Chapter 96: Wake Up
Alvaric, whose breathing was now much more stable, slowly opened his eyes. When he first tried to open them, his chest felt tight and hot, but after he adjusted his breathing, all of that vanished.
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Congratulations, you have reached Level 100.]
Do you wish to evolve immediately? [Yes] [No]
The very first thing Alvaric saw upon waking was the notification from his system. He had succeeded in killing the Replica of the Angel. The mission was completed, and the experience he gained from defeating the Replica of the Angel was enormous, since that creature was immensely powerful.
Alvaric had even been forced to use his skill Blood Domain to defeat it. Without that, the chances of victory would have been small. Of course, the price he had to pay was great as well.
"Thank goodness... I’m still alive," Alvaric thought to himself.
He lifted his hand and saw that it was real. He touched his body, confirming that everything was solid, everything truly existed. That gave him relief. He had thought he would actually die, but fortunately, he had survived.
"He’s awake!"
Everyone turned toward Alvaric. At the same time, Alvaric raised his gaze, and he was startled. A familiar face was bowing beside Lyrith. Alvaric rubbed his eyes, thinking perhaps they were deceiving him, but it wasn’t an illusion.
Just as he was about to speak, suddenly Lyrith and Marie threw themselves at him, embracing him tightly. Velka, Ramiel, and Serya only watched, small smiles on their lips. The scene they had been hoping for had finally come true. They were relieved.
"Thank goodness... I’m so glad you’re alive."
"Yes."
Alvaric felt the warmth of Lyrith and Marie’s embrace. For a moment, he simply stayed still, letting his body be wrapped in that comforting feeling. He allowed himself to enjoy the embrace of those two women—two people who were so important to him.
"I really... almost lost you," Lyrith whispered faintly, her voice trembling. "If you had never woken up again... I—" Her words broke off, her breath hitching, and she could only bury her face deeper against Alvaric’s shoulder.
"Idiot... you’re really such an idiot," Marie muttered.
Alvaric stroked the heads of both girls. He didn’t say anything for several minutes, just letting them vent their frustration. Marie even went so far as to pound his chest quite hard.
He nearly choked.
"If you keep doing that, I really will die for real."
Thump!
"Idiot," Marie said again.
This time she fell silent. She only hugged Alvaric without another word. Lyrith, on the other hand, loosened her embrace. She gazed at Alvaric’s face for quite a while, and then a smile appeared. Relief was written all over her expression. Alvaric returned that with a smile of his own.
"...Lyrith?" Alvaric’s weak voice escaped. "Thank you."
Lyrith tilted her head. "For what?"
"For helping me. If you hadn’t lent me your Mana, I might never have woken up again," Alvaric said.
Lyrith nodded. She was surprised that Alvaric realized it had been her who helped. Alvaric had been unsure at first, but after feeling the magical energy from Lyrith, he recognized it. That warm power had lifted him back from the edge of death.
Alvaric’s eyes were full of gratitude as he looked at Lyrith, whose body still appeared slightly pale. A faint smile curved his lips. "Once again, thank you. I owe you my life twice over."
"Twice?"
"Forget it!" Alvaric quickly shifted his gaze to Marie. "Can I sleep now? My whole body still feels exhausted."
Marie finally released her embrace. She gave Alvaric a wide smile, which he answered by patting her gently on the head. After that, Alvaric lay back down. He could still feel the ache in his chest and stomach. Though healed, the pain of his earlier wounds lingered in his body. It would fade slowly with time. Nothing to be too worried about.
As Alvaric began to close his eyes, intending to sleep, the system screen still hovered before him.
[Mission Complete!]
[Reward Obtained: 10,000 Evolution Points, New Skill!]
[Skill Acquired: Summoning Servant!]
He had gained yet another new skill. A rather interesting one, but he wanted to rest first. There were many things he wanted to do, but he would postpone them for a while. After that, Alvaric let his eyes shut once more, this time falling into a peaceful slumber.
"Thank you."
***
Marie and Lyrith still sat beside Alvaric, gazing at his face that now looked so serene. Both of them smiled again. Neither knew how many times they had smiled in just these few minutes.
"What should we do now?" Marie asked.
"Wait until Alvaric wakes. After that, we will leave this place. Honestly, I want to bring him back to the city of Vashtraal, but I think I’ll allow him to return with you to the city of Chilg. Will you be willing to take care of Alvaric?" Serya replied.
Marie and Lyrith exchanged glances, then both nodded. Marie actually wanted to bring Alvaric back to Earth, but she would wait for Alvaric’s decision first. She couldn’t make such a choice on her own.
That decision, however, ran counter to what Serya wished. If Serya knew about it, she would forbid such a thing from happening.
"There is something I must do first. After that, we will meet again in the city of Chilg," Serya added.
Lyrith didn’t quite understand, but she nodded anyway. She didn’t know Serya well, nor the plans Serya was making. What Lyrith thought about now was only one thing: staying by Alvaric’s side. She would follow him wherever he went.
This incident had made her terrified of losing him. She had already lost Niva. That had struck her heart deeply, though her face remained calm. She still felt that loss. Niva had been so kind to her, even more indulgent than Alvaric.
Losing Niva left her sad, angry, and frustrated. But she didn’t know what she could do about it.
"I will protect you," Lyrith whispered, touching Alvaric’s cheek.
She then lay down beside him, hugging him tightly, and closed her eyes. She, too, allowed herself to rest.
At the same time, Marie remained silent, watching them. She clutched her chest. There was a painful ache inside it, suffocating, yet she couldn’t protest. Lyrith was the one who had healed Alvaric. It would be terribly rude for her to stop Lyrith from being close to him.
"...You like Alvaric, don’t you?" someone suddenly asked.
Marie’s face immediately turned red. She stammered, flustered, her eyes darting around in panic, unable to form a proper reply.
Seeing that, Serya and Velka instantly knew the answer. They glanced at Marie for a moment, then at Alvaric and Lyrith. They repeated that a few times.
"Could this turn out badly?" Velka whispered to Serya.
Serya shrugged both shoulders. "I don’t know. Everything depends on Alvaric. His response will decide it all."