Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.42 – When Spring Blooms (3)
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[It's getting steamy.]
"Ee...!!"
Irene's face flushed red at the sight of the instructor being overwhelmed by the fairy.
Of course, she knew it was a healing act, but even so, it was infuriating to see him having his lips taken by a fairy in the form of a woman.
It felt like something that was hers(?) had been stolen by a complete stranger.
Irene stomped her feet, expressing her frustration.
"...Fairy's Blessing."
"That's something precious, right?"
"Precious doesn't even begin to cover it. There aren't even five people in the continent's history who've received it."
However, unlike Irene who was fuming, Roan and Derek simply marveled, recognizing the act as the Fairy's Blessing.
Fairy's Blessing.
A blessing that appeared only in legends and myths of the continent's history, received by heroes.
No one knew exactly what effects it had.
The blessed heroes had all kept silent about it.
But one thing was certain: everyone who received the Fairy's Blessing left an immense mark on the continent's history.
Even heroes from civilizations 10,000 years past were still remembered, proving it was a blessing reserved for those who achieved immortal records by human standards.
So, perhaps the instructor would become a hero who left behind an immense legend as well...
"-According to some unofficial history, there's this record."
"Huh?"
"The Fairy's Blessing isn't actually some special miracle. The reason they made their mark in history was just because those heroes were exceptional on their own, not thanks to the blessing."
"Wha...? But didn't all the heroes who received the blessing become legends?"
"The scholar who interpreted and investigated that unofficial history claims there were at least 120 heroes who received the blessing, not just the five famous ones."
"......"
"In other words, the great ones were great on their own. Don't say it's thanks to the blessing. Moreover, records left by nameless heroes who received the blessing often say things like 'I'd rather not have received it' or that it was the 'worst blessing'."
"...Isn't that basically a curse?"
"Hmm, in my opinion..."
"Eup!?"
Hmm...
"Depending on a person's capacity, it could be a curse, or a blessing to someone else..."
Watching the instructor being mercilessly subjected to it somehow evoked pity.
It was certainly a kiss from a beautiful fairy, but the fact that he had no say in it made it feel somewhat...
"Hoo."
Roan squeezed his eyes shut.
It left a queasy feeling, standing at the crossroads of blessing or curse.
"One thing's for sure—I'd pass on that."
"...Haha."
Derek let out an awkward laugh, subtly agreeing.
Still.
'The fairy is beautiful, so... happy times, right?'
Derek cautiously thought it might not be such a bad experience.
-Kwarung!
"!!!"
Happiness my ass!
Who was it that said kissing is happy?
'Damn it! Trying to be happy once and I'll end up leaving this world!!'
What Lee Han was feeling right now was anything but happiness.
To put it bluntly, he was submerged in water, unable to breathe, overwhelmed by agony.
And what drove him even madder was that despite not being able to breathe, it only tormented him without killing him.
...And do you know what was even more maddening on top of that?
Kuruduk!
"Kuhuhuhup!?"
Lee Han was enduring excruciating pain unlike anything he'd ever felt in his life.
"Uhuhuhup!!"
Even while kissing, the fairy somehow managed to speak, but Lee Han had no room for wonder—he writhed in agony. Or rather, he wanted to writhe, but he had to stay still.
From the moment the fairy grabbed him, his entire body stiffened rigidly, unable to move.
'Is this really healing?! Since when does healing hurt this much?!'
Lee Han had assumed the fairy's healing would be painless, but this was more agonizing than ever, making him wonder if it was torture instead.
She read his thoughts precisely.
The fairy kindly explained.
...Though it brought him no joy.
'How long is that "little"?!'
'!!?'
The revelation that he had to endure something equivalent to (10x) childbirth pain for a full 12 hours made Lee Han feel like he might faint.
No... correction: he couldn't even faint.
It hurt too much—even if he passed out, his consciousness would snap right back.
Lee Han wondered if he'd somehow offended the fairy.
"......!"
'You like me and still inflict this pain?'
Lee Han shot her a slightly irreverent glance, and the fairy smiled with her eyes.
'I'd rather pass on that blessing...'
'......'
This explained why ancient heroes never spoke of the Fairy's Blessing.
Few would call such insane pain a blessing. It might even breed resentment.
In Lee Han's case...
'C-Could you at least let me scream to ease the pain?'
'I'm going insane...'
He endured the pain in silence.
No resentment, just closing his eyes.
Kurudududuk!
"!!?"
Bones, muscles, nerves, and tendons—all being reassembled.
Occasionally, a refreshing yet hot spring energy touched depleted or tangled areas, restoring the assembled body.
It was a turtle-slow process, the pain building gradually and relentlessly, utterly horrific.
Yet...
'I-It's... a little, but just a little, I'm getting used to it...'
Lee Han gradually adapted to the pain.
The first reason this was possible was comically his childhood as a spellcaster's test subject, where he'd endured similar agony.
The second was his usual training methods involved pain.
Thus, he adapted more easily than most.
Pain could be borne if one knew it required endurance, adaptation, and that it would eventually end.
'Endure... endure...!'
Even as he endured, Lee Han steadily observed the changes in his body.
How muscles broke down, how bones were reassembled and strengthened—constantly.
And he was certain.
This was it.
'......Exchanging Bones and Washing Marrow.'
The pinnacle of physical tempering techniques for Taoist cultivators becoming immortals, replacing bones with immortal bones!
Lee Han had been working toward an artificial version, but that merely toughened bones and muscles—this level of thoroughness was beyond his dreams.
'Not just muscles or bones—heart, blood vessels, intestines, tendons, everything is being remade.'
Even parts impossible to train, internal organs—all transcending human limits.
...This was a procedure only a fairy could perform.
A technology and blessing impossible for humans.
A fateful encounter.
Lee Han was gaining the opportunity of a lifetime.
However...
"......!?"
"!!!!"
"Uhuhuhup?!!!"
...He couldn't help thinking fateful encounters came in their own varieties.
Thud.
......Lee Han passed out.
After over twelve hours of the blessing, he lost consciousness completely.
Honestly, surviving that long was a miracle in itself.
But the fairy...
...simply looked regretful at the fainted knight, who wouldn't wake for another two days or so.
She wanted to converse more...
The fairy shook her head, whining.
Whining that humans were too 'frail'...
At that moment.
He hadn't received quite as passionate a kiss as Lee Han, but another knight was surrounded by other spring fairies, blessed and fainted.
The Spring Fairy instantly sensed the innate Killing Star energy and chuckled.
-Brrr.
The energy Lee Han called the Heavenly Killing Star, which had tormented and destroyed its host's body until now, trembled like a frightened puppy at the Spring Fairy's gaze.
As if it didn't dare resist.
The Spring Fairy scolded it, though she didn't expect obedience.
It was like a heaven-sent curse.
Still, with the vessel restored to perfect condition, controlling and using its power should now be manageable.
Of course, overuse would crack the vessel again.
Oh, speaking of curses.
The Spring Fairy sensed the curse fused into Lee Han's body.
Tricky, but removable if she willed it.
The fairy saw overcoming that curse as a 'trial'.
True great heroes needed such hardships!
...If Lee Han heard, he'd beg to skip the trial and just fix it, but unfortunately, he was out cold, and the fairy was resolute.
Sarahk.
The Spring Fairy caressed the knight's cheek, drawing a warm smile.
It had been a long time.
Seeing a knight born to such a fateful ordeal who held to his convictions to the end.
Yet that made him all the more admirable.
The fairy caressed him several times, feeling a bit of 'love'.
An emotion akin to deadly poison for a fairy.
But fairies fell in love too easily.
They yearned for affection despite knowing it was poison.
And now, looking at this knight, the fairy felt love.
Toward the steadfast knight who never resented her despite the pain and even expressed 'gratitude' in the end.
...A charming man.
But the fairy let go of her feelings.
Touching a man with a fated partner wouldn't do.
Fated partners sensed in the knight's destiny.
Not just one, but 'several'.
A candidate was right there.
"I-Is it over now?"
"Seems like it."
"...Ruthless."
...A girl bearing the fairy's bloodline.
Fate emanated from her too.
And behind her...
The fairy waved off 'her' glare.
She was curious which partner this knight would choose.
Oohohu!
The Spring Fairy laughed innocently, raising both hands.
Hwaaak!
A gentle spring breeze blew, sweeping up the two knights, two men and one woman, and a child who had approached unnoticed.
She sensed their bewilderment but merely waved goodbye.
They had their own gratitudes, and seemed to have claimed their 'rewards' already.
So.
The fairy gave them her final goodbye.
Whoooong.
......The presences vanished completely on the spring breeze.
As if no one had been there from the start.
The Spring Fairy gazed wistfully at the spot where they returned to the dragon lands, then soon floated into the air.
She had to inform Winter, didn't she?
──That spring had returned.
-The child intended to climb the hill early in the morning again today to make a wish.
Wishing the fairy wouldn't be angry anymore, and for the snow to finally stop.
But...
"Mom, what's that?"
"......"
"Mom? Dad?"
"Hic... "
"Haaa, th-thank you, Fairy, thank you..."
"...?"
The child tilted her head.
It was strange seeing her always steadfast parents with teary eyes, and the villagers doing the same.
But the strangest and most novel sight was...
"Wow, so pretty...!"
The warm, round rays of light slowly emerging as the dark clouds parted mesmerized her most, her eyes sparkling.
To the child.
"...Eren, our baby. It seems the fairy has finally lifted her anger."
"??"
The mother, who had never seen the light of life in the sky, taught her child what it was.
"That's the 'sun'."
"S-Sun...? That!?"
The child's eyes sparkled wide.
Having witnessed the 'sun' she'd never seen since birth—only heard in stories—she fell silent for a moment...
"Ah!"
"Eren!?"
But the child hurriedly climbed the hill behind the house.
The hill where she placed her cherished pebbles every day.
And there...
"...You heard it."
No pebbles remained—flowers bloomed instead.
"Hehe, thank you, Fairy!"
For granting her wish—
The child was truly grateful, and the mother, who followed belatedly, looked shocked for a moment before hugging her child tightly, tears welling up.
Where the snow melted and the child's wish pebbles had vanished...
A beautiful field of dandelions spread out.