CHAPTER 205: BOUNDED

Shiao Yi’s heart pounded hard; the sight felt private almost forbidden.

His mind told him to look away, but his eyes refused to obey.

He knew Dominic’s body well they had fought side by side, healed each other’s wounds but seeing him like this, powerless and caught in the grip of a living trap, struck something deeper inside him.

Even though he was being bound himself, Shiao Yi couldn’t stop the strange pull of fascination and worry that twisted in his chest.

Dominic clenched his jaw, trying to fight the sensations and keep his focus.

The vines pressed closer, feeding on his energy and Shiao Yi could sense how much power they were draining from him.

Somewhere in the haze, he realized what was happening these plants were feeding directly from Dominic’s life force, his magic, even from the fluids that carried that energy.

"Hold on..." Shiao Yi whispered, though he doubted Dominic could hear.

The air felt thick, almost intoxicating.

The more the vines pulsed and drank in magic, the more the atmosphere seemed to shimmer around them.

It was a cruel and beautiful trap and both of them were caught in it.

Without realizing it, Shiao Yi had opened his mouth, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

"You look pretty indecent, Shiao Yi," Dominic said, his voice strained but teasing. "Your tongue’s out... Don’t tempt me too much. I might lose control."

"Then just let it out already, Dominic," Shiao Yi shot back. "Damn it, I’m not letting these vines have their way with you. Come on break off already!"

He struggled and thrashed, but that only made things worse.

The vines tightened around him, wrapping him up even more until he could barely move.

Hanging upside down, Shiao Yi suddenly realized the situation he was in his waist was right in front of Dominic’s face.

Wait. What? No. He didn’t even want to imagine how ridiculous this looked.

"What a position you’ve ended up in, Shiao Yi," Dominic said, chuckling under his breath. "Don’t tease me more than this."

Even in such a mess, that laugh of his still sounded deep and strong the kind of voice that carried confidence no matter what.

Shiao Yi found himself admiring him all over again.

"Dominic, even like that, you still look damn good," he said. "Seriously, it’s unfair how you manage to make even this look cool."

"You’re not one to talk," Dominic replied with a smirk. "You look quite a sight yourself. Maybe I should tie you down on a bed someday and see how you handle that."

"Oh yeah?" Shiao Yi grinned. "Try it and I’ll use telekinesis to make sure you’re the one embarrassed instead."

"That, I’d actually look forward to," Dominic said while laughing.

The two of them burst out laughing together, the sound echoing oddly in the eerie, glowing forest.

Somehow, the danger of the situation only made the absurdity of it funnier.

Even though the vines were still coiling around them, both men seemed to have lost any real sense of fear.

However, the vines weren’t done yet, they began creeping further, trying to draw more of Dominic’s magic from deeper within his body.

Dominic’s smile faded into a sigh. "Enough of this. I think playtime’s over."

"Agreed," Shiao Yi replied. "Let’s end this before they get too bold."

Their eyes met and a wordless agreement passing between them.

Dominic focused his mind and trying to gather his remaining strength.

In an instant, he unleashed a burst of flame in every direction.

The explosion of magic scorched the air, burning through the vines and incinerating the monstrous tree that had spawned them.

Meanwhile, Shiao Yi used telekinesis to summon Dominic’s fallen sword and his own throwing knives, sending them slicing through the air to cut down any remaining vines that dared to attack.

When it was finally over, half an hour later the once-dense forest had become a burning open space.

The vines were gone and the monster destroyed.

The two of them stood there in the silence while breathing hard, the smell of smoke and burnt wood lingering in the air.

Dominic caught the sword that Shiao Yi had gently lowered to him with telekinesis and slid it back into its sheath as if it were the most natural thing to do.

But, then he frowned slightly, looking troubled as he held the weapon in his hand.

"I can’t exactly wear a sword when I’m completely naked," Dominic said wryly.

"Yeah," Shiao Yi replied, grimacing. "And I really don’t want to walk through the demon world naked either."

Their clothes, however, were hopelessly torn to pieces shredded beyond repair.

The coats they had been carrying were long gone too. It’s has been turned to ash by Dominic’s flames during the earlier battle.

When their eyes met, both of them burst out laughing again.

Maybe the long exposure to the demon world was beginning to affect their minds.

Everything here was strange and heavy, and yet they couldn’t seem to take it seriously anymore.

Despite everything, the endless danger, the uncertainty, Shiao Yi somehow felt that as long as Dominic was with him, they could overcome anything.

There was no promise or proof of that... but he believed it anyway.

After leaving the forest of the demon tree, they found themselves in a wide plain of rolling hills covered in rough dark grass.

The towering wall they had set as their goal was still far in the distance.

The river that had once flowed powerfully down from the mountain was nowhere to be seen and it must have vanished underground.

But near one of the hills ahead, they spotted a small lake gleaming faintly under the dim light.

Perhaps groundwater from beneath the earth was bubbling up to fill it.

Both of them were still sticky and uncomfortable from the fluids left behind by the tentacles that had touched them earlier.

They immediately headed toward the lake hoping to wash off the residue.