Three hours later, the cavern was heavy with silence. The icy air bit at Gilgamel's skin, and his breath came ragged, each exhale a white puff in the cold. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a trembling hand, his face pale from mana depletion.
Finally, with a long sigh, he sat back on the frozen floor.
He had done it.
Mirage's strange, cloud-like body pulsed faintly with a steady rhythm now, its form less chaotic than before. The bloody haze that once stained its essence was gone, and its breathing had stabilized.
"As expected, to heal a Tier-2 magical beast was truly not easy," Gilgamel muttered under his breath, shaking his sore hands.
Had it not been for his high mastery over [Aqua Shell], he would probably still need to heal it for more hours.
Gilgamel turned toward the enormous figure looming nearby. He said, voice weary but polite, "Senior, I've healed it. Can I… go home now?"
