"I've just given up something that is, in a way, as precious as my life. Your nonchalant reaction is truly heart-wrenching."
Hua Yi's deadpan expression caused Murata Himeko to freeze. She scrutinized his face, and after confirming that he didn't seem to be joking, her brow furrowed.
"Something as precious as your life... What is it?"
At a time like this, Hua Yi naturally couldn't honestly reveal the existence of the Supply System. He paused for a moment, recalling the process of how he had saved that member of the Nagazora Defense Force earlier, and replied.
"My method for reversing Dead-walkerization relies on my own adaptability to Honkai Energy. I forcibly absorb the Honkai Energy invading another person's body into my own. The nature of the energy itself doesn't change; only the host does. So... you understand."
If given the choice, Hua Yi would much rather endure physical pain to solve Himeko's problem than consume gold coins. After all, gold was not only tied to his current strength but also to his ability to resolve major incidents in the future. His words weren't an exaggeration meant to win Himeko's gratitude; if anything, he was making it sound lighter than it was.
Himeko's frown deepened. "Doesn't that make it practically the same as sacrificing your life? Are you sure you're saving me and not just destroying yourself?"
"Actually, the damage Artificial Stigmata deal to a Valkyrie is quite similar to the principle of Honkai Energy eroding ordinary people into Dead-walkers. Both are consequences of energy exceeding the body's threshold. The only difference is that the energy within Artificial Stigmata has been modified to be more docile, so the benefits outweigh the harms."
Although he currently possessed only seven Stigmata and had limited mastery over Honkai Energy, Hua Yi had been unable to repair her Artificial Stigmata through his own power. However, after using the Supply System to fix one of them, he had felt a subtle shift and spoke with confidence.
"What I am doing is simply removing the harmful portion of the Honkai Energy within the Artificial Stigmata. Because I have only removed a fraction of it for now, it might not be enough to free you from the pain entirely, but you should start feeling better soon."
Hua Yi had a premonition that as long as he obtained more Stigmata, he would eventually be able to fix the flaws of Artificial Stigmata on his own without relying on the Supply System.
"You've already removed a portion..." Himeko's gaze was complex as she pursed her lips. According to his logic, it wasn't "removal" at all, but him taking that agony upon himself. For a moment, she couldn't find the words to thank him.
When someone went to such lengths, a simple "thank you" seemed pale and powerless.
"..."
Hua Yi fell silent for a short while. In reality, he didn't even have the qualification to endure that agony; he was entirely dependent on the system. After a moment, seeing Himeko's silence, he smiled.
"I have enough self-awareness not to recklessly put my life in danger. Rest assured. Please keep an eye on your physical changes from now on, and let me know immediately if there are signs of improvement or worsening. By the way, you mentioned we would officially become students of St. Freya Academy after resting for a while. When is the specific date for that?"
Himeko knew he was changing the subject. She wanted to pull the conversation back, but eventually gave up in resignation.
Even if she brought it back, what could she say? Offer empty words of gratitude? Or as the beneficiary, hypocritically ask the man she had burdened how he was feeling?
She had no choice but to cooperate. "If you and the others have no objections, classes start normally tomorrow. It happens to be Monday."
"I agree. Let me enroll tomorrow. However, please ask Kiana and the others if they are willing later. I won't make decisions for them."
"Mhm, I know."
Seeing the conversation reach its end, Hua Yi didn't intend to stay and chatter with the clearly preoccupied Himeko. He quickly bid her farewell and left.
Hua Yi had saved over 20,000 gold coins. Even if he couldn't repair all three of Himeko's Artificial Stigmata yet, fixing two would have been no problem. However, he hadn't done that; he had only repaired one.
It was primarily to observe the effects, just in case.
If Himeko improved, Hua Yi would naturally take the next step. Now that they had arrived at St. Freya Academy, there were countless opportunities to interact with Valkyries or potential candidates. He could earn plenty of Friendship Points every day, making it easy to stockpile gold.
Watching Hua Yi leave, Himeko pursed her lips and stood up to carefully check her condition. Because she had taken painkillers not long ago, she couldn't accurately gauge the pain, and for a time, she felt no change in her body. After a silent sigh, she changed into her casual clothes and walked out of her private training area.
If Hua Yi was to enroll tomorrow, there were procedures to handle. Usually, these would be completed by Himeko, who served as both a Valkyrie and an instructor at St. Freya Academy. However, she didn't head to her office. Instead, she turned her steps toward the Principal's office.
She needed to confirm a few things. If Hua Yi's special talent were ever exposed, it would cause a massive uproar. While it brought benefits, it also carried immense risks. Until Hua Yi and St. Freya Academy had enough power, Himeko wanted to keep it a secret as much as possible. It was best if even Principal Theresa didn't know the full details.
Reversing the Dead-walkerization of an ordinary person and fixing the flaws of Artificial Stigmata were two different matters. Although both were miracles of the same magnitudewith the former arguably being even more extraordinaryit was the Valkyries associated with the latter who held the real power.
If a certain Valkyrie developed ulterior motives, or if Schicksal itself took a special interest in Hua Yi, he could be in grave danger.
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