Chapter 50: Maiden Of Life

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"Phew, it's done…" Sighed Anna. "Now, I should-"

Before she could ever go greet her brother and Henrietta, Anna fell unconscious, falling from the skies down to the ground.

"Anna!"

Jack immediately reacted, rushing towards her while feeling the growth of his stats after leveling up a lot from the defeat of Leviathan's Embodiment. He jumped into the skies with all his strength and caught his little sister in midair, slowly descending by materializing wings made of his shadows, resembling the wings of bats. Once he landed on the snow, he sighed in relief, looking at his little sister with new eyes.

"Since when did you have such ridiculous power?" He asked in between tears. "We'll have to talk about this once you wake up."

Anna's brother felt relieved that things had ended, but at the same time, he felt a lot of self-doubt. He was unable to overcome such a life-or-death threat and had to rely on his own little sister. Even if he didn't want to feel like this, his pride was deeply hurt.

"I'm so weak." He sighed, slowly walking towards Henrietta. "I need to grow stronger, much stronger... I cannot let you handle these problems. Seconds ago, I didn't even know you had this power."

"It feels odd." Fenrir sighed. "She acquired a power belonging to Anubis, an Egyptian God… Do you think your little sister became his Incarnation to obtain this power, just so she could save you?"

"T-That's…" Jack suddenly felt even worse.

If that was true, Anna sold herself to a Constellation just so she could save her brother. Such a great act of selflessness… Jack started crying manly tears in silence.

"Anna… Did you have to go so far?"

He didn't really like the Constellations; he knew they toyed with humans and saw the entire Apocalypse as a game for them. They picked up humans as Incarnations and used them as if they were their puppets, even resolving fights between themselves using them.

He had sworn since his rebirth through Fenrir's aid that he would one day grow strong enough to reach the Constellations themselves and devour them all. To learn his sister had become the puppet of one of them made him disgusted with himself. Would he one day be forced to fight her through that Constellation's manipulations?

"No… I shouldn't be thinking this nonsense." Jack, however, cleared his mind of doubts and decided to trust his sister. It has been half a month since she woke up from her coma, and already so many things have happened… Yet through this time, he had learned a completely new facet of her.

A much braver, selfless, and intelligent facet. It made him wonder if he had been a fool this entire time for not realizing how incredible she was. He had been closing his heart to even his little sister. After having gone through so many challenges and trials, he became a lone soul.

But now he slowly started to comprehend that always going solo wasn't the right thing to do. He had to learn to trust others, especially his sister, his own family, and the last member of his family.

"I've been an idiot this entire time." Jack sighed, suddenly realizing his own shortcomings.

"You've finally realized that?" Fenrir mocked him.

"Hah… It's not like you're any better either, dog." Jack laughed.

"W-What did you say?! I'm not a dog, you damn brat!" Fenrir barked. "I'm a wolf! Completely different!"

"Sir Jack!" Dan Baihe ran towards Jack as he walked across the snow. With her, there was a small puppy and a tiny, purple centipede. They were Anna's tamed monsters.

"Dan Baihe! Were you hiding?" Asked Jack. "Tell me… Did Anna make some pact with a Constellation or something?!"

"Eh? No?" Baihe was confused. "She didn't! She said she was going to use a Skill she had been hiding this entire time… It was incredible! She killed the demon!"

"Hiding?" Asked Jack. "Could it be… Did she have this power since her awakening in the first dungeon she was dragged into? That would explain how she was able to defeat that Demonic Human…"

Anna had prepared this little lie, which would make her previous actions a bit more believable as well, without feeling sketchy.

"Huh?" Dan Baihe was confused.

"Ah, never mind." Said Jack. "For now, we should go look for Henrietta and get out of here. The Boss can be defeated later; we need to rest."

"J-Jack…" The faint voice of Henrietta echoed farther away.

"Henrietta!" Jack ran towards her while still having Anna in his arms. "Are you okay?"

He saw her completely destroyed on the floor, bleeding all over. Her eyes were bleeding, her entire body was completely damaged, and she looked like she had broken both of her arms, as they seemed twisted, the broken bones coming out of her own skin…

"J-Jack… I…"

"H-Hang in there!"

Jack quickly brought upon his shadows, wrapping them around Henrietta tightly and then taking out his health potions, making her drink them one by one as they ran into the Gate they had opened with Kevin's help.

However, no matter how many potions she was fed, she wasn't getting any better. Her lightless eyes glanced at Jack as she continued to try to talk with him.

"J-Jack…"

"Hang in there! We're almost out, Henrietta!"

"I… I don't have much… time left…"

"D-Don't say those things!"

"I…" Henrietta's tears began to mix with her blood. "I love… I love you…"

"What?" Jack was shocked.

"I'm… sorry…" Henrietta continued lamenting.

She wished she could have told him earlier that there could have been a different outcome to this battle and that… she could have continued to be by his side. Henrietta had so many regrets. Yet she still didn't regret what she did there—fighting against Darius to protect humanity and the one she loved.

"Henrietta…" Jack began crying. "D-Don't… don't leave me, Henrietta!"

"Ja… ck…" Henrietta continued whispering. "I… I wish… we… could… have… made… a… fami… ly…"

Henrietta stopped breathing the moment she said those words.

"Wait… We'll have one! I…" Jack felt like the entire world started crumbling apart around him. "Henrietta… Please stay with me, please…"

Suddenly, a warmth began to encompass Henrietta's body as Anna suddenly woke up and started hugging her tightly. Her eyes seemed exhausted, but she wasn't giving up on her yet.

"I-I won't let you go! I won't!" She cried.

"Anna?!" Jack was surprised.

"I cannot let her go… This is all my fault!" Anna continued crying. "Please… something… Anything!"

As Anna woke up from her sleep, she looked into her system and saw many constellations that had sponsored her many Plot Points. What were the Plot Points? In simple terms, a power that could allow her to purchase privileges and items could directly alter the "plot" of the world.

They were her last chance, as no Constellations seemed willing to gift her something as precious as that Yggdrasil Sap the other two did. However, her Privilege Shop had no such thing either. There was nothing that could directly heal someone with the same power and intensity as an Elixir, and she lacked the necessary materials.

It seemed like everything was pointless. No matter what she tried looking for, she couldn't find anything.

Yet…

[Several Constellations are deeply moved by this scene.]

[They have sponsored 2000 Plot Points.]

[The Cosmic Throne {Divine Judge of Flames} feels sorry, saying he has no power or authority to heal Henrietta…]

[In between tears of regret, he says she will soon die.]

[The Cosmic Throne {Maiden that Watches Over Nature} cannot contain her tears.]

[She says she can't let this happen.]

[Her selflessness reaches a new limit as she rips apart a piece of her soul and offers it to you…]

"Huh? G-Gaia?!"

[The Cosmic Throne {Maiden that Watches Over Nature} has sponsored the [Maiden of Life (S Rank Privilege)]!]

[The Cosmic Throne {Maiden that Watches Over Nature} feels very weakened and slowly begins to fall into a slumber.]

["Please save her…"]

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[Maiden of Life (S-Rank Privilege)]

A powerful authority that only those connected deeply with Nature and the concept of life itself can receive. Through an act of selflessness and sacrifice, you can sacrifice a portion of your own Lifespan to heal the wounds of someone close to death.

Any wound will be healed as long as enough lifespan is sacrificed. It is possible to bring back those who have died, but only if they have died recently (5 minutes maximum).

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This was a Privilege created by the sacrifice of Gaia's soul, and it can only work through the sacrifice of Sylph's own life.

Even with such a painful requirement, she didn't care. Anna was tired of seeing so many good people die and of all the tragedy the original story had.

She wanted to change the ending; she wanted to give these wonderful people a second chance.

Just like she got her second chance as well.

As the reader who read their story, she loved them and saw them as her family. In her lonely life, these people were everything for her.

And now that they were right in front of her, she wasn't going to let them die!

"{Maiden of Life}!"

Anna grasped Henrietta with her arms, hugging her tightly and imbuing her power and life into her body, which had already died.

FLASH!

The brightness of her own life began to shine, blinding Jack and Dan Baihe temporarily. The divinity that exuded from this privilege was so strong that it felt incredible.

[You've activated the [Maiden of Life (S Rank Privilege)]!]

[Healing the wounds of [Character: Henrietta]…]

[Reviving a recently deceased body.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[…]

The light continued glowing as it continued rushing through the body of Henrietta; her bones quickly regenerated back to their original position; her internal bleeding stopped; her organs were remade; and her soul, almost divinely, flew back to her body.

It was a miracle.

"Unnggh…! Please… Please!"

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[…]

"Come on…! I don't care; take as many as you need!"

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[You've sacrificed 1 year of your lifespan.]

[Total lifespan sacrificed: 14 years]

[Current Lifespan: 67]

[Character: Henrietta] has been fully healed and revived.]

"I did it… The ultimate… Deux Ex Machina…" Anna murmured before falling asleep once more.

Henrietta continued sleeping even after being revived, as Jack managed to reach the Gate leading outside and immediately brought both to the hospital.

Without a doubt, he and Dan Baihe had witnessed a miracle.

"Anna… she reviv-" Said Dan Baihe, seconds before Jack covered her mouth.

"Don't say it out loud!" Said Jack. "Such power… If anybody ever learns about it, there will be no end to those desiring it."

The ambulance immediately started rushing to the hospital with Jack and Dan Baihe inside, with both unconscious Anna and Henrietta in the back.

However, this wasn't the end of this long night.

RUMBLE!

The Gates to the Dungeon started shaking as the people watching over them panicked.

Enormous, scaled claws surged from within them, slowly forcing the Gate to widen!

Crack… crack… CRASH!

"ROOOAARR!"

The Boss of the Dungeon suddenly emerged from within… A powerful A+ Rank Frost Dragon.

It ignored everyone around it as it began walking towards the ambulance at incredible speed!

Its steps began shattering the street's floor and freezing everything around it. Thankfully, most civilians had evacuated in time.

Its eyes glowed bright red. It only desired a single thing.

Jack quickly realized what it was.

Anna.

"Fucking hell!" Jack muttered, opening the ambulance's back door and jumping into action.

He summoned all his strength as he clashed against the Dragon in the middle of the city. Due to the commotion, hunters quickly started gathering, and not only Jack was fighting the threat, but many Hunters all around the city jumped to defend the place. Even the brave Golden Shield Guild Members, who were seconds ago trying to get into the hospital with their guild master, jumped into action.

"Don't let that thing step any further!"

"Attack!"

"Be careful of the frost!"

"I-It's way too strong... But if I don't do anything here, can I even call myself a hunter?"

"RAAAHH!!!"

Jack saw with wide eyes as his struggle was much lessened as the many Hunters joined in to help. No matter how large the beast was, when over fifty hunters all ganged on it together, it was bound to go down.

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