Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I woke up about 13 hours later. Luna was clinging to me while sleeping.

I was still covered in mud and blood and sweat, so I took a shower.

I touched my six pack while in the shower. It seemed unreal, since I had just gotten it recently.

I also made a faint light with my finger. I hadn't recovered my mana completely.

I got out of the shower and got dressed.

"Food!" I accidentally yelled out and woke up Luna.

"What is it, sweetie? how are you feeling?"

"When I was in that dungeon all I ate was these weird fruits. I need some real food. Let's go out for noodles!"

"Yeah sure, but honey, can you tell me about what happened?"

While we walked to the restaurant I told her everything about what had happened.

"Whoa. That sounds insane. So now you can also do a new magic?"

"Yeah! Though I wish I could do healing magic like you as well. Oh, by the way, I think still some of my ribs are partially broken, can you heal them?"

"Of course! Why didn't you tell me!"

Luna then whipped out her pistols and gave me a healing shot.

While I felt it inside my body, I tried sensing its mechanism closely. Just for fun, even though I knew it wouldn't work, I tried amplifying the healing with my own mana as well.

"What!"

It worked.

"What's wrong?"

"I just tried messing with your healing in my body with my mana, and it actually worked. Wait, just a minute."

We were in public, so I whispered the next bit to myself.

"Open, Piid."

I checked my profile, and sure enough…

Name: Jack Stardia:

Occupation: Adventurer

Level: 100

Skills: Piid, Flash, Light-Affinity, Increased Mana Capacity C, Increased Stamina Capacity C, Increased Strength C, Swordsmanship C, Flash-Immunity, Magical Sense C, Flashlight

New skill: Healing

I shot up ten whole levels, and I got healing. It must have been because Tigersson had that immortal healing himself. Or maybe because I kept wishing for it and thinking about it.

After eating, I immediately went home and experimented with it, asking Luna questions.

"So what's the mechanism behind Healing Magic?"

"Mechanism?"

"I mean, how does it work exactly?"

"I'm not sure, I just say Healing and shoot a ray."

"What can your healing do? can you regenerate body parts?"

"Ehm, nope."

"But when you shot the healing at me, I felt you regenerating small injury spots. So by that logic, you should be able to, right?"

"Ehm… I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it that much."

It seemed I was again at an unexplored area.

I took out my dagger and cut my arm.

"Hey, don't do that!"

"Don't worry! Healing!"

When I evoked the spell, I shot it from my right hand holding the wound.

First thing I felt was a disgusting ineffective use of mana. Now I knew what that Light-Affinity meant. When I shot the spell I could just see all the mana drain on the path there. It also seemed that for Healing Magic I couldn't use the same mana paths as Light Magic, but the new paths still all flowed from the mana cores.

I tried using Flash to see the difference between how the paths flowed mana, and that's when I discovered it.

In my Light Magic paths, when a large amount of mana would flow, the mana I was channeling would harden and create a type for the rest of the mana to flow in, to make the flow much more effective. And then when the mana was done flowing, the tube would dissolve.

I tried recreating this with Healing Magic but couldn't. I still couldn't control the mana itself, only the flow by opening and closing mana cores into channels.

The cut on my arm had healed up and I felt like I had used 1/3 of all my mana. I was sure that if I did the spell voicelessly, I would be able to spend about half as much mana.

Now, the nature of healing magic itself was hard to pinpoint. I knew that the energy itself for the healing came from the mana cast. But I knew that there was also an interaction between cast mana and the body of the receiver. But I couldn't exactly pinpoint it. But I knew that the mana would go to the spot of injury, and then get converted into tissues.

Then an experiment idea came up.

"Hey honey, would Healing Magic even work on dead beings?"

"Eh? what? probably not."

I ran outside, searched and found a frog, and went back to the apartment.

"Eeww, get that thing out of here."

"Don't worry, in a bit."

If that stupid lion could regenerate entire limbs, then so could I.

I strapped the frog, then I cut off one of its legs.

"Let's see…"

I held the frog in my hand, and just started channeling mana down the healing channels from my upper body cores.

"So, all mana is the same and only becomes a complex magic when put through the mechanisms of the channels..."

I could feel inside the frog that the Healing Magic was just condensing and going around its body, but then it all concentrated down its severed leg."Whoa!"

I could see at the end of its leg tissue was forming. Looked very pink. I saw that a small blob of tissue was first formed, then it was stretched to create a bone, then that bone got smaller pink blobs which then were also stretched to create bones. Then the muscle came from the surrounding blobs. Then finally tissues.

"I'm a genius—"

I passed out from mana exhaustion.

I woke up to a lap pillow from Luna. Looked at her she was so beautiful and I could see the peaks of her mountains and feel the softness of her thighs. She was also wearing shorts so that was a bonus.

"Hey, what are you thinking? shouldn't use all your mana at once."All of the sudden, all of the exhaustion and stress of everything just hit me. I felt so tired and just wanted to do nothing related to getting stronger.

"Piid, I need a vacation. Luna, let's go for a trip or something outside the city."

"Oh, there's some hot springs we can visit, if you want."

"Yeah, that sounds great. Anyway, I want to go for a walk alone. See you later."

I just started walking randomly. And then I found myself at the park.

"Jack!"

The most beautiful thing ran up to me.

"Oh, Maria. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, you know. Long time no see, hehe. I tried looking for you."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you my new addresse."

I then told my new addresse and that she could contact me any time.

"Hmmm, I wish there was some way to just easily contact people…"

NO! No more business stuff, it's time to relax.

"Yeah, me too."

"Well, what have you been up to?"

"Oh, nothing really. I go to the Hero's Academy, but sometimes I just can't because of my illness."

"What illness?"

"Oh, I have this curse that'll kill me when I turn 16."

She then told me everything she had been through and about her curse, and how she'd die in one month or so.

"Wait, let me try something."

"O-Okay?"

I then grabbed her princess style.

"Open, Piid."

Blink.

I was holding her princess style in the white room.

A text screen immediately appeared.

Are you dumb? Tell her to cover her eyes.

A blindfold appeared in front of me.

"Hey, Maria, keep your eyes closed. I'll put this on you."

"O-okay, where are we?"

"Ehm, don't ask questions and don't talk."

"O-okay."

I kept holding her. She felt so soft. And in my arms she felt smaller than usual.

"Do a profile on her and bring the yellow stuff."

Already did. Yellow stuff won't work since the curse is Magic-Soul based.

"Then what can I do?"

There might be a way, hehe.

I hated the sound of that sentence. He was going to go gambling again.

"A way where I don't almost die like with Tigersson."

Define almost dying?

"What an asshole, you do realize that if I die you die?"

I am well aware of the fact I told you.

Asshole.

Did you want me to hand everything to you on a platter? Weren't you the one who just decided to go on a 'vacation' when we're in the middle of a war against the Devil King?

I realized that this was the first time we were actually having a conversation.

"Sorry, tell me what to do."

She still has 29 days and 7 hours and 3 minutes left. Spend 27 days growing stronger, then recapture my 2nd Dungeon. In that domain, you can make use of a special room for soul-surgery only available to the master of the domain.

"I hear some familiar terms. By the way, what about with the first dungeon? Do I have any privileges as the master of that domain?"

You do.

"Okay. And what might they be…"

Infinite food and raw materials. It will drain and torture me completely to transport it through me, so if you want to make use of it you'll have to connect the path directly from the dungeon to the outside world. The one you saw was blocked.

"Oh yeah. Wait, doesn't that place you teleported me to count as the outside world since I had to get past the big door to get in."

Yes.

"And?"

Are you asking whether I can teleport you anywhere you want?

"Yes?"

Nope. But I can teleport you anywhere inside me. That dungeon was another part of me, but I had lost control of it, except for that door. Can we have this conversation without that huge information leak liability you're holding?

"Oh yeah, sorry..."

Then the usual screen appeared.

Welcome back. Choose between: [Swordfighting] [Guide on Defeating Devils for Dummies] [Mana Manipulation Experiment (very painful)] [Exit] [Profile]

Seemed his texts were getting coloured more and more by his personality. At least he had made profile a button.

"Before I leave, can't you just give me something to get rid of the pain?"

Nope. Pain-nullification works by severing the ties between your body and soul. Those ties are needed for overall growth. Only way to reduce the pain or make it nearly non-existent, at least for physical pain, is for you to learn precise psychic control. But at your current level, that's unlikely given how talentless you are.

"Jeez, you sure don't sugarcoat. Okay I'm tired of you, see you next time."

I pressed the button.

Blink.

We were back in the park, I was still holding her princess-style.

"Hello young lady, you can open up now."

I sat on a bench still holding her. She took off her blindfold and looked into my eyes. I figured I should let her down, but since she wasn't commenting I just kept holding her.

"I won't ask any questions about what happened or tell anyone..."

"I know, good girl. I'm sorry you have to endure the pain, but give me almost a month and then I'll fix you right up."

"Really!" she started crying.

"Yeah, I just have to get stronger and conquer this special place, and then I'll take you."

Just then I noticed something, I had a sword and sheathe on my hip again.

When I later came home, I noticed that it was of much higher quality than the previous one. Which meant he went through a lot more pain to teleport it out of him. Maybe his way of showing gratitude? or just him ensuring he doesn't die by giving me better weaponry.

"You know, I've never had you over to visit my house…"

"Oh yeah, you're right. Can I visit now?"

"Oh, now… yeah sure! Though my family is home…"

"That's fine, I'd love to meet your parents."

"Yayyy! But ehm…" she looked at me. When she did her face came really close, She was so soft to hold.

"Maybe let's stop by the clothing store, right! I'll treat you again!"

She got me a curdory suit, making me look like a professor.

"Wow! So handsome!"

"Please, I'm weak for compliments."

"Well, that's good to hear, hehe" she said and grabbed my arm as she walked. I kept my previous clothes in a bag. I still had my sword on my hip and a dagger on my back.

We arrived in front of a huge mansion.

"What the… When you said house, I imagined something a little smaller…"

"Hehe, you like it?"

"I sure do, let's go, madam."

"Oh my! Please call me that more!"

She held onto my arm tighter, pressing her boobs in.

At the front door, we were greeted by Maria's parents. Her father eyed my suspiciously.

"Who is this?"

"The man who is saving my life, my fiance!"

"Whaaaat!!" Her parents said in shock.

We went inside to eat and discuss.

"You, which family are you with? Who's your father?"

"Oh, you wouldn't know him…"

I saw on his face as it dawned him that I wasn't a noble.

"Lots of men have come by claiming to be able to cure Maria, and asking for absurd things in exchange, but you are the first that asked for her hand."

"Hate to break it to you, all three of us learned simultanously that I was her fiance."

"He he, he has a way with words," the mother said. She was quite beautiful as well.

"I'm glad to meet you to. I can see where Maria gets her beauty," I said looking at the mother, "and where she gets her strength," I said looking at the father.

"Yeah, I see your sword and the way you move. I can tell you are an experienced warrior."

"Me? Meh, I just dabble here and there with slaying monsters."

"An adventurer! Let me tell you…"

And then he started talking about his days and adventures. Was quite interesting actually.

"Tell me, what's the strongest monster you've ever slayed?"

"Well, yesterday I defeated this one monster that almost killed me. And I hate to admit it, I won entirely by luck. I was completely outmatched."

"Now, this sounds interesting. Describe the monster."

"It was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life. I even feel stress just remembering him. His name was Tigersson. He was this huge black lion. He moved like the light, and the inside of his mouth was pink with huge fangs. I know because I got him right as he was about to chop my head off."

"Mhmm… Tigerson, you say? What was its skills?"

"I'm not sure, I only interacted with it for those few seconds when it was about to kill me. But I know that as long as it had its head, it could regenerate any part of its body. And if it didn't have its head, its hard had an automatic mechanism to regenerate its head. I needed to get the brain and heart at the same time to defeat it."

Now even Maria and her mother were looking at me fascinated.

"Mhmmm… I've read some books describing a similar monster, but it couldn't be! How did you defeat it!"

"As I said, I got luck. Just right after I had discovered a spell light spell that fit the criteria. If it wasn't for that, I would have been a goner. Also, right after I defeated Tigersson I learned regeneration magic."

"Nani!!"

"Yeah, though I've just been experimenting with it a little. I'm still very new at it."

"Wait, is that how you will heal Maria?"

"Oh no. I couldn't that way, since her disease lies in her soul. For that I will use another technique, which I can't expose to anyone. It'll take me about little under a month. Either I make it and save her, or I die trying."

"Thank you, Jack!" Maria's mother said, and started crying.

"Let me ask you something," I asked her father, "how did you get so strong?"

"Well, I hate to say it, but it was mostly just inherited skills and my parents fed me lots of items early on that gave me skills. And some of it was through special training from high class teachers and from experience."

"Say, these items, I've heard a lot about them. How do I get them?"

"Oh, unless you're a high ranking noble, they won't even be available to you. And they cost in the hundreds of millions. Though…"

The way he said that made me come close.

"If you were to heal my daughter, I might consider it..."

"Sorry to say this directly, but the stronger I am now the more likely your daughter is to survive. I can't say any details, but to heal Maria I need to conquer this special place where I have to defeat a probably stronger boss than Tigersson."

"Mhmm…That name. Why does it sound so familiar? I think in some kids books I read about it. I don't know… But I get what you're saying. If I find any items come on the market, I shall buy them for you. Your affinity was Light Magic?"

"Yeah, but my real problem area is reaction time and reflexes."

"Huh?! Hahahaahah! I haven't heard that since I was on the field! All the experienced soldiers would always complain about that, and never their strength! Well, enough serious talk for now. Let's enjoy ourselves!"

We then spent the rest of the time celebrating. Weird day, I had gotten a fiance. I wondered how I was supposed to tell Luna about this? Well, another problem for another day.

After saying goodbye to Maria, I went back to Luna's place and ended the day with her.