“Two weeks?”
While I was unconscious, two weeks had passed.
I thought it had only been a few days at most, but it turned out to be a much longer gap than expected.
It must an my condition had been worse than I thought.
“It was dire. Almost beyond help,”
the old man muttered in a low voice.
“Sophia did her best, but...”
Even though she, the leader of the Paladins and a high priestess, had personally perford holy magic, my recovery hadn’t gone well.
Hearing all this now, it honestly felt strange that I was even sitting here, having a conversation like nothing happened.
So I asked.
“How did I survive?”
“Moon Spirit Water.”
The old man answered plainly.
“Arcadia approved the use of Moon Spirit Water.”
“What?!”
I couldn’t help but be shocked.
Moon Spirit Water.
A sacred elixir infused with the divine energy of the full moon, produced in Arcadia’s holy land.
That mysterious liquid could only be gathered—two drops a month.
It would take decades of collection just to fill one bottle.
Only the Saint and the Hero were permitted to use it.
That was the rule of the Order.
As such, the Hero and Saint factions were each allowed to hold one bottle.
It also played a role in maintaining balance between the factions.
No one understood the weight of that decision better than I did.
And how monuntal a choice it was to give that up.
‘Pro-Saint faction.’
If any group were to approve using Moon Spirit Water on , of course, it had to be them.
“That wasn’t the end of it.”
The old man continued with his eyes closed.
“You must’ve heard what happened on the battlefield. The Yu family brought out their Arcane Restoration Pill, and the Glory side offered up so hidden elixir. They threw everything they had at it.”
Only then did I realize the unfamiliar sensation swirling inside my body.
Still unrefined, it boiled and surged inside , like it could explode at any mont.
Moon Spirit Water may be unmatched in healing ability, but ultimately, it was sacred natural energy filled with divine power.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it an elixir with absurdly high efficacy.
“You’ll probably have a hard ti after discharge,”
the old man said with a small chuckle.
“We stuffed a hell of a lot into you. I’ve suppressed the rampaging energy for now, but it’s only a temporary fix.”
I thought for a mont, then nodded.
“I’m fine with that.”
This kind of suffering? I’d welco it anyti.
They pumped full of things that money couldn’t even buy.
And Moon Spirit Water—never even dread of getting that.
The Order must’ve made a significant sacrifice. I was glad I’d built a good relationship with them up to now.
Arcadia, the Yu family, Glory.
Sohow, I’d gained several allies along the way.
I thought they’d be the hardest factions to bond with, yet sohow, good relationships had taken root.
That, too, was a promising sign.
“...That’s all I ca to tell you.”
The old man stood from his seat.
I looked at him and quietly asked,
“Leaving already?”
“I’ll co back with Sion in the evening.”
A short reply.
He didn’t say another word as he headed toward the hospital room door.
He probably still had mountains of work waiting for him, yet he’d carved out ti to co see .
At the door, the old man stopped walking.
He turned his head slightly and spoke in a low voice.
“...You did well.”
I flinched, inhaling sharply. That single sentence carried a heavy weight.
A mont of silence passed.
Then, as if it were only natural, he added,
“After you graduate, co to Vanquisher with Sion. A spot’s already waiting for you.”
The first ti he’d actually said it—a recruitnt offer.
There’d always been a silent understanding between us, but hearing it out loud hit differently.
I felt a rush of emotion.
Almost choked up for a mont, but I just let out a dry laugh and shook my head.
“I’ll think about it.”
The old man closed his eyes, then slowly opened them.
With the corners of his lips slightly raised, he smiled quietly.
“I’m off.”
And with that, he stepped out of the room.
I leaned my head back against the pillow.
Raised a hand and opened and closed it toward the ceiling.
“Not bad.”
Then, once again, I let out a faint chuckle.
***
I spent the next few hours trying different things.
I tested each sensation in my body, one by one, and even prodded at the unfamiliar energy swirling inside .
Through ditation, I tried to reorganize my scattered mana, slowly relaxed my stiff muscles, and worked to bring my body back up to form.
‘Feels like I’m starting to stabilize.’
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
The heaviness that had been weighing down was gradually lifting.
With just a bit more adjustnt, I figured I’d be back to my normal condition, give or take.
According to the scans, there was almost no physical damage left in my body.
All that remained was a matter of perception—my own sense of how I felt.
In other words, if I personally felt I could move without issue, then in theory, I could be discharged.
Of course, even if that were the case, the hospital would probably keep around for a few more days.
At this rate, probably by tomorrow or the day after...
—CLACK!
Jesus, that scared .
The hospital room door suddenly flew open.
“Who—huh?”
The person who confidently walked through the door was...
“Kang Arin?”
—Grab.
Kang Arin rushed in and cupped my face with both hands.
Then, turning my head this way and that, she examined carefully.
As if she was looking for any remaining wounds.
Her expression was so serious, it was almost grim.
As she scrutinized my skin with full focus, her brows suddenly furrowed and she spoke.
“Are you sure... you’re okay?”
Her eyes t mine.
I had been staring at her in silence ever since she ca in.
“W-why are you looking at like that?”
Kang Arin turned her face slightly, seemingly flustered.
But her grip on my face remained firm.
Her face, oddly enough, began to redden just a little.
—Slide.
Naturally, I reached out and pulled her arm toward .
And gently, I hugged her.
“...I’m glad.”
“Ah...”
Really. I’m so damn glad.
Kang Arin flinched for a mont.
But I didn’t care.
Cheon Yeoul, Yu Hana, Kang Arin, Sion.
Those four wouldn’t have even been on the battlefield if it weren’t for .
They only ended up in that hellscape because of .
And then—they were kidnapped by the Apostles.
‘It’s 100% my fault.’
That’s the only way I could see it.
Even if I fought with everything I had, if they hadn’t co back—could I have handled that?
But now—those worries felt laughable.
Because Kang Arin was standing here, perfectly fine, right in front of .
‘Thank god.’
There’s no phrase more fitting.
—Squeeze.
“Really... I’m so glad.”
I held her tighter and gently stroked her back.
“...Hmph.”
Kang Arin’s lips moved slightly.
At first, she had flinched—but then the tension in her shoulders began to lt away.
She quietly let her body lean into , her shallow breathing the only sound between us.
However, in that mont—
“....”
I felt sothing slightly... off.
I thought I’d embraced her naturally, but...
Before I knew it, Kang Arin had positioned herself so that my thigh was wedged snugly between her legs.
Not exactly the most innocent pose.
I awkwardly shifted my shoulder and gently pushed her away.
She rose to her feet as if nudged.
Maybe because we lived together for seven days at the mountain lodge during the Fragnt acquisition, I’d gotten used to these little monts of skinship with her.
Because of that, I often accepted them without thinking much.
Still... this was sothing I’d need to be a bit more careful about.
As I loosened up my limbs, I asked Kang Arin a question.
“The exchange match?”
“Huh?”
A smooth topic change.
It had been two weeks since the battle, most of which I’d spent unconscious.
That ant the exchange match, originally scheduled for a week after the incident, should have already started.
Kang Arin seed to understand what I ant and shook her head.
“It got postponed.”
“Really?”
“I an, most of Gaon’s top students vanished, myself included—how were they supposed to go ahead with it?”
She shrugged and added,
“We can’t lose to Kalos, right? The chairman insisted on delaying it.”
“I see.”
In monts like this, the chairman’s obsessive greed for results really paid off.
In the end, it was a good thing.
God... I want out of here.
Suddenly I felt all fidgety.
Honestly, I could rest more if I wanted, but there were mountains of things piling up for to handle.
From the exchange match to the Evil God’s remnant—I had more than a few /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ things to personally manage.
The problem was... there was no way the hospital would sign off on my release right now.
This wasn’t the kind of place that let you out just because you looked better.
This was Glory Hospital—infamous for its obsessively thorough care.
But then—
‘Wait a second.’
Glory Hospital?
I narrowed my eyes slightly as I looked at Kang Arin.
Flowing black hair like waves, crimson eyes.
When our gazes t, she tilted her head curiously.
Glory Hospital.
And the real power behind Glory Group—Kang Arin.
“...Kang Arin.”
“Yeah?”
God, I wanted to leave fast.
“Get discharged.”
Co to think of it—I had a cheat code sitting right in front of .
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