BXBX NOVEL Chapter 384: Saving Pride
A flicker of movement caught her eye. Sat, their loyal guardian, sat nearby, head tilted in confusion as Envy\'s gaze met his. His tail thumped expectantly, hopeful for a familiar pat or belly rub.
"Sat, come here, boy," Envy called softly. The dog responded with a happy woof and trotted over, reveling in the touch of his master\'s hand.
Envy\'s heart ached as she revealed a large syringe. "Sat," she said, her voice heavy, "I need your blood to save her life."
The playful canine\'s demeanor shifted. His tail drooped, and his eyes pleaded with a mournful whimper. Envy couldn\'t help but feel a pang of guilt.
"Oh boy," she cooed apologetically, "I\'m so sorry, but this is truly necessary."
Sat, a picture of canine resignation, reluctantly accepted his fate. He held still, his big brown eyes filled with an understanding that defied his playful nature.
Envy offered a weak smile, torn between her need and Sat\'s unwavering loyalty. But the situation was dire. Sat\'s blood, infused with the essence of a Hell Lord, held potent restorative properties. It could revitalize Pride\'s waning magic and aid in her recovery.
A normal doctor might scoff at the idea of dog\'s blood helping a human. Witches, after all, weren\'t strictly human. DNA tests might show similarities, but they were distinct beings, much like the difference between humans and chimpanzees.
Sat? He wasn\'t just any dog. He was a Hell Lord in disguise, a powerful entity masquerading as a furry companion. And as such, his blood held the potential to tip the scales in Pride\'s favor.
With a deep breath, Envy drew blood from Sat\'s foreleg. The dog yelped, perhaps a touch more dramatically than necessary (Author Note: classic Siberian Husky), but held firm. Touched by his unwavering loyalty, Envy made a silent promise to reward him later. She would increase his daily ration of Philosopher\'s Stone, a luxurious treat gifted by Daniel, that would surely lift his spirits.
The crimson liquid drawn from Sat\'s foreleg wasn\'t blood in the conventional sense. It resembled molten magma, a vibrant intensity Envy hadn\'t encountered in her long life, even amongst other Hell Lords.
This power coursed through Sat\'s veins, a stark contrast to the playful, four-legged companion he appeared to be. If not for Daniel\'s thorough erasure of Satan\'s consciousness, the remnants of a powerful entity would be readily jubilant at the qualitative change of its power. Alas, only Sat remained, a loyal furry friend.
Envy\'s initial concern about needing multiple blood draws from Sat was replaced by a new worry. This blood, potent and brimming with Hell Lord essence, might be too much for Pride\'s weakened body to handle.
Envy wasted no time. With practiced movements, she unfurled a large sheet of leather parchment. This wasn\'t your average writing surface; it was crafted from the hide of a Manticore, its exceptional resilience specifically chosen to withstand the intense magical energy about to be channeled.
In the center of the parchment, Envy swiftly drew a complex magic circle, its intricate lines glowing faintly with power. This circle would act as a conduit, facilitating the transfer of the Hell Lord\'s essence. With a sigh, she divided the vial of Sat\'s blood into two portions.
The first, larger portion, held the key to Pride\'s immediate recovery. Envy carefully channeled her magic, weaving it into the blood like a shimmering thread. With a whispered incantation, she directed the potent mixture towards Pride\'s unconscious body.
The magic circle flared momentarily, bathing the room in an ethereal light as the Hell Lord\'s essence coursed into Pride, replenishing her depleted reserves and revitalizing her very life force.
The second portion of the blood held immense potential, but in its raw form, it could overwhelm Pride\'s weakened body. Envy also has a bit of alchemy knowledge. With a practiced flick of her wrist, she transmuted the blood into a shimmering elixir, its potency tempered yet powerful. This concoction would serve as a potent supplement, allowing Pride to gradually regain her full strength over time.
Finally, with a deep breath, Envy focused on Pride\'s ravaged mana network. The blood magic had wreaked havoc, leaving behind a web of fractured pathways and strained connections. Recognizing the potential for lasting damage, Envy channeled her own magic, a gentle current that flowed into Pride.
It acted like a restorative force, meticulously mending the damaged mana veins and easing the strain on her soul.
Exhaling a long sigh, Envy slumped back onto the lawn. Even though the intricate process only took ten minutes, it felt like the most demanding ten minutes of her life. The physical and emotional toll was immense.
Yet, a glimmer of hope flickered in her heart. Pride\'s shallow breaths had deepened, a healthy flush returning to her pale cheeks. The gamble with Sat\'s blood seemed to have paid off, at least for now. The true test would be her recovery in the coming days.
Just then, Koyuki entered the backyard. "Envy, the ambulance is on its way," she announced. "They\'re sending a helicopter to transport Pride directly to the hospital – traffic is a nightmare." She glanced at Pride, noting the hint of color returning to her face, but also the lingering gauntness of her body, a stark reminder of the ordeal she\'d endured.
"Good," Envy rasped, fatigue clinging to her voice. The idea of standing seemed insurmountable right now.
"What about the President?" Koyuki asked, gesturing towards the still-unconscious figure. "Should we take him to the hospital as well?"
"Yes," Envy confirmed, exhaustion etching lines on her face. "Inform the hospital director that this is a top-secret case. Use Greed\'s name, or mine, to emphasize the urgency and importance."
A furry nudge broke the tension. Sat, sensing Envy\'s emotional state, sidled up to her, his soft fur brushing against her side, a silent plea for a reward for his contribution.
"Alright, alright," Envy conceded with a weak sigh, the ordeal leaving her drained. Reaching into her robe, she produced a small porcelain jar. The moment the lid clicked open, the furball\'s nose twitched with excitement. Saliva dripped from his mouth, and his tail went into overdrive, a blur of wagging that almost defied physics.
Envy chuckled softly and tossed a shimmering Philosopher\'s Stone, its colors swirling like a miniature nebula, into the air. In a flash, Sat launched himself upwards, snatching the treat mid-air in a dazzling display of canine acrobatics. Koyuki watched, a bemused expression on her face, as the playful creature gobbled down the Stone with gusto.
The scene brought back a complicated tangle of emotions for her. This goofy furball, now her companion, was once a fearsome enemy who had nearly taken her and Michaela\'s lives. Daniel\'s intervention had transformed it into this… well, goofball.
While she could tolerate Sat\'s presence, earning her genuine affection would require more than a well-timed sacrifice and a few adorable dog tricks.
—
As Daniel traveled towards New Mexico, night had descended upon him. However, he found himself surrounded by luxury within Ragnar Stenmark\'s extravagant bus. This wasn\'t your ordinary vehicle; it was more akin to a lavish mobile home, complete with a private maid and butler ready to fulfill every request.
Ragnar, the head of the Stenmark family and Daniel\'s first genuine mage companion (aside from Koyuki), had spared no expense.
The stark difference between this opulence and Daniel\'s usual frugality wasn\'t lost on him. While he typically used his self-designed VTOL or artisanal limousines for transportation, this luxury bus was on a whole different level – the kind that only billionaires with overflowing wealth might indulge in.
During their journey, Ragnar mentioned casually that many mages were avid consumers of luxury items. Their connections with elite private entities often resulted in substantial profits.
Numerous mages owned businesses or held significant shares in them. Even apprentice-level mages received generous research grants from the Hightower, and salaries from powerful mage families, clans, and the Hightower itself were quite substantial. This placed mages squarely among society\'s highest earners.
However, the recent implementation of the Grand Alteration spell by the Hightower to erase memories of magical phenomena from non-magical individuals worldwide could pose a challenge for mages. This is because the support from elitist conglomerates and large corporations, which contribute significantly to mages\' income, was based on their knowledge of the Curtained World\'s existence.
While established mages like Ragnar and those from powerful families likely have the resources to weather this change, the impact on lower-rung mages will be significant. Ultimately, this is a problem the Hightower will have to address, and not one that concerns Daniel at all.