Still mentally exhausted, Alex stares at the [Bloody Chest] in front of him.
So many people just died... what the fuck even happened? We ran into a damn ambush... but how? Were we targeted?
Ignoring the chest, Alex turns his attention to his injured pet.
"Are you alright, Jewel?" he asks, gently scooping up his wounded companion and softly stroking her.
Princess Jewel will survive—however, her legs are broken, and her body is heavily injured. She has never suffered this much before.
"116 MP," Alex mutters, checking his HP. "Usually I would be lacking 4 MP, but it's enough... barely. All thanks to [Skitterguard Bracers], which reduces resource consumption by 5%, I can still cast Tear twice."
He quickly activates his orbment, [Destiny Watch (Orbment) R2], which begins to glow softly. He channels his energy into it, feeling his remaining MP get drained, and casts the healing art Tear on his pet.
You have healed Jewel (Pet) for 131 HP
He repeats the process for himself, pulling himself just out of the danger zone, no longer fearing instant death after receiving one more strong attack.
You have recovered 131 HP
Even after the healing, both he and Jewel remain heavily wounded and drained—barely in shape to continue, but still alive. Only their HP has mostly recovered. He gently places her on top of his head.
Thanks to his improved regeneration, he feels his HP returning, slowly.
❤️
"You did good, Jewel... I am glad you made it... Sorry, I couldn't come earlier." Alex explains, breathing heavily.
Princess Jewel was so worried about Soulmate. She doesn't care, as long as Soulmate is safe.
"Thank you, but please, care about yourself more. I need you. Anyway, let's check on the others... we're both in rough shape, but we can still help. Any [Bloody Chests] left?"
Tereza picked up another Bloody Chest from someone that Princess Jewel killed. They were a team of five, along with countless Peasant Pirates.
So many? That makes eight players... how can that be?
"Okay," Alex says, stepping off the ship and walking back onto the pier, eyeing the vessel docked across from them.
However, he doesn't spot any active combat. Instead, he sees Benezia—just like him and Jewel—bleeding all over, her condition severe. Her dress is torn, exposing lacerated and battered patches of her pale-blue skin. She's dragging one leg, and her arm looks broken, swollen with bruising, and hanging down lifelessly.
Damn... what happened? I thought the fight was over... did I leave too early?
Tereza is supporting her, the only one amongst the group who still seems to be in decent condition.
"We need to leave," Benezia states immediately, "Now. We are in no condition to fight anymore. We can't allow ourselves to become exposed, or we will fail our mission."
"Wait—we can heal up first," Alex replies.
"No. Tereza, you can still fly, right? Transform now!"
"O—okay!" Tereza responds, slightly hesitating, before finally shaking her head. "I don't see any enemies, Benezia! We got a few seconds to heal up. We can't risk suffering more injuries now! This mission isn't over."
"Understood," Benezia says, noticing the determination in Tereza's eyes.
Instead of transforming right away, she raises her wand and whispers, "Vulnera Sanentur!"
Benezia's wounds rapidly heal over the course of a few seconds, though her leg and arm remain in bad shape.
Tereza quickly follows up with, "Ferula!" Two sets of conjured bandages appear, wrapping snugly around Benezia's injured arm and leg.
"This only costs MP. I can still fly... Sorry, Alex, but I'm completely out of MP. Are you and Jewel alright?"
"Yes... barely," Alex replies. "I guess Rishi saved my ass. Without my precious healing arts, I would have been fucked."
"That damn savage brute," Benezia laments, looking quite aggrieved. "He reminds me of a Krogan. I stabbed him in the throat multiple times, but afterwards, he used some sort of item and recovered. He also threw something at me that forced me to stand still for a few seconds, which is why I was hit head-on and broke my leg and arm, trying to block. I didn't expect those items. They must be worth a fortune. Players and their items are dangerous... I didn't expect a few simple items could give me this much trouble. Thank you, Tereza, you indeed saved me."
Tereza nods at her while they finally make it onto the pier. "As long as you are fine. I'm so sorry for leaving you and Jewel hanging, Alex, but Benezia was about to die," she explains, looking guilty. Before anyone can respond, she pulls out her harness from her inventory and immediately shifts into her full bat form.
Lowering herself as close to the ground as she can, she allows Alex and Benezia to mount her, after attaching the harness.
Wasting no more time, she takes off—jumping off the ground—carrying them swiftly into the air, quickly disappearing from the battlefield.
As they fly through the hot desert air, Benezia looks visibly unstable, barely able to hold onto the harness with one hand, her body shifting awkwardly in the air.
Alex places his hands on her back, inching closer to provide a little more stability, which she accepts wordlessly.
Just a few minutes later, Tereza lands on the opposite side of the city—the furthest distance possible from the illegal dock they had discovered and completely wrecked earlier.
Still battered, the trio makes their way back to the hotel and immediately gathers in Benezia's and Tereza's room.
Without delay, Alex strips down completely—except for his shorts, of course—and pulls out a set of bandages and other medical supplies.
"We need to disinfect the wounds... also, I'm pretty sure I've got two bullets stuck in my damn body," Alex says. "Can you pull them out for me?"
"Really?!" Tereza exclaims, looking shocked. "How are bullets this strong? I thought only primitive rifles existed! They penetrated your armor?"
Alex sighs and briefly recounts his encounter with the team of three.
"It's quite surprising," Benezia admits. "It's a highly situational skill, but if that female player really had it, she was indeed a born sniper. If she deliberately enters worlds like this one, she's almost unstoppable. If not for your healing items, healing arts, and—most importantly—your absurd equipment, you would've been dead."
She continues as Tereza searches for the bullets lodged in Alex's body. "They were unlucky. They targeted us. I'd guess at least ninety-nine percent of other teams wouldn't have stood a chance. They'd be dead before even putting up a fight."
"Ouch!" Alex winces. "I also wonder how these eight players met. I think they didn't enter together but joined up later. I think the three I encountered were a team, though. I heard them even mumble something about guilds."
"You are correct, I suspect that group was made out of two teams of three and a pair," Benezia analyzes before simply stating: "Not that it matters anymore. We came out ahead, and that's all that matters. Now this mission is much simpler. With the strongest teams gone, we can focus on obtaining as many spoils as possible."
"I think I found one," Tereza suddenly says, pressing her finger into one of the wounds.
Benezia nods, then uses her Biotics to extract the bullet.
Fuck this hurts... I will not scream. I will not scream. I will not scream. I will not... scrreaammm...!
"Good job holding back your screams," Tereza giggles before pressing her fingers just under his eyes.
"Your tears are coming out regardless," she says, grinning as she wipes them away.
"..."
"It's a bodily reaction," Alex mutters defensively.
They repeat the same process to remove the second bullet from his shoulder.
To his surprise, even Benezia and Tereza strip down—making Alex suddenly nervous as his eyes linger briefly on their underwear before quickly shifting away.
Damn, I need to stop staring... Tereza is already well endowed, but Benezia's body is just absurd. She just undressed... she is cold and efficient. I am so glad about her personality, at least in a situation like this.
So damn thicc...
What is thicc, Soulmate?
Shit, did I think that one aloud? Forget it.
Benezia stares at Alex, having heard Jewel's question.
"Stop this bullshitting, this is serious." He yells at Jewel.
"What is thicc, indeed?" Benezia wonders, looking a little dazed.
"Forget it... Please," Alex says, with an embarrassed face.
Jewel, stop snitching!
Soulmate deserved it... just this once.
Cheeky spider....
Finally, Alex grabs his [Medigel-modified], and they begin applying it to each other, knowing it also functions as a disinfectant.
Princess Jewel won't strip. She is dignified—unlike shameless Peasants.
"Strip? Please never do, Jewel..." Alex mutters, shuddering at the mere thought of cracking open Jewel's body. "In any case, your turn."
He gently picks her up and carefully applies [Medigel-modified] across her injured body.
"I need to set them straight..." Alex murmurs as he carefully touches her legs. "Or am I wrong, Benezia?"
"No, you need to do that," Benezia replies without hesitation. "In fact... I'll gladly assist. No—let me do it outright."
No! Soulmate, save Princess Jewel!
Alex smiles faintly, then looks toward her and says, "When I was growing up and had to do something really uncomfortable, my father always said: 'Augen zu und durch.' It means: just close your eyes and get it done."
Princess Jewel has too many eyes to close!
"..."
"..."
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