Chapter 23: The Bond of Healing and Deceit

Before leaving the building.....

"Let’s go before someone else shows up and delays our return," Aiden said firmly, already turning to leave—only to realize that Zero wasn’t moving.

"Hey, Aiden... let’s just help them real quick before we leave," Zero suggested, her tone unusually soft.

"Why should we? The longer we stay, the greater the chance someone else finds us. We don’t have time to waste here," Aiden replied, irritation creeping into his voice.

"Please... it'll only take half a minute," Zero pleaded, her voice laced with sincerity Aiden rarely saw.

Aiden let out a long sigh. "...Fine. But make it quick. We’re short on time."

Zero led the way, stopping before a lone door in the hallway. Opening it revealed a cramped room filled with terrified people—nearly a hundred, all trembling at the sight of him.

Rey's body, drenched in blood from earlier battles, painted a haunting image. To the cowering crowd, he looked less like a rescuer and more like a deranged killer.

"You don’t need to fear me," Aiden said, his voice deeper and more commanding to mask his identity. "I’ve already taken care of the gang that captured you. You’re free now. The police are on their way."

His words didn’t immediately dispel their fear, but the tension in the room lessened slightly.

Stepping forward, Aiden summoned

Scorpion Fang

, the dagger Zero had absorbed. Without hesitation, he cut the ropes binding one man’s hands, freeing him to help the others.

The crowd eyed the bloodstained dagger warily, but as Aiden stepped back after freeing a few captives, his actions began to speak louder than appearances. Realizing his intentions were genuine, the rescued began untying their companions.

Satisfied they could manage from here, Aiden turned toward the exit.

"Wait—what’s your name?" asked the first man he’d freed.

Others echoed the sentiment, curious about the mysterious figure in the assassin’s garb and flashy manga-style mask.

{A/N: It's hidden hero name time.}

"I am no hero," Aiden said, his voice low and resonant. "You're just lucky I stumbled upon this place on my own mission. My name is...

RAVENBLADE

."

With that, he turned and vanished.

A stunned silence followed—until someone whispered in awe, "

Oh my God... that’s so cool.

"

As the rescued continued freeing each other, Aiden, still in Rey’s bloodied body, darted toward the building's rear window, leaping through the very opening Rey had used to enter.

Police sirens howled in the distance. Officers poured into the front of the compound, quickly securing the premises.

By the time anyone might have caught sight of Rey's body, Aiden had already made it to the perimeter wall. Each movement strained the boy’s battered frame—his body wasn’t meant to endure this.

If Rey had been conscious, he wouldn’t have been able to stand, much less run. But Aiden kept pushing, driving him forward.

Upon reaching the wall, Aiden scaled it. A shred of Rey’s t-shirt tore and caught, fluttering behind him. He didn’t stop.

Near the base of the wall, Aiden found the now-disintegrated equipment bag Zero had used. He placed it in his inventory with swift precision.

"Let’s head home. We can’t take him to a hospital or clinic. If we do, he might not make it," Aiden said, urgency in his tone.

After ensuring no one was watching, the duo departed, slipping away through the shadows.

Moments later, they arrived at Rey’s house.

"We can’t use the main gate. We’ll have to enter through his bedroom window on the first floor," Aiden noted, scanning their surroundings.

"Got it."

With Aiden’s help, Zero carefully climbed up and slipped through the window, taking care not to jostle Rey’s fragile body further.

Once inside, Zero looked around. The room was modest—far too plain for a teenager.

"This boy’s room is way too simple," Zero commented.

"He doesn’t live like other kids his age. No luxury, no complaints—just survival," Aiden murmured, walking to a specific drawer.

Opening it, he rummaged through the contents until he found what he was looking for: the pendant Rey had shown him that day. He tossed it onto the bed and waited.

Nothing happened.

"Huh? You said he was in there. So why isn’t anything happening?" Zero asked, alarmed. "This boy doesn’t have much time left!"

"Just wait... Victor, stop hiding. We don’t have time for games," Aiden said, glaring at the pendant.

From the pendant, a hushed voice echoed, "Seems my acting isn’t so great after all, if even

you

noticed."

A ghostly figure materialized above the pendant—a young man with crimson-red hair and eyes to match. He looked around nineteen or twenty, clad in dark robes, with an aura that betrayed eons of wisdom.

Victor.

"So why now, huh? You had time to consult me before rushing off on your childish mission," Victor said before pausing, eyes narrowing. "...Wait, is that—Zero?"

Victor eyed Rey’s simple clothes, but he knew what was hidden within.

"Yes. And I need your help," Aiden said. "He's dying. Only you can save him."

Victor crossed his arms. "Why should I? I don’t see much potential in this boy. Even with help, he’ll never get past Rank 6. He’ll stagnate forever."

"We

don’t

have time for your games," Aiden snapped, mana flickering around his uninjured hand. "Help him, or deal with me."

"Whoa, whoa, chill. Just joking," Victor grinned. "You really thought I wouldn’t save him? I support him more than

you

do, remember?"

"Then shut up and get to it."

Victor sighed and approached Rey’s body. "Hmm... damage is worse than I thought. Organs ruptured, bones shattered, mana veins torn to shreds. If he tries to use mana again, he could be crippled for life."

"So... can you heal him or not?" Zero pressed.

"I can," Victor confirmed. "But I’ll need to establish a bond. Only then can I begin the healing."

"Then do it now," Aiden urged.

"Alright, alright! Remove the stone from the pendant and place it in his mouth. That’ll let me begin the bonding process."

Aiden grabbed the pendant—but paused.

Then, without hesitation, he crushed the outer layer, revealing a rune-inscribed core. He opened Rey’s mouth and slipped it in. The moment it touched blood, it dissolved.

Victor’s expression twisted. "What have you done?! I didn’t ask you to use

that

stone!"

"Don’t act dumb. You wanted to form a

temporary

bond so you could switch hosts later. That cover was the medium, wasn’t it?" Aiden glared.

Zero blinked. "Wait... what?"

"He wanted a contract that

wasn’t permanent

," Aiden explained. "One he could cancel later and shift to another host if needed."

Victor huffed. "So what? And I don’t sense any of your energy inside the bond."

"Because this isn’t the time. Once he’s healed, we’ll finalize the bond properly. Now

heal him

."

"...Fine. But this is the last time."

Suddenly, Rey’s body was engulfed in three distinct lights.

The red represents the bond.

The green and white signified the start of healing.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Rey began to scream—until Aiden forcibly silenced his vocal cords and severed the pain response.

Healing wasn’t a pleasant process. It didn’t feel like warm, soothing magic. It felt like the body being pushed to its absolute limit—tearing itself apart to stitch back together.

Zero fed in tiny bits of energy to keep Rey stable and help his body adjust to mana simultaneously.

As minutes passed, Rey’s body underwent massive changes.

His bones realigned and mended. His organs regenerated. Even his shattered mana veins were completely restored. His body gained muscle density and grew 4cm taller, now standing at 170cm.

A black, foul-smelling substance oozed from his pores—waste purged during the intense healing.

Zero quickly opened the window to ventilate the room.

Finally, Aiden carefully guided Rey’s now-healed body into the bathroom, while Zero efficiently disposed of the soiled sheet—tossing it into the garbage bin below through the window—using the same specialized material she often utilized in crafting armor.

-- To be Continued....