Even when Max was using his Mana to help digest the pill, it took a dozen minutes to start dissolving.
Right as the medicinal energy started to pour out of the pill and surge into every part of her body, starting from the heart, a golden glow suddenly enveloped her, which gradually became brighter and brighter.
Phew!
Max exhaled the breath he was holding onto until now and stepped back. Only now did he notice that his forehead was covered in sweat, and his leftover Mana had been exhausted. His legs slightly wobbled, but he held on.
Shua!
Belen appeared by his side and supported him before taking her handkerchief out and wiping the sweat off his face.
"Thank you!" Max glanced at her and lightly smiled.
Belen nodded and then hesitantly said, "Mm, Max, can I ask you something?"
"Ask away." Max nodded. He could guess what she was going to ask.
"What was that pill you fed her?"
"Grade four vitality pill." Max smiled.
"Huh? It was really that?" Belen looked at him in disbelief.
From their conversation earlier, she knew Max didn't have one because when she said that only a grade four vitality pill could save her, Max's first reaction was to take Rima and return to the academy, where they might find one. If he had it earlier, he wouldn't have reacted like that.
"Yeah!" Max nodded without looking at her, but his attention was on her. He wanted to see what her reaction would be. Would she try to pry into his secrets or not?
"Good. She will be alright now." Belen nodded and didn't ask any more questions, which surprised Max. After gazing at Max for a moment, she shook her head and sat down beside Rima.
Leticia, on the other hand, stood near them with a dumbstruck expression on her face. When she saw Max giving Rima the golden pill, she didn't think that it was actually a grade four pill.
However, seeing the golden light covering Rima's body and hearing Max and Belen's conversation, she knew that it was indeed a grade four golden pill.
"Hm? What is it, Leticia?" Max finally noticed Leticia standing there with a dazed expression.
Leticia came out of her daze after hearing his voice. She hesitated for a moment and then asked in a low voice, "Max, do you have another grade four vitality pill?"
Hearing his question, Belen also looked at him.
Max looked at her in confusion, and seeing her melancholic expression, he guessed something and shook his head, smiling bitterly, "There was only this one." He then asked, "Do you need one?"
"No. I-I was just asking." Leticia shook her head.
Max sighed inwardly. From her expression, it was clear that she needed one for some reason, but he couldn't give her one even if he were willing, as there was only one item of each type in the system shop.
'It seems I need to think of some way to earn more Mana stones.' He thought. He then shook his head and stopped thinking about everything else, and glanced at Rima.
The golden glow surrounding her body had become so bright that they couldn't see her current condition.
"Belen, how much time would it take for the pill to heal her completely?" Max asked.
"Since it was a grade four pill. I'm guessing that it should be able to stabilize her condition in one hour. As for how much time would take her to be fully healed, I don't know." Belen said after thinking for a while.
"Okay." Max nodded and squinted his eyes to take a closer look. Although his vision was also obstructed by the golden glow to some extent, he could still see that her dried skin had started to become healthier gradually.
"He... help!" Just then, they heard someone crying for help.
When Max looked back, he noticed that apart from four elves who were in slightly better condition, others seemed to be in even more miserable state than Rima and had already fainted.
It was the only human who was still conscious and looking toward them with a pleading gaze.
Max sighed in his heart and shook his head, "I'm sorry but we don't have anything that can heal you."
The corpse like human's eyes dimmed when it heard Max. But in the next instant, it looked at Max in anger and shouted in a hoarse voice, "You bastard... why did you have to give that cough! life-saving pill to that b-bitch. If you had given it to me... I would have given you all of my wealth cough!"
"Hm?" Hearing this, Max expression turned cold and he moved to walked toward him. However,
Thud!
He suddenly collapsed on the ground and blood started flowing out of his mouth, nose, and ears while his skin also split and blood started dying his clothes red.
Whoosh!
"What happened Max?" Leticia who was standing near him instantly reacted and squatted down beside him. When she turned him over and saw his condition, she panicked. Belen also came to him with a worried look.
"I'm alright. Kill... that bastard for me." Max raised his head to look at the human corpse in the distance. This bastard wasn't thankful that they had been saved from the dark mages and was instead cursing them. How can he not be enraged?
Sou~ Thud!
Just as Max said this, Leticia waved her hand, and a wind blade flew toward the human corpse and beheaded him.
Belen, on the hand, took out a bottle of life potion and fed it to Max.
Max smiled lightly and said, "I-I'm fine. Just exhaust..." While speaking, he fell unconscious.
After forcefully casting [Calidus Brachium], he had exhausted all of his three-star Mana as well as most of his stamina. Moreover, his vitality was also hurt because of this.
He should have collapsed right then, but because he was in a state of tension, he didn't feel anything. Then, he killed the middle-aged dark mage, exhausting a large portion of his leftover Mana and stamina.
After giving Belen the vitality pill, his nerves relaxed, and the side effects of forcing his limits took effect, and as a result, he fainted.
...
When he opened his eyes, he was in a small room, lying on a comfortable bed.
"You are awake?" A familiar and excited voice sounded in his ears.
Whoosh!
Leticia appeared beside him and helped him sit up. She then asked, "How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Should I bring some food? Are you-"
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Max felt warmth in his heart. He extended his hand and placed his finger on her lips, and stopped her from asking any more questions.
"I'm fine. Don't worry." He smiled lightly and then asked, "How long was I unconscious, and how is Rima?"
"It's been two days since you passed out. We are in an inn in a nearby town. As for Rima, she is in another room. Belen is with her. Although her condition is a lot better thanks to the pill you gave her, she hasn't woken up yet." Leticia replied.
"Let's go. I want to see her. Argh!" Max said and tried to stand up, only to fall back on the bed while crying in pain.
"Don't try to exert yourself. Your injuries haven't completely healed yet." Leticia said worriedly and took out a bottle of life potion, "Here, drink this." She then opened the bottle and put it on his lips while supporting his head with her other hand.
Max smiled and wanted to say, 'I can drink it by myself.' But didn't and let her feed him.
After drinking it, he wondered, "How come I'm not healed yet?"
"How would you heal when you had so many inner injuries? Almost all of your veins and internal organs were damaged." Suddenly the door opened, and Belen walked inside.
"Oh, how did you know I had woken up?" Max smiled and tried to change the topic when he noticed that her face was filled with anger and knew that she would lecture him now.
"Because I heard the noise coming from this room." Belen looked at him fiercely and rebuked, "Why did you have to force yourself like that? You could have killed him even if you fought normally." As she said this, her eyes became misty.
Although it had been only a few months since she became his woman, and she didn't love him initially, after spending so much time with him, she had started to love him just like Rima and Leticia. So, when she saw his condition when treating him, her heart couldn't help but clench.
Seeing her reacting like this, Max didn't know what to say.
He slowly stood up and embraced her, "It's okay. Aren't I fine now?"
