At the entrance of a tavern, a gray-haired girl pushed open the shutters, preparing for another day of work.
She was Syr Flova, an apprentice street maiden of two and a half years!
She thought it would be just another ordinary day, but as she put up the signs and wiped the sweat from her brow, a piercing wail caught her attention. She turned instinctively.
A somewhat familiar young face flashed before her eyes.
"He..."
The face seemed familiar from her memories — not someone she knew well, yet its appearance stirred great turmoil in her heart.
Syr's gaze drifted toward the top of the Babel Tower, where a Goddess was also looking down at a corner of the street. Their shared emotions filled both their hearts with unease.
"Hey, Miss Syr must have heard too." A nearby Adventurer said, "That escaped patient who caused such a commotion last night — it was this kid."
"The entire guard corps has gone crazy looking for him!"
"But... wasn't this kid supposed to be critically injured and dying? He's shouting with such energy, doesn't look like he's at death's door at all."
Syr clenched her small hands and glanced once more in the direction the youth had gone.
"He's... dying?! How did this happen?"
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Dian Cecht Familia, Intensive Care Unit.
Kael lay on the hospital bed, devoid of hope.
Airmid examined his injuries, her eyes widening, "72 bone fractures throughout the body, mild internal organ trauma. Hm, strange? Where are your injuries?"
"They're not here anymore?"
"I mean the burns and penetrating wounds from yesterday!"
Kael calmly said, "They're healed."
"Healed? How did they heal?" Airmid fell silent for several seconds, swallowed, and repeated with rising astonishment, "Healed?! Those injuries that would have needed at least three months of recovery — injuries that left you practically indistinguishable from a corpse — you healed overnight?!"
His recovery ability defied everything she had learned in her studies.
The phenomenon was as shocking as witnessing impossible magic. Even in a world where magic existed, this was extraordinary.
She turned to look at Adi, who wore an embarrassed smile, "Is this really the same patient I had yesterday?"
"Y-yes, it should be. Look, he's still wearing your infirmary's patient gown."
"Then these new injuries?"
Adi guiltily averted her gaze, "I... might have caused them."
Kael rolled his eyes while lying in bed.
Normal people might handle being carried across rooftops, but for a "poor overworked dog" like him with rock-bottom durability stats — where even overexertion could lead to sudden death — how could he possibly withstand such parkour?
"Heh... young lady, hatred breeds hatred." Kael said mockingly.
"Uh..." Adi shrank her neck, "There was no choice."
"The healers of Dian Cecht have been running around all night. With villains lurking everywhere, we had to deal with the source quickly to thwart their plans."
"Hmph~, that's not a reason to hurt me."
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry!" Adi pressed her palms together and rubbed them up and down.
"How about compensation?"
"Huh? What?"
This person even knew how to jump in with an answer...? Kael turned to look at the small holy maiden.
"What? Don't you like Valis?" Airmid asked matter-of-factly.
"No, you're insulting my character! Am I the kind of person who would sell my dignity for a bit of money?"
"You don't want it?" Seeing his indignant face, Airmid tilted her head, "I remember the Ganesha Familia is much richer than Lion and the others. And Adi is Shakti's sister, who's a First Class Adventurer..."
Wait, this mental state doesn't match the symptoms from before — could the condition have worsened? Note this down!
Kael took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and shouted indignantly, "Please insult me thoroughly!"
Phew... seems it hasn't gotten worse, Airmid crossed out her notes.
Adi: "..."
She felt like she should arrest Kael but couldn't quite find a reason.
"Alright, I'll make up for my mistake."
Kael blinked, "So you admit to ruthlessly abusing my body and will make any compensation for it?"
Adi nodded, "Yes. I admit it, it was all my fault, I'm sorry."
Click...
A strange mechanical sound came from Kael's hand. The two women looked over to see him holding a square magical device crafted from branches of the Great Holy Tree.
Then, familiar dialogue played from the device:
[So you admit to ruthlessly abusing my body...]
[Yes, it was all my...]
Adi was stunned, "This..."
Kael patted the recording device, "Good, now you can't deny it."
Adi took a deep breath and silently pulled out handcuffs, "Threatening a public official... You're under arrest!"
Airmid blocked her, her face frost-like, "Who said you could sit up?"
"Huh?!"
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"Hey, what are you going to do with this hamme—"
Bang!
.
"Please, not again, this will break my hea—"
Bang! Bang!
"AAAH!"
..
"For the Gods' sake, woman! Stop thi—"
"No."
BANG!
…
After enduring a full half hour of bone repositioning, Kael finally stood again, wrapped in casts.
He stared at Airmid with gloomy eyes, "I almost suspected you were trying to kill me."
She guiltily averted her gaze, "This is normal treatment procedure."
"Then why did you cut open my skin with a knife?!"
"This is necessary treatment procedure!"
"Then what about taking my blood?"
"That's also necessary treatment procedure." Airmid spoke with increasing confidence, "Cutting the skin is a necessary step for repositioning surgery, and drawing blood is to test for components in the body to check for infection."
That sounds so reasonable...
"Can you look me in the eyes and say that again?"
Under Kael's intense stare, a blush slowly crept up Airmid's cold face.
Yes, she was lying. His constitution was too special — she couldn't resist doing just a little research... Really, just a little.
The guilty holy maiden looked away, trying to change the subject, "Your condition is very serious. I recommend wearing the cast for three months before resuming activity."
"Impossible!"
No joke, [Working Like a Dog] effect only lasted a week, he had to frantically increase his ability scores while the skill was still active.
With a HP lock buff active, there was nothing better for achieving greatness.
"You need rest."
"I don't have time!"
"I won't let my patient leave before recovery!"
"But I'm already better!"
The two faced off, sparks flying between their gazes.
Even Adi couldn't intervene in this tense standoff when a fourth voice spoke up.
Outside the treatment room, Zanis cleared his throat, standing with his hands behind his back. "I don't recall the Dian Cecht Familia having any precedent for detaining members of other Familias."
"Lord Zanis..." Kael froze for a second before seamlessly shifting into acting mode, "Leader, you came at the perfect time — they're trying to plunder our Familia's assets!"
"Oh?" Zanis raised an eyebrow.
"My treatment fees here have accumulated to nearly 10 million Valis!" Kael announced the shocking number.
Zanis's pupils contracted violently.
This kid! A bottle of their inferior Soma only sold for V$60,000 retail with even less profit margin, and in just two days he had racked up this much debt!
He was about to turn and leave.
Kael blinked and added, "This is all compensation from the Astraea Familia and Ganesha Familia. But I don't think excessive treatment is necessary. This wealth should be compensation paid to our Familia."
Zanis's departing footsteps suddenly stopped.
"I see. I understand the situation now — come with me first. When there's time, I'll personally meet with their leader to discuss this matter."
Airmid opened her mouth, but being inexperienced, she had no practice dealing with conflicts between Familias at this level.
Adi also urgently needed to report to Shakti, if only to first dissolve the schemes brewing in various places.
As for the matter of Valis... that would be dealt with later.