Rex sighed again. 'Can't believe it took me over a month to finish the tutorial,' he mumbled as he turned to the side to look at his arm. 'Or is this more like the end of the early game, and mid-game is just starting?'
It made more sense. Tutorial was when he was getting the hang of Scavenger, and it ended after his fight with the Infant Dragon—the tutorial boss.
Early game was his time of rapid growth, where he got his abilities up, built connections, and carved out a place for himself in the world. That ended with his fight against the Demi-Spirit and maxing out Scavenger.
Mid-game would be the time for stability and refined growth, where he built himself up in preparation for the late game—diving deeper into the Dungeon—and the endgame would be...
"The fight with the Black Dragon," he mumbled to himself, looking up at his palm. While his left hand looked normal, the right was completely wrapped in white bandages. Honestly, he was surprised it was still there after the stunt he pulled.
This now raised a question. "How long was I asleep for?"
"...Two days."
"HOLY SHIT!!!" Rex roared as he shot up in his bed, heart nearly leaping out of his chest.
He turned right to see a similarly startled Ais Wallenstein—seated beside his bed like some kind of lover—her wide golden eyes scanning the room like she was trying to figure out why he had reacted so strongly.
She wore a simple white one-piece halter-neck dress with blue lining that stopped just above her upper thighs. Her thigh-high blue boots left a narrow strip of bare skin between the hem of her dress and the tops of her boots, and her ever-present rapier rested in its blue scabbard at her hip.
'Why the fuck was she just sitting there in silence—!' Rex quickly scanned the room to make sure no one else was in there.
The room was simple—white walls, white tiles, and an open window with the curtain drawn aside, letting in early afternoon sunlight and fresh air and a single closed door. There was only one bed, which he lay on, and a small table beside it holding a few flowers, a fruit basket, and a plate with a fruit knife. The two of them were the only ones in the room, which was good but,
'How didn't I sense her?' he thought as he looked back at Ais who was now calm again. 'Am I rusty after almost dying?' He could only thank the gods he hadn't talked to himself—just a bit of maniacal laughing and giggling.
'What is she doing here anyway?' he wondered as he sat up straighter. "So I've been asleep for two days?" He asked, and she nodded, causing him to frown slightly. 'I really hope Ishtar didn't do anything dumb while I was asleep—'
"Ais," a voice called as the door opened inward, Ais and Rex turning as a figure stepped inside the room, "visiting time is over."
Bete paused when he saw Rex upright in bed. "Oh, you're finally awake."
"Ah, Bete," Rex smiled at the younger male. "You came to visit me. I'm pleased."
"Tch. Don't kid yourself," Bete muttered, one hand braced on the door-frame. "I'm hauling Ais back before Loki chews the walls down."
He was about to step back out of the room when Ais picked up an orange from the fruit basket and the fruit knife from the table, then held both out to Bete.
"Cut it," she said plainly.
She had seen Riveria cut an orange for Finn while he was bedridden a day ago, so she figured Rex should get the same treatment. The problem was, she wasn't good at cutting anything that wasn't a monster. But surely Bete would know how to cut an orange, she thought.
"No chance," Bete snorted. "I ain't cutting fruit for another man. Who do you think I am?"
"Bete Loga?" Ais tilted her head, genuinely confused by his response, still holding the orange out.
She just kept staring, causing him to huff. "...Fine…" He mumbled as he closed the door behind him. He snatched the knife and orange, carved four rough wedges, and slapped them on the table. "Happy now?"
"Aww~ what a tsundere," Rex smirked. "What's next? 'Yamete kudasai~'? Or maybe 'Ba-baka~!'?" he added in an exaggeratedly anime-girl voice, mimicking anime-style Japanese causing Bete to cringe.
Then Rex added, "I don't want an orange, all I need is a hug." He opened his arms to Bete. "Bring it in, brother."
"What're you on?!" Bete snapped, taking a step back.
"I nearly got myself killed saving your ass, and you can't even give me a hug?" Rex sighed, eyeing him. "Is your masculinity really that fragile? Just give a brother some love for what he did."
"Find another man to hug." Bete said as he walked to the table, placing the orange next to the knife on the plate. "Let's go, Ais."
"Come on~" Rex whined playfully as Ais stood gracefully from her chair. "It's just a hug—Eh?"
"???" Bete.
There was a long pause—because Ais was now hugging him, leaning slightly over the bed with her slender arms wrapped around his neck, while his own arms remained frozen outstretched in surprise.
She gently patted the back of his head like she had seen Anakitty do for Raul before. "There, there," she said. It was meant to be comforting, but her flat tone and expressionless face stripped it of any emotional weight.
Rex blinked a few times before wrapping his arms around her. One hand slid gently into her hair, the other settled on her bare back, guiding her in closer until her back arched against him. He cradled her tightly, burying her face into the crook of his neck as her modest chest pressed lightly against his pecs—only his hospital gown and her dress between them.
The sudden closeness made Ais stiffen; her eyes fluttered in a single puzzled blink, but she did not pull away as Rex locked eyes with the still-stunned Bete. This reminded him of when he had hugged Bell a few days ago while making eye contact with Liliruca. The memory made him grin as he whispered into Ais' ear, eyes still fixed on Bete.
"Thank you, Ais." he murmured softly, fingers gliding down her smooth, bare back and letting her golden hair spill through his other hand. "You hug really well..."
"!!!" At the sight, a cold shiver ran through Bete's body, fur and tail bristling as he yanked them apart, his expression darkening.
"Ais..." he said, drawing the girl's attention. "You hugged him?" he asked, staring at the floor.
"I did," she replied plainly.
"Why?" Bete met her eyes calmly. "Why would you hug that bastard?"
Ais blinked. "...I wanted to...?" she said with a slight tilt of her head, a question mark seemingly appearing above her head.
Bete's eyes narrowed, his tail twitching.
He shifted his weight, folding and unfolding his arms, ears flicking in irritation. "Tch… whatever," he muttered, gaze cutting away from her. He didn't move, though—just planted himself there as if waiting for something he refused to name.
After a few seconds of silence he grumbled, "Damn it..." He had wanted her to hug him too but things didn't go as he planned.
"Hehehe~" Rex chuckled, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh, Ais~" he cooed.
The girl leaned slightly to the side, peeking past Bete with her golden eyes focused on Rex.
"I need a hug~," he said with exaggerated sweetness as he opened his arm.
"Okay," she nodded without a second thought and took a step forward.
But Bete grabbed her shoulders before she could take another step, spun her around, and started pushing her toward the door.
"Loki is calling you," he growled as he threw open the door, pushed her out, and slammed it shut. "Let's go." He said as he stomped away while shoving his hands in his pocket.
"…Alright." Ais glanced at the door one more time before silently following down the empty hall of the Dian Cecht Familia main hospital.
As they moved, her thoughts drifted back to the hug. A memory from long ago stirred, blending with the warmth she had felt holding Rex. She hadn't been hugged like that since childhood. Not since her father... that's when she realized.
When Rex stood against the Demi-Spirit something had tugged inside her, and now she understood. It was similar to the image of her father's, on the day he faced the Black Dragon. Same line of the shoulders. Same silent promise of 'I'll hold it back—run.'
'…Ah.'
A faint, genuine smile tugged at her lips as Ais touched her chest. The hug's warmth and the weight of his body lingered. She wanted it again—for the first time in years she wanted to hug someone.
"He is awake." Bete's voice snapped her from her thoughts, the smile fading from her face as they entered the now-busy front hall.
They stepped into a space bustling with healers and Familia members, the clatter of trays and idle chatter filling the air. The scent of herbs and tonic hung heavy.
"I see," Durlan—the captain of the Panacea Familia—said, walking into the building with a ring from the doorbell, dressed in an unwrinkled white pants and long-sleeved tunic that reached his mid-thighs"Thank you for informing me."
"I wasn't talking to you," Bete said flatly, not even glancing his way as he turned to one of the Dian Cecht women nearby. "Tell your captain that Rex is awake."
"You already told me that," Durlan said, causing the entire store to go silent.
Bete slowly turned his head, his orange locking onto the Elf's gold as the atmosphere shifted. "Something wrong with you?" Bete snarled.
"I apologize," Durlan said in a perfectly flat tone, holding Bete's gaze. "I was attempting humor."
Bete scoffed and took a step forward. "Don't try that again." He muttered as he walked past.
"I'll keep that in mind." Durlan nodded once, polite and unfazed. "Good day, Vanargand. Lady Ais."
Ais nodded at him, Bete remaining silent as they exited the building. The bustling streets outside felt completely different from the stillness they left behind, but Bete barely registered it, because;
"ARRGH!" he suddenly roared, startling a group of adventurers across the road. Pedestrians veered out of the way, hurriedly clearing a path as the mad dog of Loki clutched his head.
"That bastard!"
His thoughts spiraled back to the scene back in the hospital room and the more he thought about it, the more he regretted not hugging Rex. He should've done it. Instead, Ais had done it—and so... intimately. And then that smug idiot had the audacity to smile at him afterward. Bete almost wanted to rip out Rex's throat.
But that bubbling frustration was quickly smothered by something else. Relief. Honest, overwhelming relief that Rex hadn't died.
"Relief?" he barked again, stomping into a nearby alley. "'Relief?!" Bete punched the wall, knuckles cracking stone dust.
"Are you… alright…?" Ais's voice floated behind him. He glanced at the girl standing still, eyes calm, completely unaware she was the root of his frustration
"No," he snarled, dragging his fingers through his hair. "Just— tch, forget it." He turned away, shoulders hunched as he began to walk away.
Without another word, Ais stepped closer beside him and placed a gentle hand atop his head. "There, there," she said, her voice as flat and expressionless as ever.
Bete went stock-still—half a breath of stunned silence—before moving his head from her palm with a scoff. "L-let's go home." he growled, stuffing his hands back into his pockets as he walked, forcing his smile down.
As for Rex, back in the hospital room, he had already moved on from the hug. Well—not exactly forgotten. Who could forget such an intimate moment with a beautiful girl? Her bare back, the arc of her spine, silk-like hair, breasts—yeah, all that stuff. Even if she was... on the younger side. But he had something else to focus on now.
His body.
Sitting up on the bed, he inspected himself. He was practically healed, with only his right arm and head wrapped in bandages, and he found no scars from the countless injuries he had suffered. That was a good thing—he doubted he would've looked pretty with thousands of scars all over. He might've ended up looking like Deadpool ugly ass.
Two days of healing had left him mostly recovered—except his right arm, which throbbed with pain. The kind of pain that pulses with each beat of your heart, following the path of blood through your veins.
It wasn't like that when he first woke up, but moving it around had triggered the ache. And when Bete had yanked him and Ais apart earlier, it had worsened. Now, it felt like his entire arm was on fire. Like thousands of needles were stabbing straight into his nerves.
The pain hadn't reached the threshold for Indomitable Will to kick in, so he felt every inch of it.
'Fuck, this hurts…' If he hadn't gotten somewhat used to pain after a month in this world, he might've buckled over and cried.
All this, just from a slight movement and blood flow.
'Would've been better if I'd just lost the damn arm,' he thought with a sigh, closing his eyes.
He sat in silence. The only sound was the breeze drifting in through the open window, the curtain swaying with it. The afternoon wind cooled his skin, his heartbeat slowly settling as he got close to entering Reverie. The pain in his arm dulled due to this—still there, but more bearable now.
*Click.*
The door opened, drawing his attention. He opened his eyes and turned his head to see Durlan walk in.
"Huh?" Rex blinked. "Thought this was Dian Cecht Familia's home for some reason."
"It is," the elf replied, shutting the door behind him. "I was asked to assist with your healing using my Supreme Elixir, so I have been given full access to your room." He stopped beside the bed, one hand in his coat pocket. "How do you feel?"
"Good," Rex replied as another thought kicked in. "How much...?"
"I cannot speak for the Dian Cecht Familia. However, for my part, the seventy-five million for the base potion—combined with labor and other miscellaneous fees—"
He paused. "It would come up to about one hundred million."
Rex's heart skipped a beat. The arm he had just managed to calm started throbbing again—worse this time.
"O-one hundred..." He even asked Scavenger if Durlan was lying. He wasn't. 'Fuck…'
"That would be the normal price for your healing," Durlan continued, then added casually, "but I've changed my mind. The healing is free now. I got you, right?"
Rex's head snapped toward him.
"...You got me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes," Durlan said simply. "With my joke."
There was a long pause.
Rex then said with dead seriousness, "I almost punched you."
"…" Durlan decided it wasn't worth pushing further and shifted his attention to Rex's arm. "How does it feel?"
"Bad." Rex sighed, eyeing the limb, not daring to move it. "Not good at all."
"You're feeling throbbing pain that intensifies with your heartbeat, correct?"
Rex froze, then slowly turned toward him. "You knew that, and you still thought it was a good time to give me a mini-heart attack?"
"At least your nerves aren't damaged." The elf completely sidestepped the accusation. "Though I doubt you'll ever use that arm like you used to."
"…For real?"
"For real, for real." Durlan nodded solemnly, then patted himself on the back—quite literally patting himself on the back. "The arm, as you'd say, is cooked beyond repair."
Rex cringed.
"It's permanently damaged, but not in a way that healing magic can fix. Technically, it's not 'damaged' anymore. It's better described as a 'deformity.'"
Rex stayed silent as Durlan went on.
"Birth deformities can't be healed—because they're considered the body's natural state. Your arm has reached that status. A deformity caused by whatever magic you used on an already damaged limb."
He knew what caused the arm to be so damaged due to the report from riveria. The healers had to know the source of the injury to treat it properly so she had to give the reason—though she mentioned nothing about the Demi-Spirit or anything else that happened in Knossos.
"I see…" Rex looked down at his right arm. The description of Berakh HaKele hovered in his vision.
[...Each use slightly wears down the weapon's quality, with premature magic release causing even greater damage...]
'I guess that wasn't a joke, huh.' He released a long breath. 'Damn.
"Don't worry," Durlan added. "At least you still have your left arm for your… nightly duties."
Rex side-eyed him.
The elf nodded solemnly. "I apologize. Lady Panacea instructed me to begin telling jokes to lighten the mood."
"Don't worry. I appreciate it," Rex waved. "If you were trying to lighten the mood, it's actually working."
"Indeed. My joke is working. Unlike your right arm."
"…" Rex stared at him. At the elf's deadpan expression, he actually burst out laughing—only to immediately flinch in pain from his arm. 'Yeah, I should have expected that. SHIT!'
That's when the door opened and Airmid stepped in with a cold glare. "Down, Rex," she said. "No laughing. No talking. Back to sleep."
"Wait…" Rex grumbled as he raised his left palm to his right elbow, trying to soothe the throbbing.
Seeing this, Airmid turned to Durlan with a cold gaze and without a word, the elf nodded in quiet understanding. "I will see myself out," he said before turning on his heel and promptly leaving the room.
Airmid moved quietly to the table beside the bed, sliding open the top drawer, pulling out a small, glass flask. With a soft pop, she uncorked it and turned, holding it out to Rex.
"Drink this," she said, her voice firm but calm.
He glanced at it, used Scavenger on it, then waved it away. "Nah, I'm good," he said. "I'd rather not drink something that'll completely numb me, emotions and all."
Airmid's eyes widened as she glanced between Rex and the bottle. "Just a glance…?" she muttered, staring at the man who wasn't even looking at her anymore.
She already knew Rex had a sharp eye for potions, but usually, he had to touch something to inspect it properly. This time, he had barely even looked at the flask and somehow still knew what it was. There was no way he could have seen it before; it was a brand-new creation, not even released to the market yet.
Her lips parted to speak, but she stopped herself. 'Now's not the time,' she thought. Then, in a firmer tone, she said, "It would help—"
"Nah, I'm good," he cut her off again, waving with his right hand. "The sooner I get used to it, the better." He said as he raised the arm and clenched his fist much to her horror as an electrical pain shot through his arm and indomitable will immediately came in clutch, numbing the pain instantly.
"See?" He pointed at the arm while looking up at the doll-like girl standing beside him, meeting her purple eyes. "All good now~."
She stared for a moment before slowly nodding, not knowing what else to say. Clenching his fist should have definitely hurt but the calmness on his face told her otherwise which confused her. "Good…" she decided to just say, returning the flask to the drawer and closing it. "Now, down with you. Rest."
"I'm good—"
"Lay down," she ordered, placing a finger to his forehead and gently pressing him back against the pillow. He resisted at first, but her firm touch left little room for argument. With a sigh, he sank into the bed.
"Now that you're conscious, we can begin focused treatment on your right arm over the next few days." She explained as she carefully raised his right arm to put a pillow below it. "You'll be required to remain here in the hospital throughout the process."
"How much will it be?" He asked, his eyes on the ceiling.
Airmid was silent as she pulled the bedsheet over him like a child, then finally spoke. "It would be free if y-you... help me with something…" Her voice grew quieter until it became a whisper. "Forget it. You just need to rest—"
"I can help you."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up before she quickly cleared her throat. "I mean, you don't have to. You are my patient and I can't be asking you for help while you're healing."
Rex opened one eye and looked at her. "Is it something about potions?"
She nodded.
"Then I'll see what I can do." The girl nodded vigorously, clearly happy despite trying to maintain her composure as his healer.
"Also," Rex continued, "will you be using your Mystery to find a way to heal my arm?"
"Yes," she replied. "I'll do what I can to create a magic to repair the damage—or at the very least, ease the pain enough for daily use
That made Rex smile. "Would you mind if I watched when you use your Mystery development ability?" he asked.
It was the perfect opportunity to study it—maybe even figure out how to get it for himself. Yeah, he is injured and should be resting like a normal human, but no way was he missing this chance.
"You're a patient," she shook her head. "I won't allow you to put more stress—"
"Your potion."
"Alright," she instantly agreed. "I'll allow it—but only under certain conditions."
"That's not a problem," Rex said with a slight smile.
'Now, all I need to do is find out what Ishtar's been up to these past few days. At least I know she isn't dead yet.' The thought before looking down to see he had been tucked, which he hadn't noticed her doing earlier...
'I don't mind this treatment... not at all...'
[Author's Note: Thanks for all the ideas regarding his new magic/skill given last chapter. I have decided on something and it would be appearing during his level up in the next few chapters. Look forward to it.
Now, as for this chapter, Rex has hugged both the protagonist and the main female lead of Danmachi. Just wanted to point that out. Also, what do you think about the injury of his right arm? Too much? I honestly 'permanent crippling' will be too much but I can't have everything be stake-free so I had to do it. Will definitely have him find a way to work around it, but this shows that Berakh HaKele should NOT be used on the body.
Anyway, thanks for reading and good night. The author is sleepy~(￣o￣) . z Z]