Turning
chapter-311

The vicinity of the Magic Spring was in complete disarray, covered in broken and bent branches. The crevice in the rock that had once violently spewed magic power was now eerily silent. Amid the quiet, Kishiar turned his head slowly and looked at the Cavalry members.

"Kanna Wand, Gakane Bolunwald. Check on Yuder's condition."

At his command, the two headed towards Yuder. The mages, leaning on the remaining members for support, retreated to the outskirts of the circles. Now, only Kishiar and Yuder remained within.

"Yuder. Are you okay? Can you hear us?"

"..."

In response to his comrades' call, Yuder moved his head faintly. Ever since the spell began to be cast, he had been swept up in an immense power encasing his body, unable to focus on anything external. Experiencing only the force in an unseen state was more painful than he had thought. It was like the moment when the spots created by the power of the Red Stone started to spread widely, making his whole body burn. The aversion, the immediate desire to escape from this place, rose like a wave in his mind, and it took immense effort to calm it down.

Nevertheless, the reason he could hold on till the end was because he sensed that Kishiar was somewhere beyond the invisible barrier in front of him.

The familiar energy that seemed to blend into the massive force circulating around him. It was undoubtedly Kishiar's power that he had seen and felt before. This energy helped calm Yuder and allowed him to accept everything.

'Accepting... yes, that's how it felt.'

He had thought that a spell to remove the trace of the magic circle that kept amplifying the venom from the absorbed Pethuamet's fluid would feel like something draining from him. Instead, it was the opposite. Yuder's body greedily filled itself with the energy coming from the outside.

Slowly, Yuder clenched and unclenched his fist, gauging his own physical state. His insides felt hot like a stove with lingering warmth, but it wasn't as heavy as before, when he couldn't even lift a finger. Seeing his movement, Kanna and Gakane's faces brightened simultaneously.

"It seems to have worked!"

"The spots, the spots are gone."

Everyone present, without exception, rejoiced at the sight of Yuder's now clear body. Until before the spell was cast, his body had been covered in black bruise-like spots. No matter how many bandages and medication were applied, the grotesque spots couldn't be completely hidden. But now, surprisingly, they had vanished significantly.

Listening to his comrades' cheering voices, Yuder finally reached up with both hands and untied the bandage covering his eyes. After several attempts, the tie finally came loose and fell around his neck.

He felt a dizzying pain when he first forced his eyes open, but it soon subsided. Yuder blinked carefully several times. His field of vision was still filled with black spots. One eye was still unable to distinguish light. However, the other eye could distinguish the fact that it was night and the shapes and colors of those around him, which was much better than before.

"..."

Yuder lowered his gaze from the sky. Not far away, a figure stood tall over the magic circle, looking his way. Even with blurry vision, Yuder couldn't mistake who it was. His senses were all too focused on Kishiar, there was no one else it could have been.

In his overlapping, hazy vision, Yuder felt for a moment that Kishiar was smiling.

As his heart jumped, Kishiar slowly knelt on one knee, and sat down.

"Commander!"

As he tried to rise in surprise, a thunderous roar echoed from behind him, trembling both the earth and air.

"Some, something is happening at the Magic Spring!"

The mages, who were maintaining a safe distance, screamed in urgency. The crevice behind Yuder, as if struck by an earthquake, shook violently. Yuder, feeling the danger of a possible explosion or collapse, didn’t hesitate to gather his strength.

However, the strength he sought from the earth stirred only the rocks nearby, but failed to fully manifest.

'Damn it. My power isn’t fully recovered yet.'

As he was about to muster his strength again, the earth rumbled once more, and the shadow clone summoned by Gakane enveloped Yuder protectively. In the sudden movement, something stone-like tumbled from his pouch.

'The medium!'

Without a second thought, Yuder seized it and turned his head toward Gakane.

"Gakane. Protect Kanna and the Commander first. Step back."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Step back!"

If only he could muster his strength, nature would not harm Yuder. Dispersing the shadow clone, Yuder stood on his own feet. The moment he concentrated his power into the medium gripped in his hand, a brilliant red light burst forth.

In the spectacle completely different from when Alik Pelgin, the apprentice of Thais Yulman, used his power, Yuder was stupefied for a moment. He then belatedly discovered light flowing from his own right hand as well. The two lights, both of the same hue, connected, causing an intense pulsation within Yuder.

After a while, the red light from the medium faded, but the light in Yuder's hand continued to glow intensely. He instinctively knew it. The purest form of power possessed by the Awakener was now pulsating in his own hand.

As long as he held this power, it seemed that there was nothing he couldn't do.

Yuder extended his hand toward the violently shaking crevice. Using his power, he tried to suppress it forcibly. The trembling rocks stopped for a moment, but pain shot through his hand. He was about to force his power once more when someone came behind him and grasped his wrist. Startled, he stiffened and tried to look back when he felt a firm chest bump against his back.

"...Don't try to suppress it."

Kishiar murmured lowly. Despite his weary appearance, his whispering voice was as gentle as ever.

"The magic power that had been bundled together for a long time is now rapidly depleting, releasing the things that had sunk to the deepest part. If you suppress it, it will only make things worse... Yes. Can you try to calm it slowly?"

"Commander, are you alright?"

"I am fine."

Kishiar let go of his hand. Yuder exhaled deeply and looked forward again. The red light from his hand became a little stronger, but the pain was now bearable. Feeling the weight of the person supporting him from behind, Yuder started to handle his power more gently. Soon, the ominous rumbling of the earth subsided slowly, and the violent wind quieted down as well.

As the slowly diminishing tremors finally ceased, everyone exhaled in relief. Yuder looked down at the red light fading within his hand, then raised his head. Kishiar, in his blurry vision, was making an unreadable face.

"...Yuder Aile."

"Yes."

"Can you see me?"

He had thought he would ask about the red light, but he asked a completely different question. Yuder blinked his eyes before nodding in response.

"Yes... I can see."

It was still challenging to say that his vision was clear, but he could now see Kishiar's face. It was strange, both familiar and different from the image he had drawn in his mind when he had felt his face with his fingertips previously.

In the darkness of the night, Yuder was mesmerized as he looked at Kishiar's golden hair, faintly illuminated by a distant light, his cheek that held a peculiar sensual aura due to the sharpness from being a bit thin, his exhausted but deeply emotional red eyes, and his long eyelashes casting a shadow over them.

Could this be the man he had been with just until this dawn? Even though he had touched, hugged, and kissed him countless times, he felt a strange sensation as if he had met him after a very long time. As he gazed at him, lost in the waves of emotions welling up within him, Kishiar also silently watched him.

"... Excuse me. Now, um. Has the explosion ended?"

Only after someone called out in a drained voice from afar did Yuder come back to his senses.

"About that red light just now... no, never mind. What happened to the Magic Spring? Can we go and take a look?"

Caught off guard as he had forgotten where he was while staring at Kishiar, Micalin pleaded with a desperate voice. Only then did Kishiar, who had shifted his gaze from Yuder, calmly open his mouth as if nothing had happened.

"It's still risky, so let's do it tomorrow. Until then, the Cavalry will keep watch here in shifts. Of course, after regrouping at the base."

"Understood."

Kishiar briefly praised everyone for their hard work. The mages, looking at Yuder who had managed to stand on his own, were speechless, filled with awe. Some were even sobbing. Following Kishiar's order, they did not argue any further and returned under the protection of the Cavalry members.

Finally able to stand on his own, Yuder returned to the base and was met with Lusan, who had been waiting for them.

"My goodness, Sir Yuder! You've finally recovered!"

The young priest who ran out scanned Yuder up and down before clasping his hands together to give a prayer of gratitude. Yuder had to experience the feeling of almost vomiting several times, as his companions, who had been trying to maintain their calm in front of the mages, suddenly rushed over and embraced him without considering their strength.

"Hey, stop. Yuder's gonna burst!"

Yuder wobbled in his companions' grasp, turning his head. A few steps back, Kishiar was lightly smiling. His small, insignificant smile, unlike his usual relaxed grin, remained deeply in Yuder's mind.

He had kept his promise to help him recover.

The weight of that promise was so heavy that he could not even measure how much it meant to him.