Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Reattached Leg and Vanishing Woman
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Maybe it was because I'd lost so much blood, but even after sleeping for ages, I still felt exhausted and nodded off again.
A careful hand gently woke me, and I instinctively grabbed its wrist. Feeling its thickness, I cracked my eyes open to see the face of that priest from earlier.
" Please rise. A high priest has arrived."
I pulled myself up a bit and leaned against the bedhead. An elderly man with a gentle face approached, smiling warmly.
"I heard you brought your severed leg."
"Oh, that."
Glancing at the white-haired man, I opened my subspace and pulled out my leg—cloudy eye and all—handing it over.
The heavy, cold touch felt weirdly off-putting, so I handed it off quickly. The elderly priest took my leg and examined it from every angle.
"It's been preserved remarkably well, and the cut is incredibly clean. The stump is almost smooth, with no tissue loss, so recovery should be swift."
It might feel unnatural at first, but soon I'd be walking on my own leg again. I nodded and spoke up.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
I'd paid handsomely, after all. Gripping my knee and facing my pale leg, the priest chanted some spell-like incantations. The flesh began wriggling, knitting together.
Then the junior priest massaged and rubbed my leg. The bluish, dead limb with its bulging purple veins gradually regained vitality.
"Ugh..."
Damn, my leg was tingling like crazy, as if I'd sat cross-legged for 30 hours straight and now electricity was buzzing through it, ready to burst.
It wasn't unbearable agony, but too torturous to call itchy. I curled up, groaning.
Soon my toes cramped and twitched like a charley horse. My foot felt like it was twisting unnaturally, so I writhed. The junior priest worked diligently to loosen the rigid muscles.
Damn it, never using my body as bait again.
Was this worse than having my leg chopped off?
I must've broken out in a bucket of cold sweat. Finally, the trembling stopped, my strength ebbed, and I caught my breath. The two priests stood, looking at me.
"It's done."
"Rest a bit, then try standing. The more you walk, the faster you'll recover."
I waved them out urgently, like I'd had enough. They left promptly, as if their business was concluded.
Only after they shut the door did I roll around on the narrow bed, moaning openly.
Sure, this was a world with real magic, but I hadn't expected it to just snap back perfectly like glue.
Still, it hurt so bad that tears welled up by the end. Amid it all, my one coherent thought was relief that I'd sent Cain and Luna away.
"Floatation sense for the win..."
Even after getting my leg hacked off and reattached, my only takeaway was gratitude that they hadn't seen my pathetic, teary face. What a trait essential for a fragile modern soul.
Lying there lost in worthless thoughts, I glanced down at my leg.
Wiggle, wiggle.
I flexed my toes and rotated my ankle. It felt a bit off, but it moved fine.
Like the priest said, I should use it often to shake off this awkward sensation.
"Hmm..."
Peeking outside, the sky was just starting to brighten at dawn.
"Time for a morning stroll..."
Once the sun was fully up and Luna or Cain arrived—especially Luna—they'd worry if they saw me walking on my freshly reattached leg. Better knock it out before they got here. Plus, wash off this grimy body.
Grabbing the bedframe, I stood and planted my feet. The leg's unnatural feel hit harder.
I rummaged my subspace for a suitable wooden block—meant for firewood—and used it as a crutch, stepping out one foot at a time.
I'd passed out before, so I hadn't seen beyond the room. Turns out the labyrinth city was huge, and the temple matched it in scale.
Neat landscaping, and even at dawn, cleaners were at work...
"...?"
I didn't judge by looks, but that woman sweeping the floor—our eyes met—she wore a lowly servant's garb for menial tasks. Her appearance defied description.
At a glance, ordinary. But pearl irises shimmering like the aurora. Indigo hair whose depth couldn't be fathomed.
Pass her once, and you might miss it. But look again after blinking, and her beauty layered on like fresh paint, stealing your breath.
'What the hell.'
Luckily—or unluckily—thanks to floatation sense, I could scrutinize her without being entranced. How were others just walking past?
'Trait...'
"You... bear a curious fate."
I was about to open my trait window when she approached and spoke.
"Hey, you."
Who was she?
No one from the original story or game came to mind.
As our pearl eyes met, she bowed her head in greeting, then backed away slowly.
"We... will meet again someday."
"Wait, hold on."
Damn, my leg...
I hobbled after her on my unsteady leg, but she rounded the corner and vanished like a ghost. As if she'd never existed.
Spouting ominous crap and poof. Felt unsettlingly off...
The sky had brightened fully now, dawn's crisp air gone.
Curious about her, but first priority: wash up and get back before Luna and Cain showed.
'Sigh, seriously. In movies or dramas, this'd be foreshadowing, right?'
Later I'd ask, and they'd say, "Who? No such woman in our temple."
Then I'd curse myself. Damn it, should've chased her right then!
Faithfully channeling the audience's POV, I whipped up the scenario in my head, washed up, and returned to bed. Pretending I hadn't left, I pulled a book from my subspace—one of the random items I'd swept from my room—and flipped through it.
At first, I worried how I'd kill time without computers or phones. Turns out humans adapt.
As a kid, I'd devour animal encyclopedias or dinosaur tomes. Here, monster compendiums were surprisingly engaging...
"Young master... good, the priest came and went."
"Luna? Cain, your face looks better."
Deep in reading, I heard them and waved with one hand, smiling.
"Yeah, how's Aria?"
"Yes, she asked why you didn't come, so I made excuses and sent her off. She said she'll work at the main house for a bit, save up, and return."
Would Aria really come back to the labyrinth city?
Thinking of her, I muttered that we couldn't just free a paperwork slave, when Luna started massaging my leg. I went limp.
"...Young master, you didn't walk to wash up yourself, did you?"
She paused kneading, sniffed around me suspiciously, and I replied calmly.
"Handsome guys like me stay fragrant without bathing."
"Something's wrong with your head. Call a priest."
Cain shot down my joke flat. Glaring, I shifted topics by lifting my reattached leg high, wiggling my toes.
"How's it look? Good as new? Time to discharge... er, depart?"
Luna eyed my wriggling toes, her expression tightening. I slowly lowered it, tucked under the blanket myself, and lay back.
Ankles rotated fine under the covers—no issues. Felt wronged.
"Lie still for at least three days. Got it? And I'll be here now, so make me handle the little things."
What? After smashing a dungeon—and whatever Ruby did, I didn't know—they'd investigated my unauthorized entry.
Who'd handle the aftermath while Luna and I stuck around?
I chuckled at Cain, who deserved a knife to the tongue, and timid Luna's empty protests.
"Luna, getting funnier?"
I slowly raised my chin, flashing my black-hearted face for the first time in ages.
"You two got time to burn? I can rest, but you can't. Right?"
"But..."
"You planned the combat team around just me. Luna's your maid originally..."
I cut off Cain defending the crestfallen Luna, smirking.
"What're you saying? My party's gotta be all-rounders. Dungeon time to build chemistry—instead you're babysitting? Can't function without me?"
They shut up. I pulled a water bottle from thin air, drank, and continued as if no personal care needed.
"While I was out, dungeon management investigated, right? Hand off the rest to me—you two move. I'll testify and wrap it up."
They only knew I'd formed a party and joined. With me—Ruby's link—awake yesterday, inspectors would come today.
I could handle it, so Cain and Luna grinding labyrinths was better.
"Same old, even after near-death. Raring to go in a day—no need for us."
"But..."
Cain shook his head at Luna, whispered something. She nodded understandingly, and they left.
Big ordeal meant prime XP time. Had to stay sharp on-site.
'Same for me.'
Timing Codex spells or syncing support with party moves needed practice.
Leg still felt off walking—running worse.
Follow them? I'd just be a stationary DPS; no control gains. Might as well treat this as vacation and rest.
I waved a hand, summoning the Codex to check used and remaining spells.
Mostly attack/defense magic this time; utility low.
"Gotta hit the magic tower."
Once Siren reached Alkaid and Halon via Seiren, they could research scaling production.
In the original, the one-armed guy who got Siren became Cain's foe, costing info wars and public opinion—pure suffering. Recalling pissed me off, but now prototype was mine. We could do the same.
Start with Krueger merchant network for intel, then market to nobles and commoners in years. Huge for continental war against the evil god cult.
'Plus, research surveillance like Big Brother?'
Civilian monitoring via phones?
Illegal in Korea, but here? Whatever. If it benefits me, fine.
Oh, and stock up on attribute stones as demand grows...
'Wait, enchanting...?'
Turning just my head, another system pinged.
Risky here at temple, but later check if Codex could enchant attribute stones.
I peeked outside.
Luna and Cain were gone. A bowl of cold soup sat on the bedside drawer—don't know when they left it.
Using it as excuse, I stood slowly and walked out.
'Can't just let it slide. Too fishy.'
That woman.
Way too suspicious.
Those morning menial worker clothes—not even junior priest. Temple servant garb.
Spotting a middle-aged woman in it, I greeted and asked.
"Good morning, ma'am. Mind if I ask something...?"
"Agh... agh-agh, milord noble. Give that to me."
...Right, all my traits screamed arrogance.
Even polite, it came off rude, huh.
I handed the plate carefully and asked again.
"Any servant here with pearl irises and indigo hair? Know her?"
Her eyes rolled up, as if recalling, then she groaned.
"Who... might that be...?"
Impossible. That face was unforgettable, shocking.
I described the woman from morning in detail. The ma'am looked baffled until I mentioned sweeping the main hall forecourt. Then she spoke.
"That... the virgin who cleans just the front yard daily. Oh, yeah, her hair was kinda bluish-greenish."
Something's up.
Chilly premonition hit. I forced a smile, spoke softly.
"Yes. Need to talk to her... where can I find her?"
Embarrassment crept over her face.
"Uh... but milord. She quit this morning..."
"Huh?"
"Yes, quit for sure. Said the world was already in motion... abruptly."
Why do bad feelings never miss?
In a movie or drama, someone'd yell, "Should've grabbed her!"
Listen, I couldn't chase without barking like a dog!
Half-unhinged, I vented to no one and laughed bitterly.