NOVEL NEXT Chapter 93: The Price of a Healer
Chapter: 91 The Price of a Healer
Ethan just stared at her, dumbfounded, his mind racing. Wait… did she just—? No way. Is she seriously allowing me to form my own harem? Like… for real?
His heart skipped a beat. Every man's dream… and I didn't even need to lift a finger?! Damn.
To be honest, he had never seriously entertained the idea before. But now, in a world of magic and possibilities, where strength rewrote the rules of life—and recalling the novels he once devoured—a spark that had long been buried suddenly ignited inside him. And here he was… with the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on practically giving him the green flag.
A giddy, unstoppable grin spread across his face. I must be the luckiest bastard alive.
On impulse, he stepped forward, looping his arms around Lirael's waist from behind. She yelped in surprise, her slender body tensing, but before she could protest he turned her toward him—and pressed his lips against hers.
Her eyes widened, then fluttered shut. His lips moved with hers, gentle but hungry, his thoughts bleeding directly into her mind through their link.
I love you, Lirael. Very much. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me.
Her reply came back sharp but trembling with warmth. Hmph! Look at you—see how ridiculously happy you look. Argh… you really are the worst, Ethan…
Her arms, however, betrayed her words, sliding up to his shoulders as their kiss deepened. Their mouths moved together, heated and unrestrained, a messy, breathless tangle that left both of them dizzy. For a moment, the world around them—bloodstains, broken trees, the lingering stench of venom—faded away, leaving only the two of them and the fierce, undeniable bond between them.
When they finally broke apart, panting softly, their foreheads lingered close. A faint blush colored Lirael's cheeks as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand, trying to look stern but failing miserably.
"You do know you're insufferable, right?" she muttered, her voice soft yet laced with exasperation.
Ethan chuckled, brushing a lock of hair away from her face, his grin utterly shameless.
"Well, that's because you spoil me too much."
Lirael huffed, looking away to hide her reddened ears. "Idiot…"
But she didn't push him away.
"Well… whatever it is, that can wait for later," Ethan muttered, finally pulling his eyes away from Lirael and turning them toward the massive serpent's corpse. Its green blood still oozed sluggishly across the ground, the stench sharp and metallic. "For now, we should focus on the task at hand."
He walked closer, nudging the scaly head with the tip of his boot. Damn thing almost killed me… better make it worth the trouble.
"Tell me something," he said, glancing back at Lirael. "If the guild sends you into a death trap because of bad intel… do they compensate for that?"
She blinked, arching an eyebrow. "Compensation? Hmmm…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, her bow still loosely in hand. "To be fair, no one usually comes back alive when the guild's information turns out wrong. So there haven't exactly been many who lived to file a complaint."
Ethan gave her a flat look. "…That's not reassuring."
"But," she continued with a little smirk, "it is written in their rulebook. The guild is obliged to pay if the claim is proven true. Of course, they'll confirm it themselves first. If they can't deny it, then yes—compensation happens."
"And the amount?"
"Double the original reward if the threat's been eliminated," she said matter-of-factly, "or a recalculated payout based on the monster's actual level. If you survive without killing it, you're still due the promised reward."
"Hm. So we'll need proof." Ethan's gaze flicked back to the serpent. His lips curved. "Speaking of which… how much do you think this body—and that melted skin over there—would fetch?"
Lirael tilted her head, caught off guard. "You… want to sell the whole corpse? How exactly—wait." Her eyes narrowed sharply. "Don't tell me your subspace can fit this entire thing."
Ethan's grin spread, utterly shameless.
A moment later, the massive serpent's body shimmered and vanished into his inventory.
Lirael's jaw dropped. "You… you and your ridiculous cheat system!" She clutched her forehead. "Do you even realize how insane that is? You'd need a storage ring worth a fortune to hold something of this size!"
He only laughed, stretching his shoulders like it was nothing.
Lirael let out a long sigh, finally calming herself. "Unbelievable… This changes everything. Normally, adventurers only carve out the parts they can carry—fangs, scales, sacs. The rest gets handed over to the guild's specialized retrieval squad. But this…" She gestured at the empty ground where the serpent had been. "An intact corpse of this size is practically unheard of. With its scales, fangs, bones, poison sacs, even the meat—it could go for at least three to four gold, easily."
Ethan whistled low. "Not bad."
"And that melted skin," she added, glancing at the blackened hide nearby. "Those are even rarer. Usually, when a serpent's skin melts, the creature reabsorbs it to recover strength. But you actually managed to get one left behind…" She shook her head in disbelief. "Two gold. Minimum."
Her lips curved slightly, her eyes glinting in amusement as she looked at him. "With just this hunt… we're rich again."
Ethan smirked, satisfied. Not bad for nearly dying twice today.
Lirael crossed her arms, her sharp eyes narrowing in thought. "With this much, we might have enough to buy a slave who can heal…" Her words trailed for a moment before she scoffed, shaking her head. "No. Not even close."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Healers are expensive," she said flatly, glaring at him as though it were his fault. "And slaves even more so. Especially young ones trained in divine arts… you're looking at forty—maybe sixty gold." Her lips twisted in irritation. "Tsk. Shameless bastard. You weren't thinking of buying a girl, were you?"
Ethan coughed into his fist, averting his gaze, the corner of his mouth twitching in a guilty smile.
Her glare sharpened, like an arrow nocked and aimed at his heart. "I knew it. The moment I mentioned healer, your rotten brain went straight to a girl. Don't bother denying it."
"…What if she's ugly?" Ethan offered weakly, his grin growing sly.
Lirael's cheeks puffed slightly, her ears twitching red. "Ugly or not, I'll know if you start looking at her differently." She jabbed a finger against his chest, eyes gleaming with a mix of annoyance and something softer beneath. "Try being too shameless, and I'll make sure you regret it."
Ethan chuckled, catching her finger and gently holding it between his calloused hands. "You wound me. You know you'll always be my favorite."
"Hmph." She turned her head away, though her voice betrayed a faint tremor. "Favorite or not, you better not make me regret allowing another into this mess of yours."