Full Moon Night (9)
TL/ED: Lolz
Ian looked down quietly. Underneath him lay the heroine, Lina Rosewell.
“Finally settled.”
He sighed at her weakened struggles.
The problem, as expected, was the small blue mushroom that had sprouted on her forehead. Despite its small size, it was enough to lift and drop a person if you looked closely. Once the mushroom was removed, and emergency measures were taken, her movements immediately calmed.
“Breath is still there.”
He felt the flow of air moving subtly between breaths, a necessary choice to prevent her from summoning a high-level spirit.
She seemed to have fainted, so it should be safe to release the grip on Lina’s neck.
Ian loosened his hold on her.
— Szzak, szak.
Seeing her immediately inhale, it seemed her breathing was not significantly affected.
“Summoning a high-level spirit out of nowhere…”
Even though her abilities were boosted threefold due to the blue mushroom, it was still a surprising outcome.
The grade of spirits a summoner could call depended on their magical power, but the ability to ‘attempt’ a summoning was determined by the vessel they possessed.
Even though her magical power had tripled due to the mushroom infection, the fact that Lina Rosewell could handle the summoning of a high-level spirit was noteworthy.
“Indeed, a heroine is a heroine.”
The potential of a 5-star rating wasn’t just for show. Being called a heroine wasn’t an easy title to earn.
“Setting that aside.”
Ian rose from Lina’s collapsed body and sat down beside her.
“Hmm.”
The contamination level of Lina’s blue mushroom was quite high.
To directly ask questions to her consciousness, a thorough purification process was necessary.
She stretched out both hands and placed them on Lina’s upper abdomen.
To be exact, the location between the navel and the breasts.
He reached out both hands to Lina’s upper body, precisely between the navel and chest. Then, invoking the authority of the Earth Goddess, he activated Dishwashing. A white energy gathered at his fingertips, which he transmitted to Lina.
“Huff…”
A groan escaped from Lina’s lips. Her body convulsed. It was natural for her to be in pain. The contaminated energy of the blue mushroom resisted purification.
‘From head to toe. It’s really chilling how thoroughly it has spread.’
Given the extent of the energy in her body, it was strange that she wasn’t getting stronger. The contamination was severe, and she was likely not conscious. At the last moment, she was essentially nothing more than a host for spreading spores. It wasn’t just idle speculation; if left alone, half of the girls’ dormitory might have been infected with mushroom spores, and the other half might have become nutrients for the Bloodstone Cult.
“Let’s get started, then.”
Ian closed his eyes.
Then, he intensified the output of his ability.
Lina’s body, dominated by the mushroom spores, resisted the authority.
The connection with her felt significantly narrowed.
“Huff!”
Lina’s breathing became rough.
The resistance from the spores was just that of ordinary mushroom spores.
– Tztztz
He pierced through the resistance with the power of his authority.
The opposing energies were absorbed, and the authority poured into every corner of Lina’s body, purifying it.
“Huuuugh!”
Her body jolted, but Ian paid no heed and exerted even more force.
“Hold on.”
He applied force to his hands, fixing her waist in place, and forcefully infused the authority.
Her clothes became damp. Transparent droplets of sweat formed, followed by swirling blue energies.
“Huuk, huh!”
Her entire body lit up in a rosy hue. A single stream of blood trickled from her nose.
Her tightly shut lips seemed ready to burst, flushed and hot as if her breath would reveal something.
However, there was no room for pity.
Ian continuously poured his power, scrubbing every single cell with the vigor of a thorough Dishwashing. Finally, he expelled the spores from her head.
— Burruru
Lina’s body trembled, then soon slumped.
A faint but distinct breath emanated from her lips.
“Whew.”
Ian, at last, took a deep breath.
Though he wanted to rest for a moment, he immediately adjusted his posture and closed his eyes.
There might be exposure to spores, and the impact could be uncertain.
Even though contaminated energy had sporadically entered his body during the purification process.
“How can something like mold overtake humans?”
He promptly and thoroughly cleaned himself with his authority. Where did mold dare to challenge a body infused with the authority of a goddess?
“A hundred years are too early. A hundred years… But why is it so sticky?”
Ian’s brows furrowed as he lowered his gaze.
Blue fluids oozed from Lina’s body, and the surroundings were lively with the purged remnants.
Ian activated his authority once again.
— Pssh
The blue energy disappeared, and the stickiness lessened.
It was still somewhat moist, but… this much seemed bearable.
“Disgusting spores.”
In the process, he purified all the vibrant fluids around Lina and her surroundings.
Taking a moment to cleanse every trace of blue.
“Hmm?”
A subtle earth-colored light enveloped Ian.
This faint energy felt similar to when he encountered the Earth Goddess statue before.
“Huh?”
He instinctively felt his authority had grown.
Ian closed his eyes, focusing on Dishwashing.
— Fwat!
The authority was activated without the need for direct contact.
Light emanated, cleansing the room.
If the previous ‘Dishwashing’ was like using detergent to scrub away each residue, now…
“Now it’s more like a ‘Dishwasher’?”
To go from dishwashing to a dishwasher… Unexpectedly, the authority had grown one step further. It was quite pleasing. Pleasant as it was…
“…….”
The terminology was a bit… well, something like that.
Ahem. Good things were good, anyway.
Swish, swish.
Ian shook his head to dispel the thoughts.
Rather than those useless thoughts, the final boss of this scenario was here.
Lina Roswell, peacefully immersed in sleep.
The face that was once filled with venom had subsided.
Even the hair, which had turned blue, regained its original color.
The final villain of Act 1, Scene 1, had returned to her heroine form like this.
Gently applied eyeshadow. Looking at the soft swaying eyelashes above, one would eventually admit it.
Indeed, a heroine was a heroine.
The current Lina Roswell was harmless. Ian had purified all the fungi that made her abilities several times stronger. Even if she were to suddenly rise and cast magic, Ian was confident he could easily stop her.
‘I’ve grown just as much.’
Seeing her harmless appearance, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
The game premise dictated that heroines should be good. Players would see them smiling, liking them, clinging to them. No player would doubt the heroines’ actions.
However.
For Ian, this wasn’t a game; it was reality.
Heroines were people too, and no one was purely good.
Let’s put it this way: a heroine who was only kind wasn’t much different from a doll.
“…I have to think that way.”
Constantly doubting heroines, that was Ian’s fate with Pongpong’s body.
So now, such thoughts emerged.
‘I’m glad you guys are so human.’
Not just looking like nice girls but having some suspicious aspects.
He could be objective.
That’s why he could doubt, converse, and get to know each other.
It wasn’t a game heroine but a real person who appeared.
“Mmm. Ian.”
Muttering like that, Lina wiped her lips.
The full moon, which had brightly illuminated the room, had now set.
The end of another scenario was approaching.
The final villain, Lina Roswell, had been purified, and professors, belatedly understanding the situation, were gathering at Median House.
“There’s still a faint handprint on your neck.”
Perhaps he held her too tightly; there’s a red mark left on her white neck.
It might be misunderstood by someone who sees it…
Well, it should be something she could handle on her own.
There was something more important to ask her.
Ian gently shook Lina.
◆
Vision gradually becoming brighter.
Lina pondered in her foggy mind.
Was she dead? Or did she somehow return to reality?
— Blink, blink.
Two blinking eyes.
Only now, her sight had fully returned.
This place now felt like home.
And ‘he’ was standing here.
“…Ian?”
“Are you awake?”
“…Yeah.”
Ian Blackangers.
He still looked at her with cold eyes.
The reason her heart pounded when meeting that gaze.
Now, Lina understood the reason.
“There.”
How to say it.
Gratitude, apology…
“So, um. Thank you, no, I mean, sorry first… There, um.”
Numerous emotions mixed, and her lips moved freely.
She had promised herself. She would definitely apologize. She would gladly accept any punishment he gave. She had to somehow convey that to Ian.
But Ian firmly shook his head.
“We’ll talk about that later. For now, answer my question.”
“…Huh? B-but!”
Puff-puff-puff-puff.
With wavering lips, Lina was taken aback.
Although she wanted to express her gratitude and apologize, how she behaved like a good girl and how she looked up to him. Even though she promised to apologize first.
“Lina.”
Ian decisively interrupted her words.
A gaze as cold as a father scolding a misbehaving child.
‘Ah.’
Now she finally realized her situation.
She owed him a lot. What he wanted and desired took precedence over her trivial wishes.
“…U-um.”
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