The underground mine tunnels were already intricately intertwined, and with the White Mist Worms corroding the foundation, the entire subterranean structure was riddled with holes.
After the massive explosion, the Dark River was split open by a fissure.
The crack quickly widened into a huge gap, allowing water to rush back into the underground caves, continuously surging toward the lowest point.
And Enya and Sophia just happened to be at that lowest point.
Moreover, there wasn’t just one Dark River—several streams of water were flowing back into the caves simultaneously.
Enya held the dazed Sophia tightly.
She first sliced through the cascading curtain of water with her sword, then spread the pair of Dragon Wings on her back, which rapidly extended to a wingspan of three meters.
Lowering her body slightly, she leapt into the air.
She flew straight into the torrent along the path carved out by her sword energy, and just before entering the water, Enya whispered to Sophia in her arms.
“Hold your breath, remember to hold onto me.”
Sophia, staring at the approaching flood, immediately wrapped her arms around Enya’s neck and rested her head on Enya’s shoulder.
Her long legs no longer cared about appearances; they wrapped tightly around Enya’s waist. The elven girl was now clinging completely to Enya’s body.
Enya crashed into the water.
She absorbed the full impact, shielding Sophia from harm.
Once submerged, Enya’s Dragon Wings continued to flap normally, propelling them forward.
The pressure of the surrounding currents pressed Sophia tightly against Enya’s chest, but the armor was uncomfortable, digging in sharply.
Sophia couldn’t open her eyes or breathe. She only felt herself moving through cold water.
The underground river had long been deprived of warmth, making the temperature much lower than that of surface streams.
Sophia shivered involuntarily.
She felt the hand behind her tighten.
Under normal circumstances, Sophia would have been embarrassed and tried to pull away, but now she only felt safe, wanting to remain in this person’s embrace.
But her consciousness was starting to blur.
The lack of oxygen made Sophia instinctively open her mouth, but as soon as she did, water rushed in under pressure.
The cold water burned her throat, making her body tremble. The shock frightened her further, and panic underwater could quickly lead to drowning.
Enya was steady. She held her breath the entire time, cradling the seemingly unconscious Missy Elf, and swiftly sought out a calm surface.
She burst out of the water and landed on the shore.
They had emerged into a small cavern. They were now deep inside a calm section of the Dark River.
Enya knelt on one knee and carefully laid the delicate girl on the ground.
After setting Sophia down, her eyes involuntarily drifted toward the veiled face before finally settling on Sophia’s stomach.
As expected, it was visibly swollen.
She clicked her tongue, reaching out to press lightly against Sophia’s belly.
The skin felt soft and elastic.
Without a doubt, Sophia had drunk her fill.
“You’re really something, Missy—can’t even hold your breath for five minutes?”
After the light tease, Enya shook her head helplessly.
Holding one’s breath for five minutes was a tall order for a Magic User without special training. On top of that, Soleia was mentally tense, feeling guilty for what she had done.
If not for her momentary impulse to shoot a big arrow, the cave wouldn’t have collapsed, and they wouldn’t be flooded now.
Enya quietly looked at the elf girl lying on the ground.
Soaked by the water, the girl’s skin had turned pale.
Her already thin clothing clung to her flesh, revealing the light pink outfit beneath—indeed very cute.
Sophia’s figure was graceful—if you ignored the protruding belly.
These past few days, Enya had been curious about the face behind the veil. Although elves were usually beautiful, what kind of beauty it was could only be known by seeing for oneself.
Perhaps she had even seen her before.
If she were to lift the veil now, would it be considered taking advantage of a vulnerable girl?
But…
“She’s drowning, after all. I have to save her!”
Looking at Sophia’s barely breathing form, Enya quickly convinced herself of that.
Slowly, she reached out and placed her hand on Sophia’s cheek. Using her thumb and forefinger, she gently lifted the corner of the veil.
Looking at that face, Enya quieted.
The elf girl’s features were exquisitely beautiful, like a masterpiece crafted by a dollmaker—fresh yet carrying an air of mature, cold nobility.
But those features also held a tender and flowing warmth.
Sophia was the kind of girl suited for love at first sight.
Seeing Sophia’s beautiful face stirred long-forgotten memories in Enya.
Back when she was in the Elven Kingdom, she had once tried to escape from Eliv’s grasp and secretly broke out of jail.
Unluckily, she was discovered and forced to hide in the chamber of an elf girl, speaking through a curtain.
That girl had helped hide her.
But neither of them knew the other’s name.
It was truly a chance encounter.
Before leaving, the girl peeked out her head to look at Enya, who glanced back just as their deep blue eyes met.
Back to the present.
Enya stroked Sophia’s face, wiping away the water droplets clinging to her skin, and softly said, “Is this fate, or some kind of secret matchmaker?”
She smiled helplessly.
Then she set about carefully draining the water from Sophia.
In no time, under Enya’s skilled hands, clear streams of water were spat out from Sophia’s pretty, pink lips.
The draining was so painful that Sophia woke up.
She wiped her reddened eyes and continued coughing up water.
From now on, she might have unknowingly mastered water magic.
Enya reached out and gently patted the elf girl’s back.
Sophia froze at the touch but didn’t ask her to stop.
After spitting out most of the water, Sophia took shallow breaths and turned her head, too shy to speak.
She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and suddenly realized the veil on her face was missing.
Startled, she covered her face with both hands.
“Is there anywhere else that hurts?” Enya asked worriedly.
Sophia’s face flushed red, then paled again, looking unwell.
But for someone just rescued from drowning, it was understandable.
Enya considered giving Sophia some of Eliv’s holy water but thought better of it, knowing Sophia probably wouldn’t want to drink anything for days.
A recovery potion would suffice.
So, Enya pulled out a Red Potion.
Sophia accepted it, stunned and lost in thought.
After a moment, she bit her thin lips and said softly, her long lashes lowering,
“You saw my face, …”