“Is there a blonde girl staying in this inn by any chance?”
After a quick bath and packing the holy water, I headed straight to the inn next door. I couldn’t just show up covered in blood, after all.
For a mont, I thought about climbing through the window, but I decided against it. I didn’t have to sneak in anymore; I could enter through the front door now. Honestly, after drinking the holy water, climbing through a second-story window would be too much for .
It was essentially a personal painkiller. The pain subsided, but at the sa ti, my body beca sluggish and uncoordinated. My whole body felt heavy, like it was filled with water-soaked cotton.
Of course, I could still fight decently in this state, but my strength would be significantly weakened. I wouldn’t be able to use my abilities properly.
‘Well, it’s better than being in pain.’
“Head upstairs, second room.”
I thought to myself as I headed toward Nikki’s room. But just before opening the door, a sudden worry crossed my mind.
‘What if she’s in Berserk B?’
To be honest, I didn’t feel confident facing soone in that state. Plus, I wasn’t even sure if other manifestors experienced both Berserk A and B like I did. Manifestors were so rare that there was little chance to share information.
I didn’t know if other manifestors felt their blood boiling like I did, how severe it was, or how different it could be for each person.
“......”
But after a mont of hesitation, I entered the room. If she was in Berserk B, I could just run. If I got caught... well, that couldn’t be helped.
“Yo, you here?”
With a faint sense of excitent, I stepped into Nikki’s room.
The mont I opened the door, the first thing I saw was a dark room without the lights on. And in the corner, Nikki was crouching in her underwear, trembling with her body covered in scratches as if she had been enduring pain.
I hadn’t expected her to be in just her underwear, but from the sight of her injuries, it was clear she was experiencing Berserk A, not B.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have wounds like that.
I let out a deep sigh, a mix of strange relief and a tinge of disappointnt. Well, at least this wouldn’t turn into an awkward situation later.
“What the hell... What’s going on?”
At that mont, Nikki looked up, her eyes tired from the pain, filled with a touch of surprise and confusion.
“Wait a second, wasn’t today the day for Berserk? Why do you look so normal?”
“Well, that’s because I took so really good painkillers.”
I said, stepping closer to her and imdiately offering her the holy water.
“Drink.”
Nikki eyed suspiciously for a mont.
“What’s this?”
“Holy water.”
“...Holy water? Are you kidding ? That’s poison to us! You’re telling to drink that now?”
Her face scrunched up with disbelief. She clearly didn’t know that holy water could act as a painkiller.
Well, it wasn’t surprising. Manifestors didn’t get the chance to share information.
In fact, I had discovered this by sheer coincidence. I had killed an intruder in the forest and obtained holy water, and then realized it helped to calm the blood. After drinking it, I realized it could reduce the pain from Berserk.
I had so vague idea that holy water could be a natural enemy to manifestors. Divine power weakens the body, so I thought it might be dangerous, but I decided to risk it. It was better than suffering through the pain.
Fortunately, the gamble paid off, and now I was able to use holy water effectively.
“Don’t worry. It’ll just make you a little weaker, but the pain will definitely ease.”
“......”
Nikki still looked wary, understandably hesitant to drink sothing so unfamiliar.
But then, as if sothing changed in her body, she suddenly winced.
“Ugh...!”
Her skin began to tear, like it was being scratched by sharp claws. Her wounds were jagged and rough, almost like those from an animal’s claws.
Clearly, the pain was intense, but after a mont of hesitation, she grabbed the holy water and gulped it down.
I watched her silently, thinking to myself.
‘So it really is different for each manifestor when they go Berserk.’
I had suspected it, but seeing it for myself was quite interesting.
“Phew.”
After finishing the holy water, Nikki’s expression relaxed, her wounds starting to heal slowly. The claw marks that had been digging into her skin began to fade, and her healing ability kicked in. It was slow, but she clearly had regenerative abilities.
“...So it’s real. How did you know about this?”
“Just... happened to find out.”
I said casually, then added, “Anyway, anything else you want to say?”
For a mont, my amber eyes locked onto Nikki’s. She hesitated, then muttered softly.
“...Thanks.”
She was definitely grateful for the way I helped ease the pain from her Berserk condition, but I could sense sothing uncomfortable in her voice. It was as if saying thanks wasn’t sitting right with her.
“Of course you should thank .”
I smiled lightly, not understanding her feelings completely. I quietly sat next to her.
Having just taken a bath, my scent filled the space between us.
Nikki suddenly beca aware of the fact that she was sitting in her underwear in front of a man. A wave of embarrassnt surged within her, but she didn’t show it.
She felt oddly sluggish, and her pride wouldn’t let her show her discomfort to this guy.
“That’s interesting. When I saw you last ti, it didn’t seem like you were suffering this much from Berserk.”
I was thinking about when we had taken over the Kymaris shrine. Back then, Nikki had shown up in the forest the day after the new moon had risen, looking fine.
Nikki answered my question.
“That ti, I hardly used my abilities... But this ti, I’ve used them a lot.”
“...I see.”
“Yeah. On the way here, I ran into so many monsters. Fighting them made the side effects worse.”
I nodded. I had asked the question, so now it was Nikki’s turn.
“Where did you get the holy water from? I heard it’s really hard to get these days.”
“Well... I don’t have to fight the knights anymore. I’ve made connections with them, so I managed to get so from them.”
Her answer was casual, but there was sothing about it that felt oddly self-assured. It was as if she had fully integrated into their world.
I knew that no matter how much I tried, I wouldn’t be able to gain that sense of belonging. It made Nikki’s certainty sting a little.
“......”
“......”
A brief silence fell between us, natural after the conversation ended. We weren’t particularly close. Even though we were both manifestors, we ca from different factions, and we hadn’t really had a friendly eting.
It felt awkward to continue with small talk.
The quiet night made that silence feel heavier.
Maybe it was the silence that made things uncomfortable, or maybe it was the late hour making us both more emotional. Nikki slowly opened her mouth.
“...I envy you.”
A healthy body carries a healthy mind. Conversely, when the body weakens, the mind becos unstable.
Like a dam bursting, her emotions began to spill out.
“You defeated the knights by yourself and even earned a title. That’s amazing. I honestly thought you were going to fail and die.”
“...Mm.”
“I’ve never even imagined such a thing. I’m struggling just to survive the Berserk here. ...Damn, I get so frustrated when I realize how pathetic I am.”
“Uh, um...”
Hearing those words, I was taken aback. I hadn’t co here to hear her emotional confessions; I just wanted to pass on the holy water.
Of course, I wasn’t completely heartless. I wasn’t going to say sothing like "I’ve got what you don’t" either.
I offered so words of encouragent.
“You... You’ll be able to do it too. There’s already an example now...”
“? Heh, I don’t know. I’m not as strong as you.”
Nikki chuckled, a self-deprecating laugh.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t offer more words of comfort. It was sothing I couldn’t fix.
I knew she felt inferior to her situation and abilities, but it was sothing beyond my help.
“Well, uh... hang in there.”
With that, I patted her back. That was all I could do for a fellow manifestor, whose morale had briefly faltered.
My slightly rough hand gently rubbed her smooth back. Nikki accepted the comfort without resistance. For a mont, so desire stirred within , but I forced myself to hold back.
I stayed with Nikki for a while, comforting her, before returning to my own room.
The next day...
“Ugh! What the hell was that, you crazy bitch...!”
Nikki kicked the blanket, rembering what had happened yesterday.
...
A few days later, news ca from the knights about Andras.
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