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Chapter 196: Price

The very heart of the Saviors and the most critical defensive line.

The ultimate defensive line, so powerfully fortified with barriers that even the Demon God wouldnt dare to cross, and equipped with all sorts of buffs.

In a room at the center of this place, Kang Seo-yul was unconscious, with only his ragged breaths remaining.

You shouldnt overexert yourself.

The nurse Ini, who had been tending to Kang Seo-yul, spoke with a deeply concerned expression to Ai holding Kang Seo-yuls hand.

Shirakawa, can you get more medicine?

Again? But I just brought some

Ini gave a bitter smile.

Unfortunately, it didnt work. It seems the symptoms are different from magical exhaustion.

I see. Ill go get it.

Ai let go of Kang Seo-yuls hand and rose from his seat.

What should I get?

Magic explosion neutralizer, circuit stabilizer. And also Mandragora extract. If you ask the pharmacist, they should prepare it.

Alright. Ill be back soon. Take care, Seo-yul.

Ai waved a small hand to the collapsed Kang Seo-yul and left the room.

Left alone, Ini placed her hand on Kang Seo-yuls chest and closed her eyes. She was meticulously examining his inner state.

A magic specialist.

Thanks to being a Dragon Lord, she had the ability to examine at a cellular level.

Fortunately, hes slightly better.

Compared to yesterday, his condition had improved a bit. Yesterday, he looked as if he was on his deathbed, but today he seemed more like a critical patient.

Its not reassuring to be a critical patient.

Because Kang Seo-yul seemed like he could die any moment just yesterday, even a slight improvement felt like a relief.

Ini shook her head vigorously, trying to stay focused.

Stay alert. If Im not careful, his condition could worsen.

Kang Seo-yuls internal state was a mess.

Even having lived as a Dragon Lord for 4,000 years, Ini had never seen such a chaotic magic circuit. It was a wonder he was alive in such a state.

With a shaky smile, Ini stabilized the magic within Kang Seo-yul.

Whew.

After about 5 minutes, Ini took a deep breath, looking at Kang Seo-yul, whose face had become a bit more relaxed. Trying to stabilize magic at a cellular level was incredibly draining.

Maybe its because of the aftereffects of magical exhaustion. Im really tired.

Ini moved her fatigued body around.

Ini, Im here.

Aqua.

Aqua entered the room, opening the door. Aqua looked as exhausted as Ini.

Hows Heavenly God doing?

Just as Ini was responsible for Kang Seo-yuls recovery, Aqua was taking care of Heavenly God. Meaning, Aqua had been tending to Heavenly Gods body for 24 hours straight. Thats why she looked so worn out.

Shes improved a lot. She passed the critical stage quite some time ago, and now shes stabilizing. If things go well, she might wake up today.

Really? Thats a relief.

Ini sighed in relief.

How about over here?

Hes somewhat better, but still in a critical state.

The two of them exchanged serious glances as they looked at Kang Seo-yul.

We still cant determine the cause of his condition?

No, we cant find any clues.

Aquas elemental affinity, water, is highly efficient for healing.

Thus, naturally, Aqua should have been the one to heal Kang Seo-yul.

But when we use divine or magical healing, his condition deteriorates

But for the current Kang Seo-yul, Aquas healing magic is more like poison.

Thats why the Dragon Lord, Ini, has been in charge of taking care of him.

Thankfully, we have someone well-versed in medicine on our side. Otherwise, we would have been in big trouble.

Ini shook her head as if she didnt want to even imagine it.

Aqua looked at Kang Seo-yul with tight lips.

This its really the mark of Adam.

Oh, its your first time seeing it?

Yes.

Aqua reached out and touched the mark on Kang Seo-yuls chest, which had been exposed for treatment.

Its the mark of the Angel race, right? But why is it black?

Its probably because of the aftereffects.

Aftereffects?

Aftereffects from forcibly drawing out his power.

Drawing out power forcibly?

Aqua paused, pondering.

Uh Im not exactly sure, but this Apostle is there something wrong with his body?

Oh Didnt I tell you?

Ini played with her hair, twirling a strand.

To put it simply, this Apostle is from the future, and hes suffering from aftereffects due to the events related to that.

Aquas eyes widened in shock.

From the future?

Yes. From the future, three years from now, after the world was destroyed by the Demon God. He sacrificed a lot to return to this era.

So thats possible.

Aqua continued to touch Kang Seo-yuls chest in amazement.

What are you doing?

Huh?

Watching Aquas strange actions, Ini gave her a cold glare.

No, its just that in all my long spirit life, Ive never seen such perfectly formed muscles. Taking a sample?

Kang Seo-yuls body was sculpted in beauty due to his overwhelming charm attribute.

Naturally, his muscles were also formed in an almost ideal shape.

Youre noticing muscles at a time like this?

Muscles dont lie.

Aqua spoke with a serious expression.

These are pure combat muscles, without an ounce of excess. He must have undergone incredibly rigorous training in real combat scenarios every single day. Otherwise, muscles like these wouldnt have developed.

So in summary?

These muscles are trustworthy muscles!

Aqua beamed with a smile.

That damned muscle-perfection theory of yours.

Ini shook her head in disbelief.

Aqua pouted her lips.

Im serious Anyway, someone finally understands me.

Aqua affectionately stroked Kang Seo-yuls body a couple of times with a strange look in her eyes.

By the way, what was that power?

Which one?

The one that handled both divine power and magic at the same time.

Aqua recalled the sight of Kang Seo-yul battling the Demon God. Though she observed from a distance and couldnt see clearly, there was certainly a peculiar aura of magic shining brightly, a mix of the white of divine power and the black of magic.

You saw it from a slightly closer distance than we did, didnt you, Ini? Did you notice anything?

Not sure.

Ini gave a bitter smile.

I was on the verge of collapsing from magical exhaustion at that time, so I cant say.

Oh, right.

Aqua nodded a few times.

But I do have some rough guesses.

Really?

Yes.

What are they?

Hmm. Wait a moment. Let me check on him first, and then Ill explain.

Ah, okay. Ill help.

Ini stood up and once again examined Kang Seo-yuls body. She purified the drenched sheets with magic and wiped the profuse sweat from Kang Seo-yuls body with a towel.

Under normal circumstances, she would have effortlessly cleaned the body with magic, but for the current Kang Seo-yul, magic is poison.

So, she had no choice but to manually wipe him down with a towel.

There doesnt seem to be any sign of worsening.

Yeah, he definitely seems better than yesterday.

The two exchanged slightly brighter smiles.

So, what was that guess you were talking about?

Aquas eyes sparkled.

Ini chuckled lightly.

You should really work on your patience.

In response to Inis nagging, Aqua chuckled.

Just let it slide. Its just a trivial guess, after all.

Mm-hmm.

The two sat facing each other.

Kang Seo-yul, you know the Apostle of Adam can assume the form of any race, right?

Yeah, Ive heard. He can become a Dragon, an Angel, and even a Spirit. But whats that got to do with anything?

How is that related to the current situation?

Im guessing that Kang Seo-yul isnt just transcending racial values but is possibly also fusing them.

What do you mean?

Aqua tilted her head in confusion.

In simple terms, hes like a half-breed.

You mean, like a half-breed between the Angels and Elves from myths?

Exactly. Ai born from two different races inherits the characteristics of both, right?

Yes. Although there werent many, there were definitely such cases Ah.

Aquas eyes widened as she seemed to have a realization.

You mean he can use the powers of two different races simultaneously, like a half-breed?

Exactly. His half-Angel, half-demon form would be the evidence.

Ini smiled subtly.

So that peculiar magic power is

Its probably a special fusion of the Angels divine power and the Demons magic. If we were to give it a name, maybe Divine-Magic or Sacred-Magic.

Sacred-Magic

Aqua repeated the word, seemingly lost in thought.

Is it even possible to merge two opposing natures? Thats like combining water and fire No, its even more implausible.

I dont understand it either, but what can we do? The person who demonstrated such an implausible feat is right here

Ini sneakily glanced at Kang Seo-yul and chuckled.

Hes right here in front of us. We just have to accept it.

Thats true.

Aqua seemed convinced immediately.

Ini approached Kang Seo-yul again.

If all your questions are answered, go back to Heavenly God. Once the medicine arrives here, Ill need to adjust the prescription immediately.

Ah, okay. Understood.

Aqua promptly got up from her seat.

Take care, then. Ill visit again later.

Contact me once Heavenly God wakes up.

Will do.

With that said, Ini began to focus once again on treating Kang Seo-yul.

* * *

Ugh.

Feeling excruciating pain, I opened my eyes.

Seo, Seo-yul!

A blurred vision of a tearful Ai.

You finally woke up. You really slept for a long time.

I saw Inis face, looking exhausted and drained.

Wher Ugh!

I tried to ask where I was and what had happened, but an overwhelming pain made me close my mouth again.

Stay calm. Youre still in critical condition.

Ini clicked her tongue and injected something into me.

Why did you push yourself so hard? Even if you wanted to save Heavenly God, you shouldnt have. Dont you know that if you die, its all for nothing?

Was it a painkiller?

The pain in my body is gradually fading.

Were you in a relationship with Heavenly God before you returned? Why did you risk yourself so much? Dont you take care of yourself? Your body isnt just yours.

I quietly listened to Inis complaints.

I could feel the concern and relief in her voice, so I had no choice but to listen.

Im sorry for worrying you.

The pain had subsided enough for me to speak.

Dont do it again, okay? Whether its Heavenly God or anyone else. If you think you cant handle it, just give up. Your life should be your top priority. Got it?

Understood. Ill do that.

I wanted to say I hadnt intended to overdo it, but I refrained, thinking it would only complicate the conversation. After all, excuses can be a sin.

And thank you.

Ini awkwardly scratched her cheek, avoiding my gaze.

Thanks to you, Heavenly God survived. Thank you.

Ah

I let out a sigh of relief.

So Heavenly God survived. What a relief.

Why that satisfied look?

Ai, still with tears in her eyes, looked at me angrily.

You almost died, you know? Dont worry, you said Ill just register her magical power and come back

Im sorry.

I have nothing to say to Ai.

In this timeline, I had advised not to push myself too hard. To prioritize a safe return. Yet, here I am, having done the exact opposite.

From Ais perspective, it must have been shocking.

Do you have any idea how worried I was?

Im truly sorry. I wont do it again.

Again, I made no excuses.

If Heavenly God died, the one person who could oppose Demon God would be gone, and perhaps, three years from now, even a draw wouldnt be possible.

Having thought that way, I couldnt abandon Heavenly God.

If I were to explain that, the conversation would undoubtedly drag on.

If you say so, what more can I possibly say

Ai bowed her head deeply.

Once again, I realized that in apologies, refraining from making excuses is most important.

A brief silence ensued.

I was the first to break it.

What happened after I collapsed?

I wondered what transpired after my battle with Demon God.

Why ask? Thanks to you, everything turned out fine.

Ini grinned widely.

The casualties werent many, and Heavenly God survived unscathed. On top of that, we managed to take down one of the seven sins, Asmodeus.

What about Demon Gods pursuit?

There was none. Given the circumstances, I was really worried that they might ignore the barriers and launch a surprise attack, but

Ini stroked my head.

Perhaps because of your display of power, nothing of that sort occurred. Did you plan all this, even landing a blow on Demon God at the end?

Is that how it was interpreted? I was simply trying to survive without much thought, and it just turned out that way.

More importantly, how are you feeling?

Honestly, not great.

Theres not a part of my body that doesnt hurt.

My mana feels unstable.

My mind is foggy.

I feel as terrible as one could possibly feel.

Thats you feeling much better. Six days ago, you were literally on your last breath.

Six days?

Oh, I didnt mention? Its been six days since you collapsed.

Has it been that long?

Thats what Im saying. What on earth is that power that made your body this wrecked?

That power.

Surely, it must be referring to the transcendent strength displayed when handling both the holy power and the magical power simultaneously.

Speaking of which, let me ask. That power the fusion of holy power and magic, what exactly is it?

Um

Actually, Id like to ask that too.

Exactly what was that power?

How could I produce such a force? What mechanism allowed it to, even for a fleeting moment, counter Demon God?

Of course, from my current position, I cant just say I dont know. So, I answered like this:

Its my secret technique. The Holy-Magic Power.

I roughly named it Holy-Magic Power since its a combination of holy power and magic power.

I thought as much.

Ini nodded repeatedly with a look of understanding.

Okay. Got it.

I wasnt sure exactly what she understood, but since she seemed to move on smoothly, I just accepted it.

Ill go and call the others. They need to know youre awake.

Ini got up from her seat.

Oh, right. I forgot to ask about this.

Ini looked at me with cautious eyes.

A suspicious-looking man came looking for you.

Suspicious-looking man?

Ais expression turned cold.

Noticing Ais reaction, Ini discreetly clicked her tongue and continued.

Unknown. Thats what the man was called. He said he wanted to speak with you.

< Chapter 196: Compensation (1) > End.