Chapter 256: Labyrinth Saint (2)

Chapter 256: Labyrinth
Saint (2)

-Drip.

Red
blood flowed across the surface of the swamp.

Following
the blood that flowed like a river, Denshi’s abdomen with a
fist-sized wind hole came into view.

Never-before-seen
organs threatened to spill out through that hole as red blood pooled.

The
moment I saw that sight, my chest tightened and dizziness swirled in
my head.

“Why
did you…”

I
squeezed out the words in a situation where my heart was so
constricted I could barely breathe.

“…cough,
kuup…!”

Trying
to answer my words, Denshi coughed up a mouthful of red blood.

I
instinctively ran to her side, knelt down, and examined her.

“Don’t
open your mouth! Stay still, please. Just stay…”

“…hehe…”

Even
while dying, she looked at me and smiled faintly with her pale
complexion as if telling me not to worry.

That
sight made me feel like I was losing my mind even more.

“…Denshi.”

Ellie’s
voice was heard. I blankly listened to the words flowing from her
mouth.

“Even
during battle, she occasionally checked the battle situation on your
side. She also provided support with the crossbow.”

I
know. Who wouldn’t know? I received plenty of that help even when
beheading the Elder Lich.

If
Denshi hadn’t destroyed the Elder Lich left arm, the one who would
have become fertilizer after death would have been me, not the Elder
Lich.

“But
right after that, there was an explosion, and Denshi, who was at the
front line to check both sides…”

Got
caught in the Elder Lich explosion.

The
bone fragments of the Elder Lich, imbued with magi and exploding like
a grenade, pierced straight through Denshi’s abdomen and forearm.

“We
need to treat the injury, but we’ve used up all the spare potions
during battle…”

Looking
at Jubeel and Rubia’s injuries, healing potions must have been
scarce.

“Even
the Priest, the only one who can use healing miracles, has used up
almost all his power…”

Hope’s
complexion, who was keeping Denshi alive, was already deathly pale.

The
side effects of overusing holy power are similar to mana exhaustion.

Despite
being unable to heal such severe injuries as a lower-ranked
intermediate priest, Hope was somehow keeping her breathing.

The
only means to save an injured person in the labyrinth, potions, were
all consumed in intense battle, and the priest’s healing miracle had
hit its limit.

“…20th
floor.”

I
barely managed to squeeze out my voice.

“We’re
on the 19th floor, so the 20th floor. If we go to the 20th floor,
it’ll work. If we go to the fountain on the 20th floor and sprinkle
healing water, we can save her. We can save her, right?”

“…Mr.
Balkan.”

Rubia
glanced at my anxious face and answered with a guilty voice.

“From
the swamp cemetery to the edge of the 19th floor, it would take at
least 8 hours even going as fast as possible.”

“…If
I squeeze out mana to create an ice path and run as fast as possible,
we could arrive sooner—”

“That…that
time already includes considering that.”

Someone
with a fist-sized hole in their abdomen, nearly dead.

Someone
who might die at any moment when the healing miracle wears off,
carrying them for 8 hours, crossing two portals, and then running to
the fountain on the 20th floor to submerge them.

Even
as I said it myself, I could tell how unrealistic and foolish it was.

It
was the very definition of a stupid judgment.

Since
that was the only way to save her, I desperately tried to force an
answer to somehow save her.

“……ah……”

Suddenly
all strength left my body.

An
unbearable sense of futility created a needle.

-Thud!

When
the needle fell into my chest, something inside my heart shattered,
creating cracks and holes.

Something
flowed out from within my chest.

The
moments shared with Denshi flow out through that hole.

From
our somewhat rough first meeting, the moment she became my slave with
a collar around her neck, when I rescued her from being exploited by
the outlaw clan, to the moments we parted due to a sudden accident.

Meeting
again after being separated, exploring the labyrinth together, her
getting jealous or trying to get my attention to be hit, mixing our
bodies together, sharing nights, greeting mornings together…

The
time I had built with her in this strange world flows out.

My
reason began emptying out my feelings for Denshi to prevent myself
from breaking down.

If
she dies, could I continue my explorer life normally?

Maybe
someday I could. After she dies, in a few years, or perhaps decades,
I might somehow get up again.

But
even after getting up like that, I would just eat away at life,
drowning in my own powerlessness and self-loathing.

Denshi…is
no longer just another person to me.

She
was a companion and party member who shared hardships, my woman who
mixed bodies with me, and my slave.

No
one can touch what’s mine.

Even
if it’s death, or rather, because it’s death, I won’t let it take
what’s mine.

I
won’t let her escape, nor let something that can’t be resisted take
her away.

She
was my possession, and she is mine.

-Kwaaak!

I
clutched my heart.

I
caught with my hands the emotions flowing out through the cracks and
holes in my heart.

I
block the emotional hole that gradually widens with my hands, gather
up the spilled emotions and forcefully stuff them back inside.

So
that no more memories of her empty out, so that memories of the one I
shared time with don’t meaninglessly disappear.

-Swoosh.

Something
touched the hand that was gripping the pierced crack.

Cold,
delicate, and small…a woman’s hand.

When
I opened my eyes, Denshi was holding my hand and smiling faintly.

“…I’m
not, going to die… Master…”

“……”

“I
absolutely won’t die like this… I still want to… by Master’s
side… cough…! There’s so much I want to do…”

“……”

Denshi,
who spoke while coughing up blood, looks at me with unfocused eyes.

Hope,
who had been continuously using healing miracles, carefully withdrew
their hand and shook his head.

The
only priest’s holy power had completely run out.

Denshi,
whose lifeline that was barely holding on had been cut, smiles at me.

“I
haven’t particularly lived with any dreams…”

“……”

“But,
I want to keep staying by Master’s side. Now, that’s my dream…”

“Stop
talking.”

I
cut off her words.

I
had no intention of letting her speak any last words.

“Show
me with actions.”

I
had no intention of quietly listening to last words either.

“If
you want to stay by my side, live… get up properly again, and show
me with actions.”

Denshi
didn’t answer my words.

She
just smiled with an even paler complexion, as if telling me not to
worry so I could be at ease.

I
gritted my teeth and grabbed her hand.

Kiiiiing—

With
a tearing noise, I activated the blessing with the feeling of
grasping at straws.

[Blessing
of Radiance]

That
power containing pure and pristine holy power, that power that had
taken root so deeply it had become part of my soul, I slowly drew it
up.

I
can feel the holy power flowing through my body.

Unlike
the mana refined and pooled in my heart through the dragon heart
blessing, this power floats around disorderly and unorganized in my
body.

—Breathe
in naturally, and gather the holy power in one place.

Serif’s
teachings engraved in my mind ripple in my ears.

I
gather that holy power floating in my body and soul.

Where?

Not
the heart. That place where blood and mana circulating throughout the
body gather is already full. There was no room to accept any more
power.

I
needed empty space. Searching my body, I saw an empty place.

The
dantian is located much lower than the heart, in the lower abdomen.
That would be where the holy power would reside from now on.

I
gather the wandering holy power in one place to use it more
efficiently.

All
the holy power manifesting through the Blessing of Radiance gathered
in the dantian.

The
method of use isn’t much different from mana. Rather, the holy power
existing through the blessing moves much more naturally than mana.

The
holy power that started flowing from the dantian circulated
throughout the body for a more effective release.

The
holy power drawn up from the dantian dwelled in my fingertips.

—Then
you just need to sprinkle that gathered holy power on me.

What
comes to mind is the pure white cat saint who descended on the
temple’s infirmary.

Warm
and cozy, comfortable and peaceful holy power, the miracle of healing
that gives comfortable relief to those crying out in pain.

As
I recalled that saint’s figure watching over countless sick people,
at last dazzling holy power gathered fully in my hands.

‘This
is not an axe blade for cutting down enemies.’

I
need to change my thinking.

[Blessing
of Radiance]

–
The primordial light dwells in you.

–
Has absolute influence on darkness.

The
Blessing of Radiance is a blessing that supplies pure holy power.

I
am the one using it.

If
I think of holy power as an axe blade, it will become a sword aura
that cuts enemy necks.

If
I think of it as medicine that embraces wounds, the holy power will
gladly transform into healing light that embraces the sick.

There
are no enemies threatening my life here.

There
is also no one making me take up arms and jump into enemy lines.

This
place is a peaceful paradise without any killing intent.

It’s
a place where someone precious who was solely devoted to me is dying
in pain.

It’s
a place where a fragile one who sensed their own death is dying,
trying to smile so those left behind won’t be sad.

‘What’s
needed now is not killing intent and sharp axes for cutting down
enemies.’

A
heart solely for the other.

A
heart wanting to embrace the other.

A
heart wanting to block with one’s whole body instead of the wind
trying to extinguish the spark of life.

“…What
kind of holy power is this…?”

“Impossible.
How can an explorer not affiliated with the temple…”

I
could hear the voices of Priest Hope and Paladin Beer who couldn’t
continue speaking after seeing that dazzling holy power, but I
couldn’t hear well.

The
holy power blooming at my fingertips heads toward Denshi’s abdomen
and forearm.

-Swoosh.

Her
body that was torn apart by the Elder Lich bone fragments gradually
regains its original form.

The
organs that were broken and flowing out returned to their places, but
it wasn’t enough. It couldn’t fill in the flesh and create muscle.

There
was some holy power left but it was blocked by the wall of Finesse.

As
if saying this is as far as you can go with your current level.

But

[Would
you like to invest 16 free points in Finesse?]

Just
breaking through limits is enough.

[Technique:(21+11)]

The
change came instantly.

My
thoughts accelerated and the world slowed down.

Roughly
beating heart, rapidly circulating blood, writhing muscles, mana
pooled in the heart and holy power drawn from the dantian.

All
those things making up my body were felt incomparably more clearly
than before.

The
holy power handled as naturally as moving a part of my body begins
healing Denshi’s body again.

The
holy power flowed the same as before, but the results were clearly
different.

The
nerves and blood vessels, flesh and muscles exposed to the light of
holy power slowly regain their original form.

Color
returns to her pale complexion and warmth returns to the woman’s body
that was growing cold.

Her
heart that was slowing as if preparing for approaching death begins
beating again.

That
power that had only cut down enemies until now embraced another’s
wounds for the first time.

Denshi’s
eyes that were closing hazily looked up at me.

“Master…”

Perhaps
the fatigue remained even though her body was fully recovered.

“…Have
I become an undead…?”

I
lightly flicked her forehead as she muttered nonsense in a sleepy
voice.

“Oof…!”

“…Does
it hurt?”

“…It
feels slightly good…”

The
undead cannot feel pain or pleasure.

Only
living humans can fully experience those sensations.

I
tightly hugged Denshi who was scratching her cheek with an
embarrassed smile.

“Ugh,
I’m still hurting…”

“Think
of it as punishment and stay still. A slave making their master
worry…”

“Hehit…”

Hearing
her frivolous laugh, tension naturally eased with deep relief.

Today
no one from my party died.