<h4>Chapter 440 Chapter 440 I''m not dying yet</h4>


    His shoulders heaved slightly, and he made an effort to mumble something, but it came out distorted and muffled. On the left side of the hammock, croching by his side was the frustrated granddaughter. ring at Drac, her lips tightened- forcing the muscles of her jaws to tauten.


    Nexus on the other hand, merely smiled;


    "You old devil, you had better sleep while you can."


    He pped Drac''s right shoulder gently- sending the suspended hammock into light oscitions;


    "–you''re so close to the grave, you''re better off practicing sleeping for eternity anyway."


    As Nexus turned away, surprisingly, Drac mumbled a rather sleepy but witty response;


    ". . .I''m not dying yet. . .you pessimistic brat. . ."


    Nexus'' eyes brightened- obviously amused by the old man''s rebuttal. With trembling shoulders, he threw his head back and howled inughter;


    "Abby,e on," he leaned away from Drac; "Let''s allow the old man sleep. He may actually outlive us all. . ."


    ....


    Nexus prepared to leave, while Abby ran around- looking for a lighter nket to cover her sleeping grandfather.


    On the teen girl''s face, frustration blossomed in patches of red. Sighing in exasperation, she dragged her reluctant feet across the courtyard, fuming at the nostrils. Through her parted hair, her zed eyes found the white fabric curled at the foot of the southern pir.


    Snarling, she snatched it- and her thin voice squeaked out herints;


    ". . .sleeps all day. . .grunts through the night. . ."


    p! p!!


    She angrily pped the white piece of fabric- gripping its edges with her agitated fingers- pouring her frustration into the cotton nket.


    ". . .won''t speak to me. . .won''t listen to me. . .won''t see a doctor either. . .!"


    She scowled;


    ". . .I can''t wait to grow up and leave this ce. . ."


    p!!


    ". . .as soon as I turn sixteen I''M OUTTA HERE!"


    She snapped out thest part- making it loud enough for both Nexus and Drac to hear her.


    Nexus heard. And with an amused look, he nced at the sleeping old man- waiting for a reaction. But it didn''t look like Drac had heard one bit.


    Abby, still shuffling her feet along thepound''s floor, swayed her slender frame back and forth-ining bitterly. Nexus watched her-


    ''Poor soul,'' he thought sorrowfully; ''She doesn''t have anyone to talk to. . .''


    Nexus hadn''t thought about it before.


    But Drac was all she had.


    ''She might be a prankster, but she''s still just a home schooled little girl- this must be hell for her- especially with him being this way. . .''


    [SYSTEM ONLINE.]


    The metallic voice caught him off guard.


    [A NEW REWARD HAS BEEN ISSUED.]


    Reward huh?


    [PLEASE STANDBY FOR UPDATE.]


    Sure.


    [BE ADVISED, A FLYING SWORD HAS BEEN ADDED TO YOUR ARSENAL.]


    Nexus grinned.


    [DURATION: VALID FOR THE NEXT TWENTY FOUR HOURS.]


    ''You''re a heaven sent aren''t you?'' Nexus chuckled under his breath; ''This is just perfect. . .''


    From Nexus'' shing eyes, he looked like he was imagining killing his enemies.


    But he was thinking something totally different.


    Something more mischievous.


    So, with that glint in his eyes, he turned towards the bored girl. Her shoulders were still slouched, and her mouth upturned. She had picked up her books on the floor- and turned to enter the main building-


    "Wait," Nexus called;


    "Yes?" she answered with mild irritation.


    "What do you have lined up for the rest of the day?"


    She lifted the yellow book in her hand; "Study for the next five hours- whip up some dinner, and go to bed by sundown. . ."


    Nexus'' eyebrows quipped; "Really? You got examsing up or something?"


    "Uh- no?"


    "Forget I said that. So, what do you think about having some fun together?"


    Abby''s eyes instantly narrowed; "Hey mister, you tryina go to jail or something? I''m just a kid. Do I need to call the perv police on you?"


    Nexus'' eyes red open! His jaw dropped- and his cheeks flushed in surprise;


    "WHAT?!" he eximed again; "HOW-?"


    At once, the girl''s face twisted. Her mouth curved into a mischievous grin, and Nexus knew he had been yed. Suddenly, her mask cracked- and an overflowingughter exploded from her throat! Tossing her head back- letting her hair dance on her shoulders, she stripped Nexus with her slicingughter.


    Tears formed in her eyes- and her red face flushed;


    "YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR FACE!!" she squeaked; "WERE YOU ABOUT TO CRY?!"


    "That was not funny dude."


    "But it was!" she protested; "It was!"


    "No, it wasn''t. I wanted to take you on an adventure with my flying sword."


    With guilty pleasure, he watched the light in her eyes slowly die out. The ridiculous grin on her face disappeared in a twinkle!


    "F-f-flying s-w-w-ord?" she stammered- unbelief streaking through her eyes.


    Suddenly, Nexus thrust out his right arm- stretching it horizontally.


    In Abby''s wide open eyes, the reflection of a fist-sized cackling blue light shed! She swallowed- looking on as bluish white sparks erupted in Nexus'' open palm- twirling around each other in vicious shes. A outline of a long ck tube emerged- stretching to a staggering eight inches.


    Abby gazed- watching as the elegant de sprouted from the hilt- growing and glistening till it reached three and a half feet. Nexus'' fingers let go- and Abby''s eyes nearly dropped from their sockets.


    The shiny sword did not drop!


    It remained there- suspended horizontally- humming in low vibrations! The dazzling white de pointed towards east, and the ck glossy hilt pointed westwards.


    Nexus'' eyeballs moved only a little, and the flying sword responded- slowly descending in altitude- till it was hovering a few inches off the ground.


    "You know what would be funny?" Nexus asked; "–me showing you this, only to take it all away."


    He snapped his fingers. And the sword ''vanished.'' Abby howled- and fell on her knees-begging him.


    ...


    "NEXUS SLOW DOWN!!!" she yelled.


    blitzzzzz!!!


    The roaring wind burned into Abby''s eyes- sweeping her hair and sleeves behind her! In a firm lock, she wrapped her slender arms around Nexus'' torso- feeling the icy st of the rushing breeze on her face!


    Thirty feet high- with both her feet nted firmly on the sword, and Nexus'' right arm around her waist, all she could see was a blur of blue and white! Her breaths came- slicing out of her nostrils- shredding the rushing air!


    "WOOO-HOOOO!!!" she shrieked excitedly; "Yeahhhhh!!!!"


    She slouched deeper into Nexus'' chest- clutching him harder as the wind swallowed up her loud screams. Her heart pounded against her chest- each violent thump sounding like tropical thunder!


    "Woo-hooooo!!! I''m flyinnggg!!!"


    Adrenaline surged through Abby''s entire body- erupting from every open pore on her skin! They were so high up- she could barely make out any building on the earth. They flew across the sky- hurtling through the stratosphere like a dagger-shapedet.


    Puffs of white cloud swallowed up their raging forms. And wisps of icy vapor curled out of their lips. Abby made no attempt to unclench her tightly wrapped fingers- not even for a moment.


    During the course of the next few seconds, Abby''s heart thundered even louder as the air around them slowed.


    The gleaming sword- under Nexus'' invisible control, swerved to the right- beating the wind as it began its steady deceleration. Amidst the light puffy clouds, the lightning sword levitated- hovering in circling movements- until finally, it ground to a quiet halt.