Chapter 202

Chapter 202

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 202: Bigamy (7)

Cartesia thrust her fingers into my mouth.

“Mmpph!”

“Stay still.”

Before I could process what was happening, her probing fingers reached my uvula. I instinctively clenched my teeth in response to the gagging sensation.

“Kid, don’t bite.”

“Mmmph!”

“I said don’t bite.”

Cartesia’s growl was accompanied by her tentacles constricting around me. My internal organs felt compressed, forcing all air from my lungs. Why must I endure this humiliation?

I’d been foolish to think we could communicate as equals. Being allies doesn’t make us friends. Outer Gods and humans were never meant to coexist.

Her fingers wriggled inside my mouth as she spoke.

“Interesting.”

What could possibly be interesting?

“So this is how the oral structure works. Is this the inner mucosa? The texture changes quite abruptly here.”

Madwoman.

Now, she was examining my hard palate. Outer Gods are truly insane – you can’t apply human logic to them.

Cartesia added more fingers.

Two, three, four…

Five fingers now invaded my mouth, mercilessly probing my tongue. The foreign sensation was deeply unpleasant, but I dared not close my mouth. If I bit down, those tentacles would squeeze my lungs like a dishrag.

“Good, now you’re behaving.”

By this point, I’d surrendered to the situation.

This was an inevitable catastrophe. What choice did I have but to endure it? Maybe even try to enjoy it. When faced with the incomprehensible, sometimes it’s best to just let it happen. Outer Gods operate beyond human understanding.

Resigned, I figured I might as well analyze the taste of an Outer God’s fingers.

And they were… sweet?

It’s not exactly sweet – more like ordinary glucose candy. This surprised me. I’d expected something salty or bland, like human flesh.

I was probably the first human to ever taste an Outer God. This could make for an interesting research paper. As this absurd thought crossed my mind, Cartesia finally withdrew her hand.

“Hmm.”

Cartesia examined her saliva-coated fingers thoughtfully.

Then, in an unexpected moment, she began licking them. I had to blink twice to believe what I was seeing. She looked like a cat grooming itself.

“Crazy…”

I was stunned. This went beyond ordinary perversion – this was something else entirely.

“The smell is acceptable. The taste is mild, with traces of sugar and digestive enzymes. Not poisonous – that’s good to know.”

Cartesia chuckled.

“You should feel honored, rookie. You’re the first human to make contact with my true form and not die in an instant.”

“What’s the purpose of all this? There must be some reason you’re doing this to me.”

“Purpose? I’m simply claiming my reward for assisting with the research.”

Cartesia clapped her hands and turned around. At her signal, the slave Outer Gods pushed the surrounding space away.

The darkness revealed her research laboratory – a small space dominated by a blackboard.

“I must document this.”

She began writing in the Outer Gods’ language, grinning like an excited child. I stood there frowning, completely lost as to what was happening.

After finishing her notes, Cartesia announced:

“Rookie, from now on, you’ll be my test subject for a few days.”

“What?”

“Don’t expect to return to reality until then.”

This wasn’t good.

I had a sinking feeling I was in for something far worse than I’d imagined.

Brian had been spending more time with the Adelwein family lately. Jerome, the former head, always greeted him with particular warmth.

“It’s good to see you, sir.”

“Please, there’s no need for such formalities between family members. Have a seat.”

“Thank you.”

They made their way to the drawing room, where their conversation took a more confidential turn.

“How is the young master faring?”

“He’s been unconscious for three days now.”

“What unfortunate news.”

Despite his sympathetic words, Jerome’s lips curved into a slight smile. Brian, too, didn’t bother concealing his own subtle grin.

“It is concerning, indeed. To think he would collapse before the succession could be completed. To be so fragile…”

Though neither man spoke their thoughts aloud, they shared a mutual understanding.

This was an opportunity.

A chance for personal gain.

“What do you intend to do next?”

“If his condition doesn’t improve, I plan to speak with my father.”

“Now, now, don’t leave out the crucial details.”

Brian took a sip of his tea, smirking. The cup made a delicate clink as he set it down before adding,

“… Let’s prepare to select the next young master in case something happens to my brother.”

Rustila and Zelnya visited Aidel’s hospital room daily, clinging to the faint hope that today might be the day he would wake up.

During the first couple of days, they rationalized his condition, thinking, “He must be exhausted.” They decided to wait patiently for his recovery. At least the tense atmosphere between the two women had subsided within the hospital room.

However, by the third day, they sensed something was amiss.

“Here are the EEG results.”

Zelnya studied the report carefully. Aidel’s brainwaves weren’t characteristic of normal sleep patterns. Instead, gamma waves, typically associated with high concentration and tension, dominated the readings. Strange interference patterns were also present, and this unusual state persisted for several hours.

This pattern was unprecedented in medical history.

“It appears the patient didn’t simply collapse from exhaustion. We’re conducting further investigations.”

Even the most experienced resident physicians couldn’t provide a definitive diagnosis.

“The good news is that he’s breathing on his own. His condition appears stable, and full recovery is possible. Try not to worry too much.”

“We’ll wait until the end of this week.”

However, despite these reassurances, an emergency arose. Two days later, at dawn, Aidel went into respiratory distress.

“Aidel? Aidel!”

Rustila and Zelnya, who had maintained their vigil day and night, noticed immediately and called for medical assistance. However, given the early hour and their location in a regular ward, the medical response seemed frustratingly slow.

At this rate, intervention would come too late.

Suddenly, both women remembered Ire’s warning: if Aidel died, everything would be meaningless. Their love, their rivalry – all would vanish into nothingness.

“Carry him!”

“Where are we taking him?”

“The emergency room, where else? Follow me!”

Rustila hoisted Aidel while Zelnya, familiar with the hospital layout, guided them along the shortest route. Following her directions, Rustila broke into a sprint.

They spotted doctors ahead, preparing to leave with a cart.

“You incompetent slowpokes!”

“Rustila, place him here. Why are you all standing around like idiots? Get him to the ventilator immediately!”

Zelnya cursed and commanded.

An extraordinary scene unfolded as a medical student berated a resident doctor. Given their senior-junior relationship and the rigid hierarchy of the medical community, such behavior would typically be unthinkable.

But everyone knew who Zelnya was – a royal.

Challenging the daughter-in-law of Professor Reinhardt and the head of the Adelwein family would be career suicide in the medical field. Given the urgency of the situation, the doctors had no choice but to comply with Zelnya’s orders.

Subsequently, Arnold, still wielding considerable influence as the family head, called for an immediate assembly. Within moments, twenty residents bearing the Reinhardt name gathered.

Thanks to the family’s concentrated efforts, Aidel was transferred to the ICU, barely clinging to life. Once the immediate crisis passed, Arnold summoned Aidel’s attending physician.

“How did you allow this situation to deteriorate so severely? Explain yourself.”

“I apologize, Professor… I never expected a general ward patient to decline so rapidly…!”

“So you’re suggesting that if the patient dies, it’s their fault? Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s not…!”

Arnold leaned forward, his expression terrifying. The attending physician felt his courage shrink away.

“Even a medical student who’s never seen a stroke and a girl with no medical knowledge performed better than you. Perhaps you should remove that white coat and hand it to those crying students outside?”

The implied suggestion to resign was clear. The doctor’s head hung lower and lower as Arnold sighed heavily.

“Little Brother!”

A desperate cry echoed from beyond the door. Arnold dismissed the physician and rose. Outside the intensive care unit, a man in a white coat lay crumpled on the floor.

“How did this happen…! He was fine just recently. Why did it come to this…!”

It was Brian, the eldest son, wailing as if mourning the dead.

“Aidel, without you, who will lead Reinhardt… who…?”

“Young master, please stand up. Your father is here.”

Ignoring the plea, Brian repeatedly struck his head against the wall, shattering his glasses. Arnold felt a deep despair well up inside him.

Then Cadric and Ceti arrived. Cadric broke down in tears while Ceti stumbled and collapsed on the spot.

The future of the Reinhardt family now hung precariously in the balance.

Cartesia used me as a test subject, touching my body in various places as a “reward” for helping with the crystal research.

If only the touching was the extent of it. She applied gel-like substances to my head and fed me strange concoctions while observing my reactions. Disobedience earned me punishment from her tentacles.

Initially, I questioned what was happening, but I gradually adapted. Humans are adaptable creatures, after all.

Or are they? Never mind.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

Cartesia chuckled.

It was difficult to tell if her laugh was genuine. Her face was obscured by dark noise – a black fog typical of Descartes’ Outer God Legion.

She turned to face me.

“You’re the first inferior creature to survive so many experiments, Aidel von Reinhardt. We’ve collected valuable data. Our research has progressed thanks to you.”

“What exactly are you researching?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I want to help.”

By my calculations, I’d been here about 100 hours – roughly four days. Under normal circumstances, I should be in a hospital on an IV drip by now.

I worried about everyone, especially Rustila and Zelnya. They shouldn’t be fighting. To prevent that, I needed to assist with Cartesia’s research, whatever it might be.

“You think you can help?”

Cartesia scoffed.

“This is my research, not something for an inferior species to meddle with. Just behave like the test subject you are, kid.”

“Hah.”

I had gone without reading for so long that my brain was itching. Bound by tentacles, I watched Cartesia work through tears, desperate to read even a paper or email.

The withdrawal symptoms worsened significantly a day later.

“Gasp… gasp… gasp…”

“Kid, what’s your problem now?”

“Can’t… breathe… gasp…”

“Breathing here is just an illusion. You won’t die from not breathing, so don’t try for sympathy. It’s ridiculous.”

That wasn’t it – I really couldn’t breathe!

“Pa… pa… paper…”

“Pa-what?”

“A paper… please…”

Cartesia stroked her chin curiously.

“Is this some kind of withdrawal symptom? Fascinating case. Interesting.”

“Aaaaah!!”

“Here. It’s the interim report on Graviton Bomb research I showed you before. Read it and stay quiet. I need to focus on analyzing data.”

Her small consideration helped me breathe easier. Though I’d already read it, the familiar text brought comfort. Cartesia watched me with crossed arms, clearly annoyed.

But this was only temporary relief.

To escape sooner, I needed to win over this gothic Lolita Outer God.

I thought of my ‘Star Egg’ item.

Collected coins: approximately 700,000

Besides occasionally giving some to Ire, I’d barely spent any.

I never imagined using them here.

After giving her the small amount I received from Vega last time, she became surprisingly cooperative, even promising not to oppose me. I wondered what effect this larger amount might have…

I called out to the absorbed in research Outer God.