Chapter 180: Chapter 180 : Treatment complications

Alex’s tears streamed endlessly as he clutched Lily’s frail hand.

Her once delicate skin was now darkening, corrupted veins crawling across her body like roots of death. Her beautiful face—once full of life and innocence—was barely recognizable, her features twisted by the abyssal corruption that spread faster with each passing second.

Alex’s chest tightened. He could hardly breathe. His vision shook as he whispered, almost choking on the words,

“Lily…”

Inside his head, the voice of the system echoed urgently.

[Host, her state has gone extremely bad.]

Alex’s grief snapped into rage.

“I have eyes too, damn it! Shut up and just tell me the solution already!”

[Don’t yell at me! Let me think for a moment—everything I predicted, all the outcomes, every calculation I’ve done, every scenario—it’s all crumbling. None of it matches this! Give me some time.]

Alex bit his lip until blood filled his mouth. His voice trembled but carried sharp desperation.

“Fine… just do it fast.”

Lily’s eyelids fluttered weakly, her eyes opening and closing as if fighting to hold on. A single tear slid down her cheek, though her lips could not form his name.

Seeing that broke the dam inside him. His tears fell in violent streams.

Alex immediately clasped her hand tighter. Time itself warped. Around Lily, the world froze—the pulsing corruption halted, suspended in stillness.

I’ve stopped time around her using cosmic essence. But hurry, damn it. Before the essence depletes, give me something!

[I’m working on it, Host. Just wait a few moments. I’m as worried about her as you are.]

“How much time?!” Alex shouted in his mind, voice cracking with desperation.

Before the system could answer, another gentle voice came from the other bed in the room.

“She’s really lucky… to have a big brother like you.”

Alex’s head jerked toward the sound. In his haze, he had forgotten—there were two high-tech medical beds in the chamber.

On the other bed lay a woman, clearly in her late forties, black hair strewn across the pillow.

The corruption had climbed to her chest, nearly reaching her neck, her body trembling under its weight.

Her cracked lips formed a faint smile.

“You know, she said you… you’re the best big brother she could’ve had.

And I can see why, as you’re still fighting for her even now… though I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

Alex blinked, momentarily stunned by her presence. He stepped closer, voice shaking.

“Who… who are you?”

The woman gave a broken smirk.

“No one important enough for you to remember. I won’t live long anyway.”

Alex let out a heavy breath, steadying himself.

“Did Lily… did she say anything else?”

The woman’s eyes softened with faint amusement.

“She told me many things. About what you’ve done for her.

How, when you both were abandoned and thrown out of your home, you did everything you could to feed her.

Even begged in the streets. Stole when you had to. Came home bloodied and bruised… and still told her you slipped on stairs.”

Her weak chuckle escaped as her shoulders trembled.

“What a terrible liar you are… She even told me about the three days straight you went without eating, making sure she had food in her stomach.

Honestly, it all sounded like something out of a tragic play. I cried just listening.”

Alex’s throat closed up. He lowered his head, whispering hoarsely.

“She… she was just six at the time. How could she even remember all that?”

The lady closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, thoughtful.

“Maybe she’s special. Some children… some do have photographic memory. Maybe she’s one of them.”

Alex’s chest tightened again, but this time with a bittersweet ache.

She’s right… Lily always picked things up fast. Learned so quickly… as if it was natural to her.

And remembered everything she saw. Just like me.

He gave a small smile as he looked at the woman.

“Thank you. For giving her company.”

The woman shook her head faintly.

“No… don’t say that. She was the one who gave me company.

And happiness. If things were different… I would’ve adopted her as my own daughter in a heartbeat.”

A small, fragile laugh escaped Alex’s lips.

“She wouldn’t leave me. I’m sure of that.”

The woman’s gaze sharpened suddenly, a dangerous edge flickering in her eyes.

“Then I’d just have to make you disappear from this world.”

Alex’s breath hitched as his instincts screamed.

But then she broke into laughter, though it was strained and weak.

“Relax. I’m only joking. Don’t take it so seriously.”

Her face softened again, though her voice carried a grave weight.

“Still… please. If you can’t save her, let her leave and die peacefully. In her brother’s arms.

Don’t give her false hope with whatever you’re doing.

That’s the cruelest thing you could do. Sometimes… it’s just the will of the gods.”

Alex gritted his teeth, his gaze sharp as steel.

“Listen, lady… that’s the kind of thing I hate the most.

“False hope—that’s the garbage the gods peddle. And believe it or not, you’re looking at a man who will even fuck the gods themselves if the need ever arises for me.”

The woman blinked, startled, staring at him as if she couldn’t believe what she just heard.

Alex exhaled heavily, realizing how it came out, then corrected himself.

“That came out wrong. What I meant is—you’re looking at someone who’ll kill even a god if it comes to my sister.”

The lady chuckled weakly, shaking her head.

“You’re quite funny, you know that? But childish dreams like that… you should let them go. No one can defeat the gods.

Not even the strongest beings on this entire continent.”

Alex’s lips curled into a bitter smile.

“Well… it’s up to you whether you believe it or not.”

Just then, the voice in his head resonated with determination.

[Host, everything’s ready.]

Alex’s expression lit with grim resolve. He glanced at the woman, a smirk forming.

“Maybe now… you’ll believe me.”

The lady frowned, her eyes narrowing in confusion. And yet, she couldn’t look away.

Something about Alex—the unwavering fire in his eyes—pulled her in, made her want to watch what this child, who was not even out of his teens, could do.

Alex, however, had already turned his full attention back to Lily.

He stared at her fragile body suspended in frozen time. His grip tightened on her hand.

Partner… I hope you don’t disappoint me.

The system’s voice answered swiftly.

[Host, I’ve run through every possibility in my calculations, and yes—we can still save her. But…]

“But what?” Alex asked through clenched teeth.

The system’s voice rang heavy in Alex’s head.

[Host, listen carefully. Removing the corruption from her heart is straightforward—it will hurt, but it’s manageable. The real danger is her mana core.]

The system paused, then continued.

`[ You must understand: Lily’s mana core is still unawakened. That means it is in a dormant, fragile state, like raw crystal that hasn’t been tempered yet.

Normally, when someone awakens their core, it undergoes a metamorphosis—its structure stabilizes, expands, and forms channels that allow mana to flow in and out freely. That’s what makes it capable of storing and circulating mana. ]`

Alex clenched his jaw, listening intently.

[ But Lily’s core never reached that stage. It is still in its embryonic form—delicate, unstable, and without proper channels.

The abyssal corruption didn’t just cling to it—it seeped directly into its foundation, embedding itself into every microfracture of the dormant crystal. ]

The system’s tone grew grim.

[ Once we pull the corruption out, the core will collapse on itself. Not shatter completely, but the fine lattice that could have developed into a functioning mana vessel will be ruined.

In other words, her core will remain physically intact, but it will become nothing more than dead stone—it will no longer have the ability to absorb, circulate, or store mana. ]

Alex’s eyes darkened, his breath ragged.

“So… even if she survives this, she’ll never touch mana again.”

[ Exactly. If she had awakened her core beforehand, the structure would’ve been strong enough to withstand the cleansing.

But as it stands… removing the corruption means sacrificing her future as a hunter. ]

Alex’s brows furrowed. His voice was rough but steady.

“Her life is more important than her ability to use mana. We can worry about that later.

If she lives, she can have everything else.

But what about the pain… will she be able to handle it?”

The system hesitated.

[I’m not sure, Host.]

It continued, sounding almost regretful.

[ Originally, I was planning to create an antidote using your blood. When the corruption had only reached her legs, that method would’ve worked.

It would’ve taken a few days, but she would’ve been completely cured. But now things have almost slipped out of our hands, nor do we have time to create one.]

Alex cursed under his breath, his grip trembling. But the system’s voice hardened again.

`[Fortunately… we’ve gained the trait:

Abyssborne Sovereignty.

With it, we have full control over the abyssal corruption. That means we can absorb it out of her body. But the process… it will be excruciating for her.]`

Alex’s eyes narrowed as his mind spun.

“Then what if we flood her body with life energy while I absorb the corruption? That way, her body keeps regenerating at a rapid pace.

And if her soul tries to separate, the constant flow of life energy will bind it to her body.”

The system sounded impressed.

[…Wow, Host. I always thought of you as an idiot, but you’re actually brilliant.]

Alex’s mouth twitched.

You do know I’m considered a genius, right?

“But now’s not the time for compliments. That solves regeneration and keeps her soul from separating from her body.

But what about the pain? I wouldn’t have cared if it was me, but her mind… I’m not sure she’ll be able to endure it.”

The system hummed, then spoke with a spark of inspiration.

`[Then we’ll do this—Nerve-Signal Interception.

Pain is nothing but electrical impulses traveling along the nerves.

If you weave Cosmic Essence into micro-threads within her nervous system, you can intercept those signals before they reach her brain.

Redirect them into your own nervous system. That way… you’ll feel all the pain instead of her.]`

Alex didn’t hesitate for a moment.

“Done. Pain is nothing new to me. If it means she won’t suffer… I’ll take every ounce of it.”

The system’s voice sharpened.

[Good. Now that we’ve accounted for regeneration, soul-binding, and pain interception… it’s time. Let’s start the treatment.]

Alex inhaled deeply, steadying himself as his chest burned with resolve.

“Yeah… let’s do this.”

He grasped Lily’s hand tighter, channeling his energy.

Suddenly, black tendrils burst forth from his body, writhing like living shadows.

They surged forward, coiling around Lily’s frozen form. The chamber’s temperature plummeted as a corrupted form of darkness responded.

A clear system prompt echoed in front of his eyes.

[Trait: Abyssborne Sovereignty is in effect.]

——-

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