"Thief... hold on..."
Ricky's consciousness flickered. His vision blurred, his mind buzzed with the aftermath of a deafening explosion.
A pull—strong and terrifying—gripped him. Something far beyond his power, something that no mere pest like him could resist.
Is this the end...?
His thoughts were a chaotic mess, drifting in and out of focus. At some unknown point—everything simply stopped.
Yet—
A sensation broke through the silence.
Something wet slid down his throat. A cooling, tingling sensation seeped into his burning body.
Had it not been for this strange liquid, Ricky would have believed himself dead.
Had it not been for this, he had no doubt—he would be dead.
A blurry image surfaced in his mind.
A dark, glossy spider—her silhouette towering in his fractured memory.
Ricky's heart twisted with complicated emotions.
Why...?
Why was she saving him?
---
"What should I do...?"
Dark Shadow loomed over the shriveled form of Ricky.
His body—once brimming with unyielding vitality—was now tightly wrapped in her soft web.
But despite being held together, he was falling apart.
Both mandibles—half burned.
His proboscis—twisted at an unnatural angle.
Dark Shadow could feel it—Ricky's life force flickering, growing weaker with every passing moment.
The only friend she had made in years... was dying right in front of her.
Dark Shadow's heart ached, unfamiliar emotions surging inside her.
Had she been too careless?
Had she dragged him into this mess?
"Is it my fault...? Is the thief suffering because of me...?"
Her many eyes darted around anxiously.
She desperately searched her inherited bloodline memories—seeking anything that could save him.
"Argh! Why is there no healing spell in my memories?!"
Then—her gaze landed on something.
A crimson fruit, hanging delicately from a nearby branch.
A realization struck her.
A flicker of hope.
Her body vanished into a ray of darkness, and in the next moment—
Every single fruit in the area was gone.
She had almost forgotten—
Her fruits contained regenerative properties.
But…
How do I feed him?
Just as she solved one problem, another slammed into her mind.
A moment of uncertainty—then determination.
"Let's do this."
Thin, nearly invisible strands of blue silk formed at her fingertips.
They wove together, becoming a delicate tube, which slowly connected to Ricky's damaged proboscis.
The tube pulsed rhythmically, creating a strong suction force.
The crimson nectar flowed down—straight into Ricky's throat.
Dark Shadow watched intently, all her focus pinned on saving him.
At this moment—
She had completely forgotten about the attacker.
She had completely forgotten to check why no one had chased them.
One fruit after another was drained, their rich essence pouring into Ricky's broken body.
His damaged flesh absorbed the life-giving liquid like a starved beast.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Notifications rang in Ricky's mind, one after the other.
But he was too muddled to notice them.
Only when the last fruit vanished did color finally return to his skin.
His proboscis twitched slightly.
Dark Shadow leaned forward.
Her voice soft but hopeful—
"Come on, thief… you can do it."
She held her breath.
And then—
His soul stirred.
---
Ricky didn't know how much time had passed.
An hour? A day? A year?
All he knew—was that when he opened his eyes, he was sitting on a tree branch, surrounded by dozens of crimson fruits.
They glowed like distant stars, illuminating the dim surroundings.
The air was fresh—mixed with a strange, calming scent.
Buzzz!
Without realizing, Ricky's wings fluttered—his body lifted into the air.
He paused, his mind catching up to reality.
"I… I'm still alive."
That was the only thought in his mind.
Before he could process it further—
A familiar aura approached at high speed.
Dark Shadow.
Ricky barely had time to react before a massive, glossy black figure appeared before him.
Her body radiated power.
Her presence alone made his tiny mosquito heart tremble in fear.
Dark Shadow, however, seemed unaware of the pressure she was releasing.
She spoke in a joyful voice—
"Thief! You're finally awake! I thought you were going to sleep forever—"
Midway through her sentence—she noticed Ricky's shaking mandibles.
She froze.
The pressure immediately vanished.
Dark Shadow felt her heart clench.
She had scared him.
She internally cursed herself for being so careless.
Ricky finally caught his breath and muttered—
"Thank you."
Only two words.
But—they carried his entire heart.
Never in his entire existence had Ricky received such selfless care.
Never had someone gone this far for him—without expecting anything in return.
Even if he tried—he could never repay this debt.
His intense gaze and passionate words made Dark Shadow's face heat up slightly.
"What are you saying thank you for?" she laughed, rubbing her leg awkwardly.
"That's what friends do! If I were in your place, wouldn't you have saved me too?"
Saved you...?
Ricky's expression twitched.
Before this—he would have run the moment danger appeared.
He would have left her without hesitation.
A bitter smile crept onto his face.
Shaking his head, he sighed.
Then—his eyes darkened.
His tone turned serious.
"Where is he?"
Dark Shadow didn't even need to ask.
She knew exactly who he meant.
The knight.
Jack Velcrast.
The one who had nearly burned him alive.
Fury simmered in Ricky's heart.
He clenched his tiny fists, the memory of that searing pain still fresh in his mind.
Dark Shadow thought for a moment before replying.
"I don't know. He suddenly… disappeared."
Ricky frowned.
"Disappeared? He didn't chase us?"
Given how angry the knight had been, Ricky was certain Dark Shadow shouldn't have been able to escape so easily.
"Nope." Dark Shadow shrugged. "Someone else attacked him."
Ricky's wings twitched.
Someone… else?
"He's probably dead." Dark Shadow offhandedly mentioned, clearly unbothered.
To her—Jack's life or death was irrelevant.
All she had cared about was saving Ricky.
But Ricky—
He didn't feel satisfied.
If the knight was dead—
Then Ricky had lost his chance.
I wanted to kill him with my own hands.
A strange void opened in his chest.
His mind drifted back to an earlier memory.
The stone courtyard.
The mysterious entity that had killed the man in black robes.
His eyes narrowed.
"Could it be… the same person?"