Chapter 311: The System Itself?

Looking at the utterly drained and fragile Weitian, Drake swiftly retrieved a Senzu Bean from his inventory and placed it into her mouth.

Only when she swallowed it did he finally exhale in relief. That had been far too close—and it was his own fault for being so foolish.

He had possessed the power to unravel that dark mist from the very start. Yet in the sheer panic of the moment, his mind had blanked, completely blinding him to such an obvious solution.

The entangling, adhesive nature of the black fog was indeed near-flawless against standard attacks, but against spatial manipulation, localized dimensional fissures were more than enough to tear it to shreds.

By regulating the scale of the fissures using his prior spatial mastery, he could open precise rifts just large enough to isolate and sever the mist.

Opening spatial rifts across such a vast area exerted an enormous drain on his reserves, but in that life-or-death crisis, conserving energy had been the least of his concerns.

Seeing the color gradually return to Weitian's cheeks, Drake turned his gaze toward Im.

That monster had clearly targeted her on purpose.

Behind his back, his clenched fist popped with audible cracks. His senses flared to their absolute peak. He was genuinely enraged.

Sigh... this kid is truly furious now.

Deep within Drake's consciousness, the System let out a long, weary sigh. It had no idea what to say about Drake's reaction. Without realizing it, that girl had already carved out an extraordinary place in his heart.

Given Drake's usual temperament, he would never fly into such an unbridled fury for anyone other than his sworn brothers and crewmates.

Looking at him now, Drake probably didn't even understand why he had thrown himself into danger so recklessly to save her.

He hadn't even realized what he had just done.

As Drake's aura steadily climbed, Weitian opened her eyes in his arms. She gazed blankly at that familiar yet distant profile.

Sensing movement against his chest, Drake quickly looked down, blurting out, "Are you—"

The words caught in his throat. As if suddenly realizing their position, an awkward stiffness washed over his face. Meeting her unblinking gaze, he abruptly turned his head away.

"Uh... as long as you're alright."

Since she had eaten a Senzu Bean, she was naturally fully healed.

"Mm..." Weitian gave a faint nod, hastily averting her eyes as well, not daring to look at him.

As if by unspoken agreement, both fell completely silent.

It's over, it's all over! This kid has truly lost his mind!

Inside Drake's sea of consciousness, the System transformed into a tiny black ball of fluff, pulling at its own squishy cheeks in sheer despair.

Why hadn't it intervened earlier?!

Every single previous host had met their doom over that cursed word: love. It was absolute proof that romantic attachments were pure poison!

When on earth had this kid developed feelings for her?

As his System, it hadn't noticed a single clue!

Sure, it usually gave Drake the cold shoulder, but that was just playful banter. It never actually wanted him dead!

It remembered with crystal clarity: if it failed to guide this host to complete the ultimate mission, its cumulative failure rate would hit a flat one hundred percent.

When that happened, the System itself would be the very first to be erased!

There was a reason it had treated Drake so aloofly from the start. With its earlier hosts, it had been warm, attentive, and dutifully helped them grind levels and slay monsters.

Yet the outcome was always the same two words: total failure!

Among them, ninety-eight hosts had thrown themselves into inescapable death traps solely for a woman—situations where even gods couldn't save them!

Another one had committed suicide. When that host's beloved died, he threatened his own life, demanding the System bring her back from the dead!

But it was merely a System, not an omnipotent deity!

The dead cannot return to life—that was an eternal, immutable law of reality. There was nothing it could do.

In the end, that host simply declared that a world without her held no meaning, and that dying offered a chance to reunite in the afterlife.

With that, he drew his sword and slit his own throat on the spot.

No matter how frantically the System tried to stop him—even pleading with him—it had been utterly useless.

It's over. Everything is doomed...

The System wore a face of total despair. It hadn't expected this dreaded day to arrive so quickly. Was there truly no cure for the curse of love?

After a long, heavy silence, Weitian was the first to speak, her voice barely a murmur: "How... how long do you plan on holding me? Put me down already."

Her voice grew quieter with every word, the final sentence barely audible.

She kept her head turned away the entire time, but Drake heard the first part loud and clear.

"Ah! I'll... put you down right now." Flustered, Drake scrambled to set her down.

Then he abruptly remembered where they were—they were suspended mid-air.

Just as Drake prepared to warp them down, Weitian spoke again: "Right here is fine. I can fly."

Drake nodded. "Right."

Seeing that she was fine, he released his grip. But the instant he let go, Weitian began falling straight out of the sky. In a panic, Drake lunged forward and caught her once more.

The sudden softness against his hands sent his thoughts into complete disarray. His entire body froze stiff, holding Weitian tightly against him.

"You..." Weitian's face turned so crimson it looked ready to bleed. She couldn't bring herself to look at him.

Drake's large hand was resting right on an awkward spot. How was she supposed to say that out loud? She wanted to move, yet didn't dare to.

"Ah!" Drake hurriedly shifted his grip, wrapping his arm around her slender waist instead. "Can you... really fly?"

The question only made her face burn hotter. Just moments ago, she had tried to activate her Devil Fruit ability, only to find she couldn't tap into it. While her physical stamina and mental energy were completely restored, her Devil Fruit powers seemed temporarily locked.

Seeing that Weitian remained silent, Drake felt the awkwardness thicken. He quickly warped them down to the ground and let go of her.

"Are you... really alright?" Drake asked hesitantly.

Because Weitian kept her back to him, he hadn't seen her blushing face. Turning around a moment later, her expression had already regained its composure.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"I see. That's good."

Suddenly, Weitian gasped as if remembering something crucial. Spotting a specific direction, she sprinted forward.

"Uncle!" She rushed straight to Kizaru's side.

By now, Kizaru had pushed himself into a seated position. Though his chest had been run through by a blade, it wasn't immediately fatal.

He was a Marine Admiral, after all.

However, he had completely lost the capacity to fight; that single thrust had left him grievously wounded.

"Are you alright, Uncle?!" Panic was written all over Weitian's face.

Kizaru offered her a faint, easygoing smile. "I'm fine, really."

"On the other hand, you two..."

As Kizaru spoke, he intentionally cast a knowing glance in Drake's direction.

He had witnessed the entire scene up in the sky just now with absolute clarity.

"Ah!" Weitian let out a startled squeak, hurriedly waving her hands. "I-It's not what you think!"

Kizaru remained entirely unconvinced—he wasn't blind. Still, the sight of Drake charging into that perilous black fog without hesitation to rescue her had left a deep impression on him. In that moment, he had genuinely believed it was the end for her.

Yet Drake had brought her back alive.

"Our little Tian has really grown up," Kizaru murmured with a sigh, a weight lifting from his chest.

Weitian glared at him, puffing her cheeks and turning her head away in a huff, her thoughts swirling.

"Did you truly believe escaping my mist meant you were safe?"

A chilling voice suddenly resonated right behind Weitian. Im had materialized directly at her back without anyone noticing.

"Little Tian!" Kizaru's eyes widened in horror. He strained to stand and block the strike, but his wounded body refused to obey.

Sensing the lethal aura behind her, Weitian spun around in sheer shock, only to be met with the sight of a pitch-black blade descending upon her.

Her pupils shrank to needlepoints.

I can't dodge this!

Just as Weitian braced for certain death, a hand yanked her backward from behind, and a figure flashed into the space before her.

CLANG!

Blades collided with violent kinetic force, splintering the bedrock beneath them into jagged ruins.

Drake slowly raised his head, his voice dripping with ice: "You want to hurt her? Did you ask me first?!"

Still dazed, Weitian stood completely frozen, staring blankly at the broad silhouette of Drake's back.

No way!

I refuse to just accept my doom!

Inside the sea of consciousness, the System suddenly snapped to life with renewed vigor.

Since romantic doom was unavoidable, it would defend them with everything it had. That girl absolutely could not die!

[Listen to me from here on out. I have a way for you to take her down!]