Published at 6th of December 2025 6:46 am

Chapter 276

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Ding!

Extra Chapter

Stage 1 opened!

Along with the familiar notification sound, a window of unknown English appeared. I had no mind to interpret it. My gaze turned to the person beside me.

.

Leo looked down at me with eyes sunk in shock. The sudden light made my optic nerve ache with illusion. Though I tried to squint and say something, no sound came out, as if dust clogged my throat.

Leo spoke first.

Youre awake?

Ah. Yeah.

Thud

As I cleared my throat, Leo jumped up from his seat with a face as if seeing a ghost and took one or two steps back. I opened my mouth in bewilderment and looked at him. Bewilderment chilled his eyes. Only after a long while did a hollow voice come from his parched lips.

Lukas.

.

I turned my head again and let out a long breath.

I didnt particularly feel like replying. I understood why he treated me with that face, that voice. Something thudded down in my stomach. I didnt think my faith had been excessive or that my friends faith was only this much. None of us had anticipated such an incident actually happening. Until experiencing it directly, no one knows anything. It might not be then but could be now, or not now but thenit could change. Change was sufficiently natural.

I tried to rise but thudded my head back onto the pillow. Using muscles felt unfamiliar, making my body heavier than after just waking.

Dont get up.

.

Lukas.

He kept calling my name in that dazed voice.

Say something.

An unfamiliar voice not like mine came from my mouth. I hadnt meant to get angry, but it could sound like anger. I cleared my throat more and slowly raised my body. Only now did the linen patient gown I was seeing for the first time enter my eyes.

Come to think of it, a hospital.

Not a hospital. As my gaze turned there, a hollow mutter came from beside me.

Do you know how many days have passed?

I looked at him. Having little interest in peoples appearances, I hadnt paid much attention, but now I saw his face wasnt in good shape. Weight loss was visible. His mouth corners were set downward, and hair he usually combed neatly now hung unkempt over his forehead. Between the strands, the dark circles under his eyes faintly showed. As I didnt reply, Leo continued on his own.

Three days have passed.

.

I had to ponder for a moment what I had heard.

Three days? Bewilderment rose. I thought at most three or four hours.

Another possibility for his earlier reaction now came to mind. I frowned and, without thinking, said as if explaining myself.

I just felt like I woke up from sleep. More than that, I

Lukas.

Leo cut my words. I had been about to talk well about the incident three days ago, but he kept skipping the main point and just calling my name, making me wonder what this was. As I smiled soullessly meaning to stop, Leo sat again in the chair beside and cautiously said.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Not thirsty?

Not yet.

Not yet?

Whether I had stolen his sleep too, Leo repeated my words. Just seeing the dark circles under his eyes told me he hadnt slept. Having slept three days, I now wanted some water, but truthfully, I was tired even for that.

But Leo seemed to have more to say on this topic. He rolled his gaze around and moved his lips.

What I mean.

What.

Arent you needing magic power.

.

As my face twisted, Leo quickly opened his mouth.

No, Im not trying to brand you like that. You, well, are alive havent died, and youve never drunk human blood by your will, I know. Of course, not now either.

His words didnt enter my head.

That was what he meant by thirsty. My head chilled coldly.

My eyes turned to his arm and hand. Bandages I didnt want to know why were attached in several places.

Though outwardly resembling Old Humans, New Human bodies operated entirely differently from Old Humans, and among various fields, injury recovery speed was incomparable to Old Humans. Thus, these wounds were all from just hours ago.

With a finger snap, Leos arm was caught by magic power and pulled. I seized his hand. Scratches from a knife were visible on his fingertips. They seemed just starting to scab. Similar traces on other fingers too. I stared piercingly at him and opened my mouth.

Tell me.

Youre the same.

The rudeness intact, was it? Unimportant. I slowly enunciated each word.

Tell me, Leo.

It was just needed for the experiment.

What experiment.

Leo glanced behind. His gaze full of wariness circled the room and, finding it insufficient, turned around again.

The door was locked with Old Human locks and several defensive magics. The windows too. The wall where windows should be gave subtle incongruity, and looking at the ceiling, only this part lacked molding. They had spaced for curtains not to arouse suspicion outside and erected a new wall with magic.

Who might they have worried would enter that they prepared so thoroughly.

Leo swept his haggard face with his hand and said.

Having slept three days, its right to call medical staff. But, sorry. Cant do that. I have much to talk with you about.

No need to be sorry. Grateful you didnt call.

You know how you collapsed.

Yeah. Not from drinking the Precious Blood like that.

Hm, for Precious Blood, usually its not drinking but receiving.

I knew. Anyway, even in my right mind, I said receiving. With patience, I slowly explained to Leo. I couldnt speak fast because my breath hitched.

Yeah, spiritually so, but anyway, in this situation of drinking and collapsing physically, its not intuitive, right. No mind to say precisely one by one, so just understand. Anyway, I know I collapsed after receiving the consecrated wine in the chalice.

Haha Yeah. Hearing such expression from someone like a cardinal feels fresh.

Leo smiled brightly as if returned to daily life for a moment. Seeing his usual expression eased my tension a bit. But that innocence quickly faded. Gradually, worry clouded his face, soon returning to earlier. In a sunken voice, he said.

Since you know, talk will be fast. As you know, after receiving the Precious Blood, you absorbed Eliass magic power. Fortunately, others dont know. Those who know this fact are only Narce and me, Elias, and Mother.

What did His Majesty say.

Same position as me, no need to worry. Now, no reason to change attitude over such an accident.

.

No reason to change.

Then my earlier worry wasnt reality. If so, I understood exactly where the traces on Leos arm had been mobilized. Good information to grasp other friends reactions and the outside situation.

Then now, I didnt know what I should be thinking. Grateful? Relieved? Sorry? Unfortunately, my head was still blank.

With gaze fixed on my hand, I said.

Fortunate. So, exactly what happened to me.

Your core is getting stronger.

At the unexpected words, I silently looked at him. Leo smied slightly with his still haggard face and said.

Thats all. Be happy, Lukas. Now, theoretically, you can have more magic power than me and Elias combined.

Why is that.

Because your core and magic power can accept everything.

As I kept looking, he properly understood it meant more explanation and continued.

From observations over the past three days, we detected you absorbing faint magic power flowing in the air. And we did some direct experiments too.

Experiments.

Of course, that doesnt mean you accept everything. Having the ability and actually executing are different. From experiments, if you blindly absorb others magic power, you get attacked too. So your core didnt particularly try to absorb others magic power.

That I already knew. Right now, Leos magic power was wrapped around my core, but my core wasnt absorbing it.

Leo hesitated whether to say, coughed, and continued.

I named the state where your magic power or core is as usual not hungry state, but you probably wont like it. I dont either.

You know well. But its intuitive. Continue.

This state continued after your recovery. We did experiments like me or Elias touching you, sending magic power or trying to draw your magic power, but you didnt attract any. Meaning your core doesnt want magic power in that state. Probably because magic power is sufficient. So, in daily life, you wont absorb others magic power like last time all day. That was truly an accident.

I slowly nodded.

There were times your state worsened midway, and we confirmed that when urgent measures were needed, you absorbed even human magic power. But in this case too, your core suffers the same damage.

I muttered while retracing his words one by one.

Drawing magic power.

You had to live, so natural. Of course, ordinary mages lack the ability to draw others like you and would just die. You showing this exceptional phenomenon remains. But I wanted to say this is just your pure ability.

Leo kept twisting his fingers as he spoke. It sounded like talking to himself.

Thats just it. You just struggled not to die in a near-death situation, and fortunately, you had an ability specialized for survival. A person certain to diewhat cant they do. If others had your ability, theyd go around extorting peoples magic power on purpose.

.

I dont know what you felt before losing consciousness, but since I can guess the confusion you feel now, let me say something helpful Strictly speaking, you dont crave blood. You crave magic power. Blood is just the medium.

Yeah.

After that, no one spoke.

This time too, Leo spoke first.

Its not the end here. Your core has started to have extensibility.

Extensibility meaning?

Your core is growing. Whether due to your magic power or your cores trait, we havent figured out yet but theres sufficient possibility youll periodically feel emptiness. Because the nutrients needed for growth cant be filled with yours alone.

Why conclude that.

Instead of replying, he stared at me. Then continued from earlier.

I dont know how long this growth period will last. If its your magic power or cores inherent trait, perhaps itll never end. Of course, it could grow close to infinite then.

.

I wonder if this is a side effect of suppressed growth all life finally appearing. Of course, why now and not last year, I dont know, but from now, we have to find out.

Bad? Not bad. But this amplifies doubts more. Exactly what led me that day to here. Exactly why the Precious Blood that didnt react to others reacted only to me. If drinking the wine had no issue, then was receiving the Precious Blood the issue.

Leo. Hows the investigation.

Meaning if there was a problem in the church.

I nodded.

There was no issue with receiving the Precious Blood. We investigated everyone in the church that day over the past three days, but no one colluding with Adrian Askanian, nor anyone from the list you got from Jurgen Beck or recent contacts or letter correspondents.

.

Still, clearly, Adrian Askanian sending you the medicine was preparation for this. He knew this would happen. Cant say he didnt.

You dont suspect.

.

It could feel out of nowhere. But Leo stared at me, then gave a reply matching my intent.

Why should I suspect. I believe what Ive seen.

.

If I suspected you, I wouldnt be here, Lukas.

Yes, that would be so. No reason for those many injection marks on his arm either.

Now, the one to center himself was me. The one to find truth was me too. That much, I couldnt pass to my friends shoulders.

I have something to bring. Ill be back shortly. Wait.

Leo said while rising.

I nodded. Instead of warping, he unlocked and went out. As he left, I leaned back against the headboard and sighed deeply.

Lets think.

I needed to finish thinking what I was thinking earlier.

Previously drunk Precious Blood had no issue. The Mass right before was about two weeks before the day I collapsed. Counting even the mandatory Protestant Lords Supper from Imperial Second Academy, it shortens to a week ago, but since that doesnt acknowledge transubstantiation, exclude for now.

What change happened to me between the two reception dates.

Experiencing Pentalon terror and waking? 1898 Ash Wednesday? The former was a big incident, but if foreseen, Adrian Askanian would have used every means to return home and lock me up or resolve the incident himself long ago. No human can act on unforeseeable events. Then the latter. Ash Wednesday is quite appealing spiritually if after receiving Precious Blood is certainly the cause, but realistically, unconvincing.

Or perhaps a curse Adrian Askanian laid long ago? If so, Bavaria Medical Centers check would have caught it long ago, but since his poison uses ingredients even Bavaria doesnt know, worth considering.

Problem is, no hypothesis fits with confirming clues. As archbishop said, now find.

Ideally, since I can rewind time, better to find now with various experiments possible.

But how?

I swept my hair back and took a deep breath.

With nothing I can do right now, first need to examine what I received before collapsing. I opened the status window, looked at the unfamiliar name in the trait slot at the bottom, and muttered. A new window appeared.

Extra Chapter

Stage 1: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!

Stage 2:

Stage 3:

Below were rows of slots written similarly.

Hm.

Whats this? Need to know something to attempt, but no explanation. What Extra of meaning.

For now, that first stage opened today.

If same as Chapter system I know, means Im at that stage now. But no reason to duplicate existing system. Since opened, perhaps something different.

I pondered long while glaring at the text.

Staying still wont drop information.

For now, press it.

At that thought, my center vanished. A horn tearing ears blared.

Hoooon!

!

I snapped open my eyes. Sky visible. Belo my shoulder, a small carry-on was pillowed.

?! Wait. Until just now, I was in the hospital room?

There! Come out!

What are you doing!

No time for long bewilderment. Now I saw everyone around staring at me. Right above my head, carriages and cars passed. I had collapsed in the middle of the road.

Get up!

Someone grabbed my arm and yanked me up. I hurriedly grabbed the carry-on and apologized to the driver standing before me.

Sorry.

Hey!

Why lie there? Young person already lost it.

The middle-aged Old Human who raised me dragged me to the sidewalk while scolding, then widened his eyes. He gaped at me, then tilted his head with an expression like seeing all kinds in life. Already mind scattered, this too added bewilderment. I squinted and asked.

Whats wrong.

Why is your eye color like that.

Pardon?

Pink. How can human eyes be

Well. I didnt know why either.

I was about to reply that, then at a sudden thought, opened my mouth.

By chance, what day is it today?

March 20th.

March 20th? No way. Still early March.

Had I come to the future? I looked around quickly. The cars passing on the road looked a bit old. Benzend Co. 3rd gen magic power engine car announcement. The article I saw this year flashed in my mind. All cars on the road now were old-generation.

The person before me slowly backed away with a face like meeting a madman. Before he bolted, I seized his arm and asked.

What year is it now.

1886? Hoho.

.

As I let go, he swiftly vanished.

I stood there blankly looking at the street. Laughter began bubbling up.

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