head, and said with a sigh, "I—I know I’m probably… not going to make it! Sigh—what a shame… I’m still so young… I never thought I’d go out like this… sigh…"
"Uh—Fiona—don’t say that. You’ll be fine! You’ll live a long, happy life—trust me!" Seeing Fiona Tang so pessimistic, Shawn Young squeezed her hand and tried to encourage her.
A strange blush suddenly appeared on Fiona Tang’s pale, pretty face. She softly said to Shawn Young, "Actually—my biggest regret—is that I’ve never really been in love—never felt what it’s like to be cherished or cared for… heh… Shawn, am I silly?"
"No, Fiona, you’re not silly—not at all. It’s totally normal for young people to dream about love. Honestly, someone as beautiful and gentle as you is sure to have lots of admirers!" Shawn Young quickly comforted her.
"Oh—heh—really? Then—then—Shawn, do you like me?" Fiona Tang asked, her heart suddenly racing and her blush deepening.
"Uh—well, I—I…" Shawn Young was caught off guard by Fiona Tang’s sensitive question at such a critical moment and didn’t know how to answer.
"Oh—heh—sorry, Shawn—I forgot you have a girlfriend, Lilian Grace. Just pretend I was being silly with that question…" Fiona Tang said softly, her voice full of sadness. Shawn Young could even feel her body trembling.
"No, Fiona, you’re not silly—listen! I actually really like you too!" Sensing her weakness, Shawn Young quickly hugged Fiona Tang, gently stroking her cold, pretty face.
"R-really? You—you really like me? What do you like about me?" Fiona Tang’s body trembled with excitement, a spark of life returning to her.
"I—I like you! I just do, no reason needed! From the moment I first saw you, I fell deeply in love!" Shawn Young realized that this could boost Fiona Tang’s will to live, so he went all out with the cheesiest love confessions.
"You—you’re so direct—saying such cheesy things, aren’t you afraid of scaring me? You’re… you’re so annoying!" Fiona Tang was stunned by Shawn Young’s over-the-top confession, but she felt a strange, sweet excitement. Her spirits lifted considerably.
"I’m just being honest! I really like you, but I was too scared to confess before! Now, I have to let you know—I like you! I love you!" Shawn Young started using classic melodramatic lines, knowing that sometimes, these intense, cheesy declarations can have a huge impact on women—especially those longing for love.
"Ugh—you—you just take advantage of people when they’re vulnerable—such a bully!" Fiona Tang pouted, but her body couldn’t help but snuggle closer into Shawn Young’s arms.
"I—I just like bullying you! I only want to tease you because I like you!" Shawn Young said, making a bold move—he wrapped his arms around her, his right hand sliding up her waist and gently squeezing her soft, full chest. The tender, warm elasticity filled his palm instantly.
"Ah—you—you big jerk—you’re so bad—bullying me—just wait—I’ll tell my dad!" Fiona Tang was startled by Shawn Young’s boldness, but her will to live shot up dramatically.