Orange Cat could only express regret.
It wanted to save the poor old woman—but the host simply didn't have that kind of power yet. He'd grown for too short a time.
Not even half a month.
From Orange Cat's perspective, the fact that this host had reached this level so quickly was already nothing short of astonishing.
As for Interference Points, Xien's current reserves couldn't do much. And the shop didn't sell any item or skill capable of true resurrection—otherwise Orange Cat wouldn't have been so thrilled back when it first rolled the Abundance Apothecary profession.
But Orange Cat didn't realize that the moment Xien heard the answer, his mind latched onto something else entirely.
Pain and grief churned inside him like a rising tide.
He hated this feeling.
Weren't stories supposed to end in happy reunions—everyone safe, everyone smiling?
Was reality truly this brutal?
One bombing alone had left so many injured… so many dead.
They were civilians—ordinary people, shadows that history would never remember.
But what he was looking at were living human beings, one after another.
How immense must the Healer's compassion be, to walk the Path of Abundance?
His understanding of Abundance had been shallow.
Staring at the tragedy in front of him, he felt like he finally understood something:
That "compassion" wasn't a pretty word.
It was a vow carved out of witnessing endless suffering.
That "granting what is asked" was an ultimate principle refined by countless tragedies—mercy at its most absolute.
He couldn't reach that height.
But this tragedy, right here in front of him…
He felt like he could try.
He didn't want a world this shattered.
Hadn't they already eliminated the threat?
Then why—why was the only thing left here fear and sorrow?
With that thought, Xien motioned for Ryuu to set him down.
Under the crowd's confused gaze, Xien walked slowly toward the old man.
A'di tried to speak—but her friend stopped her.
Ryuu met her eyes and gave a slow shake of her head, telling her to keep watching.
In the elf girl's eyes, something unbidden rose—hope.
She stared at the boy's fragile figure as he advanced, weak step by weak step.
His frame was thin.
But to her, in that moment, his silhouette grew taller and taller.
She didn't know what she was hoping for.
Another impossible miracle?
Or the boy's will—the will that refused to accept fate's verdict and fought back with everything he had?
Without realizing it, the Sharingan surfaced in Xien's eyes.
The heat behind his gaze intensified.
Where Xien couldn't see, a single tomoe spun rapidly around the lens—until it reached a threshold.
And then—
A second tomoe appeared.
Sharingan (Two-Tomoe): Interference Points +50
But now wasn't the time to check his condition.
He had something he had to do.
He reached the old man and knelt.
The old man's eyes were dull, his vitality hollowed out—he simply stared at his wife's remains, as if his soul had already left him.
So this was how easily despair arrived.
Healer… I think I understand why you were willing to cast down mercy…
Xien raised a hand and patted the old man's shoulder.
"Grandpa Hawk… don't worry. Leave it to me."
"Your wife's life—I will keep it."
In the old man's stunned gaze—and the surrounding crowd's disbelief—Xien stretched out both hands.
Green life-energy surged from him, pouring into the body that had been burned down to charcoal.
But it was useless.
Even his purified, advanced life force still couldn't awaken the remaining trace of life inside that ruined shell.
Power that could mend fatal wounds—
Showed no effect at all here.
That wasn't surprising.
His strength had evolved, yes—but her life had already withered.
The power of Abundance went far beyond this. He had only just grasped the surface, and he simply couldn't wield more.
Yet some things weren't a question of can or can't.
They were things that must be done.
His mana was exhausted?
Then he would use life force.
If this was a technique born of intent, then let it answer his intent.
At this moment, he wanted only one thing:
Save her.
There was only one thing he needed to accomplish—
To make the old man see that gentle smile again.
To show those scum what it meant to have a will that refused to die.
A completely different activation method slammed into his body, bringing agony that felt like rejection itself.
Unnatural green fractures spread across his skin.
Every patch of flesh was torn open—then healed—then torn open again, over and over, violently repeating.
But it didn't matter.
He understood his will.
The magic started.
One Thought: God and Demon—true to its name—
In this instant, he would become the absolute god that defied life and death.
"Abundance… please grant this fragile life… the joy of living."
Life force manifested—sprouting like tender shoots.
A green sapling lifted Xien and the old woman's remains.
It grew—rapidly—into a towering tree.
Then, guided by Xien's will, a branch reached out to her.
It budded.
It bloomed.
It bore fruit.
And at last, it condensed into a single drop of life-essence—falling onto the charred remains.
The might of Abundance displayed an effect that could only be called miraculous—
A feat that reversed life and death.
The carbonized body—
As if time itself were flowing backward—
Began to regain vitality.
Everyone present unconsciously clasped their hands together, eyes shining with something like worship, watching the scene.
A divine miracle was happening.
Right here.
Ryuu and her friend stood motionless, staring—so overwhelmed they'd temporarily lost the ability to speak.
Ryuu, in particular, felt as if she were seeing the sacred tree of her homeland—
Yet the aura here…
Was even purer than that divine tree.
In an age of darkness, a flame named "hope" quietly ignited.
And the world itself responded.
Heaven and earth resonated—almost rejoicing at the birth of a new existence that practiced the will of life.
In the Guild's Depths
Deep beneath the Adventurers Guild, the god Ouranos opened his eyes.
Just now, he had felt it—
The Dungeon was transmitting an emotion like joy.
It was rejoicing over the birth of something.
His prayers had strengthened.
And he could feel that immense life aura as well.
"Ouranos… what is it?"
A cloaked figure asked.
The figure was hidden entirely under a robe—only bone claws extending from the sleeves proved he was not human.
"The Dungeon is joyful. Because of the birth of some existence… it has become much quieter."
"What…?"
"Fels—looks like we need to make contact with that child from Astraea's familia."
"He may possess an extremely important power."
"I think I've seen… a new hope."
Their last attempt to defeat the Black Dragon had indeed failed. They'd already prepared themselves to start over.
But now a new star had appeared—like the exceptional child from Hera's side.
A rule-breaker.
If he matured, perhaps he could become the strongest safeguard of all.
Or perhaps…
Even more than that.
"Yes… too fast. At his rate of growth, he might become one of the final team members."
"Understood. I'll keep an eye on him—and offer guidance when the time is right."
Aftermath—and Shadows
The incident seemed to have ended.
But had it?
Prevented a major catastrophe early, ignited a spark of hope: Interference Points +1000
Elsewhere—
A young, black-haired, handsome man walked alone down a dim road.
Hands in his pockets.
A confident smile.
A unique, flawless aura—
Clearly a god.
Before long, he arrived at an underground space like a hall.
The dim firelight failed to illuminate every corner—shadows shifted faintly around the edges.
"Ah, ah… I didn't expect you couldn't even kill a Level 1 brat. If word gets out, your underlings will laugh you to death."
"Shut up. I was careless."
"I didn't expect that kid to heal even an injury that should've been a guaranteed death."
"Level 1 and this ridiculous?"
"And that red flower—she arrived at the perfect time."
"Now it seems… he really is hard to deal with."
The black shadow rippled—emotion leaking into its form.
"So? You missed your chance. They'll take safer measures next time. What will you do?"
The handsome god teased casually.
"God Eren. The 'joining' you asked for earlier—on behalf of the familia, I agree."
"Oh? That easy? You're not going to ask your patron god?"
A flicker moved through his heart, but his expression still showed surprise.
That kid really had handed him a divine assist.
"Familia matters are entirely under my authority. The patron rarely interferes."
"If you truly can lure those two… then letting you join is no problem."
"Our goal is the same, isn't it?"
"Straightforward. Then—we have a deal."
"Of course."
"All for tearing off their hypocritical masks and forging an era that belongs to us."
The incident seemed to have ended.
Back to Xien
Over the next few days, Xien returned to a "normal" rhythm.
He knew it wouldn't end here.
He would collect this debt—once he became stronger than them.
Logic told him what he needed now wasn't reckless vengeance.
It was growth.
He needed to make himself stronger.
The familia felt unusually quiet—everyone resting after a major event, he assumed.
But what he didn't know was this:
His familia—and Lady Astraea—were shielding him from all outside pressure.
They didn't even let the news reach him.
He also didn't know that the gentle, elegant Lady Astraea had drawn her sword and stormed a hastily convened divine council after that disturbance.
Her message was simple:
Xien is her child.
That power is his talent.
Ask for help if you must—
But if anyone harbored ill intent, they'd learn how sharp her blade truly was.
Unexpectedly, what she thought would be hard to achieve became easier than imagined.
A fleeting phantom-like shadow she glimpsed behind the scenes made her suspect she understood why.
Meanwhile, the familia began hunting members of the Evil Faction.
That Night—In Ryuu's Room
A fat orange cat somehow slipped out of the wall.
Clumsy.
Strangely cute.
It fluffed its messy fur, approached Ryuu, and studied her sleeping face—then nodded.
"Mm. Came to the right place."
"My host is really something—already reeled in such a gorgeous girl."
"Since you've already got these feelings, I'll give you a push."
"A savior needs companions too, right?"
Muttering to itself, Orange Cat raised a chubby paw and waved it over Ryuu's face.
Specks of starlight drifted down and sank into her body.
Ryuu showed no obvious reaction—only her slightly furrowed brows eased a little.
"Grow quickly, little girl."
"May your will—and my help—let you catch up to my host's pace."
Then it slipped back through the wall again, as if it had never been there.
Xien's New Obsession
As for Xien—
He became desperate to master the knowledge in those books.
After walking through life and death with his own body, the might of life now occupied first place in his mind.
Above all:
Living matters most.
If someone dies, nothing has meaning anymore.
For the next stretch of time, the familia noticed their "little brother" looked… stimulated.
His life became a strict triangle:
Room → Workshop → Training Ground.
Some couldn't bear seeing him so tense and tried to talk, to counsel him.
But he didn't seem scarred or trapped in a spiral.
He simply said:
After that incident, he realized how insufficient his strength was—so he wanted to learn these life-saving things as early as possible.
It was hard to argue with that.
But his diligence still stunned everyone.
The assassination attempt had been a hammer blow to the entire familia.
If not for Xien's abnormal power—and his breakthrough at the edge of death—
They would've gone mad.
To avoid the spotlight, Xien would have to stay in the familia residence for a while.
Contact with outsiders was temporarily restricted.
He also sent messages to the half-elf girl and to Sister Tsubaki, explaining the situation.
Xien agreed with the plan and worked like he'd returned to his high school peak—
Almost all his time, besides eating and sleeping, went into becoming "more complete."
He spent time combining the books Lady Astraea prepared with the basic medical knowledge purchased from Orange Cat.
From a complete novice, he became something like a trainee medical student, and his control over power grew far more familiar.
These days continued…
Until one day—
A stranger appeared at the Astraea Familia's base.
Alfia—the current captain of Hera Familia.
A Level 7 mage.
She had come to fulfill an agreement.
....
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