Chapter 68: Hero(5)

"It's been three days already."

"Don't they know the definition of rest?"

"Shh! Bad! They are working day and night for us and you're just going to talk bad about them?"

The two soldiers sighed. They are currently patrolling around the area for security. In the past three days, the priests that came to the Gron kingdom have been working nonstop, which made even their cold king worried. They then suddenly remembered how worried the king was when he saw the golden priest's black eye bags.

'F-friend, why don't you rest? You look tired.'

The priest just smiled gently at him.

'No, I must hurry. And I don't feel tired at all.'

'F-friend....'

The soldiers sighed after remembering that scene. The golden-haired priest worked so hard for them that even his fellow priests were worried about him.

"Thank you very much!"

The guards looked at where they came from and saw the priests walking out of the house. The guard then spoke in shock.

"That's fast."

The soldier nodded.

"Hmm, every time they go house to house, their process of healing becomes a lot faster."

"Seriously, they don't have to go that far for us."

The soldier beside him smacked his head.

"Idiot! If they weren't here, then we'd still all be bedridden! Just be thankful!"

The guard rubbed his head with a pout. He then looked into the golden-haired priest's arms.

"I heard that it wasn't a disease but withered souls."

"That's right, and the priest is doing everything he can to absorb it all."

"Such a pure-hearted man. Those kinds of people are hard to come by these days. "

"You are right."

The soldiers looked at Luke, who looked like he hadn't slept for days, with admiration. Luke was so tired that he couldn't even notice the stares of the soldiers. Actually, he wasn't that tired because of the God of Light's blessing, but he was tired mentally. The reason?

"Brother Luke, you should rest now."

"Hey, you are pushing yourself too hard."

"I can handle the rest."

"Brother, you should eat."

· Dad! You haven't even slept for three days! Sleep!

Luke sighed. He then turned around to his group with a frown. They bother him all hours of the day and night because he can't concentrate.

"Look, I am fine. And there are only a few houses left. After this, we can finally go home."

They all frowned and looked at Luke's condition. He looked so beat up. He now has black eye bags and his skin is paler than before. He also used two arms to absorb withered souls instead of one arm. Both of his arms were pitch black. Liam looked at this with cold eyes.

"Brother, I think you should stop now."

"Haaa, fine! Just one more house."

"Haaa!"

The group sighed in frustration, but Luke ignored them and went inside the next house. Luke was then about to touch the patient, but...

Drip, drip

· Dad!

"Brother!"

Luke's nose and mouth began to bleed. He was about to cover them, but he suddenly felt dizzy. He saw his group shouting something to him, but he couldn't hear them. Then, all of a sudden, everything went pitch black.

'Damn it, this weak body of mine!'

Luke wanted to frown. Despite having worked in a variety of jobs in the past, his body was still frail. It was due to malnutrition when he was young and he was originally born with a weak ass body. His nose will always bleed whenever he works past his limit. But he can't do anything about it though, he needed money in the past.

He thought that it would be fine now since he had the God of Light's blessing, but he was wrong. But he had noticed that his body had become weaker than before. In the past, his limit was staying up all night for five days. He guessed that using [Shifting Earth] constantly made him weaker.

----------

"U-ugh....."

Luke sat up and touched his head while frowning. He felt like a headache was brewing inside him.

"And look who decided to wake up."

Luke flinched and turned his head to the side. He then saw Lance sitting beside the bed while reading a book. Luke blinked a few times before muttering.

"Maybe I'm still inside a nightmare...."

"I can hear you, you bastard. This isn't a dream, you fool."

Luke sighed and turned to Lance, who was still reading.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"For a month."

Luke's eyes widened and he looked at Lance, who didn't even budge and kept on reading.

"Month? A Month?!"

"Yeah, a month, are you deaf?"

"....Fuck."

Lance frowned and slammed his book shut. He then looked at Luke with glaring eyes.

"Just what's gotten into you? Overworking for three days straight without a single wink of sleep is something even I can't do. I've heard that you only eat sandwiches for lunch every day. Who do you think you are? A superhero?"

Luke sighed and scratched his head.

"It's the fastest way to get home so...."

"Tch, unbelievable."

Lance sat back in his chair. It was silent inside the room. Luke just sighed and tried to feel something on the bed. He then finally felt what he was looking for. He then gently patted an invisible Nash, who appeared to be sleeping. Luke then spoke while patting the sleeping Nash.

"By the way, your highness, why are you here?"

Lance sighed and looked up at the stone ceiling inside Ruth's castle.

"Ruth called me two weeks ago, saying that you had fainted."

"And? What did you say?"

Lance stopped for a moment before speaking.

"I just said to leave you alone and you'll wake up in a few days or so."

Luke looked at Lance in disbelief.

"Wow, so heartless."

"But you always wake up days after fainting. But surprisingly, I am not surprised at how long you've been asleep. You DID save an entire kingdom, literally. You go house after house. It is only natural to be unconscious for months, especially..."

Lance glared at Luke.

"If a dumb asshole wanted to solo save an entire kingdom without proper sleep, rest, and food for three days while absorbing withered souls. Yes, WITHERED SOULS, I am even surprised as to why you are still alive yet."

Luke sighed and looked down.

"I'm sorry..."

"Yeah, you better be, asshole."

Lance huffed and puffed while crossing his arms. When Ruth called him, he felt like he was a parent of a troublemaker in school. Really, even Ruth almost bawled in front of him while explaining what happened. In the past few days, Liam has always been guarding Luke, almost without sleep. If it wasn't for Julius convincing him to sleep, he wouldn't even budge an inch. Lina and Selena are playing cards together, muttering angrily about Luke's stupidity. Julius is the only one who manages to pull the group together while Lance is still not here.

"Anyway, how are the people of the Gron kingdom doing? Did Selena heal the rest of them?"

Lance nodded. He then saw Luke sighing and attempting to stand up. Lance immediately pressed his shoulders down. Luke looked at him as if he was asking 'what are you doing?' to him. Lance's lips twisted and his frown buried even deeper.

"Rest."

"But-"

"Shut up, I'm not going to listen to you."

"I want to go home...."

"Then rest."

"Why?"

Lance glared at Luke, who seemed to be clueless.

"Once you go home, I bet that you'll do something again."

Luke looked at Lance with surprise.

'How did he know?'

Luke began to wonder if Lance had the ability to read people's minds. He plans to check out the Zorst potion that Bell is currently creating in the palace. It's about time for Bell to finish the potion. He needed to immediately go to Thea kingdom after Bell had finished creating the potion. He needed to save the princess and... He has to meet the God of Darkness's priestess in there.

Lance looks at Luke's surprised face with suspicion.

'So I was right, huh?'

Lance clicked his tongue and stood up. He then pointed his finger at Luke as if he was warning him.

"Stay, don't you dare move."

Luke looked at Lance blankly. Lance then walked out of the room.

Click

The room became quiet after Lance left. Now Luke is alone. He then felt something squirming on the bed.

"D-dad?"

"I thought I told you to not call me dad."

"Dad!"

Nash's invisible body jumped towards Luke. Luke then caught him and patted his back with a blank face. He then heard Nash sniffing.

"Y-you are finally awake! Hic! I am so worried!"

Luke slowly patted his head and stroked his fluffy black fur.

"...Sorry."

Nash just rubbed his cheeks on Luke's chest. Luke just sighed.

Bang!

"Shi-!"

Luke jumped up from his bed and looked at the door that suddenly went flying across the room. He then saw Liam looking at him with wide eyes. The rest of the group, including Lance, were all behind Liam. Liam then charged towards Luke, which made Luke move back to his bed. Liam stooped one step away from Luke and scanned his whole body. Liam's actions made Luke uncomfortable, so he started to speak up.

"Hey, how's it going....?"

Liam stopped scanning him and sighed. Liam then asked in a worried voice.

"Are you hungry?"

"....Actually, yes."

Liam nodded and marched out of the room, walking past Lance and the group. Luke then asked in a confused voice.

"What's up with him?"

The group just sighed and shook their heads at Luke's clueless face. They then just sat in their seats and looked at Luke, who was quietly observing them. Luke then asked them a question.

"Are you all okay?"

Selena sighed.

"Ask that to yourself before asking us."

"O-okay?"

Julius then spoke in a worried voice.

"Is your body okay now? You look so pale."

"Do I really?"

Luke touched his face to check, but then he heard Lina's grumpy voice.

"Seriously, whenever you do something, you always worry us."

Lance nodded in agreement.

"Right? I think he might be a sadist. Always love seeing worried faces."

Selena and Lina nodded in agreement. Luke just looked at them with a frown. He just woke up, but now he's being picked on. He then spoke sarcastically.

"Well, it seems like you're all fine since you can pick on me like that."

Luke sighed when he saw Selena, Lina, and Lance glaring at him. He then heard Lance's annoyed voice.

"By the way, you bastard. My money plummeted thanks to you."

"Hmmm? Me? How come?"

Lance looked at Luke blankly.

"You bought a large amount of highest grade potions with my golden card that I gave you. Who do you think whose money will pay for it?"

"Oh... Wait, are you going to ask me to pay it back?"

Lance remained silent. Luke frowned and mumbled.

"You gave me your card and now you want me to pay for it?"

"I can hear you."

Luke frowned. He now seems to be in a bad mood. Lance saw this and sighed.

"I won't ask you to pay for it, so calm down."

"Really?"

Lance saw Luke's sparkling eyes towards him. Lance just sighed and nodded.

"I gave you the golden card, so I have no right to whine about me losing money. That is not very noble like."

"Oooohhh~!"

Luke clapped at him with admiration. Luke then thought.

'So I can keep buying stuff with his money, right? Awesome!'

Lance mistook Luke's clapping for approval because he had shown him his honorable, princely side. Lance smirked and sat proudly while taking in the stares of admiration and clapping from Luke. The group just sighed as they watched what was going on. They then saw Liam enter the room with a trolley full of food. Luke noticed him as he walked in and looked at the food.

Grrrr

The group then looked at Luke, whose stomach was grumbling. Luke then frowned at them.

"What? What's wrong with me being hungry?"

Julius then spoke while grabbing a plate full of meat from the trolley.

"Please eat lots."

Julius then handed the plate of meat to Luke and Luke happily ate the meat. While eating, he then looked at his group.

"What about you guys?"

The group then answered in chorus.

"We're full."

"Oh... I see."

After that, Luke eats the food quietly. Completely ignoring the stares of the group towards him while eating. After a while of eating, Luke managed to eat all the food in the trolley. He leaned back on the bed's headboard, his hand on his full stomach.

"Haa... I'm full."

He then attempted to stand up, but his group blocked him. He frowned at them.

"What? What now?"

Lina then spoke in a serious voice.

"Rest."

"Hmmm? But I have enough rest already?"

"Brother...."

Luke flinched at Liam's cold voice calling out to him. He then saw Liam's serious face looking at him.

"Please listen to us."

Luke saw Liam holding the hilt of his sword. Luke gulped and tucked himself into the bed.

'Is Liam threatening me?'

"Fine, I'll sleep."

Luke then saw Liam's bright smile, like the serious and cold look he had earlier was just a figment of imagination. Luke had now started to understand just how scary Liam could be.

Luke then closed his eyes.