A Chemist's Interstellar Saga

Chapter 118: Arix Being Afraid
Chapter 118: Arix Being Afraid

At the villa’s entrance, Torvak knelt, his posture rigid. His face, cold and thin, reflected a mix of guilt and gratitude.

He knew this act of kneeling was a bit much and would likely make Scion uneasy, but he felt lost on how else to repay him. He always saw himself as a burden, never truly helpful.

This time, the burden felt even heavier because, due to him, his respected grandfather almost became the one who get Scion killed.

Thinking about it, Torvak’s head drooped in shame. His once-clear eyes grew clouded with sadness.

Tears began to fall, heavy and uncontrollable. The thought that he should be the one to die consumed him.

Just then, Arix reached out a paw and placed it on his arm, checking his pulse.

In the midst of his sorrow, Torvak noticed the warm paw on his arm, offering comfort. He looked up, puzzled, and saw a small cub smiling at him. ”Hi, Torvak.”

For a moment, Torvak stared blankly before he remembered this was his cousin, Arix, who had just arrived.

Embarrassed that she saw him crying, he quickly wiped his tears and tried to smile. ”Hello, Arix.”

Arix, seeing the young man smiling through his tears and even with a snot bubble, couldn’t hold back her laughter.

”Stop making me laugh; I can’t check you properly,” she giggled.

Torvak blinked. Seeing the cub Arix laughing so hard, he turned his head in embarrassment, scratching his neck shyly.

Arix’s interruption had stopped his tears. He thought about how much his cousin liked this little cub. ’Maybe Scion sent her here?’

The more Torvak thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.

He looked expectantly at the little cub.

After finishing her laughter, Arix noticed Torvak’s hopeful gaze. She didn’t need to guess what he was thinking. Even though she came to treat Torvak by herself, it could be seen as having Scion’s implicit consent. So, she nodded.

”What did Scion ask you to do?” Torvak asked eagerly.

’To treat you, of course!’ Arix frowned slightly as she thought about the cause of Torvak’s illness. She started taking out her treatment tools, beginning with a scalpel.

’What else do I need? Let me think.’ While Arix was thinking, Torvak’s eyes were fixed on the scalpel. ’Is Scion implying I should take my own life to atone? Makes sense. If I had died earlier, I wouldn’t have been a burden to Grandfather and Cousin Scion.

Unconsciously, Torvak’s hand grasped the scalpel. Slowly, he began to move it toward his neck.

Arix had just taken out a vial to collect some blood when she noticed the scalpel was missing.

She looked around, puzzled, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Then, a glint caught her eye. Looking up, she saw Torvak poised to slit his own throat.

Her fur stood on end as she jumped up and swatted the scalpel out of his hand. ”What are you doing? Are you crazy? You’re going to kill yourself over something so minor?” she yelled, her voice a mix of anger and fear.

”But... the scalpel was right in front of me. I thought it meant I should take my own life,” Torvak replied, looking hurt and confused.

Arix was speechless. Sometimes, being naive could easily turn into being foolish, and this guy was a prime example.

She almost had a medical disaster on her hands, not because of her treatment but because of his misguided actions.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Arix managed to suppress the ”colorful” language she wanted to use.

”Torvak, just put your hand out. Now, have you considered that, it’s possible that the scalpel was meant for drawing blood?” Arix used her psychic power to control the scalpel and made a small cut on Torvak’s finger.

Once the vial was filled with blood, she applied some ointment to his wound.

Watching his finger heal quickly, Torvak realized he had misunderstood the situation. He coughed awkwardly and asked, ”So, what does Cousin Scion need my blood for?”

”It’s not Scion who needs your blood, it’s me,” Arix explained patiently, fearing that if she didn’t clarify, Torvak might misunderstand again and cause more trouble. ”I need your blood to study why you’re aging prematurely.”

Torvak seemed to feel quite embarrassed knowing that his secret had been found. Hearing Arix’s explanation, he almost choked on his own spit and coughed violently.

Finally catching his breath, he blushed and protested loudly, ”I am not! Don’t say such things.”

Arix nodded, trying to keep a straight face. ”Right, you don’t.”

Torvak puffed out his cheeks in anger. Huffing, he turned away in a fit of rare bad temper.

Arix gathered the materials she needed and was about to leave. But seeing Torvak, still adorable even while sulking, she softened. ”Torvak, you should go back early too. I believe Scion has never blamed you guys.” With that, Arix turned and walked away.

Torvak, still kneeling, froze at Arix’s words. Even though he didn’t get up, the heavy burden on his chest that made it hard to breathe seemed to lift with her voice.

His lips curved slightly, and his usually clear eyes no longer appeared so dim.

Torvak looked up at the villa, focusing on the only window still lit. He spoke loudly, as if talking to himself, ”Scion, thank you for forgiving Grandpa. I’m sorry for the harm Grandpa and I caused you, but in this lifetime, I probably won’t have a chance to repay you. If there is a next life, I want to be your mecha to repay and protect you!”

With that, Torvak bowed heavily three times. Then, he turned back and left the villa’s entrance.

Standing by the window, Scion silently listened to the young man’s words. Then, with a rare hint of disdain in his tone, he closed the curtain and muttered, ”Not necessary.”

The next morning, Arix, who had worked all night, stumbled out of the lab, her eyelids heavy. She was so exhausted that she nearly fell.

Staying up all night was like hell for a little cub like her; it was no less challenging than her previous physical power training.

But, she finally managed to make the detox potion for Torvak.

Creating the potion wasn’t the issue; it was the interstellar virus that had evolved unexpectedly.

Can you imagine the frustration? Arix dropped the antidote into Torvak’s poisoned blood, saw it turn back to a healthy red, and then, just like that, it turned black again, becoming resistant to her antidote.

Talk about a slap in the face!

Her determination hardened. If she didn’t create an effective antidote by the end of the night, she’d admit defeat to the virus.

So, she spent the entire night watching the blood change from red to black and back again.

When the blood finally stayed red, Arix almost thought she was dreaming.

After checking multiple times to make sure it was real, she nearly cried from relief.

At last, she could sleep.

But before that, knowing Torvak might leave the clan today, Arix wanted to hand over the potion to Scion to ensure she could rest peacefully.

She staggered all the way to Scion’s room, even bumping her forehead somewhere, leaving a small bump.

Scion sensed her approaching and opened the door just as she reached it.

”Arix, you took your time,” Scion said, his voice carrying concern rather than blame.

Arix barely lifted her eyelids. She handed over the detox potion from her Space Button, and placed it on the floor.

”Torvak’s detoxification potion, Scion, please give it to him,” she managed to say before collapsing and falling asleep right there.

Scion’s heart tightened. He quickly picked her up, checked her condition, and sighed with relief when he saw she was just asleep.

Looking at the exhausted Arix, he felt a mix of helplessness and fondness. He gently patted her head.

Seeing the small bump on her forehead, he paused, then took out some ointment and gently applied it to the bump.

After finishing, Scion used his psychic power to pick up the potion from the ground without giving it a second glance.

He first went into the room, gently placed Arix on the bed. He covered her with a small blanket, making sure she wouldn’t catch a cold.

Only then did Scion turn his attention to the potion in his hand. It was still a dark, black liquid, but this time it had a hint of red compared to the psychic power healing potion he had drunk before.

Thinking about the last time, Scion’s eyes flashed with curiosity as he opened the bottle cap.

Before he could even get close to smell it, a bitter, acrid, and slightly spicy scent hit his nose.

Scion quickly put the cap back on, his expression showing rare sympathy.