The moment I regained consciousness, a full day had passed.
I had been spoiled in the arms of someone I loved, and my condition was thoroughly examined.
The result was that everything was fine.
My core and circuits were intact, and even the melted muscles, flesh, and pulverized bones had fully regenerated.
'Could it be thanks to the rejuvenation?'
It wasn't the first time my body had been restored to a younger state.
When I was soaked in the venom of the twin-headed wyvern, my body also reverted to a younger age, healing both the injuries and poisoning.
'Is it something like a reset? When recovery seems impossible, it just reverts to my childhood...'
Before, when my body had been immersed in poison, most of it had perished.
This time, however, I had been hit with injuries from the 10th cycle and the Inferno, along with the aftereffects of my rampage. It wouldn't have been strange if I had been buried in the ground as I was.
In simple terms, I had been broken too much.
There were more parts that needed fixing than were intact, so they might have just decided to reset everything.
'Is this a curse function? Or a racial ability?'
I couldn’t easily tell.
Either way, I had survived, and I was happy with that. I hoped it would work this way again next time.
'And my left arm has regenerated...'
I wiggled my left arm with a strange expression. It felt oddly unfamiliar to touch, since it wasn’t a prosthetic anymore.
This wasn't something to be purely happy about. There had been advantages to wearing the prosthetic artifact.
"Is your smaller hand awkward?"
Another hand was placed on my wiggling left hand.
"Rather than awkward, it’s more fascinating."
"Even though you’ve experienced this before? Though, getting used to becoming younger must be hard."
The touch continued.
The fingers lightly stroked as if checking my fingerprints, and gently tickled the joints and palm, causing a small tickle.
It seemed like my new left hand was quite pleasing.
However, I squirmed from the tickling.
As my head turned, the rich scent of milk mixed with an unfamiliar air that I hadn't noticed before seeped in.
Finally, when I lifted my face from the depths where I had buried it, Elia’s bright yellow eyes were right in front of me.
"Heh, you're out."
The gracefully curved eyes came closer.
A soft kiss brushed against my lips.
In this heavenly situation, where I was surrounded by love, warmth, and the scent of her body, my lips involuntarily curled up.
Elia, smiling gently, also kissed the corners of my lips and asked.
"Sweetheart, aren’t you hungry?"
"Yes... I’m full."
Before I went to Elia, Hong Yeonhwa had fed me plenty.
Thanks to that, my stomach felt heavy, and there was a lingering sweet taste in my mouth.
"...Tch. Then, you don’t have a headache or a tingling sensation in your circuits, right?"
"No, really, I’m fine."
"Hmm... well, I’ll have to be able to trust you."
"..."
Her question, full of concern and affection, along with the strong sense of suspicion, made me bury my face deeper into her soft chest.
'I’m really fine...'
Though I was acting spoiled like a baby and enjoying luxury, it wasn’t just playtime.
Naturally, I had lost my autonomy now.
If you added the time I had been unconscious, it had been about eight days since the rampage started.
But the battlefield was still bustling. The rampage was still ongoing.
I had been directly controlling the severity of the rampage, but it was inevitable that my tongue would slip.
I shuddered at the thought of what kind of disaster would have occurred if it had all exploded at once.
Every time that happened, I felt fine when I was cuddled in her warm arms and gently stroked...
Anyway.
Of course, the magic was being overused, so it was burdensome, and managing my powers was also difficult.
Still, there were a few things I could manage in that state.
One was the operation of the barricade I had set up.
By adjusting the number of golems automatically produced by the barricade, I was reducing the burden on the frontlines.
Another was the operation of the spirits.
Spirit magic had always been a particularly efficient magic.
Spirits could summon, maintain, and act by absorbing the ambient magical energy in nature.
By mixing the magical energy I left behind with the natural magical energy, the efficiency doubled.
Moreover, since I was already deeply connected with the spirits, I could still efficiently operate them while being held by Elia.
"Hmm... Sweetheart? Want to tell me with the confession necklace?"
But in Elia’s gaze, as she looked down at me, there was a trace of disbelief.
It wasn’t just Elia.
No matter how much I told them I was fine, none of those around me believed it...
Her lips poked out, but I knew it was all my fault, so I couldn’t complain.
[Really, I’m fine...]
"Well, I guess you’re really fine now."
She had to hear the truth from the confession necklace before letting go.
'It’s not a lie detector or anything...'
The confession necklace had the ability to distinguish between truth and lies, possibly due to some change in its function or the voice it picked up.
After receiving another kiss, I retrieved my lips from her pouting ones and thought about the confession necklace that was functioning properly.
‘It’s good I put it in early. If I had just been wearing it, it probably would’ve been shattered.’
Just before the rampage fully took over.
I had stored the confession necklace in a pocket dimension.
It was difficult due to its binding feature, but I managed to store it away, so it didn’t break.
The wings of the heavens had been quite damaged to protect me, but once I fed it enough magic, it would recover quickly.
‘In contrast, the Proof of Protection...’
Something felt off. I sensed the presence of the Proof of Protection stored within me and made a strange expression.
"Huh?"
At that moment, I heard a voice from beyond the door, accompanied by a knock.
Elia, who had been brushing my hair, tilted her head.
Elia likely couldn’t hear it. This precious healing room had soundproof magic installed.
I turned halfway and, resting my head on Elia’s chest, said.
"Elia, it’s Daera Sajeo."
"Aha."
Once I identified myself, Elia nodded and manipulated the magic tool.
"Oh, it opened."
The door opened, and a woman with blue hair, Daera Sajeo, entered.
Daera Sajeo had no immediate place to go and had stayed at the frontlines, helping with monster hunting.
Setting aside her raw skill, just throwing powerful lightning bolts alone was enough for her to dominate in battles.
Also, she was just back from her return, so she might not be accustomed to city life.
It seemed she had knocked with her hands instead of using a magic tool, and overall, there were several signs of discomfort in her daily life.
She probably needed some time to adjust.
"...Priest, how’s your body? Is there any sign of growth yet?"
Daera Sajeo looked at me, cuddled in Elia’s arms, and made a strange expression before waving her hand.
[We’ll be back soon...]
[By the way, Sajeo, when you come in, you should press the magic tool, not knock.]
"Oh, right! Somehow, I felt like I forgot something... uh, hello?"
"Yes, hello. Daera-nim."
Daera Sajeo smiled awkwardly and greeted Elia, who responded with a bright smile.
By the time I was sleeping in my mentor’s arms, Daera Sajeo had already greeted others.
Daera Sajeo sat down on a nearby chair, and Elia, looking out the window, asked.
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"There doesn’t seem to be much of a commotion. Was the monster hunt successful today?"
"Yes, it was a bit much in terms of quantity, but there weren’t many high-ranked ones, so there were no dangerous situations."
"That’s a relief. The number of patients coming from the rear has certainly decreased a lot lately... Could the rampage be starting to taper off?"
"Hmm... I’m not sure. Considering the ones inside, there might still be a lot left..."
While the two of them were talking quite affectionately, I retrieved the spirit attached to Daera Sajeo.
It was a new form of a lightning spirit. The spirit that had been sitting on Daera Sajeo’s shoulder flew over to me.
‘Glad there wasn’t a big accident.’
I gently stroked the spirit’s head, feeling its will resonating in my mind.
Its role was somewhat like a terminal.
Since the observation wasn’t working, I had attached spirits to others one by one.
By the way, I also had Professor Riana’s and Elia’s spirits attached to me.
"Is Elia having any difficulties? Like, maybe the priest keeps whining at night and can’t sleep..."
Suddenly, as I was tending to the spirit, an attack came. Elia pouted, showing her displeasure.
[Sajeo, I’m not a baby...]
"Well, you look like a kid to me?"
[Eek...]
Daera Sajeo’s playful expression made her arms tremble as she shook them.
"Not at all. I barely stay awake for much. Hmm..."
As Elia, who had been giggling, suddenly looked down at me, I met her gaze as I tilted my head.
Her gaze shifted to my lips.
"...Is there something difficult for you, like being picky about the side dishes?"
"Wow, Priest. You’re picky about side dishes? Are you really a baby?"
[......]
I had no rebuttal to that remark, so I avoided her gaze.
Daera Sajeo giggled and shrugged her shoulders.
"I thought you ate everything when we cooked inside, so I didn’t think you’d be picky."
"Did Hayeol cook for you? How was it?"
"Ah, it was really, really delicious. It was the best food I’ve ever had."
"Hayeol’s cooking skills are amazing. Everyone at the mansion wants to eat Hayeol’s food, they can’t get enough."
It was a very cheerful atmosphere.
Although we hadn’t known each other long, Elia, with her sociable nature, had already formed quite a close bond with Daera Sajeo.
Thanks to that, even stories about the inside of the rampage were casually discussed...
"Definitely, when the priest sees him again, you’ll notice he’s got childish sides. Though, I shouldn’t be saying this, but when you’re held, you suddenly become quiet?"
"...Is that so?"
While adjusting the spirit, I suddenly felt a pressure in the hand that had been patting my head.
Having turned my body around, my face was buried deep in Elia’s chest, which was right in front of me.
Smiling softly, Elia changed the subject as if nothing had happened, and I squirmed in her cozy embrace.
[Happy]
But as I thought about it, I realized there was no need to escape, so I stopped.
Surrounded by warmth and abundance, sleepiness slowly began to creep in.
Since my stomach was full, it seemed even more pronounced.
"Elia... I’m sleepy."
"Yeah, you can sleep right here. Is it uncomfortable? Should I lay you down on the bed?"
"No... it’s fine..."
This position was incredibly comfortable as it was. Shaking my head while letting my words slur, Elia smiled and kissed the top of my head.
‘Just a few days like this.’
It was the feeling of all the pain and fatigue in my soul being completely wiped away.
The kiss on my head seemed like a signal, and my consciousness gently sank into the warmth.
"...Really like a baby..."
"...─what? ...─Ah, the priest’s..."
The murmurs of their conversation turned into a lullaby, and I drifted back into sleep.
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