Vincent nodded. He understood the situation was dire. If he died, she would die with him. Vincent thought Kazumi might even sacrifice the last of her mana, meaning her life essence, to help him increase the odds of survival. "I will try to shake the acid off my body. Remember to bring me in and out quickly. I can't lose you. " Vincent uttered with determination. Vincent closed his eyes, and the darkness spread all around him. His soul body faded, and with it, his consciousness swapped back to the living world. Kazumi watched him leave, worrying about the success rate of their plan. Twenty tries were a lot and using Soul Visit twenty times was probably was too much for her. Vincent opened his eyes wide when the intense pain returned as if being hit suddenly by a truck. His breathing became heavy, and slightly moving his melting limbs was too strenuous to do. "Soul. Power. Minor. Heal. " Vincent managed to say after taking a few steps back. He didn't want any acid to fall on the three women he staked his life to protect. [-10sp used for Soul Power Minor Heal on Vincent Agius. Host discount activates. 190sp Remaining.] Green light suddenly surrounded his body. His body radiated with intensity, showing that all of his body, apart from his head, was injured. As his body was healing and his skin was slowly regrowing, the heals' aftereffect began building on his body. The more he forced his cells to heal, the more tired he felt. "Vincent!" Both Ester and Lupa worryingly shouted. "I'll be back!" Vincent shouted from the top of his lungs as his body was slowly healing. However, the healing was barely keeping up with the melting of his skin. Ester and Lupa wanted to believe his words. Lupa stood up and flipped the cart backward. The water and acid in the cart splashed and mostly leaked on the ground. One word could describe what the two were looking at. Hell. All around them was covered with smoke as if lava was burning the ground. The previous cold air became hot, and a pungent smell surrounded them. At least Lupa was still wearing the fruit-scented mask. Heavy smoke covered their vision, and the glowing Vincent started walking back a few steps at a time. It was getting harder and harder to see Vincent until they could only hear his groans and silhouette. They could only see a green glowing human silhouette in the fog. Vincent was like a green firework in the fog as he shook his body and bits of luminous flesh with acid flung on the ground. After a few seconds, a few steps, a few arm swings, the healing aura faded, and the pain returned full force. It seemed the pain lessened when his body was recovering. It was similar to pain dampeners. Unfortunately, the healing didn't remove the acid, so it just healed him with the acid still there. Vincent couldn't cast the second heal as his eyes rolled, and he was about to faint again. Kazumi immediately pulled Vincent into his Soul Domain. She began to worry because he was suffering from the kind of pain that could drive a person crazy. [Remember to shake your body like a dog shaking after it gets wet. You need to remove the acid personally because the heals will only alleviate the pain.] Vincent simply nodded to be taken back. His complexity wasn't looking good even in the Soul Domain. He looked like a person nearing his end. Vincent had his will almost broken, and this was his first heal. The pain was excruciating, but hearing a familiar voice gave his face a bit of life. "Thank... you... " Vincent closed his eyes, and Kazumi then sent him back. Once again, Vincent experienced hell. This time, after casting his second heal, Vincent started waving his arms up and down. It took all of his strength to do this. His clothes had already melted, and a few bones started showing even with the healing aura healing him. Minor Heal seemed to be recovering his body a bit slower than before for some reason. Lupa couldn't bear to hear Vincent scream in pain; her heart couldn't endure any longer. After she took a step to approach Vincent, a weak, trembling hand stopped her advance. Lupa turned her head and saw Ester stopping her. She noticed Ester's lips were trembling; her eyes were red with tears welling in her eyes. The hand stopping Lupa was shaking like a storm. "Don't go... believe in him... " Ester's trembling lips managed to say this before she got interrupted. "Argh!" Vincent's screamed, and the glow faded at the same time. Soon after, Ester and Lupa saw Vincent's shadow almost collapse and suddenly regain his footing. He stood straight and cast the third minor heal. After being brought back to his senses and removing as much acid as possible, Vincent's hope was fading by the second. Too much acid remained stuck on him like gum. Vincent was quickly starting to forget his goal. All his thoughts became confused. The pain coursing through his bones, flesh, and mind was beginning to affect his reasoning. Vincent was suddenly thinking negative thoughts, and the idea of giving up instead of suffering flashed in his mind multiple times. Kazumi tried to support Vincent to the best of her abilities both by words and using Soul Visit to snap him out of fainting. By the fourth heal, Vincent started to lose himself. After removing a little of the acid, his determination to keep trying almost broke by the fifth heal. By the sixth heal, he barely responded to Kazumi's telepathic voice. Ester, Lupa, and Kazumi felt their hearts were in taters while looking at the only person they felt happy to be with suffering such pain. Kazumi was getting tired as her mana was running out. She pulled him six times, and every time left her weaker. Ester, "Don't die!... we need you!" Lupa, "We are waiting for you!" Ester and Lupa supportingly shouted. They wanted the suffering Vincent to know that they were with him no matter what happens. Vincent fainted for the seventh time due to the stress of the pain. Kazumi pulled him into the Soul Domain. However, the bright glowing wisp changed to a dim dying LED torch flickering every now and then. [Vincent. I can only pull you...two times... after the second time... I die.] Kazumi was struggling to keep her form. As her body was fading and her voice weakening, the broken Vincent set his weak, muddled gaze onto her. It felt like he heard a word that triggered his attention. Vincent didn't go crazy because Kazumi talked to him every time. However, this time it was different. Kazumi was fading before his very eyes, and hearing the mentioning of her death penetrated his clouded mind. His reason temporarily recovered. [Have you forgotten?... those waiting for you outside.] [They are crying... they want you to live.] [So why. Why have... you given up?] [Didn't you promise us... a better life?] [Will you let them suffer... what you passed through from your parents... deaths?] The more Kazumi tried her best to make Vincent regain his reason and fight for his life, the dull green color of his eyes started to gleam. The almost extinguished flame gradually burned brighter every passing second. Vincent remembered what the maddening pain almost made him forget. This was a new life, a new beginning and most importantly, now he has loved ones that he must protect at all costs. Vincent now had a lot to lose than when he was on Earth. Aunt Trisha and grandma Tessy were the only ones that he thought would worry about his disappearance. However, the truth was different. The two women on Earth were as devastated as when they lost Kevin from his mysterious death. Vincent took it for granted that they treated him like a close friend instead of a son. As the spark lit by Kazumi's words ignited his will ablaze, the Soul Domain started shaking as if there was an earthquake. The pair of green eyes shone with a blinding light, Vincent regained his reason, and his determination seemed to burn brighter than the sun. Vincent felt he wanted to become like his most favorite comic book hero, The Green-eyed Hero. There was one phrase that the hero repeated multiple times in the comic. The hero called himself a greedy person to protect the innocent civilians even if it costed his life. In other words, he was a selfless hero to his core. This comic hero made Vincent experience multiple emotions on every volume he read. Nothing else he read could make him express such sentiments. It was the time when Vincent wanted to trade his life for his parents. However, after Vincent arrived in this new world, he experienced many new things. He suffered and had fun. He fought and fell in love. "It's greedy to want to live without being selfless, but I want to live without paying that price. I have to continue living my new life... I have to survive no matter the cost. I promise to survive!" As Vincent said these words filled with unbridled determination, a window appeared in front of him. The Promised Quest activated, yet it was strange. A few of the words were unreadable as if corrupted. The Soul Domain shook, even more, making the text harder to read. [Warning.] [Promised Quest: #&#& survival #&#&] [... the soul of a hero awakened... stirred by the emotional trauma of one's failure... he tries to resist against the tide of sorrow... human wanted to do the impossible... chance by mana... will he consume or be consumed?] [Quest conditions #&#&] *#&#& *#&#& [Rewards] *#&#& [#&#&] [#&#&] [Forced auto-accept in five seconds.] The mysterious hidden quest appeared and disappeared. The quest had specific personal details of how Vincent felt before he arrived at this world. Vincent didn't have the ability to accept, but his burning determination to survive would have made him answer with a resounding yes. He was prepared to choose consume no matter the price. Not to be limited by one's impossibility is what could be understood from the readable words. Vincent's hero ability allowed him to learn and use spells that ignored the world's rules. Class compatibility issues were nothing for him. The earthquake now lightly shook the Soul Domain. However, the patch of emerald crystal grass was radiating light. It appeared as if the grass was lighting with Vincent's determination like a contagious laugh. "Thank you, Kazumi. I will do my best not to faint again. I can't let you die. You, Ester, and Lupa are priceless to me. " Vincent heartwarmingly said. He wanted to pass this hell of a trial without asking for help from the weak Kazumi.