Chapter 98 – Recovery
Chapter 98
Recovery
Date : Unknown.
Hyoren was in perpetual agony and nightmare. The darkness was complete. The suffering was endless. There was no escape. No relief. No respite.
He helplessly watched as Hifoppe moved at high speed. The creature blurred. The black katana swung with certain results. The blade gleamed. The edge promised death. Its black katana felt like a grim reaper bringing death. The weapon was an instrument of ending.
Hifoppe’s blade sliced Elise in two. The cut was clean. Her body was separated. Her eyes were wide as saucers. Widened in horror. The shocked expression was frozen on her face. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. The voice never came. The sound never escaped from her mouth. Then with a thud sound, the upper half of her body fell to the ground. The impact was wet and heavy.
He saw Hifoppe was smirking. Mocking. Grinding its boots on Elise's bisected body. The laughter was cruel. The victory was complete. The nightmare was absolute.
The sensation was vivid. Too real. Too visceral.
Then the nightmare changed.
He was in a sea of fire. The flames stretched endlessly. The heat was overwhelming. No matter where he went, there was only burning ground. The floor was molten. The air was scorching. He felt the heat. The temperature was beyond tolerance. He felt the flame. The fire was everywhere. It boiled his blood. The liquid turned to steam. It charred his skin. The flesh blackened. Exposing his bubbling flesh. The tissue beneath was raw. It was bleeding and melting.
But before he could die to escape from the pain, all his wounds were gone. Healed. The flesh knit together. The skin reformed. The blood cooled. Then the repeat of burning continued. The loop of being burned alive and healed started to make him lose his mind.
The pain is real. The cycle was eternal. The torment was without end.
The nightmare changed again.
He kept looping between the two dreams.
A torture of his emotion of seeing his lover keep dying in front of his eyes as he can only see helplessly.
And torture of his body. Endless pain which he felt on all his body.
He couldn't think straight anymore. The thoughts were scattered, fragmented and lost. How long he kept repeating this, he didn't know. He had lost himself in suffering. Time had no meaning. Pain had no limit. The agony was his entire existence.
After what felt like eternity, he felt the change.
A shift in the darkness. A light in the void. His mind started to calm down. The chaos began to settle. The nightmare started to become blurred. The edges softened. The scenes faded. And then he felt something warm touching his head. Calming him down. The touch was gentle. Unlike the nightmares, this sensation was tender. Full of affection and love.
Then finally his eyes fluttered. The lids were heavy. The light was bright. He then slowly opened his eyes. The world came into focus. Slowly. Gradually.
What greeted him was a worried expression of a familiar face. Flattened cat ears. The furry appendages were pressed against her head. Large amber eyes which radiated worry. The golden depths were filled with concern. And messy short brown hair. The strands were disheveled. Unkempt. Like she hadn't slept properly for days.
Hyoren recognized her. The face was known. The features were familiar.
Ina.
She just changed the compress on his forehead. The cloth was cool against his skin. The water was soothing. Her eyes widened when she noticed he had already opened his eyes. The golden orbs grew large. The surprise was evident. The relief was instant.
"Hyoren!? You finally wake up!"
She quickly hugged him and held his head tighter. The embrace was desperate. Genuine. Tears of relief fell down from her large amber eyes. The droplets landed on his chest. On his shoulder. On his neck. The wetness was warm.
Hyoren tried to move, trying to reassure Ina. The gesture was instinctive. But all his muscles groaned in protest. The fibers screamed. The nerves burned. Even a single twitch of a finger made his brain sear in pain. The agony was immediate. It was intense and unavoidable.
He tried to move his lips. The motion was difficult. The effort was tremendous. It still took everything he had. But he could form a few words. The sounds were weak.
"Ina? What happened..."
His voice was hoarse. Talking made his throat burn. His vocal cords was still damaged. He was still confused. The endless nightmare and the pain he felt on his body still make his brain foggy.
Ina raised her head while still holding his head. The embrace loosened slightly. Her teary eyes met Hyoren's dark eyes. The connection was deep.
With a shaking voice, Ina started talking. The words trembled. The syllables wavered.
"You didn't wake up for two whole days..."
She shook her head. The motion was small. Her flattened cat ears were unmoved. The appendages stayed pressed against her skull. The worry was still evident in her posture.
"Oria said she can't find what's the problem with your body. You didn't have any wounds. Any potions she tried to administer didn't have any effect. But you kept trashing around like you were in pain. And you screamed in your sleep from time to time."
Hyoren smiled weakly. The expression was faint. Barely visible. Trying to reassure Ina. The comfort was important. She needed to know he was okay.
"Don't worry, Ina. This is a price of my skill which I need to pay... this already happened before. I will recover sooner or later."
Ina sobbed. The sound was quiet. Heartbreaking. Her voice was still shaken. The fear was still present.
"Really? You are not dying right?"
Hyoren tried to shake his head. The gesture was instinctive. But the motion even gave him a headache. The pain shot through his skull. The throbbing was instant. Intense.
"No Ina... don't worry."
He then realized the compress which was in Ina's hand. The cloth was wet. And the state of Ina. She was not wearing her clerk uniform but casual and simple clothes for easy movement. The clothes was practical. And the dark circles under her eyes. The shadows were deep. Prominent. Evidence of exhaustion. Of worry. Of sleepless nights.
"Ina... did you take care of me for these two days?"
Ina finally smiled. The expression was relieved, genuine, and warm.
"Of course... Oria can't handle two fainted patients alone, so she called me for help two days ago. I decided to take off from my work for a while."
Then finally realization dawned upon him. Two patients. The words echoed in his mind. The meaning was clear. The implication was obvious.
Elise!
He tried to sit. The motion was desperate and urgent. But he jerked and almost convulsed again when he tried to force his muscle to move. The pain was unbearable. The agony was instant. The nerves screamed. The muscles tore. He could only resign and lay still. The helplessness was absolute. The frustration was overwhelming.
He decide to ask Ina first.
"Ina! What about Elise?? How's her condition?"
Ina then shifted her position. The movement was calm. Reassuring. Then she gestured to the other side of the room. Her hand pointed toward another bed.
"You can see for yourself."
Hyoren forced his head to turn a bit. Even turning his head took all his effort. The motion was slow. Painful, but deliberate. He finally could see the figure which slept on top of the bed.
There was Elise, still lying on the bed across the room. In a similar bed as him. The mattress was white. There was an IV line with green liquid still dripping. The substance was glowing. The runic inscription on the magic tools and tubes glowed.
Her blood-soaked and torn armor was also already replaced with white patient gown. The fabric was clean. Untouched by blood or dirt.
She was still asleep and not woken up yet. The slumber was deep.
But unlike before, her expression was already peaceful. Her breathing was relaxed. The rhythm was steady. And her skin was regaining its color. The pale was fading. The warmth was returning. The pink was emerging.
Ina smiled, and touched Hyoren's arm. The contact was gentle and comforting. Reassuring him.
"She was fine. Her blood loss should have already recovered enough these past two days. Oria said this morning all her broken ribs already reconnected. And the wound inside her stomach also recovered. We only need to wait until she wakes up."
Ina tapped her chin. The gesture was thoughtful and contemplative.
"Oria said she should wake up if not tonight, then it will be tomorrow morning at latest."
He focused his eyes on his lover. The silver hair was spread across the pillow. The strands were neat and combed. The rhythmic breathing of her. The peaceful expression of her. The life was returning. The danger was passing.
Hyoren exhaled a relieved breath. The tension released. The fear subsided. The joy emerged.
"Thank God... she is saved..."
His first aid treatment. His attempt to reattach her severed arms, backed by his half-baked knowledge from his medical education. The suturing was messy. His prayer which was answered by Luminara. His decision to keep activating Berserker despite knowing the severe backlash which was going to hit him. His madman run from Old Quarry to Oria's place. The severe agony which he got from the backlash.
He was glad he decided to do his all. He was glad all his effort to save her was not useless. Elise, his lover, was saved. The cost was worth it. The price was paid. The reward was her life.
***
Oria entered the room. Her blue robes swished with every step. The fabric rustled against the stone floor. She was carrying a few bottles of potions. The liquids inside glowed faintly. Green. Blue. Pink. The colors shifted as she moved.
She looked at the now awake Hyoren. Her eyes scanned his form. Assessing. Evaluating. Then she nodded. The motion was slight. Acknowledging.
"Good. You finally awake."
She shook her head. Her silver hair swayed with the motion. The strands caught the light from the magic lamps.
She then put the potions on the table near the bed. The bottles clinked softly against each other.
"I seriously don't understand what happened to you Hyoren. I checked everything with my Aethell Sense. But you didn't have any single wound. Your body is in a perfect state. But you kept screaming and convulsing like you were being tortured."
Her pointed ears twitched slightly. The appendages moved with her agitation. The concern was evident.
"I tried a few potions... but all without any effect."
She crossed her arms. The position was defensive.
"Hyoren... Your condition was... really weird."
Her gaze towards him was questioning. Accusatory. The look was sharp. She knew something was off.
Ina's eyebrows also furrowed. The lines appeared on her forehead. Her face was full of worry. The concern was deep but genuine.
"You said this is the result of skill backlash... but I already became guild staff for the whole 20 years... and as Vice Guild Master for another three years... I already knew a lot of skills which can be learned… And none have such severe backlash like what happened to you."
Ina’s experience shocked Hyoren a bit. The revelation was surprising. She had said she’d already worked for twenty-three years—more than two decades.
From her appearance, he had assumed she was in her twenties. But it seemed she was far older than he had thought. Perhaps in her forties—much like Elise, who was already forty-two despite looking like a teenager.
It reminded him just how deceptive appearances could be in this world. People aged far more slowly than those on Earth. The average lifespan ranged from one hundred fifty to two hundred years across all races.
The pieces finally fell into place.
No wonder she was respected by every clerk in the guild. She carried many responsibilities—and as Vice Guild Master, it was a position that demanded experience.
Hyoren smiled wryly. The expression was faint, but he chose not to comment on Ina’s slip. The information was noted. The reaction was withheld.
For now, he decided to reassure Ina and Oria. Comfort was needed. Worry was unnecessary.
“I did say healing magic or potions wouldn’t change anything. Oria…”
He paused, his thoughts turning inward.
He considered whether he should tell them about his unique skill—about his connection to Luminara and Noctynara. About what he truly was—a Spirited Away.
He looked at Oria—the short, small elven alchemist. Elise’s best friend. She had spent two whole days caring for two patients. Using expensive potions and drugs. Relying on various magic tools. The cost was high. The effort was tremendous.
Then he looked at Ina, the cat beastkin—another of Elise’s friends. Her amber eyes were teary, the golden depths still wet, still glistening. Her worried expression. The concern etched across her features. The dark circles beneath her eyes. Her messy hair. Her disheveled clothes. Clear signs she had not been sleeping properly. Taking care of both him and Elise. The sacrifice was evident. The devotion was undeniable.
He felt his heart twist. The emotion was complex. Difficult to define. Especially after seeing Ina like this. It felt wrong. It wasn’t fair—if she was kept from the truth. The guilt settled in. The obligation followed.
He took a deep breath. Air filled his lungs. The decision was made.
“I will explain… but it will take time. It’s a long story.”
Ina then leaned forward. Her small hands reached out, taking his and holding it tightly. The grip was warm. It was desperate and real.
“Then do it later. I can wait. Your explanation is not important. Your recovery is.”
Oria crossed her arms. The stance was firm and authoritative.
“Yes. Ina is right. The explanation can wait. The patient needs rest first.”
She then smirked. The expression was knowing. She was amused.
“And there’s another person who needs rest.”
She stepped forward and touched Ina’s shoulder. The contact was light and gentle.
“This girl hasn’t slept for two whole days, even when I forced her. I was even planning to drug her tonight if she still refused. Fufu.”
Hyoren’s eyes widened. The surprise was immediate. The concern followed just as quickly.
He looked at Ina. She was fidgeting—shifting uncomfortably. Her face flushed, pink spreading across her cheeks. The warmth was visible.
“Ina. Why didn’t you sleep for two days?”
Ina smiled. The expression was soft. Genuine. Her grip on Hyoren’s hands tightened, firm and secure.
“Because I couldn’t. Seeing you thrashing around. Seeing Elise’s pale face… I decided I would take care of both of you. Oria couldn’t do everything herself. She still had to brew potions for her work…”
Oria smiled warmly. The amusement was evident. The teasing was clear.
“This girl has been taking care of both you and Elise. But especially you. Changing your compress. Wiping your sweat. Changing your clothes when they got too drenched…”
She let out a soft, amused laugh.
“I even thought she was about to jump on you a few times while you were unconscious. Fufu.”
She was clearly teasing, her voice laced with amusement.
Ina pouted. Her lips pressed together. A shade of pink spread across her cheeks and down her neck. The blush deepened. The embarrassment grew.
“Oria, you don’t need to give him that many details! And I only changed his clothes because I had to! He was sweating a lot! They were soaked! Not because I wanted to jump on him while he was defenseless!”
She suddenly closed her mouth, realizing her mistake. The words were already out. The implication was clear.
Her face turned fully red. The crimson spread from her cheeks to her ears… and down her neck.
“NO! I mean—I only changed his drenched clothes because if I didn’t, he would catch a cold!”
Hyoren was moved. The feeling ran deep. And yet—he was embarrassed. The conflict was there.
“So you really did take care of me…”
He forced his hand to move. The motion sent pain through him. His muscles screamed. His nerves burned.
But he gritted his teeth. His determination held.
Slowly, his hand rose—then reached her face.
He touched her cheek. Gently. She was really soft and warm.
“Thank you… Ina.”
Ina leaned into his touch, guiding his hand closer against her cheek. The contact was intimate. Tender. The moment softened.
And that was when the moment became a problem.
His chest tightened. Not from pain—but from something far more difficult to ignore. This warmth. This closeness.
It wasn’t something he should be feeling like this.
Not when Elise was right there still not having woken up. Not when Elise was his lover.
His thoughts faltered, just for a moment. He didn’t pull his hand away. He couldn’t.
“Don’t mention it, Hyoren. I did it because I wanted to. I don’t need thanks.”
Hyoren looked at Ina’s tired, drooping eyes—the dark circles beneath them unmistakable.
“Please, Ina… you need to rest. I’m already fine…”
He gently lowered his hand.
Ina’s eyes followed, reluctant—almost unwilling to let go. Her fingers twitched, hesitating, as if wanting to hold his hand again. But in the end, she didn’t.
Oria nodded. The agreement was immediate.
“Yes, Ina. You need rest. Or it will be your turn to become bedridden. Or do you want me to give you sleeping drugs?”
She then approached his bed, her blue robes swishing with each step.
“And you, Hyoren. You still need to rest.”
She uncorked a bottle of pink liquid. A soothing scent drifted out. She brought it to his lips, the glass cool against them.
“Drink this. It’s a relaxation draught. It will loosen your muscles and ease the ache. Basically, a sleeping drug. I don’t know how it will interact with your… strange skill, but it should at least calm your mind. You still need rest.”
Hyoren nodded. The motion was weak.
He drank, emptying the contents. The liquid was sweet. Soothing.
"Thank you, Oria. My body still felt heavy... and after knowing Elise was safe... I felt I want to sleep again."
He then looked at Ina, his gaze filled with concern.
“And Ina… please sleep after this. I don't want you getting sick on my account.”
Ina nodded. The agreement was reluctant. Then she stood, the movement slow—her exhaustion clear.
“Okay then… I’ll sleep. But not for long…”
Oria stood as well, her motion fluid. She moved to the other bed and checked on Elise. Her hands worked with practiced precision—adjusting the magic tools, checking the IV lines. The examination was thorough and complete.
After a moment, she gave a small nod. The assessment was done. Elise’s condition was stable. She was recovering.
“Both of you... sleep, okay? I need to brew more potions after this. Hyoren, you can ring the bell beside your bed if you need anything. I’ll come right away.”
She then exited the room. Her blue robes swished softly behind her. The door closed with a quiet click.
***
Hyoren looked at Ina again. The concern was still there.
“Ina. Now, please sleep.”
Ina relented slightly, letting out a deep, exhausted sigh.
“Fine… fine. But call me if you need anything. I’ll sleep there.”
She pointed at a large long sofa on the corner.
Hyoren grimaced. The objection was instant.
"No! Sleep on a proper bed! You need and deserve it."
But Ina refused. She shook her head, firm. Stubborn. Her cat ears drooped slightly, her tail held stiff behind her. The resolve was clear.
"NO! I will sleep there on the sofa or I won't sleep at all. I need to stay close to you both. If something happens, I can tend to you immediately."
Hyoren sighed. The frustration was present. His eyelids were already heavy. The sleeping drugs started to take effect. Drowsiness crept in, dulling his thoughts. He didn’t have the strength to argue anymore.
"Fine... but you really need to sleep."
Ina smiled. The relief in her expression was warm. Then she leaned forward and kissed Hyoren's forehead. The brief touch was soft and gentle.
"Okay. Sleep tight Hyoren. Please recover soon."
Hyoren was speechless. The surprise was absolute.
What did Ina just do? Why did she suddenly kiss him?
The question lingered. The confusion swirled.
Unaware of the chaos in his mind, Ina already stood and crossed the room to the long sofa. Her footsteps were quiet. She lay down, her small frame easily fitting against its wide cushions. The sofa accepted her weight. The fabric was worn—but comfortable.
It wasn’t long before sleep claimed her. The exhaustion was too great. The fatigue overwhelming.
Her breathing slowed into a soft, steady rhythm—a quiet sign of how tired she truly was. The gentle rise and fall of her chest was peaceful.
Hyoren looked at Ina for a while. Then at Elise—his lover. Then back at Ina again.
His gaze lingered on Ina’s small, exhausted frame—the faint dark circles beneath her eyes, quiet proof of her relentless care for him. The sacrifice was evident. The devotion was clear.
He forced his hand to move. The motion was difficult and painful. He brushed his fingers against his forehead, where she had kissed him. The warmth still lingered. The sensation remained.
He couldn't name what he was feeling. Only that something, unfamiliar and unsteady, had begun to stir within him.
His eyes drifted once more—back to Elise, the silver hair, the peaceful recovering face. Then, almost without realizing it, to Ina again. The small frame of her. The exhausted form of her.
He exhaled softly, as if trying to settle something he didn't yet understand. The breath was long and deep.
"My nightmare about Elise dying seems like a distant memory now... what is this new feeling of me... I don't understand..."
He sighed. The confusion remained. The exhaustion won.
Not long after, the sleeping drugs claimed him as well. The darkness was welcome. The rest was needed.
Three steady, rhythmic breaths soon filled the small room in Oria's Potion Store.