Chapter 724


    Chapter 724 He Was But A Man


    His impable image as an invincible man crumbled right then.


    The helplessness he felt in the face of death was like poison, engulfing him from the inside.


    Natasha had never seen this side of him. Her eyes became teary, and at that moment, she realized


    that he was not an invincible figure who could do everything. He was but a man, fraught with emotions


    and vulnerable.


    Without saying a word, Natasha walked over and started searching through the pile of debris.


    Seeing that, Mike wiped away his tears and did the same.


    The three of them searched in the rubble for a long time.


    Even when their hands were torn and red from rummaging through the rubble, they did not stop.


    The search continuedte into the night. Soon, the sun began to rise.


    In the end, Mike was so exhausted that he plopped onto the ground.


    Then, he noticed that Natasha was still rummaging through the pile of debris. Her hands were all


    scratched up. He furrowed his brows and said, “Natasha, your hands...”


    “I''m all right,” Natasha said.


    Natasha''s slender and thin fingers had turned into a mess of dirt and blood.


    Mike then turned to look at Keh with knitted brows.


    “Keh, I know it''s difficult for you to ept the reality. I don''t believe that Dave would... But we have


    to ept it.”


    However, his words appeared to have fallen on deaf ears. Keh''s eyes were nk as he continued


    searching the rubble pile.


    “Even if you don''t care about yourself, you have to think about Natasha for a second. We can go on,


    but she''s a woman, and her hands are all torn!” Mike pleaded, looking straight into his eyes.


    Keh abruptly stopped searching after hearing that.


    Natasha turned around to look at Keh and said, “I''m all right.”


    “Natasha...” Mike''s frown deepened.


    “Let''s continue searching,” Natasha said before lowering her head to proceed.


    She knew how loyal Keh was to his sworn brothers and how he med himself for what had


    happened to Zavier for many years. It was only not long ago when he found the letter that Zavier had


    left him that Keh started to gradually move on. If anything were to happen to Dave this time,


    Natasha couldn''t even begin to imagine just how distraught Keh would be...


    Hence, she just wanted to be by his side in her own way.


    Natasha looked at the rock beneath her and struggled to move it. Suddenly, she felt a hand tugging at


    her.


    The hand was a mess of flesh and blood, not unlike her own.


    Natasha looked up.


    “Stop,” Keh said, almost whispering. His voice was hoarse.


    Natasha eyed the man before her. Despite tears brimming in her eyes, she spoke calmly and


    determinedly. “We have to continue.”


    She turned around and continued to move the rocks.


    Keh looked at her almost unrecognizable hands and grabbed them forcefully. He seemed to be


    trying to hold himself back.


    Unable to move with his tight grip, she met Keh''s gaze once again. “I believe that Dave and the


    others will be all right. Trust me.”


    Keh clenched his jaw as a pained look flitted across his eyes. Tightening his grip, he uttered, “I''ll


    ask Mike to send you back home.”


    “You know I won''t leave,” Natasha said.


    Keh looked at her. His deep, obsidian gaze was filled with restraint.


    “This only happened because of me. I can''t just pretend that it has nothing to do with me and leave,”


    Natasha enunciated.


    The floodgate of emotions within Keh burst forth with Natasha''s words. Agony and guilt came


    pouring out as he hollered, “This has nothing to do with you! This is all because of me! I''m the reason


    Dave was here. If it wasn''t for me, he wouldn''t havee here and died!”


    He turned around after the outburst, so furious with himself that veins were popping on his head.


    It was apparent that he was still trying to hold himself back, perhaps because he was afraid that he


    might hurt her.


    Natasha said nothing. She understood how Keh felt right then. Hence, no matter what he said, she


    wouldn''t take his words to heart.


    A bead of tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it off immediately.


    She kept mum and continued with the search.


    Keh looked in her direction when he noticed she was still searching. An inexplicable rage exploded


    within him as he screamed, “I said stop! Stop searching!”


    He dashed over and dragged her out of the rubble. With both hands on her shoulders, he bellowed,


    “Didn''t you hear what I said?”


    Natasha merely looked at him and said nothing. Her eyes were full ofpassion as she stayed by his


    side calmly.


    Natasha lookad at tha rock banaath har and strugd to mova it. Suddanly, sha falt a hand tugging at


    har.


    Tha hand was a mass of sh and blood, not unlika har own.


    Natasha lookad up.


    “Stop,” Kannath said, almost whisparing. His voica was hoarsa.


    Natasha ayad tha man bafora har. Daspita taars brimming in har ayas, sha spoka calmly and


    datarminadly. “Wa hava to continua.”


    Sha turnad around and continuad to mova tha rocks.


    Kannath lookad at har almost unracogniza hands and grabbad tham forcafully. Ha saamad to ba


    trying to hold himsalf back.


    Una to mova with his tight grip, sha mat Kannath''s gaza onca again. “I baliava that Dava and tha


    othars will ba all right. Trust ma.”


    Kannath nchad his jaw as a painad look flittad across his ayas. Tightaning his grip, ha uttarad, “I''ll


    ask Mika to sand you back homa.”


    “You know I won''tava,” Natasha said.


    Kannath lookad at har. His daap, obsidian gaza was fid with rastraint.


    “This only happanad bacausa of ma. I can''t just pratand that it has nothing to do with ma andava,”


    Natasha anunciatad.


    Tha floodgata of amotions within Kannath burst forth with Natasha''s words. Agony and guilt cama


    pouring out as ha horad, “This has nothing to do with you! This is all bacausa of ma! I''m tha raason


    Dava was hara. If it wasn''t for ma, ha wouldn''t havaa hara and diad!”


    Ha turnad around aftar tha outburst, so furious with himsalf that vains wara popping on his haad.


    It was apparant that ha was still trying to hold himsalf back, parhaps bacausa ha was afraid that ha


    might hurt har.


    Natasha said nothing. Sha undarstood how Kannath falt right than. Hanca, no mattar what ha said, sha


    wouldn''t taka his words to haart.


    A baad of taar rod down har chaak, and sha wipad it off immadiataly.


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    Sha kapt mum and continuad with tha saarch.


    Kannath lookad in har diraction whan ha noticad sha was still saarching. An inaxplica raga axplodad


    within him as ha scraamad, “I said stop! Stop saarching!”


    Ha dashad ovar and draggad har out of tha rub. With both hands on har shouldars, ha ballowad,


    “Didn''t you haar what I said?”


    Natasha maraly lookad at him and said nothing. Har ayas wara full ofpassion as sha stayad by his


    sida calmly.


    Keh knew that he shouldn''t take his rage out on Natasha. He trained his eyes on her and circled


    her into his embrace.


    “This happened because of me. It''s all because of me. This wouldn''t have happened to Dave if it


    weren''t for me...” he muttered.


    Natasha stayed put. She didn''t know how tofort him. Hence, she thought it best to stay by his side


    in silence.


    Reaching out a hand, she began to pat his back gently.


    It was her first time seeing Keh in this state. Mike lifted his head in an attempt to stop his tears


    from falling as he looked in another direction.


    The sky gradually lit up.


    Mike wiped away the tears in the corner of his eyes. Then, he spotted some movement in the forest


    nearby.


    He immediately grew wary.


    “Keh, Natasha, it seems like there are others here,” Mike whispered. Then, he looked toward the


    forest and retrieved his gun to point in that direction.


    Natasha nced at Mike and instinctively protected Keh behind her.


    There were more movements in the forest.


    “Show yourself!” Mike shouted.


    However, nobody replied him as he continued to hear rustling in the forest.


    Mike no longer hesitated and fired two shots in that direction.


    Silence ensued.


    Mike turned around and said, “I think they''re from Vermillion Base. Natasha, we have to leave right


    now!”


    Natasha eyed Keh and frowned. “I don''t think he''s going to leave without Dave.”


    “But—”


    “Mike, go get more people. It''s going to take ages if there are only three of us looking for Dave. We can


    only speed up the process if we get more people to help us,” Natasha suggested.


    “Natasha, you''re trying to get me to leave, aren''t you?” Mike questioned.


    She nced at him and said, “You''re still young.”


    “I am young, but I know how to be loyal. Keh has given me a second life, and I wouldn''t be alive


    right now if it weren''t for him. So, I am never leaving without him!” Mike said in a determined tone.


    Natasha knew everyone had their own principles that they lived by. Hence, she knew better than to talk


    Mike out of it. She looked in the direction of the forest, ire burning in her eyes. “Let''s make them pay for


    Dave''s life!”