The pungent sulfur was even more irritating in the scalding air, yet Lyle, besieged by nightmares, struggled without getting up, imprisoned in a small room drenched in darkness.

He couldn’t open his eyes, but his head was crammed with information: sounds, images, forces.

Lyle heard Gogallan’s screams, saw his tall, twisted body covered in black mire, and he sensed his presence.

There was something in his own mind, a mix of familiar and strange inspiration squatting there, an unease. It was like the discomfort Nia initially brought when she hid in his body, that sense of being smeared with mucus over and over, an unease Lyle had taken quite some time to adapt to. Now he might have to repeat the process.

For the harbinger of doom resided in his own mind.

Lyle "saw" how it engulfed him and Nia, gradually corrupting Hell’s power, weaving fear into every demon’s heart, planting that sinister laugh into their minds, and at last, declaring its presence to all.

The existence of the omen was a kind of knowledge. The moment he perceived its presence, Lyle felt as though a grand door of mysticism unfolded before him. Pressed against the door, he could easily peek at what lay beyond. Madness and filth, blasphemy, and corruption.

Ultimately, Lyle didn’t open the door; he was afraid. And the moment his fingers left the carved stone door, Lyle heard the harbinger’s mocking laughter from the other side.

A black fog slowly crept onto Lyle’s body. In his grogginess, Lyle gradually lost the sense of his own existence.

Lyle opened his eyes.

The breeze lifted the dark purple window drapes, blowing the faint scent of the unknown pale white flowers on the windowsill into his nostrils, the sunlight slanting onto the bed, the shadows of the fluttering fabric dancing on the back of his hand.

He felt as if he had returned to a painting of Naranya, and Lyle began to doubt whether he was still trapped in a dream.

Or perhaps in a painting of the landscapes within Naslan’s secret realm, because Naslan’s second daughter was resting on his chest.

"It seems this is some sort of infirmary, albeit a bit too luxurious." Lifting his head slightly, Lyle saw from the window the chaotic architectural style unique to the City of Wandering, "Alianna is taking care of me, but I’m afraid she doesn’t understand that resting her head on a patient’s body is not an appropriate way to care for them. I’m having a bit of trouble breathing."

"I understand." The head resting on his chest didn’t move away, the open eyes watching Lyle closely. "I’m not caring for you, I’m just listening to your heartbeat."

"To check if I’m safe?"

"Merely because it sounds pleasant. Your heartbeat is a kind of exquisite music," Alianna lifted her head, "I already confirmed your safety when I sent the City of Wandering’s physician away. I checked every part of your body very thoroughly; there’s nothing wrong with your body, Lyle."

To prevent the disclosure of his human identity, evading the doctor’s examination was understandable to Lyle. But...

"Alianna, you checked my body, every part?"

"Yes."

"..." Lyle instinctively covered his lower body, his face beginning to redden.

Lyle’s embarrassment amused Alianna, who raised an eyebrow, extended her palm, and forcefully pushed Lyle’s hand away, caressing his body as if it were the most natural thing to do. "I don’t think there’s anything between us that needs to be hidden. Didn’t you examine my body on Andrey’s experimental table as well?"

"That was just a flesh disguise; I didn’t care about those things back then."

"So what are you caring about now?" Alianna’s eyes were crystal clear, but their purity only made Lyle’s distress worse. Lyle wasn’t sure if Alianna genuinely hadn’t noticed or if she was doing it on purpose.

Regardless, Lyle confirmed his vulnerable position in regard to Miss Alianna.

The gentle Miss Alianna mercifully spared the embarrassed gentleman.

"This is a joint hospital established by the Arcanists, open to all races. In my opinion, you would rather lie here than on a cold, damp slab used by liches for their experiments," Alianna said as she left her seat. "I’ll go to the restaurant and call Nia back. She woke up thirty minutes before you and is probably still eating."

"Let’s go together. I’m fine, no need to lie in bed anymore." In fact, Lyle’s condition couldn’t have been better. Aside from having an extra presence in his head, Lyle felt reborn.

Alianna looked him over and agreed with his suggestion, "Then you go find Nia in the restaurant, and I will go settle the hospital bill."

Hospital bill? Lyle pinched his fingers, "How long was I actually unconscious, and is the hospital stay expensive?"

"One hour, Lyle. But I prepaid for a year’s fees in case you wanted to stay longer in that room. I can go settle that later."

"No, no, no, you go ahead, Alianna." That’s my hard-earned money, I must get it back.

After separating from Alianna, Lyle found the restaurant following the signs.

On the way to the restaurant, Lyle noticed that the hospital was quite busy with various races being carried in on stretchers.

He also heard the doctors yelling.

"We have three more patients from the Black Abyss Arena, hurry and send stretchers over!"

"Elves, humans, Flesh Race, priority emergency treatment!"

"Other races to follow!"

"Liches? If liches want to come, let them go to the dungeon themselves!"

Watching the doctors shouting and rushing out of the hospital, Lyle marveled at the disparity in class and pushed open the doors to the attached restaurant.

He immediately spotted Nia, the girl, taking up the center of the entire restaurant with wild abandon, her numerous tentacles snatching food from the surrounding dishes and devouring it fiercely. Nearby, there was a tall Bearman dressed as a maid licking plates, a Black Abyssal Demon sobbing while eating a chicken leg, and a brawny human man vomiting.

"Nia, what are you doing?"

"Nia is battling!" She responded energetically, before plunging back into eating with all her might.

After inquiring, Lyle learned that this was the scene of a competitive eating contest. The reason it was held in the hospital’s attached restaurant was for the convenience of carrying the contestants to the digestive department.

The human brawny man was already out of it, the tears of the Black Abyssal Demon confirmed his defeat. The Bearman was still holding on, but the gap between him and the Abyssal Stomach was growing.

Next to the Bearman, there were several muscular men dressed as maids posing and providing cringeworthy vocal support.

"Sisters!!! For the pure maid path!!! Hold on!!!" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Lyle didn’t pay any more attention to the contest, feeling a headache coming on and his stomach churning—an utterly miserable sensation.

Twenty minutes later, Nia, holding a golden fork trophy, proudly left the hospital with Lyle and Alianna.