CHAPTER 277: CHAPTER 276 - THE HERB.

The chaos of the buffet hadn’t slowed down.

If anything, it had evolved.

Nibbles was now dual-wielding chicken wings while riding on the corrupt panther’s back, the two of them acting like some bizarre cavalry unit raiding the dessert table.

Graye had ditched her helmet entirely; cheeks puffed out with so much roast meat, she looked like she was trying to smuggle ham.

Siris was sitting cross-legged on the table itself, holding a pie in each hand like she was deciding which one to throw at someone’s face.

The dragon’s gaze swept over the scene with a mixture of awe and mild horror.

They didn’t eat like mortals.

They ate like... like things that had been starved for a millennium, cursed with bottomless stomachs, and maybe some deep-seated emotional trauma.

Finally, her molten eyes turned to the only two who weren’t currently ravaging the buffet: Raven and Lia, seated calmly before her.

They did eat, but only a plate of it before they sat down before her, as if waiting for her to ask a question.

She did just that.

"You two," she said, voice low and warm, "you haven’t asked for anything yet."

Raven leaned back slightly, meeting her gaze without a hint of intimidation.

"You remember the story I told you," he said evenly. "About how Lia sacrificed one-third of her life to save mine?"

The dragon’s smirk faded into something more serious. "I remember."

"I want an herb that can heal her lifespan," Raven continued. "Fully."

For a long moment, the dragon stared at him—then she gave a slow, deliberate nod.

Her claw rose.

The pile of treasure behind her began to tremble, gold coins cascading down like a miniature landslide. Trinkets and crowns shifted. A jeweled skull rolled across the floor.

The rumbling grew deeper until, with a sharp WHOOMPH

, something was yanked free from deep within the hoard.

It tumbled through the air before landing with a wet thwack on the stone between them.

Lia blinked at it. Then blinked again.

It was... an ugly ginseng-like root with a human face. A disturbingly ugly human face. Its eyes darted around wildly, its mouth twisted in a perpetual snarl.

Then, as if announcing that it could get worse, it started screaming.

Not just screaming but yelling actual words.

"Kill you! Fuck you! Curse you!"

"I smell like shit!"

"You’ll get indigestion!"

"Your hair looks stupid!"

Lia’s eyes widened in horror. Because, unlike others, she, who could talk to plants, could understand those words.

The dragon, utterly unbothered, said matter-of-factly, "This is what you need to eat, little one. Do that, and your lifeforce will be restored."

Lia turned to Raven with the expression of someone who’d just been told to swallow a live tarantula. Her voice was quiet, almost pleading.

"...Do I have to?"

Raven’s shrug was maddeningly casual. "It’s the only way."

"I really don’t want to—"

"You have to," he said firmly.

Before she could protest further, he snatched the herb, ignoring its furious cursing, and with the efficiency of a man who had clearly done this kind of "force-feed the medicine" thing before, shoved it into her mouth.

The herb wailed. Tears actually streamed down its face as Lia bit down.

Then, as her teeth sank into it—

Her eyes went wide.

It was... delicious.

Like biting into the purest, richest fruit in existence, layered with flavors she couldn’t even name—sweet, tangy, savory, and refreshing all at once.

Her whole body felt warm, light, and full of life.

Across the cavern, the chaos at the buffet began to slow as the others noticed something was happening.

Graye looked up mid-bite. "Uh... is Lia eating a person?"

Jessy squinted. "Looks like it."

Siris grinned. "If it works, I want one for stab testing."

The panther padded closer, head cocked in curiosity. Nibbles hopped down from its back to get a better look.

Selena, still sipping her drink, tilted her head ever so slightly at the sight, her calm voice carrying a subtle edge. "So... Raven is personally feeding her something precious."

Clara’s smirk was faint but knowing. "Mm. And making sure she swallows all of it."

Omni’s voice chuckled from Raven’s arm. "Damn, boss, you’re out here making people moan over root vegetables now. That’s next-level."

The dragon’s molten gaze lingered on Raven, her lips curling upward.

She was starting to understand why this handsome human could make her feel... things.

Lia, cheeks flushed from the warmth surging through her, swallowed the last of the herb.

"...Okay," she admitted reluctantly. "That... was the best thing I’ve ever eaten."

Raven just gave a small, satisfied nod. "Good. You’re staying alive a while longer, then."

Lia’s smile of bliss was still lingering when her eyelids began to droop.

Her head tilted forward once... twice... and then she slumped sideways in her chair.

Selena frowned, her eyes sharpening instantly, and her drink was forgotten as she rose.

Graye shot to her feet, hands already glowing faintly with heat. "Did she choke on the root-face thing?!"

Jessy stood up too, scanning the air for any hint of poison. "Raven, what’s happening—"

The dragon raised one molten claw lazily before the tension could rise higher, her voice calm and oddly amused.

"All of you relax. She’s fine."

Her words were mostly focused on Raven, who was staring at her intently, as if asking what was wrong with Lia.

Others also turned toward her, not entirely convinced.

The dragon didn’t think their suspicion was uncalled for, so she went on.

"She has just gained a hundred years of life," the dragon explained, tilting her head toward the unconscious Lia. "Her body is relaxing, releasing the strain it’s held for so long. She will sleep for about an hour."

Siris tilted her head, still sitting on the buffet table with her arms folded. "...So she’s fine?"

"More than fine," the dragon replied. "She is better now than she has ever been. But she needs rest."

She gestured to a dark archway cut into the wall, where several ornate doors stood in shadow.

"Take her to one of the quiet compartments. That one—" she pointed to a door with a gold-dragon emblem "—is the most peaceful."

Raven didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward, scooping Lia into a princess carry. Her head naturally nestled against his chest, her pink hair, which had grown a bit longer, rustling softly with every movement.

Clara, watching with a faint, sly smile, murmured, "My, how gallant."

Selena’s eyes tracked every step, unreadable, but she said nothing.

Siris, for the first time, let go of the pie she was holding, squinting her eyes at him.

Rufus whistled, as everyone wondered whether Lia was going to get her wish fulfilled at last.

Even Alex was staring at them meaningfully, but with his face stuffed, he looked like a consumer who had disguised himself in fear of being asked for taxes.

Raven, unbothered by the gazes, carried Lia through the archway, nudged open the gold-marked door, and set her gently onto a low, velvet-covered bed.

For a moment, he just stood there, ensuring her breathing was steady before straightening and walking out—shutting the door behind him before anyone could follow or start drawing conclusions.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sit next to Lia and ensure her safety. He knew that she would be safe with the dragon here.

Above all, he had something else to do right now.

When he returned, the dragon’s molten gaze was still on him, a flicker of curiosity in her expression.

She knew that he wanted to say something, so she raised her brow, if she had any.

Nodding, Raven began.

"So," Raven said casually, dusting off his hands, "earlier you mentioned we could take anything we could carry, right?"

Her molten eyes narrowed slightly, but she inclined her head. "Unless you are planning to cheat with an interdimensional storage space... yes. Anything you can carry."

Raven’s lips curled into a slow, dangerous grin. He turned his gaze toward the glittering sprawl of weapons embedded in the mountain of treasure—blades, spears, and hammers, all gleaming with ancient enchantments.

"Oh... this is going to be fun," he murmured.

"Bro... I’m already salivating." Omni’s voice rumbled eagerly from his arm. "If I had a tongue, I’d be licking the treasure right now."

The dragon’s smirk faltered just a fraction. For some reason, watching that grin spread across Raven’s face sent a faint, instinctive warning down her spine.

She suddenly, very badly, wanted to take her words back.

But it was far, far too late for that now.