《The Spirit's Quest: Restoring the World with Scrap and Sacred Flesh》 Chapter 1 Step step At dawn, as the city was just beginning to stir, with the morning fog still lingering, a young man walked toward his destination with empty pockets and heavy steps, as he always did. ¡°Sigh¡­ It¡¯s even colder today.¡± Though burdened by prolonged economic struggles, estranged from his family, and isolated from society, he had lived a life of chastity without companionship or purpose. Yet, despite it all, he remained grateful and persevered day by day. For him, who had barely endured a life of utmost hardship, the only comfort was a game commonly known as ¡°Aether Punk.¡± It allowed him to experience a new life, as if he were directing it himself. Within the game¡¯s setting, a world far removed from reality, he had, as always, tasted countless pains and frustrations. Nevertheless, he continued to cling to this fictional realm because he could witness his avatar gradually improving, step by step, transforming into a hero. That sight was, for him, a moment of encountering light. ¡°It¡¯s neither a dream nor a lie; it¡¯s real!¡± He gazed intently at the screen of the smartphone in his hand. This time, the moment had truly arrived¡ªa chance to manifest a dream that had once been nothing more than a fantasy, built on what he truly loved and the experiences he had gained. ¡°To think that I was selected for the pre-experience!¡± The announcement of a new version of Aether Punkhad sent its users into a frenzy of excitement. The young man, too, found it hard to suppress his soaring spirits at the news that the game¡¯s world would expand even further. ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream, is it?¡± Slap ¡°Ugh¡­ It seems to be real.¡± Not only would he get to experience it firsthand, but through testing, he could also suggest improvements and additions for the future. The realization that he, like the developers, was now in a position to help shape this dreamlike world left him dazed at first. But as a little time passed, he began to understand, if only slightly, that life wasn¡¯t always just harsh and unforgiving. Step step In high spirits, he quickened his pace as he thought, ¡°If I get some income this time, first I¡¯ll buy some meat¡­! Wait, actually, I need to pay the overdue rent first¡­¡± Even though sunlight was slowly rising beyond the horizon, the narrow alley remained dull and dark. He pressed on without complaint. Compared to when he had first set out, now that he was much closer to his destination, his entire demeanor had shifted¡ªso much so that he seemed like a different person. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I should be grateful that I don¡¯t have to go hungry like before!¡± Having cast off despair and pain, his steps grew lighter and more vigorous, brimming with anticipation and hope for a new beginning. Ding An alarm pierced the heavy silence that enveloped the alley. Reflexively, he reached into his pocket with his right hand, pulled out his smartphone, and saw a newly arrived message. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Is there something else the developers need to contact me about?¡± Most matters had already been settled during his earlier visit to the company, so his confusion only deepened. ¡°Ah!¡± Quickly scanning the message, he soon nodded in understanding. ¡°Well, then, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The message explained that while most preparations were complete, the user data transfer had yet to occur due to a mistake by the service team. They needed his cooperation to resolve it. His fingers moved swiftly to fill out the form linked in the message, entering the required information. ¡°They must be really busy.¡± He completed the impersonal form with no blanks left unfilled and reached for the send button. ¡°What a strange feeling!¡± It was hard to believe that such a simple task could mark the turning point for his future. ¡°With this, it¡¯s definitely starting! The second act of my life!¡± A faint smile spread across his face as he felt his heart swell with hope, growing larger and stronger. His gaze remained locked on the smartphone screen. Yet his legs kept moving diligently, as if unaware of any changes or lurking dangers, propelling him forward. Whoooosh! ¡°Ugh!¡± A wind so fierce it made him wince swept through the shadows still clinging between the buildings. His old, tattered coat flapped wildly, and his steps faltered to a stop. Vroooom! At that moment, a dump truck emerged without warning, barreling toward him. Honk! ¡°Wha¡ª!?¡± High beams blinded his vision, and the blaring horn scrambled his thoughts. His mind failed to register the situation in time, leaving him frozen¡ªunable to move or react. Then, the truck, showing no sign of slowing, crashed into his defenseless body as he stood there, dazed. ¡°Aaaah!¡± His body seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before slamming into the cold, hard asphalt. It rolled several times, momentum unbroken. ¡°A-at this rate, I¡¯ll be late¡­!¡± ¡°Uuugh¡­¡± Amid the acrid stench of burning rubber, his clouded eyes¡ªmuddled by the impact¡ªcaught sight of a puddle forming around him. ¡°From now on, things were supposed to get better for me¡­!¡± Blood seeped from his body, steaming on the frigid asphalt before cooling, mirrored in his eyes as their light slowly faded. ¡°Kuhuk!¡± In the stillness where all seemed to halt, his final breath slipped away. A futile moment. Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the screen of the smartphone he had cherished as dearly as his own life. The display flickered and shifted, as if manipulated by an unseen hand. ¡°Transmission complete.¡± For reasons unknown, the user information he had painstakingly built up was sent. ¡°Thank you sincerely for using our company¡¯s service!¡± Though no one remained to see it, the message reflected in his vacant eyes. ¡°We look forward to your continued support!¡± The bizarre words lingered, etched into the gaze of his lifeless eyes. Chapter 2 ¡®Jolt¡¯ I felt my heart begin to beat, and at the same time, my soul awakened. Simultaneously, my consciousness, which had been sinking into pitch-black darkness, slowly started to rise. No, it was more accurate to say that it was being pulled somewhere. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Trying to check my condition, I directed my mind outward instead of inward, and I sensed that my head was literally empty. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ No, I could easily tell that, like a drought-stricken land, not a single drop of energy remained. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As I extended my consciousness throughout my body, I felt pain¡ªnot unbearable, but enough to make me frown involuntarily¡ªspreading all over. ¡®This is really strange.¡¯ It was as if my body wasn¡¯t truly mine. Yes, along with an unpleasant sensation of floating in the air, a strong sense of haziness was evident. I firmly believed this must be some kind of illusion. ¡®No way.¡¯ With a slight shake of my head, I brushed off the thought that was trying to overwhelm my mind with relentless force, dismissing it as unscientific in one swift stroke. ¡°Ugh¡­ Huh?¡± When I tried to move my fingers, I felt a dull numbness quite strongly. ¡®This can¡¯t be!¡¯ I told myself again that what had happened was simply me coming to my senses. I strongly denied and shook off the resurfacing thought that I had become someone else. When I opened my eyes wide and tried to lift my upper body, I felt an unfamiliar sensation¡ªone that didn¡¯t seem like mine¡ªalong with a dull pain and an even stronger haziness. It was like wearing ill-fitting, borrowed ready-made clothes; the sense of incongruity was overwhelming. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± After a few minutes, my eyes, overly sensitive as if they hadn¡¯t seen light in a long time, finally adjusted to the brightness. Only then could I see what kind of environment I was in. ¡®W-where on earth is this!?¡¯ As a little time passed, the light no longer felt as blinding as before. Using it as a guide, I took in the desolate scenery with my eyes. The unfamiliar ceiling was not only old but warped, with mold growing as if there had been a leak, and a large spider web stretched across one corner. Turning my gaze from the wooden ceiling, I was met by walls made of the same material. The walls were riddled with holes, making me doubt they could even block the outside air. In fact, even now, air that didn¡¯t feel refreshing was flowing into the room through those gaps. The only light source illuminating the room was the flickering glow of an oil lamp hanging on a wall patched with planks. While outside air came in near my head, the inside was damp from the vapor leaking from the old lamp, rough enough to provoke coughing. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Phew¡­¡± To calm my mind, which was rattled by being in an unfamiliar environment I¡¯d never seen before, I took a deep breath. Then, I noticed a dusty smell I hadn¡¯t sensed until that moment, along with an oil scent different from kerosene. My fully awakened sense of smell finally picked it up. ¡®One thing¡¯s certain: this isn¡¯t the room I lived in, with months of overdue rent and the constant threat of eviction.¡¯ As I ceaselessly scanned every corner of the room, memories that had been buried deep, showing no sign of resurfacing, suddenly rose to the surface. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Those memories were my most recent ones¡ªor, to be precise, they were tied to the last accident I¡¯d experienced. The sharp horn blaring relentlessly in my ears. The dump truck charging at me without any sign of stopping. The intense impact that made me feel my entire body shattering. Right after, I had crashed to the ground¡­ ¡®I should be dead, right?¡¯ Then the question immediately arose: where was this place? ¡®This doesn¡¯t look like the afterlife people say you go to when you die.¡¯ But it was also hard to conclude this was a hospital. The scenery was far too unhygienic for a place meant to treat the sick. Moreover, the scattered objects led me to judge that this wasn¡¯t a hospital room. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Unlike when I slightly turned my head, moving my body took considerable effort. I barely managed to shift my upper body and directed my gaze elsewhere. Gradually, wanting to see something new, I spotted an old table. ¡®The person using this room seems far from organized¡­¡¯ On the table were oil-stained bundles of paper, machine parts, and a long-empty teacup, all placed haphazardly. ¡®Was there some kind of accident?¡¯ A coat, even more tattered than mine, looking like rags. It was torn and full of holes, yet it hung on a crudely nailed hook on the wall instead of a hanger. Right beneath it lay an old bowie knife and a ranged weapon that resembled a crossbow but was somehow different from what I knew, both intact. ¡®Weapons¡­ This person must be far from law-abiding.¡¯ Realizing this was a disorganized, unsettling room that stirred anxiety, I was about to turn my head elsewhere when I noticed an aged chest of drawers. ¡®That is¡­?¡¯ The chest of drawers was something you could find anywhere. Despite being weathered by time, its patterns gave it an antique charm rather than just an old, worn look. My attention was captured by an incongruous object neatly placed on top of it. ¡®That thing¡­ If my memory¡¯s correct, that¡¯s definitely it!¡¯ It had the appearance of a tool commonly used in Aether Punk, which had been a major part of my life. It looked as if it had been plucked straight from the game and brought into reality. I couldn¡¯t comprehend what had happened to me for such a tool¡ªsomething that shouldn¡¯t exist in reality¡ªto appear before me. But despite the confusing, hard-to-define emotions, I thought: ¡®If I can operate that with my own hands, I might learn something and feel satisfied.¡¯ The pain throughout my body clearly told me this wasn¡¯t a dream. Driven by curiosity and desire, I reached out to touch the machine that doubled as a primitive AI and record organizer. It was close enough that I could reach it if I sat up. However, sitting up took me considerable time. After a few minutes of struggle, I finally managed to sit up and was reaching out when my gaze suddenly fixed on an object. ¡°Huh?¡± A mirror on a small chest of drawers near the bed. I froze, staring blankly at the unfamiliar reflection. Because the face of a young man, completely different from the one I recognized as myself, was looking back at me. He was staring at me with a surprised expression. Chapter 3 My mind suddenly plunged into chaos. It felt as though a neatly wound spool of thread, unraveled into a mess by a curious pet cat, had filled my mind, deepening the confusion. ¡®Gulp¡¯ The scene before me was utterly unbelievable, no matter how much I tried to accept it. I moved both arms to touch my face with my hands. Then, the unfamiliar young man in the mirror mimicked my actions too. ¡®Is that person really me!?¡¯ Unable to believe it, I kept running my hands over my face again and again. Yet, despite my hope that this was all a lie, nothing changed. ¡°T-this is absurd¡­¡± ¡®What on earth have I gotten myself into!?¡¯ My body, which had sustained my sense of self until now, had vanished as if it were an illusion. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe in the reality of everything before me. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± It was then, as I sat dazed after a sigh, struggling to accept my situation. Click-clack Suddenly, the sharp sound of high heels pierced the silence. The sound gradually drew nearer, approaching the old door from afar. ¡®W-what should I say!?¡¯ I wondered if I should honestly confess that I was in this room without permission. ¡°Ugh!¡± That¡¯s when it hit¡ªmemories surged up out of nowhere. Memories that weren¡¯t mine. Clearly someone else¡¯s memories, they popped up like water droplets skipping across a pond. Like a lucid dream, they took over my vision and started playing with a sense of reality. ¡°Gasp!¡± A flood of unease and discomfort rushed over me. After a fleeting moment, the tormenting sensations vanished like a lie. Or, to be precise, they blended into my original memories as if they¡¯d always been one, effortlessly becoming part of me. ¡®I am¡­¡¯ I spread my hands wide and clenched them a few times. The body, which had felt detached just moments ago, now felt perfectly aligned with my mind¡ªan overwhelming sensation. And it was clearer than anything I¡¯d ever experienced before. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ Memories of the original owner¡¯s life, along with those of people too precious to trade for money, rose effortlessly, convincing me they were now fully mine. Up until now, they belonged to Damian. But from this moment on, they¡¯re no one else¡¯s. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. They became entirely mine. A young man who¡¯d endured harsher conditions than I had. He¡¯d been not only diligent but also kind-hearted. ¡®Does this mean I¡¯m Damian now¡­?¡¯ Though rattled by memories that weren¡¯t mine, I quickly and smoothly adjusted. Creak As my awareness shifted from my inner thoughts to the reality before me, the old door creaked open perfectly timed. Unlike when they approached, someone stepped into the room carefully, muffling their footsteps. ¡°Ah!¡± I turned my still-sluggish eyes toward the source of the faintly startled voice. And locking eyes with the person who entered, I was taken aback. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ As I caught sight of her, related memories surfaced as smoothly as a video playing, rising like a submarine breaking the water. Beyond that, emotions churned within me, crashing in like towering waves. ¡®Open your eyes! Please, snap out of it, young master!¡¯ I¡¯d believed that the memories of a young man named Damian had fully merged into me. But as if to prove my belief wrong, I couldn¡¯t fathom why she¡¯d cried out in such a frantic voice back then¡ªwhat had happened? ¡®She¡¯s stunning!¡¯ At a glance, she might seem unremarkable. But a closer look revealed her breathtaking beauty¡ªso striking that no one could underestimate her. Her long hair, cascading down to her waist, was neatly tied up since she was working. And blue eyes that stood out against her chestnut hair. And a figure brimming with femininity¡ªalmost bursting¡ªpaired with healthy, slightly tanned skin. She approached me cautiously and stopped. ¡°¡­¡± She opened her lips as if to speak, drew a breath, then closed them again. Her vivid blue eyes, like pure sapphires, shimmered with a blend of emotions. ¡°Thank goodness. I thought you¡¯d never open your eyes again.¡± A silence that stretched like eternity. She barely managed to speak. And, unable to hold back her swelling emotions, she moved abruptly. Hug Her always-impeccable scent hit me strongly, and then Claudia wrapped me in a tight embrace. She trembled silently, sobbing without a sound. I carefully embraced her trembling frame as she wept with anguish. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± As time passed and her emotions faded, she let out a soft sigh and slowly pulled away, perhaps embarrassed. Claudia, unable to mask her embarrassment, wore an awkward expression, hesitated a few times, then spoke again. ¡°Are you still planning to stick with the plan you mentioned before?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± When Claudia abruptly asked about something I didn¡¯t know, my words caught in my throat. Perhaps not noticing my fluster, Claudia kept going with her words. ¡°Things are already chaotic, so wouldn¡¯t calling him make it a little easier to proceed?¡± ¡°That guy¡­¡± As I fumbled over my words, Claudia finally seemed to pick up on something odd. ¡°Who exactly are you referring to?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Claudia¡¯s face looked like that of someone who¡¯d lost everything she held dear. Stagger I just managed to steady her as she nearly crumpled to the floor, losing her balance. Negative emotions abruptly surged across her beautiful face, which had been glowing with relief and joy moments before. Thud She stumbled toward me with shaky steps and pressed her left hand to my forehead. She placed her right hand on her own forehead to check our temperatures. Her seemingly calm eyes quivered, betraying her hidden anxiety. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Her red lips, parted to speak, snapped shut, radiating the realization that her worst fear had come true. ¡°¡­¡± And so, I¡ª No, rather, Claudia fulfilled her goal of checking the state of a body that once belonged to Damian. Then she swiftly tidied the room and left. ¡°Rest easy, young master.¡± With that, she said she¡¯d return at dinner time. Her figure, steeped in despair, regret, and sorrow, slowly vanished from my sight. ¡°Flawless, wasn¡¯t it¡­¡± To an onlooker, her movements might have seemed frantic as she tidied up, but not a single corner was left carelessly done or disordered. ¡°No time for this¡ªI need to check it now.¡± Because of Claudia¡¯s sudden appearance, I reached for the enigmatic device, still clueless about its contents. Or rather, I¡¯d intended to reach for it. Tap My hand brushed against a memo lying in its path without meaning to. Unintentionally, my eyes landed on a few hastily scribbled memos. They drifted toward newspaper clippings detailing that day¡¯s events. ¡®Near Belgarth, merchants were ambushed by a bizarre group, surviving by the skin of their teeth!¡¯ Next to the article was a memo that read, ¡®Ominous movements spotted beyond the city.¡¯ It was noted there. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but react that way, dismissing it as an incident from a far-off place with no connection to me. With a lukewarm tone, I turned my attention to the next clipping. ¡®Mana crystal prices have skyrocketed! Coincidence? Or is someone meddling?¡¯ ¡®Smuggling¡¯s on the rise.¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± Seeing a familiar word, I felt baffled and, at the same time, snapped awake as if splashed with cold water. Intrigued by what came next, I moved my hand quickly. ¡®People are disappearing from the frontier villages.¡¯ And beside it, bold red ink was scratched repeatedly onto the page. ¡®The Order is stirring. No time to hesitate! We need to decide!¡¯ And I could easily deduce that this led us to where we are now. ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯ I grumbled a bit, wishing it¡¯d be easier if my memories had fused like before. Crash A faint murmur of voices carried through alongside some noisy clamor. Chapter 4 In contrast, the room was once again filled with silence. A few minutes ago, after Claudia left the room harboring complex emotions, ever since I unintentionally saw the records left behind by Damian, the original owner of this body, the chaos in my mind has grown even stronger. ¡®What on earth were you trying to accomplish that led you to face death, Damian?¡¯ I tried to piece together the information I¡¯d gathered so far, but all I could barely grasp was that the fragments were too scattered to uncover the hidden truths¡ªI needed a key to connect them. ¡®That probably means...¡¯ I had a strong hunch, almost a certainty, that crucial records and memories were stored within that magical device still sitting there. It flashed through my mind like a meteor, illuminating everything in an instant. "Alright... tell me everything you were thinking, without holding back, friend." For some reason, Damian¡ªwho had struggled to escape a fate similar to mine before I died, or perhaps even worse¡ªfelt oddly familiar to me, like a long-time companion bound by shared suffering. As I reached out, the cold, weighty texture of the magical device filled my hand. If I could just activate it now, all my questions would unravel as easily as a thread! Feeling slightly uplifted, I fumbled with the device. "Huh?" A faint thrill, tinged with a subtle excitement, washed over me, though I didn¡¯t let it overtake my senses completely. "Where the heck did it go?" It wasn¡¯t there. No switch or anything resembling one could be found anywhere on the device¡¯s surface. I stubbornly prodded at a groove carved to improve the grip, wondering if it might be the trigger, but I only confirmed once again that nothing was there. ¡®Now that I think about it...!¡¯ It suddenly hit me that Ether Punk never provided a detailed explanation of how to operate these magical devices. The game¡¯s developers had to cut corners on anything not immediately visible¡ªhuman resources, time, development costs, even the food the team ate while working. ¡®That¡¯s why people raved about the final product¡¯s polish.¡® For a brief moment, I recalled the thrill of witnessing that scene firsthand¡ªthe time spent with others who shared my vision¡ªonly for my mind to snap back to this absurd reality. ¡¯This is ridiculous...¡® And it truly was. To think I¡¯d mastered this world¡¯s intricacies, only to trip over something so trivial... Undeterred, I meticulously traced the device¡¯s surface again, wondering if it might have something like a fingerprint scanner. To be honest, I was desperate enough to clutch at any straw. Thump thump thump Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It was while I was frantically searching for a way to activate the device that it happened. A dilapidated door¡ªso worn that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it fell off its hinges and rolled across the floor¡ªbegan rattling wildly with the sound of heavy footsteps. Bang! Then, with the rough shove of a mysterious figure who appeared out of nowhere, it was left dangling precariously. Whoosh! The dust on the floor billowed into the air from the impact, forming a misty haze, as a man stepped into the room. "The sun¡¯s been up for hours, and here you are, lazing about like you¡¯ve got all the time in the world, you little country brat." His voice was low and gravelly. Even without much effort, it echoed like it was reverberating through a cave, yet it remained perfectly clear. Streaks of gray sprouted among his hair, but the black strands still held their ground firmly. His skin bore the unmistakable marks of time, making his age obvious, yet his physique¡ªvisible even through thick clothing¡ªshowed he retained the vigor of his youth, defying mere appearances. Thud thud This man pushed through the dust and approached slowly. For a moment, a complex look flickered in his eyes as he hesitated. Not long after, he opened his mouth to speak. His smile was awkward, unpracticed from disuse, but whether it was genuine joy at seeing Damian¡¯s consciousness return, he lifted the corners of his mouth wide, flashing his gums in a broad grin. That bright smile revealed a set of perfectly aligned teeth, not a gap in sight. ¡®Who is he...? Oh... I get it...¡¯ His face felt familiar. I wanted to avoid acting like I knew him and raising suspicion, but since I wasn¡¯t the original owner, I had no way of knowing for sure. That¡¯s when it hit me. ¡®Gaius...¡¯ A memory of who he was finally surfaced. A bold, hearty man who had helped two fugitives with no real footing, no questions asked. As those fragmented memories came back and I was about to speak, Claudia¡¯s voice¡ªtinged with noticeable panic¡ªreached my ears. "Gaius, I¡¯ve told you over and over he still needs rest!" Sure, he was an unpredictable man, but Claudia hadn¡¯t imagined he¡¯d act this recklessly. She¡¯d followed him a step too late. "Rest? What kind of girly nonsense is that, huh?" Gaius¡¯s words were rough and brash, as befitted him. But I could tell. In his words, his tone, his gaze, and his movements, I instinctively knew it was the kind of joy only someone genuinely relieved to see a trusted friend awaken could show. "I see..." Perhaps worried that my still-recovering body couldn¡¯t handle standing for a talk, Gaius grabbed a nearby chair roughly and plopped it down. Thud Then he straddled it casually. Locking eyes with me, he said, "Isn¡¯t that right, you little country brat!" I hadn¡¯t lived a life of luxury myself. Even so, my views on how a man should live and act aligned pretty closely with Gaius¡¯s. So I gave a small nod. ¡®Impressive.¡¯ Seeing Gaius up close like this, he was the epitome of a man¡¯s man¡ªthe ideal every guy strives for: bold and rugged, yet with a subtle finesse. His hair, a sharply cropped two-block cut, and his features and build made it clear he was a tough, masculine figure. Crack Every slight movement he made sent loud creaks from his leather gear, practically armor in its own right. Scratches and gouges etched into it told me plainly he was no ordinary guy. "Why¡¯s she yelling about what¡¯s not allowed, huh?" Gaius said, throwing a sidelong glance at Claudia behind him. "Don¡¯t I, who helped wake up that precious kid you dote on, have a say?" "..." His playful jab was laced with mischief. Claudia, her face tense with worry, opened her mouth to snap back but closed it again without a word. Judging from Gaius¡¯s outward demeanor, I got the strong sense she stopped because it¡¯d be like talking to a brick wall. "I see..." Gaius could feel the mood wasn¡¯t picking up from Claudia¡¯s reaction. Toning down his antics, he spoke to me in a serious voice. "If you can sit up, it doesn¡¯t seem too bad¡ªhow do you feel? I won¡¯t buy it unless I hear it straight from you.¡° I wanted to answer his question with how I honestly felt. ¡®Hold on.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to stir up trouble or give myself a headache by saying something dumb. Mouth agape, I sank into thought for a second. I had to pick my words carefully. "Country brat?" "Oh, uh, nothing." Gaius looked at me, puzzled, as I stood there dazed with my mouth open. Unable to stall any longer, I blurted out the best words I could muster. "There¡¯s some pain, but it¡¯s bearable." "Bearable, you say?" "Y-yeah." Gaius¡¯s face looked like he¡¯d been whacked over the head with a hammer, stunned. Claudia, standing behind him, had the look of someone whose worst fears had just come true. I knew it instinctively¡ªmy choice of words hadn¡¯t been the best; it was closer to the worst possible outcome.