As I was about to slam into the frozen wall, I suddenly passed through it like a ghost.
"Huh?"
My body had turned transparent, and the horde of monster bears rushed straight through me.
Clyde and his group finally noticed them.
"What the hell is that!? Where did they come from!?"
"We've got to get out of here! There are too many!"
"What about that bastard's body!? We have to get it!"
Clyde argued angrily.
"Forget about it, Clyde! We have to ditch him now!"
"Tsk."
Clyde frowned as he glanced back at Ezekiel's body, then cursed and turned away.
They ran, and the monsters chased after them, leaving only Viola, Elizabeth, and Ezekiel's remains behind.
"How am I still alive?" Viola muttered.
Suddenly, a small flying kick smacked her straight in the face.
"Of course I saved you again, idiot! Even though I said I'd never do it again!"
"You're insane! You're really mental! Do you want to die that badly? We've only been here for a day! Are you seriously going to waste most of my power just to drag you back here like that!?"
The little creature scolded her furiously.
Viola looked at Elizabeth, the dragon, and lowered her head in shame.
"I'm sorry… I wasn't in my right mind."
Elizabeth looked at the pitiful girl and stopped scolding her. She had seen everything this child had gone through. Though she was a higher being, something in her chest still wavered.
Viola quickly moved to Ezekiel's side and lifted his disfigured body into her lap.
Tears fell onto the dead man's face.
"I'm sorr…y. I'm so sorry… I couldn't save you no matter what I did."
She pressed her forehead against his and sobbed, guilt crushing her chest. She kept repeating that she was sorry, that she was too weak, that she couldn't do anything. Countless thoughts flooded her mind, as if she was about to give up on life as well.
Then her body suddenly began to glow, and a gust of wind surged through the icy cave, sending her long white hair flying upward.
The light surrounding her felt elegant and pure, and strangely, her heart began to calm.
A screen popped up before her like a notification.
[Congratulations! You have awakened as a Healer.]
"Awakened?"
Viola looked down at herself as the glow from her body flowed through the hand holding Ezekiel.
Ezekiel's body began to glow as well.
His wounds slowly closed, torn flesh restoring itself, and even his missing limbs began to regenerate.
Viola could hardly believe what she was seeing.
After a while, the light faded, leaving behind a body that no longer looked like a corpse, but like someone merely asleep.
Viola stared, then quickly pressed her ear against his chest.
A heartbeat.
"Gah— he's alive! He's alive!"
"But how…? I clearly saw him take his last breath…"
Another screen appeared before her. It looked like the status windows other Hunters talked about online.
[Name: Viola Silva]
[Alias: The Saintess]
[Age: (Soul) – 27 years old | (Body) – 24 years old]
[Hunter Occupation: Healer]
[Rank: SSS]
[Abilities/Skills:]
• Resurrection: {Can revive a person who has been dead for up to 24 hours}
(On Cooldown) – 5,256,779 minutes remaining
• Veil: {Erases the user's presence for 7 hours}
(Available) (Cooldown – 1,500 min)
• Rapid Heal: {Heals any injury within 1 minute}
(Unlimited)
• Purification: {Cleanses contamination and poisons}
(Available) (Cooldown – 2 min)
[Item in Inbox:]
• Ring of Illusion (Special bonus from XXXXX)
{Reduces displayed rank by two levels}
{Hides abilities and allows only one skill to be viewed}
[Personality:]
• Severe hyperfixation on things of interest
• *#**@_-&+##₱#
ERROR. ERROR. Access denied. You cannot view more.
"Eh?"
Viola blinked.
"Why… can't I see my own personality?"
Then another thought struck her.
"More importantly… why is my rank SSS!?"
Her voice trembled.
"I just awakened… I've never even heard of someone awakening at this rank before!"
Everything happening felt unreal, like a dream her mind invented to escape reality. It was simply too unbelievable.
"That energy again…"
Elizabeth muttered quietly.
But Viola was too overwhelmed to hear her.
After confirming Ezekiel was truly alive, Viola forced herself to breathe and examine their situation.
They were still trapped inside a high-level dungeon.
One unconscious man.
One weakened dragon.
And herself.
A system window appeared again.
[Gate closing in: 02:13:58]
Her blood ran cold.
If the gate closed, they would be trapped inside for who knew how long. And worse… if the monster bears returned, they wouldn't survive another encounter.
Viola stood and tried lifting Ezekiel.
She strained, pulling with all her strength, looking like a chipmunk desperately trying to drag a sack twice its size.
"Why…"
She gasped heavily.
"Why is this man so heavy?!"
Ezekiel didn't look obese. His build was athletic, even ideal.
But his weight felt like dragging an eighteen-wheeler truck.
"Are his abs made of rock or something…?"
After a few hopeless attempts, Viola collapsed beside him, exhausted.
"I can't do this… It'll take forever just to drag him to the exit…"
Slowly, she turned toward Elizabeth with pleading eyes.
The dragon immediately frowned.
"No."
"I've already helped you more than I should have."
Viola crawled closer, hands clasped, tears forming again.
"Please, oh great dragon! Just this once more! I swear I'll repay you someday!"
She pleaded pitifully, trying to look as cute and miserable as possible.
Elizabeth stared at her blankly.
Her body was already weak from casting spells earlier. Using her power again would most likely knock her unconscious.
She didn't fully understand what had happened, but she already suspected the truth.
And it made her furious.
Furious at whoever was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Yet she could do nothing.
Then—
Grrrrr…
A small rumbling sound echoed.
Viola blinked.
Elizabeth froze.
The sound came again.
The dragon's stomach.
Viola slowly smirked.
"Are you… perhaps hungry, oh mighty dragon?"
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.
Viola leaned closer, whispering temptingly.
"How about this? Help me just this once, and I'll treat you to any food you want. Anything. I swear on my life and my future descendants."
Elizabeth hesitated.
Images surfaced in her mind. Food she had only seen through fragments of human memories.
Steaming dishes, sweet desserts,Crispy meat, warm soups and flavors she had never tasted.
And right now… her stomach was painfully empty.
"…Alright."
She answered, trying to sound dignified.
But her tail wagged slightly behind her.