TRHSOS 17

Chapter 17

Why are you coming out from there?

“Sh*t.”

Shouting out a familiar password that brought to mind a foul-mouthed old granny, I safely returned to the hot spring.

“You’re back?”

The moment I returned, Sharenian’s indifferent voice sounded from behind me.

He casually stretched his firm, long arm—veins standing out—and took hold of my wrist with his large hand, quietly examining it.

When Sharenian lowered himself toward me, a sweet cherry scent drifted to the tip of my nose.

Since he was more than a head and a half taller than me, I ended up unintentionally trapped in Sharenian’s broad embrace.

“Tsk, the skin’s been scraped off.”

Resting his chin on my head, Sharenian muttered lowly as he looked at the wound left by the shackle.

I lifted my head and blandly looked up at his face, which was frowning in displeasure.

“Someone was busy enjoying a hot spring, so my wrist almost got torn off—”

Before my barbed remark even finished, Sharenian’s lips lightly touched my wrist.

His long, dark eyelashes settling softly drew my gaze in an odd way.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

As if amused by my calm tone—neither surprised nor flustered—Sharenian let out a small laugh.

“A blessing.”

[The wound recovers due to the blessing of the Constellation ‘Immortal Killing Ghost.’]

The wound where Sharenian’s lips had touched healed cleanly.

So there was such a convenient and great ability?

“You said you got hurt because I was late, right? Then I should naturally take responsibility. You’re my contractor, after all.”

Sharenian looked as though it were nothing, but inwardly I couldn’t help but be impressed.

The S-rank potion New Flesh Sprouting had comparable effects, but it required the effort of obtaining materials, so Sharenian’s blessing was far more efficient.

Just today, I’d nearly ended up as a wandering spirit on the 46th floor while going to gather new flesh.

Anyway, seeing how the wound disappeared without a trace with just one blessing, it seemed the title Immortal wasn’t given to Sharenian for nothing.

“Now then, shall I take care of the other side as well?”

Sharenian held out his palm toward me as if asking for my hand.

It seemed he intended to bestow a blessing on my other wrist as well.

But I couldn’t bring myself to hand it over readily and instead slowly hid my hand behind my body.

Sharenian had simply described it as scraped skin, but to be precise, the flesh had been gouged.

Just having his lips touch it was so stinging that my whole body felt electrified.

On the 46th floor, I hadn’t felt the pain because all I could think about was surviving, but in truth I was a complete weakling—sensitive enough to tremble at the thought of a needle going in.

“Why are you hiding it even more?”

Sharenian looked down at me, trapped in his arms, with a puzzled expression.

“It hurts.”

I answered briefly, since it didn’t seem like he’d let me go unless I explained.

I thought he’d scoff at me for being scared over such fleeting pain and let me go without hesitation, but Sharenian paused as if in thought, then lowered himself again to meet my eye level.

“I’ll be careful so it won’t hurt. Trust me. If you leave the wound as it is, it’ll hurt for longer.”

With a calm tone, like soothing a child crying because they didn’t want a shot, Sharenian tried to persuade me.

I was past the age of being coaxed and comforted, so it wasn’t that I suddenly trusted him—but his last words did move me.

If it brushed against something or touched somewhere else, it would hurt more and be more bothersome.

In that case, it was better to just receive the blessing briefly and be done with it.

“It won’t hurt—promise?”

At my words, seeking reassurance, Sharenian kept his gaze on me and blinked a couple of times in affirmation instead of answering.

It was just once, and only for an instant anyway—might as well pretend I’m being fooled.

When I extended the arm I’d been hiding, Sharenian kissed the wound on my wrist more carefully and cautiously than before.

After his lips touched, out of habit, he met my eyes.

His intense black eyes, seeming indifferent yet powerful, swept over my face.

[The wound recovers due to the blessing of the Constellation ‘Immortal Killing Ghost.’]

Once again, the wound on my wrist was erased without a trace.

“I tried not to make it hurt. It’s my first time doing it this way, so I’m not sure how well it went.”

He spoke as if irresponsibly, but perhaps because he’d paid attention, it didn’t hurt like before.

Along with the relief that I no longer had to feel pain, something about Sharenian made me curious.

“If you had an ability like this, why were you collapsed all bloody and beaten up?”

My first meeting with Sharenian, drenched head to toe in blood, had been far too striking to forget.

“That day, my back was injured. No matter how much of a Constellation I am, I can’t kiss my own back.”

That… makes sense.

“Who on earth decided that you have to kiss to give a blessing? What if the contractor were a man?”

“I don’t give blessings to every contractor. Even if I leave them alone, wounds will heal.”

“Then my wound would’ve healed on its own too—so why give me a blessing?”

As I fired off questions along the flow of my thoughts, Sharenian answered without difficulty.

“A simple whim. Constellations, myself included, act according to how we feel in that moment.”

Constellations sure have it easy.

At first I just felt envious, but then my mind changed.

I swung my hand mercilessly and smacked Sharenian’s broad back.

“Ugh! Why are you hitting me?”

Letting out a short cry, he rubbed his back with his hand.

“I’ve got four powerful, crazy Constellations myself now, so I’m thinking of living however I want, pretending I’m insane. So if you don’t want to see the hot spring shut down, you’d better serve me properly.”

“Hearing that just now, a phrase came to mind.”

Seeing Sharenian’s displeased expression, I knew it wasn’t going to be anything nice, but I was curious anyway.

“What is it?”

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

Sharenian very carefully implied that I was just as much of a ‘nutcase’ as they were.

“I learned a brand-new, piping-hot skill today—want to see it? It’s called Hot Spring Owner’s Trademark Love-Filled Whack. It’s even hotter and spicier than the last one.”

As I adjusted my hands and clenched my fist to activate the skill, I noticed a wound on Sharenian’s right cheek that hadn’t been there before.

Thinking he’d already been beaten up somewhere, I suddenly lost my enthusiasm.

“What’s with the wound on your face? They call you the Immortal Killing Ghost, but seeing you get beaten up every day, isn’t it all just hype?”

“Oh, this?”

Sharenian touched the wound on his cheek as he looked at me.

“This is the wound you gave me.”

I gave him that wound?

“I haven’t hit you yet.”

I raised my clenched fist, protesting my innocence.

“I think it’d be better to put that hand down for now and talk first.”

Having already experienced the power of my hand on his back, Sharenian subtly retreated from my fist.

“Fine. Let’s hear what you have to say.”

Deciding to hear him out, I lowered my fist, sat properly, and looked at him.

“The Immortal Sword and I are basically one and the same.”

By “Immortal Sword,” he seemed to be referring to the ridiculously large and heavy sword Sharenian had tossed to me earlier today.

“In other words, if the sword is damaged, it affects me as well.”

Suddenly, I recalled the memory of tossing the Immortal Sword aside in the tower.

So that’s why Sharenian had reacted so sensitively to the sword being damaged.

Either way, that meant I really was the one who caused that wound.

Thinking that, I felt a little guilty.

“I’m planning to go make medicine now. If there’s any left over, try putting some on your face. If it’s New Flesh Sprouting, it’ll heal quickly without leaving a scar.”

Since Sharenian had healed my wound with a blessing, it was only right that I repay him.

Having finished my business, I turned away from Sharenian.

“I’ll wait.”

His reply came from behind me.

I couldn’t see his face since I was turned around, but judging by his pleasant tone, it seemed Sharenian wasn’t holding the injury against me, thankfully.

Adjusting my bag on my shoulder, I headed straight up to the apothecary on the second floor.

“Sir, I’m back!”

[The ‘Medicine Jar (EX)’ welcomes you, saying, “Welcome back.”]

Proudly, I lifted the bag full of medicinal herbs toward the jar.

“I gathered so much new flesh today that my bag is completely full!”

[The ‘Medicine Jar (EX)’ claps, saying, “My granddaughter did well.”]

At the elder’s warm response, my shoulders lifted without me realizing it.

“Maybe because the bag you gave me is A-rank, it holds a lot. At first I thought it had a hole, so I checked it over and over.”

[The ‘Medicine Jar (EX)’ says, “She’s my granddaughter—an A-rank bag still isn’t enough.”]
[The ‘Medicine Jar (EX)’ says, “Still, an A-rank bag is large enough to fit three adult men, so it’s more than sufficient for carrying herbs.”]

Ah, so that’s why, even though Beka gathered an enormous amount of herbs, they all fit into the bag.

Once again, I felt the sheer power of an A-rank bag.

“Sir, I want to start by making an antidote that removes side effects. Is that possible?”

[The ‘Medicine Jar (EX)’ says, “Making an antidote won’t take long, so organize the herbs in the drawers beforehand so they don’t get tangled and spoil.”]

“That sounds good.”

Agreeing with the elder, I picked up the bag.

Now then, shall I check the fruits of today’s labor?

I turned the bag upside down and shook it, spilling out its contents.

In an instant, countless pieces of new flesh poured out, forming a small mound.

Just as I was feeling pleased with the abundant harvest, a human hand suddenly popped out from the pile of herbs.