Chapter 238: If It's Just for You… I Guess That's Fine
No matter how you looked at it, the operation had been a success.
Steven had fully purged the concentrated Originium fluid from inside Specter's body.
Sure, the whole process had been a bit brutal and maybe even a little bloody—but considering this was essentially spinal surgery, it wasn't that strange.
Bone work, after all, was like home renovation: noisy, messy, and definitely not delicate.
The moment he finished, Skadi—who'd been waiting outside with steadily mounting worry—burst into the room like a storm. Her sharp eyes instantly locked onto the figure lying limp on the bloodstained bed.
Honestly, with all the blood splattered around the room, someone who didn't know any better might've assumed Steven had just performed some twisted, depraved ritual.
And well… they wouldn't be entirely wrong.
Fortunately, Specter began to stir not long after, her eyes slowly regaining focus. Though there was still a haze of confusion in her gaze, it soon melted away into a look of pure, heartfelt relief.
For the first time in what felt like forever, the pain was gone.
The stabbing sensation—like countless needles endlessly jabbing at her spine—had vanished without a trace. A rare lightness washed over her body, so liberating that tears almost welled up in her eyes.
She reached back slowly, her fingers brushing over her smooth, unbroken spine. There was no wound, no scar. If not for the lingering metallic scent in the air, she might've thought the whole thing was just a dream.
But no, it was real. And the torment she'd suffered through all this time… it was over.
When compared to that hellish agony, the pain during surgery felt like nothing at all. That had been temporary. What came before felt like it would never end.
"Shark? Are you alright?"
Skadi's voice was gentle, laced with cautious hope.
She had noticed it—something in Specter's eyes had changed. The madness that used to simmer just beneath the surface was… gone.
Specter turned to look at her quietly, and then—like a proper young lady—gave a graceful little nod.
"I've never felt this light… this free."
The words were soft, but their weight was immense.
The pain that had haunted her every waking moment was finally gone, and it was clear even her personality had softened with its passing.
She was no longer the feral beast she once was.
"That's good. That's really good."
Skadi immediately reached out and grasped her hand with both of hers.
Nothing made her happier than seeing her comrade recover.
For a moment, she even forgot about the gore-splattered room and the battlefield it now resembled.
Thankfully, Steven returned shortly after. He began removing the obsidian blocks he had used to seal the room, casually glancing around at the leftover blood splashes with a curious expression.
He vaguely remembered Kal'tsit warning him once—not to let these Abyssal Hunters bleed too much on land.
Back then, all it took was one mouthful of blood from Gladiia to summon a swarm of Seaborn. But that had been near the coastline. This was Kazimierz—deep inland. Would the same happen here?
Still pondering, he collected the remaining blood into a sealed glass vial, making sure not to waste even a drop.
Only then did he notice both Skadi and Specter silently staring at him.
"…What?" he blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Told you I could handle it, didn't I? That illness of hers was a nightmare, but I pulled it off. When we meet your Second Company Captain later, you better vouch for me."
With a smirk and a wave of his hand, Steven struck a proud pose—as if to say, "Mission complete."
The two Abyssal Hunters exchanged a glance.
And for once… even Specter's smile didn't look like it belonged to a lunatic.
Steven didn't seem even the slightest bit embarrassed. In fact, he started bragging quite shamelessly about how much effort the surgery had taken. And honestly? He had earned the right to boast a little—what he'd just done was incredibly complicated. Most people probably wouldn't even know where to begin. So what if he puffed himself up a bit?
"You have my thanks."
Specter's voice rang out, now stripped of its former madness. In its place was a calm, almost intellectual tone that actually caught Steven off guard.
This was going to take some getting used to.
"Being normal suits you," Steven commented, rubbing his chin. "So? Now that the pain's gone, have you remembered anything from before? With your mind cleared up, you should be able to think straight again."
This quiet, composed version of her was definitely an improvement. At least she wasn't constantly shouting "kill, kill, kill" anymore. That said, all Steven could do was remove the Originium concentrated fluid that had been tormenting her. Whatever mental baggage she still carried—that was her own battle to fight.
"Mm. But still… thank you."
She tried to stand up to offer a proper bow of gratitude, but forgot that the only thing covering her was the nun's robe Steven had casually tossed over her earlier. The moment she sat up, the garment slipped off her shoulders slightly.
It was only for an instant.
But in that brief moment, before she clutched the robe back to her chest, Steven saw—everything.
A flawless silhouette. A perfect curve.
He tried to play it off, sniffing lightly and pretending like nothing had happened, though in his heart he couldn't help but sigh in admiration at the view.
"Anyway…" he said, quickly turning his gaze to Skadi, "now that everything's done, how about we go get something to eat? We need to switch rooms anyway. And maybe we can grab some new clothes while we're at it? You did bring spare clothes, right?"
It was obvious Specter hadn't brought anything with her when she leapt out of Rhodes Island. As for Steven, carrying women's clothes? No chance. So all hope now rested with Skadi—if she didn't have anything for her, Specter might have to walk around half-wrapped in that robe for a while.
Skadi gave a nod and turned to rummage through her travel bag.
And just then, as Steven relaxed for a moment, Specter leaned over from her spot on the bed and gently nudged closer to him.
"You saw it, didn't you?"
"...Huh? I've got no clue what you're talking about."
Naturally, Steven played dumb.
No way was he going to admit he'd gotten a full look at the goods—feigning innocence was absolutely the safest strategy here.
With an expression of pure sincerity, he scratched his head and gave her a harmless little smile.
But to his surprise, Specter didn't get angry.
Instead, she smiled back—slowly, knowingly.
And then… she let go of the robe clutched at her chest.
The fabric slipped down slightly, revealing just enough to showcase an enticing curve of her chest—half of a perfectly sculpted arc that teased rather than revealed.
"It's fine," she said with a soft, teasing glint in her eye. "If it's Mr. Steve… then as a thank-you gift, letting you look isn't out of the question."
There was no longer any madness in her expression—only a gentle playfulness. Her feelings toward Steven were already unusually warm, and she didn't seem the least bit embarrassed about the idea of rewarding him this way. On the contrary, if offering herself like this was a way to show her gratitude, then to her… it wasn't a bad thing.
Steven blinked, stunned by her boldness—then gave a small laugh and deliberately looked away.
"Let's not," he said lightly. "If you're just giving it away, then it's not much of a reward, is it? If there ever comes a time when you really want me to look—really mean it—then maybe we'll talk. But right now? I'm not even sure this version of you is the real you."
He was the kind of guy who didn't mind taking advantage of an opportunity… but exploiting someone in a vulnerable moment?
That was a whole different story.
Right now, Specter still isn't stable. No matter how sincere she sounded… this wasn't the time.
Even if she offered, he wouldn't accept.
Didn't she know? It's always the things you're not supposed to see that are the most enticing. The more brazen someone was about showing it off, the less impact it had. Where was the fun in a show with no curtain?
"You really are a strange one, Mr. Steve," Specter mused with a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. "Or… could it be that you're trying to conquer me emotionally instead?"
Her tone was light, teasing—far from the unstable, pain-ridden girl she had been just hours ago. With the torment from her body gone, her mind had finally begun to settle. She could even joke now, her behavior practically unrecognizable from the madwoman who once seemed set on destroying everything.
"Ahem, you could think of it that way," Steven replied with a soft chuckle, "but whether or not that's actually what I'm doing… well, that's something you'll have to figure out yourself."
Truth be told, this more composed version of her was kind of charming in its own right. But even so, she still wasn't quite his type. If he were really going to make a move on one of the three Abyssal Hunters, his first pick would definitely be Gladiia.
After all—bigger is better! Was it a crime for a man to have a preference?
Just then, Skadi returned with a piece of lingerie that… honestly, looked like it belonged in a R18+ doujin. She casually held it up and gestured to Specter with zero hesitation, clearly unfazed by Steven's presence in the room.
"Hmm? Were you two talking about something fun?"
She tilted her head, finally noticing their shared smiles. Completely clueless as to what had transpired just moments ago, she scratched her head with a puzzled look.
"Nothing much. Just waiting for you," Steven said, barely suppressing a laugh at her adorably naive expression.
Of the three Abyssal Hunters, Skadi was definitely the most innocent-minded. He couldn't for the life of him figure out how someone so pure had managed to survive this long in such a cruel world. The kind of person who'd get sold off by a con artist and still thank them for the service.
"Oh, okay then. Not sure if these will fit you, Shark, but give them a try anyway."
She handed the undergarments to Specter with genuine care, not a shred of suspicion in her tone. And just like that, she was completely taken in by Steven's half-hearted explanation.
"Alright, I'll leave you girls to it," Steven said, sighing as he turned toward the door. "If I stay here any longer, she might actually start changing right in front of me…"
Knowing Specter, she probably wouldn't hesitate.
And that would make him the awkward one.
Better to leave while he still had plausible deniability.
But of course, things were never that simple.
As he stepped outside, Steven's expression turned more serious. He narrowed his eyes, examining the vial of Specter's blood in his hand. He didn't know everything yet—but there was one thing he was absolutely sure of.
On his minimap, several red dots were rapidly converging on his location.
Even in the heart of Kazimierz's inland Grand Knight Territory… those things had come.
They'd found him.
The Sea Terrors were on the move.
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