Chapter 353: Sweet Dreams

“Hayden, that’s enough work for today. You can go ba—”

Saul’s words came to an abrupt halt the moment he saw Hayden.

Hayden was sitting on the ground, her back slumped weakly against the wall.

She struggled to lift her head and forced a smile at Saul. “Sir, I don’t think I can move anymore.”

Both of Hayden’s eyes had fallen out—one lay on her robe, the other had rolled under the nearby lab table.

The culprit was the white, prismatic crystal protruding from her eye sockets.

Saul immediately stowed away his notebook and the Alpha Necklace into his compression satchel, then hurried to her side.

He carefully examined Hayden’s head and found crystalline formations not only where her eyes had been, but also near her ears and on both sides of her neck.

They jutted out like bony spikes from beneath her skin, yet there were no wounds or bleeding.

It seemed that the synthetic blood inside her body crystallized the moment it tried to flow out, becoming part of the formations.

As a subject of the Soul Infusion experiment, Hayden was supposed to undergo routine checkups every six months.

But since the project had been terminated early, her last checkup was brought forward. Nearly half a year had passed, and her body was already showing signs of collapse!

Saul could try mimicking Mentor Kaz’s technique to purge the “rust” from Hayden’s body—but judging by her current state, the problem likely lay in her brain.

That was Mentor Rum’s area of expertise. Saul didn’t know how to deal with it, not even in theory.

“S-Sir, am I… am I done for?” Hayden’s voice trembled.

Her occasionally visible tongue was already speckled with crystals. Even the pale skin visible at her collar was studded with similar formations.

Her limbs, being farther from her head, still appeared normal.

But when Saul pressed his fingers into her muscles, they felt rigid and oddly solid. He could tell that it wouldn’t be long before her entire body was pierced through by crystals.

The Soul Infusion experiment had ended, and Hayden’s body couldn’t even hold out for a full year.

Saul seriously doubted that even those who underwent regular maintenance could last more than two or three years at most.

He gently laid Hayden’s body down on the floor, then ran a finger along her back.

The fabric of her clothes split open instantly, falling away to reveal her bare back and the golden formation etched there.

The formation itself showed no errors, but within its shifting patterns, a face twisted in agony became faintly visible.

It was clear the formation had severed her ability to feel her body. Otherwise, she’d be writhing in pain on the ground, not lying there like a dead fish.

“At least the formation isn’t malfunctioning,” Saul muttered with a hint of relief. “Hayden, your body was constructed from a modified Second Rank apprentice corpse. Now the internal fillings have undergone an irreversible reaction. I can temporarily purge these crystals to help you regain basic movement—but that would only be a temporary fix.”

Saul turned Hayden over and found that a white crystalline layer had formed on her lips as well.

“Besides, I don’t yet have the ability to fully restore your original state. But… there is another option.”

He paused for a few seconds to let Hayden digest the information.

When he saw her slowly purse her lips, he continued, “I will seal you in a solution. This solution will dissolve the crystals on your body, but it will also dissolve the internal fillings, leaving you paralyzed for a time. During this period, I’ll try to repair the damage to your soul body as best I can.

“Afterward, I’ll find you a new body. But until then, you’ll be in a state where you can think, but not move.

“To keep you from going insane, I’ll seal your consciousness as well—turn everything into a dream.

“But whether you wake from that dream… is not guaranteed. This is all just untested theory. So, are you willing to take that risk?”

Hayden slowly opened her mouth. Her entire oral cavity was already filled with crystal—more like a glittering cavern than a human mouth.

“I’m willing.” Her voice was slurred, but the tone was resolute.

Saul froze.

He heard two voices in that response—one belonging to Hayden, the other to her second persona.

Even at the edge of life and death, they’d made the exact same choice without hesitation.

Saul nodded with satisfaction. “Then I’ll begin.”

He stood and started preparing the solution.

Most of the ingredients were already on hand; he just needed to mix them.

As for the container, he used the stone coffin. It was large enough and had excellent sealing properties.

While preparing the solution, Saul took a knife and a saw to the large crystal formations on Hayden’s body, removing them one by one.

He couldn’t use magic—it might trigger a mutative reaction.

As the harsh grinding sounds echoed through the lab, his mind drifted to the necklace tucked against his chest.

He shook his head and chuckled softly.

Just moments earlier, while facing Nick’s corpse and hearing that repeated whisper—“Smash it”—Saul had almost begun to suspect Keli.

Her father was the Duke of Highland—the highest-ranking noble in the Kema Duchy. The Wizard apprentice who had delivered the Slender Wraith to Saul was also someone only high nobles could access—a court magic.

The letter from Kismet had been passed down via Keli’s brother, through Keli, and then to Saul.

Then there was today’s “toxic and fragile” birthday gift… It was hard not to make a string of suspicious connections, and even begin to question a three-year-long friendship.

But Hayden’s sudden emergency had shattered that spiral of doubt.

The shift in focus brought him back to calm.

And with calm came clarity.

At the very least, back when Keli had first extended a helping hand, no one other than the Tower Master knew about his aptitude.

Even without the diary’s guidance this time, Saul chose to trust his own judgment—his own instincts.

But this incident had served as a reminder.

After finishing his preparations, Saul clapped the dust from his hands, then gently lifted the now clean, slippery body of Hayden and lowered her into the solution, which had already begun to react violently with sorcery.

Throughout it all, Hayden clenched her teeth tight.

No matter how painful the crystal extractions or the corrosive burning of the solution, she didn’t utter a single cry.

As the liquid rose and submerged her face, Hayden forced her head to turn toward Saul.

She stared at him with empty sockets where her eyes had once been.

Saul leaned down close. Though his arms were submerged in the solution and though Hayden likely couldn’t see anything anymore, he still smiled gently and said:

“Sleep well. Sweet dreams.”

…

The viscous, stinging liquid sealed her senses. Darkness fell, and pain faded in an instant.

A faint shimmer of light emerged. A silver butterfly fluttered past, parting the endless veil of black.

Sunlight streamed down, warming Hayden’s eyelids.

She opened her eyes and instinctively raised a hand to block the sun.

Bright light passed through her fingers, turning her palm a soft, translucent orange-red.

She pushed herself up and found she was lying on the grass in the garden of her home.

“Hayden!” Her father stormed over, furious, a riding crop in hand. “If you keep slacking off on your Common Language studies, I won’t enroll you when the Wizard Tower comes to recruit next year!”

“Then don’t!” Hayden burst out laughing, laying back down with his hands behind his head.

The soft grass cradled his body.

(End of Chapter)

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