86: Chapter 86 Extra Gains

"Brother Tian, don't move."

A cool yet firm hand, carrying a gentle force that brooked no refusal, pressed lightly onto his shoulder, "fixing" him back onto her lap pillow.

Lin Yin's voice came from above, carrying a trace of trembling that had not yet fully subsided, though she tried hard to remain calm. "Rest a little longer, okay? You... you just..."

She seemed unable to continue, her fingers pressing on his shoulder tightening almost imperceptibly.

Lin Tian raised his head, his gaze colliding with Lin Yin's downcast eyes.

Those eyes, usually as clear as a cold pool under the moonlight, still held lingering redness and the shock of what had just happened. She was staring at him without blinking, almost greedily, as if confirming that every inch of his skin and every breath he took was truly real.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the moon birch spirit wood, casting dappled shadows on her long eyelashes and illuminating the thick, inseparable concern deep within her eyes, along with... a kind of devout cherishing born from regaining what was lost.

Being stared at with such focused attention, the confusion and chill in Lin Tian's heart caused by "death" were miraculously dispelled quite a bit.

He lay there like that, gazing back at her without blinking, as if wanting to deeply engrave her appearance at this moment into his heart.

Lin Yin felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, her fair cheeks gradually tinted with two alluring blushes, like white jade flushed with sunset clouds.

She blinked somewhat unnaturally, wanting to look away but unable to bear it, so she had to turn her head slightly, revealing her beautifully lined neck and equally flushed earlobes. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum: "Brother Tian... what... what are you looking at..."

Lin Tian did not answer immediately, his gaze simply becoming deeper and more solemn.

He reached out and gently grasped the cool hand she had pressed on his shoulder, wrapping it within his own warm palm.

"Silly girl," he said, his voice slightly hoarse from his previous roaring, but filled with unprecedented seriousness and heartache. "In the future... you are not allowed to do this again, do you hear me?"

Lin Yin's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and she tried to pull her hand back, but Lin Tian held it even tighter.

"In that situation just now," Lin Tian continued, his gaze locked tightly onto her eyes, not letting her escape, "you clearly could have... could have let go of me and dealt with it yourself, or... in any case, you cannot use your life—no, even if it's a 'life' that won't truly die—to trade for my safety. I don't want... to see you hurt again, especially because of me."

By the end, his tone carried a suppressed pain he hadn't even noticed himself. Heaven knows, the moment he saw her back pierced by the rain of arrows, how much he hated his own incompetence, and how much he feared that it would be a true, final farewell.

Lin Yin lowered her eyelashes, her long lashes trembling gently like the wings of a frightened butterfly.

After a moment of silence, she didn't look at Lin Tian, just stared at their clasped hands. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a kind of familiar, almost paranoid firmness as she whispered, word by word:

"Even if... it happened again, I... I would still stand in front of you, Brother Tian." She didn't say "this is my duty" or "it's what I should do," simply stating a simple fact; her choice would not change, no matter how many times it happened.

Lin Tian's heart shook violently, and a sour, burning hot stream instantly surged into his eyes.

This silly girl... He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that any words seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

In the end, he only gripped her hand tighter, as if wanting to transmit his own strength and determination.

"This time... was my decision error." He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, his voice returning to its usual steadiness, but with an added, unquestionable resolve:

"I was too greedy, underestimated the dangers of the secret realm, and overestimated our limits. I promise you, and all the brothers who survived, that in the future, I will never let you fall into such a deadly situation again. I will become stronger, and our territory and our army will also become stronger, strong enough to face all challenges, rather than filling the gaps with your lives."

As he said this, his gaze was burning, both a promise to Lin Yin and a spur to himself. The sense of powerlessness in the secret realm and the guilt toward Lin Yin and his other subordinates had deeply stung him. Becoming stronger was urgent.

Listening to his words and feeling the warmth and strength coming from his palm, the unease and lingering fear in Lin Yin's heart seemed to be soothed somewhat by this firm promise.

Finally, she looked up at Lin Tian and nodded gently, the corners of her lips struggling to curve into an extremely faint but incomparably gentle arc: "Mm, I believe in Brother Tian."

The two stayed quietly for a while longer, enjoying the brief peace of having survived the disaster and being together.

Until Lin Tian felt that both his body and spirit had recovered quite a bit, he patted Lin Yin's hand again gently, signaling her to let go so he could sit up.

He stretched his limbs and confirmed that his body had completely "recovered" under the rules of the secret realm, with no discomfort, though the mental fatigue and the psychological shadows brought by the "death" experience still needed time to subside.

He turned around and looked at Lord Su Wan not far away.

This gentle elf lord had also just recovered from the shadow of "death," leaning against a moon birch spirit wood. Her face was still somewhat pale, and her emerald-like eyes still held lingering fear, but she was trying hard to maintain the demeanor of a lord.

Beside her, the many remaining elves gathered around her, huddling together, silently drawing warmth and comfort.

Lin Tian walked over, and Lord Su Wan also looked up. Their gazes met, and both saw similar lingering fear and emotion in the other's eyes.

"Lord Su Wan," Lin Tian spoke first, his tone carrying sincere apology and lingering fear. "I didn't expect this secret realm... to be so dangerous. Although we won't truly die, the feeling of injury and... 'death' is simply too real. If there are similar opportunities in the future, we truly need to be extremely cautious and act according to our capabilities."

He had truly learned what kind of cruel trial lay behind this challenge of "not truly dying."

Lord Su Wan let out a soft breath and nodded, her voice still a bit weak: "Lord Lin Tian is right. This experience will be unforgettable for a lifetime. However,"

Her tone shifted, and her gaze toward Lin Tian was filled with sincere gratitude. "Being able to reach the sixth stage, and even witnessing the counterattack in the desperate situation of the fifth stage, is all thanks to you and your soldiers. If not for allying with you, I fear I would have had trouble passing even the first stage, let alone obtaining those rich rewards."

Then her tone paused, as if she had already made up her mind. From the natural storage bag she carried, she took out two items: a pile of glittering gold crystals, and an even larger amount of wood crystal stones emitting a rich aura of life.

"According to the contract, the rewards are split equally. This is one hundred units of gold crystals. Additionally," she pushed the wood crystal stones forward, "please also accept these extra two hundred units of wood crystal stones. Do not refuse."

Seeing Lin Tian open his mouth to speak, she immediately interrupted in a soft but unrefusable tone, "This is what you deserve. Without you, I wouldn't even have had the qualifications to obtain these rewards. If you don't accept them, next time... if I luckily obtain something strange but perhaps useful again, I wouldn't dare to look for you. You know, my luck... is sometimes quite good."

She rarely cracked a small joke, trying to dilute the heavy atmosphere, but her eyes held persistence.