"Asta!" Noelle exclaimed in alarm.
"Thread Magic: Trampoline!" Vanessa hurriedly wove a silk trampoline under Asta, letting him land steadily.
"Bastard! I'll kill you!" Magna and Luck rushed out immediately. Under their combined effort, the immensely powerful Flame Thunder Obliteration Cannon appeared again. However, when they rushed to Vetto's side, the magic in their hands vanished, because the Vetto before them was already completely dead.
"You got off easy!" Magna cursed, then looked at the others and said, "This guy is dead!"
However, there were no cheers, because the hero of this battle, Asta, was injured.
"Asta, are you okay?" Noelle immediately ran to Asta's side. Looking at Asta's arms, which looked as if they had been scorched, she was heartbroken and even had the thought of rinsing them with fresh water, though that would only have intensified Asta's pain.
"Noelle, no need. I have a bottle of healing spring water on me; help me take it out!" Asta said hurriedly while enduring the intense pain. This bottle of healing spring water was naturally just exchanged, and because of Vetto's death, the system instantly replenished his points to 50 million, so there was absolutely no pressure regarding points.
"Okay, but why is it in this position!" Noelle reached into Asta's chest and fumbled around, finally taking out the healing spring water with a flushed face. She said 'thoughtfully', "Here, drink it quickly!"
"Cough, cough!" Asta coughed dryly, thinking to himself that this little Princess really lacked basic common sense. His arms were injured now; how could he drink it himself?
"Little Noelle, Asta has arm injuries, you know~" Vanessa reminded her.
"Oh, oh, I almost forgot. But do I need to feed him? In front of so many people, oh my, just thinking about it is so embarrassing!" Noelle's face turned beet red instantly.
"Then how about big sister does it instead!" Vanessa said thoughtfully.
"No!" Noelle shook her head hurriedly, then quickly opened the bottle cap and brought it to Asta's lips. However, perhaps due to poor technique or being too nervous, one of her fingers accidentally slipped into Asta's mouth, and Asta was instantly choked. "I didn't mean to!"
"It's fine, it's actually quite cool!" Asta commented nonchalantly. Afterwards, he felt the healing spring water go down, and the pain indeed improved significantly, but that curse power was still there. In other words, the healing spring water could not eliminate the curse. This was undoubtedly bad news, yet Asta was not worried because he had a System. Waiting for the System shop to upgrade, there would always be a way to solve this curse.
"Looks like the injuries haven't recovered?" Yami frowned as he looked at Asta's slightly improved arms.
"What should we do? Asta, are your arms feeling a little better?" Kahono also came to Asta's side and asked.
"Don't worry, Kahono. These little aches and pains are nothing." Asta smiled, though despite saying that, his two arms were basically too painful to move.
"Asta is so strong!" Kahono said with some admiration.
"What's happening? Is the God of War of the Sea injured?" The residents of the Underwater Temple saw Asta fall from mid-air and get surrounded by the group through the broadcast, and they immediately became worried.
"Benefactors, please accept my bow. If not for you, we don't know what kind of catastrophe the Underwater Temple would have suffered. Also, congratulations to you all who came from afar on winning the Temple Great Escape. Now, as the High Priest of the Temple, I will do my best to satisfy your wishes!" Gifso found an appropriate time and bowed to the group.
"What other wishes? Just give us the Magic Stone!" Yami puffed out a smoke ring and said.
"Magic Stone? This... that... what is a Magic Stone? How about this, whatever you benefactors find in the Underwater Temple, that will be yours!" Gifso scratched his head and ears, looking flustered.
"You don't know about the Magic Stone?!" Yami's eyes widened instantly. "Then why did you know we were looking for a Magic Stone?"
"Ahem! Captain Yami, I never said I knew the whereabouts of the Magic Stone. I only knew that you came down to look for something. As for what you were looking for, you were the ones who volunteered the information about the Magic Stone. I was just following your lead!" Gifso was indeed an old fox; with those words, he had completely cleared himself of any blame.
"If you hadn't said this was your Temple's greatest treasure, would we have been misled!" While Yami was burning with anger, he saw a Demon-Repelling Bird with very anthropomorphic eyes flying towards Asta, carrying a glittering blue gemstone in its beak.
"Nero!" Asta greeted. This bird now treated his head as its home, but precisely because of that, Asta often overlooked the little guy.
"...Is this the Magic Stone? It looks so valuable!" Gifso pointed at it hurriedly, as if grabbing onto a life-saving straw.
"Hmm, it looks quite similar to the one the Wizard King showed me!" Yami nodded.
"Well, since the Magic Stone has been found, I have fulfilled my promise. Don't say I'm going back on my word!" After saying that, Gifso greased his soles and slipped away.
"Big swindler!" Noelle retorted immediately.
"He's just leaving like that? Who's going to host us!" Charmy hadn't eaten the underwater delicacies yet, and she wouldn't give up. They were life-saving benefactors just a moment ago, but the moment they turned around, the person in charge of the temple had slipped away.
"Everyone, don't worry. If you don't have anything urgent, please stay in the temple for a few days. All of us underwater residents will treat you warmly. Among the offerings are many of our unique underwater delicacies, as well as fine wine and tobacco!" Kahono said with a smile. These last three points were naturally directed at Charmy, Vanessa, and Yami.
"Really?" Charmy's beautiful eyes widened in an instant.
"Shouldn't we treat Asta's injuries first at a time like this!" Vanessa said.
"Kid, how are you!" Yami asked.
"I'm fine, don't worry. Now that I don't move my arms, it doesn't hurt much!" Asta said with a smile.
"Alright then, we'll rest here for a day and return to the Royal Capital tomorrow to report our work!" Yami made the decision on the spot. It wasn't that he wanted to taste the underwater tobacco; he mainly felt that everyone had gone through a life-or-death battle, and it was time to take a break.
"Long live the Captain!" Finral started cheering, because one extra day meant he could spend one more day flirting with the girls in the temple!
"Throw a banquet, we must throw a victory banquet!" Charmy also jumped three feet high. Only Vanessa and Noelle looked at Asta's arms with some faint worry.
"Everyone, please follow me out first!" Kahono led the way understandingly.
"Hmm, Charmy, don't forget to bring out those members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun!" Yami instructed.
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