Heaven Awaits in Hell

A conflicted expression appeared on Zion's face the next moment.

The cold gaze, which carried only disgust when aimed at him, was still vivid in Zion's mind.

He had long grown accustomed to similar gazes being directed at him by others, but there was one exception: Fana.

Whenever he passed by her, although he acted like he never cared but his heart felt like it was being torn.

Now that the person who could incite such extreme emotions in him was lying in front of him, it was natural for him to feel conflicted.

Doubt and expectation bogged his mind.

He doubted whether her eyes would look at him differently if he helped her out, but there was also an expectation that she might revert to the caring childhood friend he used to have.

Zion picked her up from the ground and then placed her near a tree wide enough for her back.

"She would be very hungry when she wakes up…" With that in mind, Zion went to scour through the forest.

When he returned, Fana was still unconscious, so he decided to wait for her.

Since he was not on the move, Zion decided to increase his Qi reserves at that time.

Sitting in the lotus position, he closed his eyes.

 Time passed slowly, and it was finally noon.

Zion reached his limit for today and opened his eyes. Seeing that Fana was still not awake and darkness would descend in four to five hours, he decided to camp here tonight as well.

Zion busied himself and began with shelter preparation. This time, he made sure to make it large enough for two people.

The sound seemed to alert Fana, and she opened her eyes. Surprised to find her in a different place.

She turned towards the source of the sound and saw a man's figure who was cutting branches with his spear.

The next moment, she noticed the man's left leg, which was made of wood.

"Zion…?" She blurted out his name in surprise and confusion.

Hearing her, Zion's actions paused, and he slowly turned around to meet her eyes.

Her eyes carried only tiredness and surprise in them, and there was no trace of the earlier coldness.

Seeing this, Zion internally sighed in relief.

"You're finally awake, that's good," he said with a smile and continued, "You must be hungry. I've placed some fruits beside you so you can nibble on them for a while. I'm almost done with the shelter."

After saying that, Zion busied himself while Fana looked to her side. On a large leaf, a lot of fruits, nuts and mushrooms have been placed.

Her stomach growled the very next moment, and she started nibbling on them. Her gaze fell on Zion, who was busy creating a shelter.

'Why did he save me…' That was the first question that appeared in her mind. She clearly remembered how she had treated him in the past.

Although at first, she had changed her behaviour towards him because of her parents but with time, just like other villagers, she too formed a natural disgust for Zion because of his disability.

That feeling was still present, but knowing her current situation, she made sure to mask it and not let him know.

'Why did it have to be a cripple like him…he won't even be to fight a single wolf,' Fana thought as her lips pursed.

"It's finally completed," Zion's words attracted Fana's attention.

He continued while making his way towards her, "Since it's already afternoon, we'll be staying the night at this place."

He sat down next to a tree beside her and finally asked, "So tell me, what exactly happened? Your body covered in so much mud that I almost didn't recognise you in the morning,"

"About that…" Hearing his query, Fana told him everything that transpired the previous night with a few changes.

Half an hour later.

"Troy was a true hunter…" Zion said with great respect when he heard how Troy had blocked the wolves so that she could escape. His actions reminded Zion of his father, who had sacrificed his life to save him.

A layer of guilt appeared on Fana's face, which Zion mistook for sadness.

"Don't feel burdened, Fana. Troy had fought and given his life to save you therefore you must continue to live on, persevere and give meaning to his sacrifice," Zion consoled her.

"Thank you, Zion. I'm really glad you were the one who found me," Fana said with a grateful smile and closely observed his reaction.

Zion smiled a bit embarrassed and pushed himself off the ground. "It will be dark soon, so I'll go and grab some food to eat for the night."

"Be safe," Fana said in a concerned tone.

"I will," Zion nodded.

It had been a long time since anyone showed concern for him. Hearing Fana's words therefore made him want to do more for her.

Before the night fell, he returned with loads of nuts, berries and other fruits wrapped in leaves.

Since it had rained last night, they could rely on the water that was still collected on some leaves, but starting tomorrow, they had to go and collect some from the river.

Taking that into account, Zion had picked up a wide enough branch and used his spear's blade to slowly carve it into a jug that could hold water.

"You're quite skilled," Fana commented.

Zion grinned at the compliment and said, "I'm just doing what father had taught me: always have a flexible mind"

"That's a really good lesson," Fana praised.

"I know, right? When I heard it for the first time…"

The two of them indulged in small talk to pass their time until it was late in the night. Zion had finished making the wooden jug by now, and it was time to rest.

He soon closed his eyes and fell asleep.

As for Fana, she just lay there in silence, unable to sleep. A lot of thoughts were going on in her mind. Losing everyone she loved in just a day had impacted her mind a lot.

Especially yesterday, when she pushed Troy away and ran for her life.

She felt ashamed whenever she thought about that incident, but it also made her understand one thing about herself.

'Nothing is more important than my life now…' Fana glanced at Zion's sleeping figure beside her and closed her eyes.