Don’t Be in Pain

[Stat ‘Vitality’ has leveled up. Current Level: 7]

The moment Vitality leveled up, Doyun momentarily regained lucidity and staggered.

The golden flames wreathing his sword dissipated. Using the sword to prop himself up, he barely kept from collapsing.

Yet the unending searing agony still clouded his mind.

‘Killing… me..!’

Before falling, he gritted his teeth, turned, and staggered towards the Alliance through blistered soles spewing smoke.

“Ooh! He’s coming! Returning this way!”

The Alliance cheered. The war’s hero was crossing the firescape he had sundered to reach them.

“Han Doyun! Han Doyun!”

“Han Do-… Huh?”

But something seemed amiss.

The charred silhouette that barely cleared the inferno wavered unsteadily. Soon he could go no further, crumpling to the ground before reaching them.

Though bewildered, the Alliance rushed over. And they could see:

“Hah-, Haah…!”

“The Apostle!”

Doyun screeching in what sounded like his dying breaths.

“Hwaaaaaah–!!”

He thrashed in agonizing convulsions. The still-raging hellfire incessantly ravaged his body, blackened flesh sloughing off as raw crimson regrew, blood spurting anew.

The stench of charred human flesh assailed them all.

A horrific sight reminiscent of an inmate undergoing pit immolation in some abyssal dungeon.

Tia fainted on the spot while Sofy clamped a trembling hand over her mouth.

“Impossible…”

“Wh-, Why…? Didn’t he have fire-resistant gear? Then how could he wield that sword amid the flames…”

“Mages! Healers!”

“The rear echelons haven’t arrived yet…”

“So we just twiddle our thumbs?! Order the close-quarters to retrieve him immediately!”

“Y-, Yes sir!”

“Hwaaaaaahhhh–!!”

Soon mages arrived to douse the flames while healers intensively tended to him. The charcoal form lying prone resembled not a human, but a mere ash heap.

His golden irises dimmed as Doyun’s head lolled lifelessly aside.

“—-“

“—!”

As his eardrums regenerated, frantic shouts assailed him in a jumbled cacophony.

Yet Doyun’s fading awareness fixated on one sight alone, unable to process anything else.

Amidst the blinding haze as he crossed the inferno, something he had subconsciously retrieved – an indistinguishable charred lump, neither human nor demon.

‘Rok… fel…’

A comrade among the 80 he had fought alongside, yearned to befriend.

Crunch. The presumed neck area crumbled, the severed head rolling away.

‘Ah…’

As that bone-chilling reality of war’s atrocities resurfaced, Doyun’s light faded from his eyes.

+++

A week passed.

[It’s truly fortunate you awoke.]

“Thanks to your dedicated care.”

Lying in Winny’s intensive care room, Doyun communed with Duke Noir via voice transmission stone.

With Winny present, Duke Noir had to use the formal ‘you’ instead of his usual blunt speech.

[We have much to discuss once you’ve recovered. The Gucci Apostle, the sublime feats you displayed on the battlefield, and above all else…]

He asked with gleaming eyes.

[You must have used the Point Conversion Tonic, yes?]

“Of course.”

[I’ve heard of your exploits. I can scarcely imagine their extent. Well… care to offer a glimpse, at least?]

Doyun smiled wryly at the voice stone.

“I’ve likely surpassed you now, Sir.”

[Kukukuk…]

Those words made Winny, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, open her eyes wide in disbelief.

Among the acknowledged strongest heroes of each nation, a clear hierarchy existed.

Heineken, Duke Noir, and Elizabeth were considered middle-tier. Brunhilde was a solid third, while two Calamity Emperors reigned supreme.

His statement implied reaching the upper echelons on par with Brunhilde.

‘But Brunhilde is swiftly catching up, so I may be overtaken again soon.’

She was beginning to grasp the Manifest Sword under Doyun’s tutelage, her innate sword talent blossoming.

Perhaps a third hero on par with the two Emperors would soon emerge.

[I’ve detained the patient long enough. Let’s converse once your treatment ends. Rest well.]

They ended their chat.

“Understood.”

[Winny, lass. I leave Doyun in your care.]

“Hmph!”

Winny huffed, turning her head away sharply.

Amid Duke Noir’s laughter, Doyun retracted his mana, terminating the voice transmission.

Beep-

“…Is this your damn home?”

As soon as the voice stone deactivated, Winny snapped at him petulantly.

Her barbed tone betrayed her concern over Doyun’s grave ordeal.

Doyun smiled faintly. This was Winny’s way of expressing affection.

Placing the voice stone under his bed, he reflected.

‘Back then…’

Frowning as the memories resurfaced, his head still throbbed recalling that excruciating agony.

The searing torment had seared too intensely into his mind.

“…You’re unexpectedly hardcore, huh?”

Taking over for the struggling Doyun, Winny spoke up.

“What do you mean?”

“Sir Lei was raving about it. How you displayed techniques beyond even his teacher’s or senior’s – the Continent’s greatest swordsman Brunhilde’s – capabilities.”

Referring to the Manifest Sword, no doubt.

‘No, not just the Manifest Sword…’

There was definitely something else.

That new frontier attained amidst his fading consciousness. That searing sensation permeating spirit, mana, mind, and will.

‘A new form of the Manifest Sword.’

Manifesting phenomena through wills beyond ‘Manifest’ – an unprecedented breakthrough.

‘…Could I have advanced even further?’

A fascinating prospect.

The higher one climbed, the more exponentially arduous further growth became.

His current life was the 19th turn, including this one. Yet his most meteoric growth had occurred in the 18th after grasping the Manifest Sword by falling to the Demon Lord in the 17th – an ironic fact.

“Ah, Winny. I’m now Vitality Level 7.”

Doyun gazed meaningfully at her, as if demanding she fetch his Dragon Heart.

Winny looked at him in utter disbelief.

“Are you insane?”

“Pardon?”

“You nearly died and just woke up. Yet the first thing that comes to mind for a brat like you is the Dragon Heart? Did that trauma addle your brain into thinking only of training?”

“…Is there an issue?”

“Your physical body has healed through treatment and regeneration, but your insides are still wrecked. You took a direct war spell strike, you know! After this intensive care, return to your guild and rest for 2 weeks before coming back.”

“Hmm…”

“Bare minimum 2 weeks. Don’t even think about training – just lie in bed! Don’t even dream of things like the Dragon Heart until after those 2 weeks pass.”

Resigning himself to her outright refusal like with the Hellfire Water, Doyun quietly nodded.

But when he immediately sought his sword, scanning the room, Winny rebuked him again.

“No training here either! Focus solely on recovering!”

“Yes…”

Left with no choice, Doyun plopped back onto the bed.

Closing his eyes, he silently circulated his mana.

+++

After completing his intensive care, Doyun returned to the guild quarters.

Arriving by carriage, the moon already hung in the night sky.

“Phew…”

By the moonlit window, he exhaled deeply as if reviewing the day while lounging in a chair.

“…”

And when he opened his eyes, Luna stood there.

As a general rule, Luna remained by Doyun’s side throughout each day. However, the sole moments they truly conversed were these brief evening exchanges before this moonlit chair.

Yet after weeks apart, glimpsing each other stirred profound emotions.

“…It suits you well.”

The Luna he reunited with had transformed considerably in appearance.

Previously around Tia’s childish frame, she now presented as a proper 17-year-old lady.

No longer scrawny, her developing figure had filled out with ample flesh and muscle – gradually taking after her mother’s voluptuous womanly build.

A sheer black veil draped like a curtain from her noseline, serving as a mask to obscure her face. Yet her delicate nose bridge, faint facial contours, and pretty golden eyes hinted at sublime beauty.

Her formfitting attire accentuated her blossoming feminine assets. The overall dark motif helped her meld seamlessly into shadows.

Truly, her outfit complemented her exquisitely.

‘…Does the new garb please you?’

Though expressionless, a flicker of emotion slipped through.

Unbeknownst to Doyun, inwardly Luna glowed with joy – reuniting with him after so long and unveiling her new look.

“And… you’ve trained well.”

The words simply slipped out, for it was undoubtedly true.

Doyun sensed nothing from Luna at all.

Generally, one’s ability to completely conceal their aura from another signified superior prowess. But assassins differed slightly.

Unless the gap was too vast, even subordinate assassins could fully veil their presence from superiors.

Moreover, as the daughter of history’s paramount assassin, Luna would excel even more at such skills.

Previously a mere child, now she truly emanated an assassin’s aura. Once again reminded of her frightening growth rate.

‘…Unlike my concerns, perhaps Elizabeth has been instructing her well after all.’

Rumored to have nurtured the Assassin Corps before going insane, contributing to the Alliance – she seemed quite devoted as a mentor.

Had Doyun’s worries been for naught?

Unconsciously, he asked Luna:

“Are you satisfied with her tutelage?”

“…”

No response. This time, even Doyun could not discern her intentions.

Yet his unease persisted, strangely enough.

‘…I should observe a bit longer.’

Still unclear. Just a little more time to contemplate…

When Doyun blinked, Luna had vanished from before him.

+++

Entering the training grounds at Doyun’s behest, Tiamat looked troubled.

“Our daughter will be furious with me.”

“Which is why we must do it secretly.”

“Making me the bad mother.”

Her words notwithstanding, she would acquiesce – Doyun knew. Silently, he disrobed his tunic and cloak.

Doyun’s request was for her to immolate him in flames.

Though he felt inured to agony, searing torment still eluded him. He needed to maintain lucidity even when engulfed in an inferno.

Had he achieved that during the previous war, perhaps a better outcome could have been attained.

‘Maybe… I could have saved them.’

…Doyun momentarily dwelled on the somber thought before shaking his head, having endured loss innumerable times.

Additionally, he needed to firmly grasp the sensations of the Sword Blaze during this opportunity.

An utterly insane training regimen only he could conceive, provoking stern rebukes if overheard.

Yet it was crucially necessary from his perspective, for various reasons.

Taking a cross-legged seat in the training grounds’ center, Tiamat spoke before beginning.

“About that girl… ever since that day, Tia has been obsessively devoted to all manner of fortification and shielding spells. Especially fire resistance enchantments.”

“…Start.”

Tiamat snapped her fingers. Pillars of flame erupted beneath Doyun.

Fwoooooash-!

“!!”

Doyun’s eyes flew wide open before immediately burning away.

Far more intense flames than expected, despite Tiamat’s restraint – rivaling that hellfire.

Truly, Tiamat did not disappoint.

Crunch.

His clenched teeth shattered, gums bleeding profusely before the blood instantly vaporized, leaving no scent.

Doyun’s fading consciousness already agonized, yet his posture remained unbroken.

His willpower, further tempered by immolation within that hellfire.

Then suddenly, Tiamat whipped her head towards something.

“Oh dear.”

An awkward situation. She had forgotten about that child.

Snapping her fingers again, she vanished via concealment magic – a measure to avoid being the ‘bad mother’.

Oblivious to the exterior, Doyun focused his mind. His jaw hung slack – simply not screeching madly amid that excruciating torment already demonstrated astounding concentration, earning even Tiamat’s awe.

Yet his deteriorating consciousness was inevitable.

Shortly after.

Creak-

The training grounds’ door burst open as a teary-eyed Tia rushed in, shrieking.

“Stop! Stoooooppp!!”

Long concealed via invisibility, Tiamat snapped her fingers again.

The flame pillars engulfing Doyun vanished as his charred form crumpled lifelessly.

“Daddyy! Daddyyyy! Hwaahh…!”

Tia scrambled over, trembling tiny hands shaking Doyun’s shoulders as she wailed.

Soon after, Sofy, Rocinante, Elohah, and even Milene rushed into the training grounds.

“Don’t do thiiis… Don’t be in paiiin… I’ll be good… So pleeease… Hwaahh… Hwaahh…”

“…”

Lying inverted with darkening vision, Doyun turned his gaze beyond them.

Leaning against the training grounds’ entrance was a figure.

A veiled, dusky-skinned beautiful girl. Luna.

Unusually, a slight furrow marred her brow as she watched Doyun – perhaps the first overt expression her face had shown.

“…”

As Tia and Milene poured forth healing spells, Doyun lost consciousness.