For his entire life, nobody had ever volunteered to become a gargoyle. Gwen was the first.
Carn was not amused by her request, not because the gargoyle conversion procedure was torturous. On the contrary, the process was peaceful and instantaneous, guaranteeing a smooth and painless transition.
However, the transformation erased most of the subject’s memories, leaving only the essential knowledge for survival. Only those with a strong emotional attachment and high Aether affinity, like Rosa, could retain fragments of their core memories.
Carn warned Gwen about the side effects. "Turning someone into a gargoyle is like turning a living human into a zombie. You’ll lose your memory and identity. Are you sure about this?"
Gwen hesitated but ultimately steeled herself. She despised her augmented body, which bore serial numbers and devices that the government could disable at any moment. She longed for a way to escape that control.
"If the ECD and the government want me dead, they can shut down my augmented cells and bone marrow with the push of a button. I don’t want to live in fear. I’d rather risk losing my memory than remain their slave for eternity."
Carn raised an eyebrow, surprised by the new information. He wondered if his father was in a similar situation.
Wong, on the other hand, gave a bitter smile and hugged Gwen tightly. "It must have been hard for you," she turned to Carn. "If you can heal me, you can heal her. Regenerate her lost limbs and body."
Carn pursed his lips and shrugged. "If it’s just healing and regenerating lost limbs, I can do that. But if she wants to become a gargoyle, I won’t help. So, what’s it going to be, miss?"
Gwen sighed, slightly disappointed that she couldn’t become a gargoyle like Rosa. But she nodded in resignation.
"Please heal me."
"Alright. Take off your clothes and lie down on the couch."
Rosa and Gawain exchanged glances, both feeling out of place in the personal drama unfolding before them. Without a word, they stepped back, giving the family space to work through their issues.
But for Wong and Gwen, they were surprised by the demand. Wong bonked Carn for being too direct.
"Haiya! You animal! You want to f-ck, you f-ck in closed door! You don’t ask women for f-cking in public. This is no P-rnhub, ah!"
Gwen blushed, "I don’t mind, but not in front of everybody, please."
Carn facepalmed. The level of emotional damage was too high, and he wondered if he should off himself to hide his embarrassment.
"You people are bullies. Just… head to your bedroom and wait for me. Ma, come with us, too. As for you two, wait there."
Wong smirked and nodded as she bullied Carn enough. She and Gwen entered the latter’s bedroom for the treatment.
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Carn shot a glare at Rosa and Gawain. Both subordinates remained expressionless, but they sensed Carn’s killing intent. They saluted in unison, not wanting to anger him.
"DON’T. TELL. ANYONE."
Rosa and Gawain broke a sweat and nodded. Carn snorted and followed the women to the bedroom. He closed the door behind him.
.
In the bedroom, Gwen hesitated before reluctantly stripping off her clothes, revealing the body she so despised. Her arms instinctively crossed over her chest, shielding what little modesty she felt she had left.
From the waist down, her body displayed cold metal where flesh and bone should have been. A steel waist, mechanical joints, and prosthetic legs gleamed under the dim light.
Carn’s expression remained neutral as his x-ray-enhanced vision activated. He ignored the external augmentations, focusing instead on what lay beneath. His eyes meticulously scanned her skeletal frame, muscle tissues, organs, nervous system, and blood vessels. What he saw gave him pause.
Aside from her brain and a small portion of her bones, nearly everything in Gwen’s body was artificial. Her vital organs were either synthetic or heavily modified. Even her muscle fibers and blood vessels bore clear signs of tampering.
Carn realized that he would need to regenerate everything below her brain. Her eyes and face, though convincing on the surface, were also artificial and would need to be rebuilt.
As he calculated the cost of the restoration, Carn quickly assessed his resources. Advanced healing spells capable of such extensive regeneration were efficient but came at a price of 100 gold marks per pop. Fortunately, Carn had recently acquired 3,000 gold marks from Mother Tree’s gifts. He had enough to spare.
"Lie down on the bed," he instructed.
Gwen hesitated for a moment but obeyed, lowering herself onto the bed. She kept her arms wrapped around her chest, shielding private parts, which Carn didn’t bother sparing a glance.
Standing beside her, he placed his palm lightly on her abdomen, just as he had done when healing his mother. Gwen flinched slightly at the contact, but Carn remained steady. Channeling his energy, he activated the spell, "High Heal."
A warm, golden glow emanated from his hand, spreading across Gwen’s body like a wave of sunlight. The artificial components began to disassemble, melting away as new organic tissue replaced them. Flesh, bone, and muscle grew rapidly, knitting together with precision as nerves and blood vessels reconnected.
Gwen felt an overwhelming warmth coursing through her, a strange sensation she couldn’t quite describe. Pain gave way to relief, and the cold void that had once occupied her lower body was replaced with the vibrant hum of life.
Carn remained focused, ensuring the spell’s effects reached every part of her. As the regeneration was completed, Gwen’s body was fully restored, and her limbs and organs were now as natural as they had been before her augmentation.
When the glow faded, Carn stepped back, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
"It’s done."
Gwen slowly sat up and looked at her lower body in disbelief. The sensation of her legs slowly returned to her, and she lifted her knees. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Carn.
"Thank you."
Carn nodded, "No. Thank you for protecting my mother."
"Seriously, thank you! Thank you!" Gwen cried and clung to Carn’s shirt. She forgot that she was still naked and vulnerable.
"…"