Chapter 1218 - Taming the Old World - Respite - 4

Chapter 1218: Chapter 1218 - Taming the Old World - Respite - 4

"Ren..." Liora began, her voice trembling slightly.

"I mean it. Do not focus on my face... Focus entirely on the runic geometry."

He meticulously divided the operational roles. Each woman would shoulder a distinct part of the complex mana-biological reconstruction.

Luna meticulously stabilizes the overarching ethereal flow. Liora would actively guide the reconstruction energy Ren would provide through his intricate internal channels. Larissa would wield her Light affinity to seal the newly generated muscle and skin tissue the exact microsecond it manifested. It was three completely distinct, complex runic processes running simultaneously, demanding the flawless synchronization of a master chronometer.

"You are going to have to actively support each other," he instructed. "The second one of you loses the rhythm, the other two must instantly compensate to maintain the equilibrium. Exactly like you operate out there on the battlefield."

The three of them exchanged a single, profound look, and the lingering terror in their eyes hardened into unshakeable resolve.

"And one more thing." Ren offered a faint, exhausted half-smile. "If you pay close attention to the architecture, you are going to learn a good amount about runic theory during this operation. The mechanics you master here could significantly benefit your own individual skills. Consider this a rare chance for a private tutoring session."

"Why is it so rare?" Larissa asked, longing in her face.

"Well, I’d like it for us to be together more often too but you know we all have big responsibilities... And if you are only talking about the tutoring then it’s because the primary didactic material we are utilizing is Diamond-density mana made from my own body..."

Liora let out a sharp, genuine laugh despite her overwhelming nerves, and gently placed her warm hand over Ren’s crystallized right forearm.

"Let’s begin," Ren commanded softly. "Before the monster trapped in that dome decides to start digging faster."

♢♢♢♢

The operation was a success.

It was not a flawless procedure. There were tense moments when one of the three women lost the complex runic rhythm and the other two had to hurriedly compensate to keep the ethereal flow stable. There were agonizing seconds where Ren ground his teeth so hard that Luna almost stopped channeling her mana, and only his explicit prior warning forced her to push through his obvious pain.

But ultimately, the critical mana-biological infrastructure was salvaged. Ren’s right arm and hand regained full articulation. His fingers answered his commands once again, and that decent mobility was all he truly required for the next phase.

Because now, Ren could actively utilize his own hand.

And while he was profoundly grateful for their assistance, having full runic control over his own right hand was worth infinitely more than relying on even ten external ones for this specific kind of work.

Ren carefully positioned his right hand over his crystallized left forearm, manipulating the intricate runic arrays to direct a highly concentrated flow of mana directly into the frozen tissue. He began to personally reverse the transmutation.

The jagged crystal yielded to his control, slowly converting back into living muscle and skin.

He prioritized the absolute most critical anatomical areas first, focusing his output entirely on the dense clusters of blood vessels and the major ethereal conduits. As for the superficial crystalline patches that didn’t directly impede his central system or mana flow, he didn’t waste precious energy attempting a flawless transmutation. He simply ripped the jagged shards out of his skin like mundane shards of glass that had lost their connection to a unified whole, allowing Larissa, Luna, and the master healers to treat the bleeding wounds with standard restorative spells immediately afterward.

It was inefficient to burn his rapidly depleting mana reserves reconstructing generic tissue that any high-ranking medical officer could easily regenerate.

Even employing this ruthless mana-biological economy, the toll was staggering.

Reversing Platinum-rank crystallization, much like the affliction that had frozen Luna’s parents, was a child’s game compared to transmuting Diamond-rank amber. And the dense crystal consuming Ren’s arms was absolutely Diamond-tier, forged by the exact same catastrophic primordial power that had entombed King Dragarion years ago. Merely reclaiming the vital pathways of his right forearm drained nearly a full third of his total mana capacity.

He expended another sizeable fraction of his reserves just to restore basic articulation to his left arm and hand.

But the left limb remained heavily compromised. The vast majority of the tissue from the elbow down to the fingertips was still composed of transparent crystal. Reclaiming its internal biological functionality was one objective; transmuting the entire limb back to pristine flesh was a massive luxury his heavily compromised core simply could not afford today.

And the rest of his body was still littered with jagged crystalline patches scattered across his skin, physical receipts for the huge price he had paid to temporarily stop the war.

♢♢♢♢

The girls watched him work, their expressions heavy with a complex blend of deep concern and profound sorrow. They were visibly frustrated by their own inability to do more for him.

Ren let out a soft, reassuring laugh.

"We will have plenty of time to address the rest," he told them, his tone light despite the exhaustion weighing down his bones. "We have achieved enough for today. We need to prioritize the tactical board." He flexed his newly restored left hand, carefully testing the articulation of his fingers. "We can make further progress on the left arm tomorrow. And if my hypothesis is correct, we are going to buy ourselves a few extra days to properly recover."

"What hypothesis?" Larissa asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"A method to buy our Vanguard more time." Ren shifted his gaze past his fiancées to the three maids standing dutifully near the door. "I need one of you to secure aerial transport to the courtyard immediately. It has to be a fast one... Faster than Mayo’s cloud-bird."

Mayo crossed her arms and scrutinized him from head to toe. She took in the scattered crystalline patches, the almost entirely transparent left arm, and the deathly pale complexion of a boy who had been comatose for ten days.

"Please don’t take offense, boss," she commented dryly, "but you genuinely do not look prepared to launch an offensive. You look vastly more suited for a museum display case... ’Here rests the Glorious General, a tragic martyr of the Great War...’ Or something equally dramatic."

"I am absolutely not going to fight." Ren offered a faint, tired half-smile. "Do not panic."

Maria instantly raised her hand to strike the outspoken maid, but Mayo was already expertly dodging backward out of range.

"It was a purely objective medical observation! I am genuinely concerned for his long-term health!"