SORCERESS 101 229 Leap Of Faith A Hug Of Trus

They closed their eyes tightly as if not seeing the th.o.r.n.y cactus plant would somehow save them from the pain of being p.r.i.c.ked by its thorns once they hug it.

They spread their arms wide open ready to embrace Cactniss Evergreen. But as soon as they lifted their feet to take one step forward, they all halted their steps.

This left their legs hanging in mid-air as they opened their eyes once more.

"No! No! No! This won't do. I really I can't. I hate injections since childhood. Much more being p.r.i.c.ked by a thousand needles all over my body. I really can't do it."

Mu Lingxi said as she hugged herself.

"MEOW"

[So do I. I don't want to be a porcupine or a pincus.h.i.+on!]

"MEOW"

[Little la.s.s, I suddenly missed Guinevere. That baby dragon must be feeling lonely being left alone inside the storage ring right now. Let me accompany her instead.]

"Nope. You stay here. Let's be a porcupine or a pincus.h.i.+on together."

Knowing that her cat was trying to ditch her on crucial time like this, Mu Lingxi did not allow Ja.n.u.s t get back inside the storage ring.

Let's brave the hards.h.i.+p together.. BWAHAHAHAH

"What are you waiting for??? I thought you guys want to leave this place, like 'The sooner the better'??? Come on, now. Hug me tight!!!! Give me all you've got..."

Cactniss Evergreen said as she shakes her cactus body. A flash of cold light reflects as she moves and it is all coming from the sharp tiny thorns that stick all over her body.

"There must be some other way right??? I can't hug a cactus..."

Chan Gu said in doubt as he looked around him. Seeking confirmation from his friends. Well, at least he was not the only one in the group that was feeling that way.

Everyone was reluctant to hug the guardian plant. In fact, no one in the group believes that it was a good plan at all.

Blood seemed to be drained out from their faces as they all look pale as a sheet of paper. Meanwhile, seeing as how the group of warlocks before her were being timid like a rat before a cat. Catniss Evergreen console them.

"Don't worry, my thorns are poison-free. It does not hurt at all.  Trust me. The pain will be over before you even knew it."

But her words of consolation only make the group feel more nervous than ever.

The more Catniss Evergreen tried to console them, the more scared they feel. Because it felt more like a dentist consoling a child before a tooth extraction session.

 "Guys, just think of it as a small price that we have to pay to achieve our goal."

Long Fuzi mustered up his courage as he exhaled a large mouthful of turbid air.

Phew

He knew that they won't achieve anything if they will just continue to shrink out of cowardice just because of a little pain.

If they really want to achieve their goal. Then they must be ready to brave even the blazing inferno if needed.

So what more for a mere hug with a cactus? It was just a matter of being p.r.i.c.ked. It will just feel like being bitten by ants at most.

So Long Fuzi took another step forward as he imagined the girl of her dreams. Standing before him, waiting for his embrace.

Those big hazel brown eyes of a doll. Long and thick lashes down to her pointed small nose.

A sweet smile made beautiful by her perfect set of pearly white teeth and soft cherry red lips. Her wavy brown hair that falls down to her waist and perfectly framed her small face and pointed chin.

Soft and supple skin that is white as a jasmine flower. This image of the same girl that haunts him every night when he's asleep.

The girl who ran away from him and stole his heart and left him without a trace. Mu Lingxi.

Well, the situation was the best metaphor for him though. He was willing to hug the cactus though he knew that it will hurt him in the end.

Just like how he still waits for Mu Lingxi to come back although there is no guarantee that she will love him back.

Long Fuzi smiled when he thought of that comparison. He closed his eyes once more and this time, he was more determined to complete the task.

"Long Yue is your brother serious about what he is doing???"

"I don't think he was kidding either."

"Is he nuts or what???"

When they saw Long Yue was really serious about hugging the cactus plat before them. They were all aghast!

When their friend was about to embrace Cactniss Evergreen, the guardian, they instinctively wince. They intend to close their eyes to prevent themselves from seeing their friend being turned into a human pincus.h.i.+on.

But before the lids of their eyes could fully close by itself, they saw Long Yue vanis.h.i.+ng on the spot just before he was about to get p.r.i.c.ked by the thorns of the cactus all over his body.

"Err??? Where did he go???"

"Well??? I have told you already if you want to get teleported out of here, then you must hug me first. See??? Just now,  I send him out of Rhapsody Swamp. What is so surprising about that????"

Cactniss Evergreen asked the group of warlocks before her when she saw them looking at her as if she was some kind of circus performer.

"Oh, so it is all true after all.

"Of course it is true. Why do you even think I would ask a hug from you?? If not for it???! Don't flatter yourself you aren't my type. If not because of my job description I won't even talk to a brat like you."

The cactus plant rolled her eyes when she managed to hear a few words out from the incoherent mutterings of the warlocks before her.

Her tongue is indeed far more sharp than her thorns.

"Does it hurt???"

"I'm not sure either, Feel it for yourself."

Inhaling deeply, the rest of the group tried their best to gather up their courage. It was as if they were trying to inflate their courage with as much oxygen that they could get to store inside their diaphragm.

With their eyes closed as if they were about to take a leap of faith before they run towards the cactus plant ready to embrace her.

Since they had their eyes close, they didn't see anything. All they felt was as if they were plunged in a cold jelly-like substance for a split second.

When they open their eyes next, they saw Long Yue looking at them with a bright smile.

"I thought I would have to wait for a couple of minutes before you would come after me... HAHAHAHA"

"It doesn't hurt at all. It was just a trial of will and courage. We won't really get p.r.i.c.ked by her thorn!"

"That Cactniss Evergreen is really something. She should have just told us beforehand."

Long Yue complained as he gives his whole body a thorough body check to see if there are any thorns that managed to p.r.i.c.k him somewhere.

"I did warn you guys. It is just that you don't pay attention."

"OOOOHHH!!!!"

Long Yue and the others almost jumped to their feet when they heard the familiar voice of Cactniss Evergreen.

They did not expect the guardian plant to come a long way here to accompany them. As such, they were astonished.

Mu Lingxi, on the other hand, took her cat, Ja.n.u.s out from the storage ring once again. In the end, Mu Lingxi still relented to her cat's pleading to be stowed back at the storage ring until they were not out of the Rhapsody Swamp.

"What a coward cat you are. Just a simple hug to a cactus plant was enough to give you jitters????"

Mu LIngxi said mockingly as soon as her cat, Ja.n.u.s went out of the storage ring.

"MEOW"

[Whatever]