章節 1784: Treatment
Despite agreeing that they would leave him alone if he defeated them one-hundred times in a row, Gandr moved through the crowd surrounding the 'House of Miracles' with Jung and Serra following close behind. This made Gandr feel a little exasperated, but, rather than fret over their obstinacy, he maintained a casual smile, returning the greetings of various Regulars and laughing off their teasing remarks.
Though his fame couldn't compare to Vahn and Phae, Gandr was easily the most popular member of Team Wolf Pack. Their faction was literally known as the Black Wolf Faction due to his efforts, and, though Jung and Serra were the most tenacious, he actually had a considerable number of female fans. The only reason he wasn't pestered by even more women was due to the presence of the two girls behind him, so, even if they were a little troublesome, Gandr tolerated them for his own sake...
---
Hearing the unexpected chiming of the door, Nare, wearing a rather adorable Nurse outfit, looked over with the intention of chiding whoever had entered without permission. When she noticed the familiar trio, however, her frown immediately turned into a smile as she chimed, "The prince and his two handmaidens have returned~."
Restraining his urge to sigh, Gandr smiled back at Nare as Serra coldly remarked, "I am nobodyies handmaiden..." in an aloof tone. As for Jung, she just replied with a toothy smile before waving her hand spiritedly and saying, "Good morning, Nare-chan. You're looking super cute today~!" in a very friendly manner.
Even if the compliment was coming from a girl that appeared even younger than her, Nare couldn't resist smiling in response to Jung's remark. The girl might be a bit of a battle maniac, but she was generally very friendly to everyone she met. This earned her the acceptance of several members of Team Wolf Pack, the only real exceptions being Endorsi, and, to a lesser extent, Anak...
Before Nare could engage the young twin-tailed girl in a friendly conversation, Vahn emerged from behind one of the curtains that afforded his patients a bit of privacy, smiling as he asked, "How did your 'final' battle go? Any injuries that require my attention...?"
Hearing Vahn's 'reminder', Serra crossed her arms indignantly while Jung, despite the context of her exclamation, happily replied, "I feel a prickly pain in my lower back and I think I broke a few ribs~?"
Following these words, Jung scampered over to Vahn's side, stopping right in front of him with a big smile on her face as he habitually stroked her head. This helped him ascertain the true extent of a person's injuries, but, most importantly, Jung simply liked having her head pat. She wasn't exactly a pampered young lady, as most descendants of the Ha Family started learning how to fight before they could even speak properly, but she still enjoyed being spoiled quite a bit.
Noticing that most of Jung's ribs along the left side of her body were fractured, combined with a slight lumbar displacement, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head as he gently chided, "You need to stop overdoing it with your Shinsu Enhancement. Though it might strengthen your body in the long term, you run the risk of becoming a cripple if you're not careful..."
Despite the seriousness of Vahn's words, Jung puffed her non-existent chest out proudly, raising her chin as she said, "The Ha Family is known for their Shinsu Enhancement! If I end up breaking, it just means I wasn't strong enough! Pain is just another obstacle to be overcome~!"
Shaking his head, Vahn guided Jung behind one of the privacy curtains while Gandr and Serra both went upstairs. There, the girl fearlessly peeled away her clothes until she was wearing nothing but a pleated red skirt, black stockings, and a pair of black shorts that served as common undergarments within the Tower. This revealed one of two bruises, a purple one running that ran from beneath her left breast all the way to around her kidney while another, situated near the small of her back, had a dangerous black coloration with a pale white outline.
Though her injuries were serious enough to cause a normal person to cry out in pain or be stuck in a wheelchair for months, Jung showed no discernible signs of discomfort as she bounced onto the table, beaming as she dangled her legs. This made Vahn feel a little resentful towards the Ha Family, but, understanding it was a part of their culture, much like actual Amazons, he decided to withhold judgment until he met the Leader of the Ha Family. For now, the best he could do was prevent Jung from destroying her own body as she desperately trained to overcome Gandr...
After telling the girl to raise her left arm up high, Vahn placed his palm against the massive bruise on Jung's side. In response, the girl giggled like someone who was being tickled. Despite this, she managed to keep her arm raised, even as a few tears escaped the corners of her eyes. The healing energy flowing from his palm forced back the Shinsu she instinctually used to protect her organs and numb her pain receptors; so, despite her laughter, the truth of the matter was that Jung felt a considerable amount of pain as the bruise on her body quickly receded.
Using a fresh towel, Vahn wiped away the sweat from his palm before handing it over to Jung and allowing her to quickly wipe down her body. After that, he handed her a small band of leather to bite on before having her lay on her stomach. The bruising around her lumbar was a lot worse than the massive bruise on her side. There was also a saucer-sized bump on the small of her back, and, if it wasn't treated quickly, there was a very real chance the tissue would become gangrenous, killing her, or, at the very least, leaving her crippled for life.
Restraining yet another sigh, Vahn placed his index and middle finger near the center of the bruise, lightly massaging the region as Jung's body tensed up and began to tremble. A fresh layer of sweat quickly covered her body, and, though she did her best to stifle the sounds, several pained moans escaped her throat. Fortunately, despite appearing as thin as normal curtains, no sound was able to travel beyond the boundary of the curtain's railing. His treatments regularly elicited a rather 'vocal' response from his patients, so, as an extra privacy feature, he added soundproofing and anti-spying barriers around each of the gurney-like beds.
With the initial pain gradually fading away, Jung's body slowly became limp, sniffling as she did her best not to cry. Fortunately, whenever she peeked back at Vahn, he was always very focused, never once looking at her with a contemptuous or disdaining gaze. This made her feel like she could trust him, and, though it always made her feel very ashamed, he was the only person she allowed herself to cry around...
Finished with the relatively short procedure, Vahn pulled out a second towel, gently dabbing Jung's back as she slowly regulated her breathing. He could always use 'cleaning magic' on her, but, as this had an inherent stimulating effect, he did his best to avoid arbitrarily using it on girls younger than a certain age. He knew Jung had a considerable amount of trust in him so the last thing he wanted was to give the girl a reason to doubt or misunderstand his intentions.
Despite her age, making her appear around 12~13-years-old, Jung was actually pretty close to her 108th birthday. Her bloodline allowed her to use Shinsu from a very early age, so, even though she had only recently started her ascent, her physical development, similar to Anak's, had stopped due to a trauma she had received in the past. This left her with a very child-like personality, and, though she regularly pushed herself to the point of severe injury, she always had a smile on her face as she bottled up and compartmentalized all her pain and suffering.
It was largely due to the two girls' tragic pasts that Vahn had Gandr entertain the duo of Jung and Serra. They, like many descendants of the Ten Great Families, carried considerable burdens from a very young age. For Jung, this was the expectation of her mother who had been killed during one of the family's internal disputes. As for Serra, she had basically spent her entire childhood fighting against her own siblings. These battles were fought using real swords, and, if you weren't strong enough, you were quickly abandoned, exiled, or even crippled for your weakness.
Vahn wasn't too enthused about either of the girls' past, so, while he had yet to decide whether or not they would accompany Team Wolf Pack further up the Tower, he asked that his Children treated them well. This allowed Jung to quickly become friends with most of the members, and, though she was still very cold, even Serra had slowly been opening up to others. It was just very difficult for her, as, from a very young age, even her own siblings were considered 'enemies'...
Having relaxed her breathing, Jung quickly wiped away the final traces of her tears before shifting to a seated position and pumping her fists rather adorably as she chimed, "Easy peasy! Now, where is my treat? Gimme, gimme~!"
Though it pained him a little to see her pushing herself, Vahn offered an amused smile in response to Jung's antics, ruffling her hair as he pulled out a panda-themed lollipop and said, "Make sure you fix your clothing before opening it. I don't want you walking out of the curtains without your top on like the first time I treated you."
Being reminded of her previous gaff, a red hue spread through Jung's cheeks as she snatched the lollipop and shouted, "You don't need to keep reminding me! I only did it like once or twice~!!!"
Without saying the number out loud, Vahn held up nine fingers, intensifying the blush on Jung's face before promptly departing beyond the curtains. It was normal for people, especially females, to want to wipe themselves down completely so he always made sure to leave a bucket of warm water and a towel whenever he finished treatment. This included Jung, and, though she didn't seem even remotely bothered by his presence, he had better things to do than stand around watching a 'Loli' bathe herself...
---
Though their primary residence was located within the Little Garden, the top floor of the House of Miracles served as a residential lounge for the members of Team Wolf Pack. It was a place where they could relax in between their shifts, and, most importantly, it served as the hub where everyone accepted Quests and received orders from Khun.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Khun placed down his cup of coffee, heavy bags under his eyes as he offered a smile towards the duo who had just entered. He only got around three hours of sleep per day in the last month, and, if not for the benefits provided by the Little Garden, combined with his heritage as a descendant of the Khun Family, he might have broken down weeks ago.
Returning Khun's smile, Gandr gestured for Serra to take a seat on the nearby sofa as he asked, "Am I the first one back? Did something happen...?"
Amused by Gandr's concern, Khun issued a light chuckle, shaking his head as he said, "Don't worry. I expected you to return around this time so I had Endorsi accompany Aleksai and Shibisu to the Lo Po Bia District. The latter Faction has been growing restless ever since we usurped their alliance with the Eurasia Faction. I don't expect anything to happen, but make sure you're ready to mobilize once Shibisu contacts me..."
Nodding his head in understanding, Gandr lightly sniffed the air, determining that it had only been around twenty minutes since everyone left. This meant they had a few hours before anything major happened, so, before Khun could overwork himself, he said, "Ask Yun-Yun to use her technique on you. I'll watch over the Lighthouse and inform you the moment something changes."
Though his instinct was to refuse, Khun had been doing his best to become a little more trusting as of late. Gandr had also saved him a number of times at this point, so, while they weren't as close as he and Baam were, Khun trusted his judgment. He also felt drained the moment Gandr mentioned Yun-Yun, so, rather than be obstinate, he dragged his feet towards the adjacent room while issuing a long yawn. There, a young girl wearing fluffy animal pajamas could be seen drooling while using Laure's body as a pillow. She had short pink hair, and, though they were rarely ever visible, she also had hazy pink eyes. Her most notable trait, however, was the fact that she appeared closer to eight than her actual age of eighty-three...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Everyone wants a piece of the goodest boi','Jung is doing her best...',The Eurasia Family makes FBI-san's job very difficult...')
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章節 1785: Effort : Exasperation
Though she really hated being told what to do, Endorsi had been trying her best to get along with the rest of Team Wolf Pack. She knew that her status as a Princess of Jahad would likely be revoked at some point in the next couple of years; so, rather than continue clinging to something she never really cared about, she was doing her best to, slowly but surely, change.
Unfortunately, three-hundred-years of living a very specific lifestyle made it difficult to change in a short period of time. This often left her feeling frustrated, not because she wanted to change more quickly, but because people didn't seem to recognize that she was trying. She wanted more people to acknowledge her efforts and tell her she was doing a good job. Instead, just to avoid having her cause a scene, Khun asked her to go out and perform reconnaissance...
With a vexed expression on her face, Endorsi chewed on her thumbnail, muttering, "You better not be getting lovey-dovey with those clingy brats..." while Shibisu and Aleksai stood helplessly at the side. The former had been trying to explain his plan for baiting out a response from the Lo Po Bia Faction, but, almost as if she had a sixth-sense related to Gandr, Endorsi grew irritable around the same time that the former returned to the House of Miracles.
Realizing they might not be able to make any progress today, Shibisu was considering having them turn around when a man with pale skin, pale-pink hair, and mouse-like ears suddenly appeared to block their path. At the same time, a bunch of other thug-like Regulars with the features of various animals quickly encircled them, many with weapons at the ready.
Despite being known for their enhanced perception and animal instincts, the man with pale-pink hair seemed completely oblivious to the fact he had stepped on a landmine, barring his fangs as he asked, "What have we here? A pack of mangy dogs who have strayed too far from their kennel? Do you think you can just freely walk around our territory like this, you F-Class Plebians!?"
Though Team Wolf Pack had more than enough income to purchase additional B-Class Citizenships, it was a lot easier for everyone to remain F~E-Class due to the latter's ability to move freely through Paradise Bay. The only downside was that they risked being penalized for acting against High-Class Citizens. Fortunately, no matter how corrupt things seemed within Paradise Bay, the Administration couldn't just create a rule that allowed certain Regulars to kill with impunity.
So long as they were acting in self-defense, meaning the other party had attacked first, even F-Class Citizens could get away with murder. After all, while there wasn't a penalty for attacking Regulars of a lower class, there were no rules preventing them from retaliating. Thus, if you ended up biting off more than you could chew, antagonizing people you shouldn't, you only had yourself to blame.
Unfortunately, Endorsi wasn't the most level-headed person, so, the moment she heard the man's insult, a tick mark appeared on her head as she balled her hand into a fist and shouted, "Who the fuck do you think you are!? You dare call a Princess of Jahad a Plebian!? Do you want to fucking die you mousy bitch!?"
Surprised by the violent woman's outburst, the pink-haired man took a few steps back, paling more than a little as he stammered, "S-S-So what!? E-Even a P-P-Princess of Jahad needs to f-f-follow the rules! B-B-Besides! I was talking to those two! Not you!"
Since it could become a 'very' big issue if it was discovered that a member of the Ten Great Families had referred to a Princess of Jahad as a 'plebian', the man, Lo Po Bia Hakua, couldn't help but feel a little trepidatious after Endorsi's outburst. He might not get in trouble for killing her, as that would just prove she lacked the qualifications of a Princess, but openly insulting her while she still held the title could get him in a lot of trouble...
Shifting her attention away from the mousy man, Endorsi glanced in the direction of Aleksai and Shibisu before passing her glare over everyone currently encircling them. Then, with a haughty and venomous tone, she glared back at Lo Po Bia Hakua and asked, "You honestly believe you have any right to insult my teammates? You're just some stray rat playing at being important on one of the lowest Floors of the Tower. Just look at how many people you brought to try and intimidate us. You clearly don't have the balls to actually attack, so why don't you just run along before you embarrass yourself further? Go on. Get out of here. Shoo. Shoo."
Though she would have normally charged the man directly, Endorsi had received a private message from Gandr shortly after they had been surrounded. This alerted her to the fact that he was either in control of Khun's Lighthouse or directly observing them from somewhere. She really didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Gandr, so, after remembering the reason for their visit to the Lo Po Bia District, Endorsi decided to bait the other party into attacking.
Angered by Endorsi calling him a 'stray rat', Lo Po Bia Hakua's expression darkened considerably as he held his hand out to the side and uttered, "Reel Inventory, Visible Mode...". This caused a purple crescent with several weapons to appear, one of which was an inordinately beautiful silver Needle with several runes inscribed around the handle.
Noticing the quality of the weapon, Endorsi's brows raised slightly as she remarked, "You must have been on this Floor for quite some time. Tell me, how many weak Regulars did you need to bully just to obtain that weapon? Does it make you feel powerful~?"
Snorting through his nose, Hakua pointed his Needle towards Endorsi as he said, "I'm not afraid of you just because you're a Princess of Jahad...since your group went out of your way to cause chaos within Paradise Bay, don't blame me for what happens next...capture the two weaklings! I'll keep the Princess busy...!"
Returning a snort of her own, Endorsi pulled out a miniatured needle from her vest pocket as she retorted, "Trying to take hostages? It seems the Lo Po Bia Family has really fallen these days..."
Though he was even more incensed, Hakua actually leaped away from Endorsi, his silver Needle glowing with a spiraling pattern as he shouted, "Let's see how long your bravado lasts when you become our hostage...!"
Following Hakua's outburst, a meter-wide pillar of Shinsu erupted from the tip of his Needle like water from a broken dam. This attack was headed straight for Shibisu and his own allies, but, long before it was able to land, Endorsi's disc-like shield manifested to block it. At the same time, several tears appeared in the fabric around her calves and thighs, the result of supercharging her muscles with Shinsu and forcibly activating a very crude variation of Shundo.
Despite her inability to execute the technique properly, Hakua's eyes became full circles as Endorsi appeared right in front of him with a vicious smile. Then, before he could recover and try to defend himself, the Needle in her right hand pierced into his left shoulder as her left hand gripped his right wrist like a vice. This was more than enough to end the fight, but, seemingly dissatisfied with simply defeating him, Endorsi yanked his right arm with overwhelming strength, dislocating it and causing an excruciatingly painful tear to occur around his shoulder.
Hearing the pig-like squeal of their boss, the remaining thugs paled as they watched Endorsi spin Hakua around by his dislocated arm before tossing him toward the ground with meteoric force. To make matters even worse, she had seized the silver Needle for herself, a demonic smile spreading across her face as she landed atop Hakua's unconscious body and said, "You guys really messed up this time. Still, I'm a magnanimous woman. Drop your weapons and break one of your arms. If you do that, I'll pretend like this incident never happened. If you refuse...well, you only have yourselves to blame for what happens next~."
Though they were extremely apprehensive about obeying Endorsi's command, the broken body of their boss served as an effective example of what might happen if they refuse. Fortunately, before anyone could follow through on her order, Shibisu stepped in, hands raised in a placating gesture as he said, "That's enough, Endorsi. We're not the bad guys here. It's one thing to injure them when they are attacking us. Forcing them to cripple themselves is just excessive. Besides, you already got yourself a weapon produced by the Workshop. Let's just return to the House of Miracles. Khun and Gandr can handle the rest..."
Frowning in response to Shibisu's words, Endorsi was about to call him an idiot when a gentle ping emanated from her Pocket. It was possible to register different notifications for each of the people on your contact list so she already knew who the message was from before turning her head. As a result, her frown immediately faded away as she looked over to see the words, 'Let them go.' from Gandr. This made her feel slightly exasperated, but, not wanting to disappoint her fluffy-eared hug pillow, Endorsi just placed her newly acquired Needle into her Reel Inventory as she said, "Fine. I'll let them go with just a warning. Just don't expect me to go easy on them the next time they pull a stunt like this."
With those words, Endorsi kicked the unconscious body of Hakua towards a girl with cat-like ears, startling her quite a bit. Then, after using her [REquip] system to swap out her tattered tights for a fresh pair, she looked around at the crowd, glowering as she asked, "What the hell are you waiting for? Get the hell out of here!"
Fearing the repercussions of sticking around even a moment longer, several members of the Lo Po Bia Faction immediately bolted in response to Endorsi's exclamation. Only a few of the most loyal amongst them helped to carry Hakua's body, their expressions paling as they saw how stretched and bloody his right arm had become...
After watching the final few members run off with their tails between their legs, Endorsi turned her attention towards Shibisu and Aleksai. The former had a wry smile on his face, and, though he was just as expressionless as usual, Aleksai's complexion had paled noticeably. This made Endorsi feel a little uneasy, her expression souring as she asked, "What's wrong with the two of you? I didn't do anything wrong. In fact, shouldn't you be thanking me? If I didn't take decisive action, those jerks would have captured you in a heartbeat...!"
Though they were certainly outnumbered, Shibisu's and Aleksai's training hadn't been for naught. They had grown quite a bit over the last few months, so, while they might have struggled, saying they would be captured quickly was an exaggeration. Despite this, Shibisu did his best to appear grateful, saying, "You're right...thanks for the help..." in a dry tone. He was well aware of Endorsi's 'need' to receive praise and be absolved from guilt; so, rather than exacerbate things by trying to explain what she had done wrong, he would just let Phae, Gandr, and Morgiana to deal with her...
---
Seeing things wrap up without further incident, Gandr released a relieved sigh as he slouched in the chair that was normally occupied by Khun. This allowed him to stare up at the white-haired woman who had been standing behind him, her silver eyes showing very little emotion as she remarked, "I don't understand what you see in that woman...she is needlessly violent and lacks even a semblance of elegance..."
Deadpanning in response to the woman's words, Gandr plainly remarked, "Looming over people's shoulder and talking about others behind their back isn't exactly elegant behavior either..."
Unable to offer a rebuttal to Gandr's statement, Serra frowned slightly without saying a single word in response. This made her appear a little cute, and, for a brief moment, Gandr was almost tempted to tease her a bit. Before he could, however, a familiar scampering could be heard from outside the door before it was kicked open by a petite girl with twin-tails who promptly exclaimed, "Gan-chan! I'm all better now! Let's fight~!"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Endorsi has no chill','Shibisu be like, "Not my problem..."','Gandr's struggles are only just beginning~')
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