Chapter 77: Chapter 76

Choi Gang-hu moved Ryu Jeong-ah’s body to his neighboring house without asking anything. Though the institution expressed concern, they couldn’t stop the will of the bereaved family backed by a powerful figure.

After setting all the temperature control items installed throughout the mansion to below zero, Ryu Seo-ha gently laid his sister on a sun bed by the indoor pool. He had to complete all preparations before the body began to decompose.

He took out items he had bought in advance on his way to work and laid them out on the floor. An underwater breathing mask and scuba diving weight belt. A brush for special solution and liquid semi-permeable membrane, one S-grade magic stone and a swallowing assistance device, and a magic power activation accelerator. Then he hesitated as he was about to lift his sister’s blood-stained clothes.

“Could you step out for a moment?”

“…I’ll keep my eyes closed.”

When he quietly asked for understanding, Choi Gang-hu firmly shook his head and leaned against the glass wall, closing his eyes. As expected, he didn’t ask what Ryu Seo-ha was trying to do. Perhaps he thought it was some kind of funeral rite.

He carefully applied the liquid on the brush to his sister’s skin. Soon after, a thin, wobbly membrane like an egg’s inner shell formed, enveloping Ryu Jeong-ah’s entire body.

He lifted his sister wearing the underwater breathing mask and stepped directly into the pool water. Choi Gang-hu, who opened his eyes at the loud splash, strode to the water’s edge.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to follow your sister.”

He was grabbed so tightly his arm hurt. It seemed Choi Gang-hu had mistakenly thought he had bad intentions.

“That’s not it.”

“Then.”

“…Please let go of my arm first.”

“Answer me first.”

His sharp reaction paradoxically made Ryu Seo-ha feel warmly embraced.

“I’m going to bring my sister back to life.”

Even though he clearly stated his purpose, the hand strongly gripping his arm didn’t budge. He must have thought it was the recklessness of a boy who had lost his judgment.

After all, even first-generation S-class healers couldn’t revive the dead. Even Emily Kitlova, the world’s best existing healer, couldn’t achieve resurrection.

The same goes for the elixir, even if it’s called a panacea. An item that’s only S-class at best couldn’t overcome confirmed death.

“I told you before. That I know more than you think.”

But Ryu Seo-ha believed. That it would be effective. If he added the hint he discovered to the consumption method that Dr. Han Gangseok would soon figure out.

“I’ll do it instead.”

Choi Gang-hu, who had followed him into the water with a splash, declared while wrapping around his waist like a snake from behind.

“You don’t even know what I’m trying to do.”

“Whatever it is.”

He had been watching him act as he wanted all along, as if telling him to release his pent-up resentment. But now he seemed to have judged that he could no longer leave him be.

“This requires healing abilities.”

The concern was appreciated, but it was a task no one else could do for him.

“Let me go. There’s no time.”

He was in a hurry. If the decomposition progresses too far, it might require more magic power and more precise control. He needed to attempt it as soon as possible.

“Then do it like this.”

Suddenly, snake-like hands wrapped around his body. He couldn’t help but shrink his neck at the unfamiliar touch of a palm on the bare skin of his flat abdomen.

“What…”

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

The forearm tightly wrapping his waist was as solid as iron chains restraining his freedom. It was a grip that conveyed a firm will to never let go no matter what happened.

“You asked me to help charge your magic power.”

It was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Ryu Seo-ha bit his lower lip hard and nodded slightly.

“I’m going to dive deep underwater.”

He omitted all the difficult explanations about osmotic pressure, homeostasis, and relative concentration. He didn’t know exactly how the semi-permeable membrane covering his sister’s skin would function.

“Please don’t pull me up during the process.”

The important thing was that this attempt was the most efficient method of consuming the elixir discovered by the genius in the original work. Choi Gang-hu stared blankly at him as he put on the weight belt around his waist where Choi Gang-hu’s arm was wrapped, then sighed.

“…Alright.”

Ryu Seo-ha stroked the back of his reluctantly nodding lover’s hand once, then took out the elixir from his space expansion pouch. His hand holding the glass bottle containing the golden liquid trembled.

Status: Remaining lifespan 5 days 7 hours 7 minutes

Suddenly, the numbers etched on his status window caught his eye. He felt guilty for the moment of hesitation he felt. For the very fact that he had compared his sister’s life and his own on an invisible scale.

Happy childhood memories flashed by like a kaleidoscope. The memories piled up from the unconditional love he received for the first time in his life, and his sister’s face smiling playfully just this morning.

‘It’s okay.’

Only after repeating to himself several times that he still had time left, that he wasn’t giving up his life right away, could he move again. First, he pushed the S-grade magic stone and accelerator into his sister’s mouth.

“Ryu Seo-ha?”

Choi Gang-hu, who had been silently observing the situation, exclaimed in surprise, but there was no time to look back. His sister’s body in his arms began to change rapidly.

Scales sprouted on her skin and webs formed between her fingers. He immediately used the swallowing assistance device to make his sister swallow the elixir.

Characteristic ‘Sanctification’ is activated.

Buff ‘Healing Regeneration’ is granted to the designated target (1 non-awakened person).@@novelbin@@

Then he slowly sank into the water while deploying his characteristic. He could feel the half-transformed body responding to his magic power and swelling greatly.

As expected, the effect of the characteristic was being amplified. The effect of the elixir, which had been fading futilely, was also amplified along with [Sanctification].

The water filling the pool swirled violently around Ryu Jeong-ah’s body. Scales that had fallen off were swept away by the waves.

Magic Power 453

As his magic power rapidly depleted, he was about to lose consciousness, but his stats increased at just the right timing.

‘Just a little more.’

The difficulty of controlling the flow of magic power, enhanced by the elixir’s effect, was beyond imagination. If he hadn’t experienced the amplification phenomenon in advance, he wouldn’t have even dared to attempt control.

Several times in the middle, he almost misdirected the flow. Ryu Seo-ha gritted his teeth and managed to control the direction of the force. Even though he was underwater, he felt like his overheated body was sweating cold sweat.

‘Sis… please…’

Just as his vision was becoming hazy from lack of oxygen. Bubbles began to rise from Ryu Jeong-ah’s mouth covered by the mask. His body went limp. His consciousness also sank deep into the water.

❖ ❖ ❖

As soon as he opened his eyes, he scanned his surroundings out of habit. A space entirely papered in white, faint smell of disinfectant, cutting-edge medical equipment whose purpose he didn’t know.

It seemed to be a room set up as a treatment room next to the pool. If not for the large, soft bed and the greenhouse scenery visible through the open window, he would have thought it was a hospital.

“You need to rest more.”

As he tried to remove the IV needle stuck in his arm, a calloused palm restrained him. He also saw Park Je-hyun shaking his head with a stiff expression.

“What about my sister?”

“She’s been revived safely.”

“I need to see for myself.”

After finally pulling out the IV, he got out of bed but staggered greatly. There was no strength in his entire body. As if he had stopped breathing once and then woken up.

Even after leaning against the wall and waiting for a while, his trembling legs wouldn’t stabilize. Suddenly he felt empty. Usually at times like this, Choi Gang-hu would support his body instead.

“…Where are you?”

Without realizing it, he blurted out a question wondering about his whereabouts, then caught himself. Even just from the original work, he was someone who had been busy without a moment’s rest.

He had just become too accustomed to it, but it wasn’t a given that Choi Gang-hu would be with him. He felt embarrassed for acting like a thoughtless child.

“She’s in the treatment room right next door.”

For better or worse, Park Je-hyun seemed to think he was asking about his sister’s whereabouts. Ryu Seo-ha didn’t bother to ask again and slowly moved his feet.

Ryu Jeong-ah was lying neatly on a soft bed, sleeping quietly. His heart sank as the image of her lying on the cold shrouding table overlapped.

Only after putting his finger under her nose to confirm she was indeed breathing could he shake off the fear that had swept over him like a wave.

“Sis…”

Ryu Seo-ha collapsed next to the bed as if crumbling. After hesitating, he took her hand and it was warm. Relief filled his heart. This was enough.

Status: Remaining lifespan 4 days 16 hours 15 minutes

After checking his remaining lifespan, he closed his eyes tightly. His heart started beating unsteadily again. It’s okay. There was still one last method left to try.

Comforting himself like that, he got up. First, he took out a magic stone from his space expansion pouch and grasped it. Then he moved to the bathroom and entered the shower booth.

“You’re not yet…”

Park Je-hyun tried to stop him again, thinking he was going to wash, but he closed the glass door of the booth without answering. It was to block external interference and disturbance for a moment.

Park Je-hyun standing at the bathroom threshold, and Lust who would be hiding nearby, would rush in as soon as they saw his next action. He leaned languidly against the tiled wall.

Characteristic ‘Sanctification’ is activated.

As always, he felt the protective barrier gently enveloping his body. He put the magic stone he was holding into his mouth and swallowed it just like that. Without any hesitation.

“What are you-!”

Buff ‘Healing Regeneration’ is granted to the designated target (caster himself).

Buff ‘Status Ailment Removal’ is granted to the designated target (caster himself).

Almost simultaneously with activating the buffs, Ryu Seo-ha lost his grip on consciousness.