Chapter 289: A gem grew on the catgirl's arm

Jierte stared blankly at the group of people getting off the off‑road vehicle, still somewhat confused about the situation.

Only when BOSS's voice came through did Jierte finally react.

At this moment, the Spirit Energy Crystal had already spread across half of his aunt's face, and before long she would completely turn into a crystal statue.

On that black off‑road vehicle, the blue sapphire rushed forward first, pouring the painstakingly accumulated life force of years onto his aunt like it was free, causing the spread of the Spirit Energy Crystal to slow markedly, even stopping.

"Jierte! Your aunt can still be saved!"

"Hurry and put her inside!"

At that moment, the medical team behind BOSS pushed over a strange black chamber; Jierte gritted his teeth, quickly lifted his aunt's body, and placed it inside the chamber.

With the humming sound, the crystal on his aunt's face stopped spreading; looking at the other's calm expression, Jierte finally let out a somewhat uncertain sigh of relief.

BOSS also let out a sigh of relief; good thing we arrived in time, otherwise.....

Meanwhile, the Catgirl who had over‑released her life force plopped down on the ground, her face showing an unnatural pallor.

"......."

"Does she really still have a chance?"

"This is what we promised you, something that can prolong your aunt's life."

"It can only suppress it, not completely cure it."

"But.... as long as a person is still alive, there is still hope for all of this."

Jierte looked at his aunt's peaceful face, his heart filled with complexity; facing the man before him whose merit and sins were intertwined, he didn't know whether he should say such a thing.

"Is.... this also part of your plan?"

Jierte looked at BOSS; facing this man who schemed behind the scenes, Jierte had reason to suspect that the other had already anticipated this.

"Not at all."

"This is a remedial measure I took for the mistake in my plan."

"Although saying this may sound far‑fetched, it is indeed the fact."

BOSS locked eyes with Jierte, showing no trace of panic; all of this is indeed the fact, and he had not calculated this link.

"After I figured out why your aunt came back, I immediately summoned the team to come and preserve her life."

"That was my presumption."

Jierte closed his eyes, and the final resolute scene of his aunt appeared in his mind.

"Unafraid of sacrifice...."

His aunt, with the price of her life, told Jierte what it means to be unafraid of sacrifice and what is the third article of the knight's code.

At this moment, the blue sapphire's pale little face finally recovered a bit; all the life force she had scraped together over the years by eating and picking up leftovers was used here—Jierte's aunt is too strong, and the life she demanded was far too much.

Even just this short while consumed her own life.

"Knigh...."

"Hiss...."

Just as the blue sapphire was about to call Jierte, a sudden stabbing pain came from her arm.

She carefully lifted her sleeve, and a tiny, transparent crystal drilled out from beneath her delicate skin.

"It... is the Spirit Energy Crystal...."

The blue sapphire stared blankly at her arm; thinking of Jierte's aunt in that state, she couldn't help trembling.

The Catgirl fears death, loves money, and also loves the life she has painstakingly saved.

But since the Knight Sir needed it, she gave all the life she had saved.

But now she has actually grown that thing herself; she likes gems, but she has never disliked sparkling gems as much as she does now.

"Blue sapphire? How are you?"

Jierte's call came through, pulling the Catgirl's thoughts back; she quickly eased her inner emotions and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"I'm fine, Knight Sir."

"Just, a bit tired."

Jierte also forced a smile, gently stroking the Catgirl's soft ears with his hand.

"You've worked hard today; let's go back and rest."

"Yeah!"

Not only the Catgirl, but Jierte was also putting on a brave face—precisely because his aunt might still be saved; otherwise he could never appear so calm.

And the sorrow‑stricken Jierte failed to notice the blue sapphire's oddity, merely thinking she was tired, and never saw the Catgirl continually covering her slender arm.

"'BOSS.... I hope you haven't lied to me.'"

"The spark of his aunt's life has been preserved, but whether it can be reignited remains an unknown."

"\"The mastermind was killed, the restrictions of Demon Land were lifted at once, and soon you saw your uncle at the garrison. \""

"\"It was he who severed the demon's other corpse; otherwise this troublesome thing would very likely cause even greater complications. \""

"\"I'm sorry about your aunt's situation. \" Your uncle also saw the aunt lying in the chamber and related to you the circumstances at that time."

"\"At that time, only he had just returned home; others were outside and couldn't come right away. He couldn't overcome your aunt's insistence, so he came with her to Demon Land. \""

"\"Later, his aunt was anxious and furious, refusing to let him slay the demon alone for fear that something might happen to you, so they chose to act separately..... \""