Chapter 66 - Whispers of Steel and the Sovereign's Decree [15]

The journey back from the tainted valley was a slow, silent procession. Each step felt like an eternity. Nihil leaned on Princess Lyraelle's shoulder, every muscle in his body trembling violently from the unceasing internal struggle. He hadn't lost consciousness. His awareness was locked in painful focus, his analytical mind forcibly processing each wave of agony as new data. He could feel the war within: the black dust of Void Reconstruction trying to weave his shattered cells back together, only to be burned and repelled by the residual holy energy clinging to his very being like silver poison. His healing, normally near-instant, was now slowed to a crawl.