Chapter 50: Restore: Active [I]
--Chapter 50--
Title>> Restore: Active [I]
With her back turned to him, Xavier’s eyes watched the dark veins that streaked on her wings.
Placing his hand on the veins, a bloom of golden light spread across Xavier’s hand the moment he activated Restore.
The skull when activated, looked the same as always. Or at least the same as the last time and only time he used it.
But that was about the only thing that felt familiar about the present situation.
This was because, the moment his palm touched Fiona’s wing, Xavier’s jaws tightened.
As a chilling sensation traveled through his hand and into his arm.
But it didn’t stop there, it went deeper since Restore wasn’t stopping at the damaged tissue anymore.
It was going further. Much further than what he felt with Dex, Priya or even Timothee.
’What’s this?’ Xavier’s brows knitted together.
At this point, he could directly feel Fiona’s mana circuitry and flow.
Her body wasn’t simply injured. Something had settled inside it, woven itself through the damaged areas and anchored itself beneath the surface.
To be precise, the corruption, whatever it was isn’t behaving like a wound. It felt more like a parasite that was eating away at her.
Xavier’s focus sharpened. And the golden light of Restore continued spreading across Fiona’s wing, peeling away at the outstretched Veins.
But the moment it reached the center of the blackened veins, something pushed back.
The feeling was like multiple needles were shut through Xavier’s hand.
However, Xavier wasn’t the only one affected. Fiona’s body in turn stiffened as her emerald eyes widened.
She convulsed for a second forcing Skylar to move closer. But she didn’t panic yet. Not yet...
The Force of the resistance fought back against Restore and Xavier finally understood he wasn’t trying to repair something broken.
He was trying to remove something that didn’t belong. And didn’t want to leave without a fight.
The burst of realization barely formed when his perception shifted.
For a moment. And only for a moment, Xavier saw further than he believed he was allowed to.
He watched closely how mana flowed through Fiona’s body in delicate streams, converging around her heart and spreading outward through her wings.
But threaded through those iridescent streams was something dark and viscous.
But it wasn’t contained within Fiona. Instead it formed a faint strand that extended beyond her body.
Xavier’s eyes narrowed as the strand disappeared somewhere beyond what Restore could show him.
’What is that?’ he thought even as beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
Once the heightened sensation collapsed, And his vision returned to normal.
All that remained was the fear of the unknown that rested deep in Xavier’s chest.
He couldn’t see what the corruption looked like but he could feel it. Which somehow was even worse.
And somehow, that was worse. But one thing was certain, this corruption wasn’t Fiona’s battle to fight alone.
Whatever had connected itself to her. Was a threat way bigger than it looked like
***
After a few more seconds of the corruption resisting, it became obvious to all three that this wasn’t just an ordinary healing process.
It was a tug of war and he was winning . Xavier’s heart slammed against his chest as he pushed Restore further.
The golden radiance around his hand immediately brightened like a flaring sun.
But this time, he didn’t try to force the entire corruption away at once. He focused on the part directly beneath his palm and allowed the skill to work through it.
Xavier believed he needed to pull the decay piece and piece and true to his suspicioms.
The blackened veins trembled and they began to recede.
Xavier would have pumped a fist in excitement if he didn’t need to be focused.
’its working...’ he thought.
He looked over to see Skylar smiling, her golden eyes filled with approval.
Not that Xavier needed it but it was good to see none the less.
The damaged flesh beneath the corruption slowly returned to its natural state, the sickly darkness giving way to healthy fair and milky skin.
Xavier felt a small surge of satisfaction even as he felt Fiona’s tensed body slowly adjust to his touch.
But the moment was short-lived. Out of nowhere, the corruption that was slowly going dormant, pushed back with full force.
The sudden jolt of energy sent a paralytic sensation climbing through Xavier’s hand.
With gritted teeth, Xavier watched as the golden light flickered, but Xavier being as stubborn as ever, held his hand firmly against Fiona’s wing, placing his left hand over his right.
The moment he did that, he could feel his mana being consumed at a faster pace.
The sensation of a growing hollow in his chest was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
The system responded.
[HP: 182/230]
The numbers weren’t looking pretty but and the pain was annoying but Xavier continued anyways.
He had already made the attempt. Stopping now, would accomplish nothing. And he wasn’t accepting that.
Xavier stared at the golden light covering Fiona’s wing gained ground against all odds.
He didn’t even know what Fiona’s body was supposed to look like beneath all that corruption.
Yet he’d already decided that whatever this corruption was. It wasn’t supposed to be there.
And sooner rather than later, reality would have to catch up with his choice.
With his breathing and pulse kept steady, Xavier pushed Restore one final time.
"Come on....!" He called out loudly.
***
The golden light surged and Fiona’s body suddenly jerked.
Her back arched up and her emerald eyes widened. The pain that had haunted her for three days was slowly dissolving.
It wasn’t fully gone but something inside her shifted.
The pressure inside her wing was loosening as Fiona stared at the golden light spreading across her skin.
She had seen healing magic before, drank healing potions and pills.
The feeling of damage flesh being repaired was something that she knew like the back of her hand.
But this....This was different.
She could feel the corruption that was steadily pulling her life force for the last three days lose its hold.
Her fingers curled slightly as she surrended herself to believe that Xavier might actually be capable of doing what he had promised.
***
Just when Xavier thought he’d finally stomped this foe.
A notification slide into his vision.
[You have triggered a Hidden Quest]
[Fallen Grove]
Xavier’s mouth opened slightly as he cocked his head.
’A hidden quest?’
He smiled. ’That’s more like it.’
--End of Chapter--