Reborn: Earth Online

Chapter 82 - 83: Yes

After what felt like an eternity in motion, Kaden finally slowed to a stop and gently set Niera down on a soft patch of moss near the clearing’s edge. For a few moments, nothing happened—until suddenly Niera doubled over, her body convulsing. Without warning, she started vomiting loudly, the sound echoing in the quiet forest.

"Are you okay?" Kaden asked, busily looking around for something.

Niera clutched her stomach and continued to heave, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps. Gradually, the retching subsided, and she slumped back slightly, exhausted and pale. "I am sorry. I am fine now. I just need to rest a little."

Kaden nodded. "Don’t worry. We are already here. Now you can rest as much as you want."

Niera weakly nodded and looked around. There was a pond nearby, and she was very thirsty. She had no idea what Kaden meant, but she was ready for some rest.

She walked over to the edge of the pond, knelt down, and dipped her hands into the cool water, taking slow, careful sips. The chill of the water seemed to help steady her trembling. She let out a breath of relief, but the next moment, she couldn’t help but

Kaden looked over with a satisfied smile. "Welcome to the settlement," he said quietly, his tone warm despite the chaos they’d been through. "This safe zone will give us a place to rest, regroup, and plan our next moves."

Niera stared at the glowing core and then back at Kaden, her eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and relief. "I—I’m a citizen now?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yeah," Kaden replied. "It means you’re protected here, and you can start to rebuild. We might be in a broken world, but this is a start."

The two of them remained silent for a while when Niera suddenly asked. "I am sorry but I need to ask you this. Is this why you brought me here? You needed another person to activate the settlement core? Is that why you saved me and carried me here?"

"Yes." Kaden bluntly answered.

Niera looked startled for a moment and then she nodded silently.

"Do you resent me for it?" Kaden asked. Perhaps he should have lied but he did not want her to have any delusions about this new world they were going to live in.

Surprisingly, she shook her head. "No. It’s the opposite. I am glad. Now I know you don’t have any other ulterior motive. I would rather be with someone like you than someone who promises me everything only to turn on me the next second and try to take advantage of me."