Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Hope

When Lu Xiao left the asylum, she was holding a jigsaw puzzle. The image on it was a rising sun, a symbol of hope.

Lu Xiao planned to hang it in her office.

So, as she was about to head home with Ares, she asked Teacher Ai Li to take it back to the Fifth Research Institute for her.

Teacher Ai Li took the puzzle. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it safe for you. You should hurry home and get some rest.”

In fact, the color had already returned to Lu Xiao’s face, and she could tell her recovery was much faster this time than the last.

’Looks like my body is gradually getting used to this.’

“I know. You and the others should get some rest when you get back, too. See you tomorrow.” Waving goodbye to Teacher Ai Li and the others, Lu Xiao followed Ares to the hover car.

Once they were back in the car, Ares handed Lu Xiao a cup of warm, sweetened milk tea.

He had made it himself, thinking something sweet would make her feel better after what she’d been through.

As he’d hoped, Lu Xiao smiled and took the cup. “When did you make this?”

She had come over in Teacher Ai Li’s hover car that morning.

She hadn’t seen him make it.

“I thought you might need it, so I made some this morning. Give it a try. I added some sugar, but I’m not sure if it’s too sweet.”

Lu Xiao did need the sugar. She took a sip of the warm milk tea and felt much of her exhaustion melt away. “It’s perfect. It’s delicious. Thank you, Ares.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m just glad I could help.”

“I’m happy you’re here, too,” Lu Xiao said, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder. “I’d like to sleep for a bit, Ares.”

“Go ahead and sleep.” Ares took a nearby blanket and draped it over her, then relaxed his body so she could lean against him more comfortably.

By the time they got home, Lu Xiao was fast asleep. Not wanting to wake her, Ares carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

Lu Xiao didn’t wake up, but when she sensed Ares’s familiar scent, she snuggled closer and nuzzled against his chest.

Perhaps because of their recent intimacy, the barriers between them had fallen. Lu Xiao’s contact with Ares was far more natural now, making them seem more like a real married couple.

After gently laying her down, Ares watched as the color gradually returned to her face in her sleep. The weight on his heart finally lifted.

He knew Lu Xiao hadn’t been lying; she was just exhausted and would be fine after some sleep.

He didn’t disturb her. After adjusting the temperature in the bedroom, Ares quietly closed the door and went downstairs to prepare a meal for her.

Meanwhile, back at the asylum, Dean woke to find himself in his room, the restraints on his body gone.

He moved his leg and his eyes flew open. He sat up abruptly and threw off the white sheet covering his lower body. Just as he’d suspected—he had recovered.

The beastification was gone. His legs were back.

Just as he was overcome with excitement, the room’s monitoring system sounded an alarm.

The sudden buzzing sound put the officers guarding outside on high alert.

They opened the observation port on the door and looked inside to see Dean sitting on the bed with his long legs stretched out.

This was not the rampage they had been expecting.

Dean had clearly returned to normal.

“Quick, report to Admiral Hans!” The officer who spoke couldn’t hide his excitement. He’d been at the asylum for a long time, and this was the first time he’d ever seen a Beastman recover from Half-beastification.

’Is that young female really so incredible?’

Admiral Hans rushed over as soon as he got the news, but he didn’t go to see Dean right away. Instead, he went to the adjacent monitoring room to check the data from the instruments.

Before Lu Xiao had left, they had already seen that after her treatment, the danger assessment value for Dean’s Spirit Sea had dropped from Mid-Advanced to Mid-stage Intermediate.

At the time, however, his Half-beastification hadn’t disappeared.

They never expected that after just one nap, his danger assessment value would drop even further. It was now fluctuating between Mid-stage Junior and Mid-stage Intermediate, and the line on the monitor had turned into an alternating red and green.

’The results are this good.’

He transmitted the report, sending it to Lu Xiao’s terminal. He was sure she would want to see these results.

After leaving the monitoring room, Admiral Hans went to see Dean.

Dean was sitting on his bed, crying like a child. His eyes were red, and tears streamed down his face.

He hugged his legs, sobbing uncontrollably.

But these were tears of joy. After arriving at the asylum, he had never imagined he would see a day when he’d recover.

Here, almost everyone was just silently waiting for death.

The number of people around them dwindled daily. Everyone acted as if they were used to it, but in reality, they had all just gone numb.

They were all prepared for their turn to be next.

During countless sleepless nights, who knew how many had considered suicide to end the agonizing, hopeless wait.

The physical pain, truly, was nothing compared to the mental anguish.

He had degenerated in that torment. The moment the Half-beastification had set in, he had even felt a sense of relief.

’It’s finally my turn.’

But she had saved him. She had cured him. She had pulled him out of the abyss!

Dean looked out the window at the azure sky and the warm sunlight. He had never felt that being alive was such a beautiful thing.

After his fit of weeping, Dean felt exceptionally calm.

It was only then that he noticed Admiral Hans standing outside the door, and for a moment, he was at a loss.

“S-Sir, when did you arrive?” ’Did he see all of that?’

Admiral Hans smiled and nodded at him. “Healer Lu said that venting your emotions is good for your recovery. So if you want to cry, cry. If you want to laugh, laugh. Your physical data is critically important to us right now, Dean, so don’t suppress your feelings. Let them out. How do you feel?”

Hearing this, Dean’s unease vanished. ’So Healer Lu said that. Then I’ll definitely do as she says.’ “I feel great,” he said. “My body feels light, and my Spirit Sea is calm. I’ve never felt this good. Look, my legs are back! I survived, Admiral, sir!”

At this, Dean couldn’t stop the tears from flowing again. He was just so happy.

Admiral Hans understood how Dean felt. He too was incredibly excited to see him recovered, because it meant that the S-Class males in the asylum had finally seen their spring.

In their asylum, a place known as Abyss City, a flower of hope had finally bloomed.

After offering Dean some words of comfort, Admiral Hans left in a hurry. He needed to get back and organize the data for his report to Her Majesty the Queen.

’This time, Her Majesty the Queen is going to be absolutely shocked.’

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