"So you're not dead after all?"
Lefiya quickly ran to Eiji's side.
Seeing that although his limbs were twisted in unnatural directions, blood was flowing from his body, and his armour was mostly shattered, his breathing was still relatively stable. She felt a wave of relief and couldn't help but slump to the ground, sitting like a duck.
"...Stop cursing me... get the elixir..."
Eiji wanted to glare at her, but his body was in too much pain to move.
Moreover, his eyelids felt heavy, and his brain's ability to process information was gradually slowing down. He felt like he might lose consciousness at any moment.
If it were the old him, after using the ultimate skill Lightning Flash, he would have definitely passed out by now. Even though his physical abilities had improved significantly, after clashing head-on with Goliath, who was harder than steel, there was no way he could remain unscathed.
But now he had Indomitable.
Even with near-fatal injuries, he could continue fighting. Under the effects of this skill, which was akin to Battle Continuation, he could maintain his consciousness without fading.
A god-tier skill.
Lefiya quickly took out the crystal bottle from his waist pouch, removed the stopper, and was about to pour it on Eiji.
"Wait, let me do it!"
Line hurriedly called out to stop her.
"When using the elixir, you have to set the bones back in place first. Otherwise, it could cause bone deformities!"
Lefiya was startled and quickly handed the elixir to Line.
"Bear with the pain."
Line gently comforted Eiji, then with lightning speed, she realigned his twisted limbs.
"Ugh!"
Eiji grunted, sweat dripping from his forehead.
A real man should be able to endure bone-scraping pain without making a sound!
But her technique was truly professional. It woke him up instantly!
After setting the bones, Line poured the colourful liquid from the bottle, evenly spreading it over all the fractured areas on his body.
At the same time, she began chanting a healing spell, showering Eiji with a white, magical glow.
"Alright, this should at least ensure his life is out of danger, and there shouldn't be any lasting effects."
Two minutes later, Eiji's condition visibly improved, and Lili finally let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her brow. She suggested to the two of them, "Let's head to the 18th floor first. We can buy some potions to help Eiji recover faster."
Eiji's injuries were too severe. One bottle of elixir could only pull him out of a near-death state, and it would take some time to take full effect. Combining it with other potions would help Eiji recover more quickly.
"Let's listen to Line."
Lefiya, feeling that she didn't know much about this, quickly nodded.
"I'll carry him!"
Lefiya stepped forward, handed her staff to Line, then lifted Eiji's body onto her back and quickly walked toward the passage.
"Lefiya?"
Line was slightly surprised at first, then covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
Elves were a proud race.
They took great care of their bodies and rarely exposed much skin, the complete opposite of Amazoness. Moreover, they disliked being touched by others.
Unless it was someone they truly respected from the bottom of their hearts.
***
In a daze.
Eiji had a dream. Countless tentacles reached out from the depths of darkness, tightly binding his body, leaving him completely immobile. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.
"Ugh, so gross!"
Eiji shuddered and immediately woke up from the dream.
He was covered in sweat. What a terrifying dream.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a very crude inn room.
It looked like a camping tent had been set up directly in a cave. The ceiling and walls were damp rock, and the bed beneath him was a hard stone slab. At the entrance, a poorly fitted wooden door and a gray cloth curtain served as the room's door.
In short, it was extremely crude. If someone with rheumatism stayed here, their limbs would already be aching.
Eiji tried to sit up but found he couldn't move.
Looking down, he realized his entire body was tightly wrapped in bandages.
"No wonder I had that dream."
Eiji quickly shook his head, pushing the unsettling dream to the back of his mind.
"Huff..."
At that moment, faint breathing sounds reached his ears, and he turned his gaze toward the edge of the bed.
An elf was lying on the bed, her orange-gold hair untied and spread across the edge of the bed. Paired with her serene and beautiful sleeping face, the scene was breathtaking.
Beside her, Line was also lying there, her cherry-like lips emitting even breaths.
Eiji remembered.
After defeating the floor boss Goliath last night, in order to treat his injuries, the three of them had come to the 18th floor. But not long after entering the 18th floor, he had been jostled by Lefiya's hurried steps and passed out.
"Mmm... Eiji, you're awake?"
Awakened by Eiji's movements, Lefiya rubbed her sleepy eyes, unable to hide her exhaustion.
"Yawn~! How do you feel?"
Line also woke up, stretching before immediately checking on Eiji's condition.
"The flesh wounds should be mostly healed. As for the fractures... they still feel a bit off."
Eiji lay on the only bed, carefully assessing his condition.
After all, he had broken quite a few bones. That they were mostly healed after just one night was already a testament to the elixir's effectiveness, and Line's magic had also played a big role.
"Where is this?"
Unable to move his head, Eiji shifted his gaze, surveying the surroundings. "It doesn't look like Orario... Are we on the 18th floor?"
"Right, this is the 18th floor, Rivira Street, established by adventurers."
Line stood up, stretching her stiff body, then walked to the door.
When the dusty curtain was pulled open, daylight-like light streamed in from the corridor, slightly brightening the dim room.
"It looks like it's morning."
Line glanced at the corridor outside, her eyes curving slightly. "Let's go out and buy some more recovery potions. With a few more, Eiji's injuries should improve even more."
"I'll go too."
Eiji wriggled like a caterpillar, sitting up from the bed.
"The injuries on my legs should be mostly healed. I should be fine to go out."
Line seemed reluctant, but Eiji insisted.
He knew his body well. After a full night of treatment, the only remaining injuries were the fractures.
The worst injuries were likely his left shoulder and right arm, which were almost completely shattered. These would be difficult to treat in the dungeon and would require returning to the surface for proper treatment with the elixir.
Fortunately, there were no fatal injuries, and his spine was fine. It was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. The training he had undergone during this time had paid off, and he had to thank Tiona for the armour she had provided.
His legs were almost fully healed, and walking shouldn't be a problem.
If this were 'Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry,' he could have just hopped into a regeneration pod and woken up fully healed. Unfortunately, the medical technology in this world wasn't as advanced as in Rakudai. For now, he would have to endure and wait until he returned to the surface for proper treatment.
***
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