Chapter 99 - 98: Pain Shield

Chapter 99: Chapter 98: Pain Shield

Hesia turned around in confusion to look.

And then he saw a sight he would never forget.

Pressed tightly against the translucent Magic Barrier were a pair of wide dog eyes and a pair of even wider purple eyes, both faces slightly distorted from the pressure.

’How did those two follow me here!?’

From inside the wall, he could faintly hear voices from outside.

Bruce’s voice was full of doubt. "Are you sure the boss went in here?"

Zoya’s voice was firm. "Yeah. He walked forward, touched the wall, and vanished."

Bruce was clearly skeptical. His wet, black nose twitched as he anxiously sniffed back and forth along the wall.

"His scent is definitely in the air."

Zoya, beside him, followed suit. She leaned close to the wall, her nose twitching slightly beneath her mask.

"Mhm. Air. Has his scent."

Witnessing this scene, Hesia pressed a hand to his forehead in resignation and explained to Fevik, "Yes, that’s my dog and my friend."

’I can’t just ask Fevik to let them in,’ he thought. ’Who knows what this eccentric Half-Elf will do.’

’I just want to get this started and get it over with.’

"Let’s just ignore them and get started."

Fevik, however, frowned. She extended her Right Hand and gave a gentle wave.

"Let them in. Otherwise, people passing by will see two idiots sniffing and licking a wall, and they’ll definitely think it’s strange."

With a faint ripple of Magic Power, Bruce, who was sniffing the wall, suddenly discovered his nose had sunk right into it!

"Zoya! This wall is weird! It sucked my nose in!"

Meanwhile, Zoya had already passed directly through the wall’s rippling, water-like surface.

Seeing Bruce still struggling outside the wall, she reached out with a blank expression, grabbed one of his front legs, and gave a gentle tug.

"Zoya! The wall’s reaching out—WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

Before Bruce could finish speaking, he was dragged completely inside, rolling on the ground before scrambling to his feet. He shook his head, only to find Hesia right in front of him.

"Huh? Master?"

"Why were you two following me?"

Bruce immediately shirked all responsibility. "Ask Zoya. I was following her."

Zoya said with a deadpan expression, "Worried."

Bruce immediately chimed in to show his loyalty. "I was worried about you too!"

"That’s enough," Fevik interrupted impatiently. She turned to Hesia. "Have those two wait at the door. Don’t let them come in and disturb us."

Hesia nodded and briefly explained to Bruce and Zoya that he was participating in an experiment in exchange for a Magic Wand.

"Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous. If you don’t want to head back, just wait on the steps by the door for a while."

Caught in the act of following him, the girl and the dog were both a little sheepish.

Although their eyes still held a hint of worry, seeing Hesia’s firm attitude, they both nodded obediently and sat down quietly on the steps.

...

Hesia followed Fevik to a table in the center of the room.

On the table were several slender silver needles, two empty basins, a small Magic Device, and two Healing Potions.

On the floor beside the table lay a bundle of assorted staff-making materials.

As Fevik cast some unknown Water Magic into the two basins, she remarked, "Humans are more obedient than goblins. At least I don’t have to tie you up."

"The test is in three stages, mainly to verify the duration of this Magic and its effects under different conditions."

"The only part that might injure you is the first stage, which is just a prick from a silver needle. There are Healing Potions right there. It’s up to you whether you use them or not. In any case, you can take them with you when the test is finished."

Hesia had expected to be hit with some kind of Magic, or at the very least, get a cut from a Sharp knife. He never imagined it would just be a needle prick, and couldn’t help but ask, "That’s it?"

"What else?" Fevik raised an eyebrow.

"Then... why don’t you test it on yourself?"

"I’m afraid of pain. Is that not allowed?"

The reason was so perfectly valid that Hesia was left speechless.

"When you’re ready, place a hand on the tabletop," Fevik gestured. "Stage one: testing the shielding effect against minor physical damage. I’m going to prick your fingertip with a needle. Under normal circumstances, you should feel a sharp sting. Then I’ll cast ’Pain Shield’ on you and prick you again to see how the sensation changes."

Hesia didn’t waste any more time. He extended his Right Hand, placing it palm-up on the table.

Fevik glanced at him. Seeing him nod and close his eyes, she hesitated no longer.

Her petite body slowly floated into the air. She picked up a silver needle, aimed for the tip of Hesia’s index finger, and pushed it down.

However, when the silver needle touched his skin, it merely created a small indentation, failing to pierce it as expected.

Fevik let out a soft "Huh?" and subconsciously applied more force.

But the skin on Hesia’s fingertip was unusually tough, like tanned leather. No matter how hard she pushed, the silver needle couldn’t penetrate it in the slightest. The shaft of the needle even began to bend.

She gasped in surprise. "How are you so tough?"

Hesia, who had closed his eyes in anticipation of the pain, waited for what felt like an eternity. But the pain never came. All he felt was a swelling pressure on his finger that was almost comfortable, like a massage. He opened his eyes to see Fevik squatting on the table, gripping the needle with both hands and pressing down with all her might. The long, slender needle was even starting to deform under the force.

It was only then that he realized he’d had the [Thick Hide] trait equipped the entire time.

"Uh, how about we switch hands? I’ve trained my Right Hand, so the skin is thicker."

Fevik stopped what she was doing and shot him a strange look.

Hesia sheepishly switched to his left hand, secretly deactivating [Thick Hide].

Fevik picked up a new silver needle and pricked the tip of his left index finger.

"HSSS—" This time, Hesia clearly felt the sharp pain of the needle piercing his skin and flesh.

"Good. Remember that feeling. Now I’m going to cast the spell."

Fevik began to chant a difficult and complex Spell. As she chanted, a soft white light enveloped Hesia’s left hand like a thin veil.

"Tch! But it seems to be working."

"Duh, of course it’s working. Don’t move, I’m going to prick another finger."

As she spoke, she pricked Hesia’s middle finger.

"If a complete pain block is 100%, what percentage would you say this is?"

Hesia focused on the sensation.

It was difficult to quantify this level of reduction with a precise number, but it was definitely more than half.

He decided to aim high, hoping it might put the ill-tempered Mage in a better mood. "About... 70%?"

Fevik’s eyes lit up, and she immediately jotted down in her notebook: *Physical stimulus blocking approx. 70%. Effect: significant!*

She continued, "The Scroll says the base duration of this Magic is five minutes. I started a timer the moment I cast it. But the effect fades over time, so tell me immediately when you feel the pain has mostly returned."

’That’s right,’ Hesia thought. ’Exactly five minutes, not a second more or less.’