Alina's beautiful face was now completely flushed.
Just a moment ago, in a moment of carelessness, she had thrown herself into Mr. Reeve's arms. She was a little shy, no... extremely shy!!
She had grown up in a remote village in Ursus.
At her age, forget a boyfriend, she had never even held a man's hand. This whole ordeal made Alina's face turn as red as an apple.
Meanwhile.
Lucas Reeve decided to use this opportunity after all.
If it couldn't cure Oripathy, then the system should at least be able to alleviate the symptoms and extend the period between episodes.
"System, I want a way to slow down Oripathy."
[Consume a help opportunity? (5/10 remaining)]
"Yes!"
[Due to the special nature of Oripathy, this system can only provide one option, the only option.]
[1. Specialized Oripathy Inhibition]
According to the system's description, this ability had only one effect: to inhibit the progression of Oripathy and the severity of acute episodes to a certain extent.
(Note: This ability treats the symptoms, not the root cause. It cannot eradicate the disease, only slow it down to a certain degree. The extent of the delay depends on the patient's constitution and the severity of their Oripathy. To use this ability, the host must possess the patient's body and then follow the guidance map provided by the system for treatment.)
Although it was a very, very costly choice.
It was almost equivalent to wasting a help opportunity, but Lucas Reeve still chose this ability without hesitation.
Instantly.
A large chunk of memories flooded into Lucas Reeve's mind, accompanied by a very, very long 'instruction manual' memory.
Through this 'instruction manual,' Lucas Reeve finally understood the true horror of Oripathy.
Even from his layman's perspective, he subconsciously felt that eradicating this disease would be a miracle...
"By the way, Alina, let me borrow your body for a moment. I just obtained a method that can temporarily slow down Oripathy."
"?"
Alina was stunned at first, then subconsciously assumed Lucas Reeve was just trying to comfort her. She didn't ask any questions or resist. After so many days, Alina had come to trust Lucas Reeve almost completely. Even if Lucas Reeve suddenly revealed his true colors and wanted to take her life, she would offer it without a second thought.
"Come on."
Lucas Reeve entered Alina's body, then slowly closed his eyes, using the ability provided by the system to gently sense the state of the Oripathy within her. Then, a special power appeared out of thin air inside Alina's body. This power felt as if it had a strong cleansing property. Under Lucas Reeve's control, this special power carefully advanced along the areas where Alina's Oripathy was distributed.
Bit by bit, it 'swept' over the lesion areas covered by Oripathy.
The entire process lasted for a full half hour.
Drenched in sweat, Lucas Reeve finally completed the entire process, and his own spirit was thoroughly exhausted.
This was an incredibly delicate task, like a surgeon performing an operation. He needed to guide this power with extreme care, constantly rubbing it against the organ lesions covered by Oripathy without damaging the organs themselves. Even with a spirit as strong as Lucas Reeve's, he was covered in sweat from exhaustion after completing all the meticulous work.
"That should do it. See if you feel any better."
Lucas Reeve returned the body to Alina.
At first, Alina just thought Lucas Reeve was comforting her. However, when she truly returned to her own body, she was shocked to discover that her body... the pain from before seemed to have completely vanished. Even her spirits had improved considerably, as if she had returned to her state before falling ill.
"Mr. Reeve!! This!!"
Lucas Reeve shook his head. "It's just a simple suppression... This is the limit of what I can do right now..."
This treatment method used a special power to put the active Originium crystals in the patient's body into a temporary dormant state. Of course, this was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. If the patient used Originium Arts, repeated use would reawaken the dormant Originium crystals.
Alina covered her mouth, looking at Lucas Reeve in disbelief. Her eyes shimmered with a crystalline light, and she rushed into his arms, only to pass right through him.
"Thank you!! Mr. Reeve!!"
Lucas Reeve smiled faintly, materializing his hand to pat Alina's head.
"I will definitely cure your Oripathy, Alina."
"Mhm!!"
In Alina's eyes, Lucas Reeve was now far too perfect.
Handsome, with deep eyes, a gentle personality, knowledgeable and talkative, and incredibly kind-hearted. Perhaps his only flaw... was that he was a soul, with only an upper body...
Since Alina's Oripathy had worsened, it meant she could no longer use Originium Arts.
Thus, the food problem, which had just seen some improvement, reappeared.
Although the wish had been fulfilled the moment the first carrot ripened and the system had judged Lucas Reeve's task complete, he couldn't just leave them to fend for themselves.
Lucas Reeve could use his own power to catalyze the crops.
But here came the problem.
Alina could no longer perform her Originium Arts, so this batch of crops couldn't be dealt with. If Patriot and the others were to accept his identity now, everything would be much easier. But... if they were just a group of ordinary people, or someone like Franka, an ordinary elite Operator who posed no threat to him, he would have confessed everything.
But...
First, there was Patriot, then FrostNova, and then the 'colleague' inside Talulah's mind.
If he exposed himself like this, it would be fine if these people were easy to talk to. But if they weren't, there would surely be trouble for him. Lucas Reeve didn't like placing the fate of his remnant soul in someone else's hands. Although it was just a remnant soul, he would probably be heartbroken for a while if it was destroyed.
Over these days, by helping Alina many times, she had provided him with a good deal of Prayer Power in addition to fulfilling the wish.
If converted into a visible value, it would be about 300 points. Reshaping a physical body required two million points, a complete cure for Oripathy required about 1.8 million points, and evolving the Holy Lance projection into the actual Holy Lance required about five million points.
Thinking about it, the road ahead felt very long.
Including all the points provided by Jessica in Columbia, not counting what had been consumed, he had accumulated about 1300 points in total.
Sigh... it's a long, long road.
To ensure his soul's strength.
Lucas Reeve directly threw the three hundred points into strengthening his own soul. As for upgrading the Holy Lance projection, it wasn't necessary at all; its current strength was completely sufficient for his needs.
Tsk...
Lucas Reeve fell into a state of vexation.
He had to find a way to earn more Prayer Power.
He had a rough idea now.
Earning it from a single person would take forever. The more people there were, the more Prayer Power could be provided.
While Lucas Reeve was thinking.
Alina's body had already recovered for the most part.
She got up and walked around the room a few times, but she didn't go out. If she went out rashly, it would easily make Talu and the others worry, thinking she was pushing herself. Alina looked at Lucas Reeve floating in mid-air, deep in thought, and a smile blossomed on her lips. She then sat on the bed, not disturbing him, just keeping him company.
——————
Columbia.
A middle-aged man in a prim and proper suit was standing respectfully at the entrance of Jessica's villa. Behind him was a line of bodyguards in black, each carrying a large, long case.
"Uncle Jones~"
Jessica opened the door and, seeing the familiar middle-aged man at the entrance, greeted him very politely.
At that moment.
The crowd of burly bodyguards in black behind the man named Jones, upon seeing Jessica, shouted in unison as if they had rehearsed it.
"Miss! Good day!!"
"???"
A series of question marks flashed over Jessica's head. She even... felt a little embarrassed.
But Jones was very satisfied. He looked his young lady up and down. It had been a long time since she had left the family to make her own way. Indeed... as the future heir of the family, she needed to go out and experience the world. Jones had watched his young lady grow up, so he naturally knew how easily nervous and timid she was, with a somewhat weak personality. In the past, she would even stutter nervously when talking to him. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was the master...
And after all this time of tempering.
Miss had finally grown up...
Sigh..
Jones nodded with immense gratification.
The hesitation and panic in Miss's eyes were gone, replaced by a new firmness. And when she spoke to him, she could look him straight in the eye with confidence.
How gratifying~
"Miss, you've grown up! This old servant is truly gratified."
Jessica smiled faintly, then her eyes gradually dimmed.
"It's all because of one person..."
Ever since Lucas Reeve had disappeared before her eyes because of her own weakness, Jessica had worked hard to overcome her cowardice, training almost fanatically in the training grounds every day. Moreover, because part of Lucas Reeve's soul power had transformed her, Jessica's physical fitness had improved significantly. Coupled with the breathing techniques, Jessica's current individual strength was even showing signs of approaching that of an elite Operator.
But Jessica knew.
All of this was given to her by Mr. Reeve!
If it weren't for Mr. Reeve, she would be nothing right now...
"These are the weapons you custom-ordered, Miss."
Jones clapped his hands, and the bodyguards opened the cases one by one. Inside lay spears made from the hardest alloys and with the most advanced craftsmanship. Jones wouldn't ask what they were for; he only knew that Miss needed him to obey and get it done.
"Did... Father and Mother say anything? I was so willful to have so many made at once..."
"No!"
Jones shook his head.
"The Master and Madam were very pleased when they found out. They even boasted to the other elders in the clan that you've grown up, Miss."
"....."
Jessica was rendered speechless.
"This is your personal sword, Miss..."
With that.
The last equipment case was opened.
Inside lay a longsword with flame patterns adorning the blade and lightning patterns on the body of the sword.
"Miss, this is a top-spec Arts staff in the form of a sword. Due to your request, nearly all of Raythean Industries' highest-level craftsmen halted their work to exclusively forge and design this weapon for you. It is forged from Raythean Industries' most cutting-edge materials. The power contained within the staff can amplify the Originium energy you infuse into it by twenty percent..."
"Please give it a name, Miss."
Jessica nodded slowly and drew the sword from its scabbard. A name instantly came to mind.
"Fire-Lightning Cloud.."
After the personnel from Raythean Industries left, Jessica let out a slow sigh. Beside her, the little Ceobe excitedly fiddled with her new weapon.
"It's been two weeks... Mr. Reeve... are you okay? Jessica will definitely become stronger!"
———————
"Achoo!!"
Lucas Reeve sneezed. Alina, who had been keeping him company and was on the verge of dozing off, was startled awake.
"Mr. Reeve, can... souls catch colds?"
"I have no idea."
Lucas Reeve was also a bit confused. Why did he suddenly sneeze? Could it be that Jessica was thinking of him?
However.
Thinking about it, he had been away from that little girl for nearly half a month. The part of his soul with Jessica should recover in about another half a month. He wondered how the young girl Jessica had been doing these past two weeks. Lucas Reeve had originally planned to send Jessica a message to let her know he was safe, but this place... was a bit too remote. Forget a signal, there wasn't even a phone.
The atmosphere in the wooden cabin was quiet and warm.
Alina was a very quiet girl, and she also enjoyed this kind of atmosphere.
After a short while.
There was a knock on the door.
Lucas Reeve quickly returned to the bracelet to hide his presence. The door opened, and Talulah walked in with FrostNova, carrying the only slightly nutritious food in the camp. Patriot, being too large, could only stoop down a little to barely get inside.
However...
The moment they entered.
A peculiar aura was instantly detected by Patriot and FrostNova.
They were both top-tier powerhouses in the truest sense. They could clearly capture even the faintest trace of an unfamiliar presence.
Patriot's eyes grew slightly solemn.
He scanned Alina's room continuously.
This aura was very unfamiliar, one he had never encountered before, which meant it didn't belong to anyone in the Reunion Movement...
A stranger?!
Could there be a stranger in the village that even he didn't know about?!
Not just Patriot and FrostNova.
Talulah could faintly sense it too.
This aura...
It was almost identical to the one she had felt when she came by last night... Talulah remembered the owner of that incredibly ugly handwriting...
Could it be...
This person came to find Alina again after I left!
Who could it be?!!
However, Talulah didn't let the suspicion in her heart show on her face. Instead, she carried the small bowl of meat broth and sat down by Alina's bed.
"Let me feed you, Alina."
"No, it's okay..."
Alina waved her hands repeatedly.
"There's no need, Talu. My body has mostly recovered. I can do it myself..."
Alina took the meat broth from Talulah and took a few small sips.
And as Alina raised her hand, the bracelet she had given her was revealed from under her sleeve.
Talulah didn't pay it much mind at first, but then she suddenly thought of a crucial point.
Although she didn't come to Alina's room often in the past, she would visit every few days. For so many years, nothing unusual had ever happened. But it was right around the time she gave Alina the bracelet that something strange started happening with Alina...
"....."
"Alina, do you still like this bracelet?"
Talulah asked casually.
"I love it, of course. It was a gift from you, Talu."
"Can I see the bracelet?"
However, Alina's smiling expression froze for a moment.