"Grandma!" Iris hugged Vera who was lying on the bed. Her tears seeped through the old woman's robes, and her wail of sadness echoed inside the room.
"Why are you crying?" Vera asked. "I'm just a bit injured from the fight. Just give me a few days and I'll be back up to normal."
"Grandma, the High-Cleric already told me," Iris replied as she held her grandma tight. "I swear I will kill that Ranker! He'll pay for this!"
"...Child, it will be best if you forget about him for the time being," Vera stated as she patted Iris back in order to calm her down. "Everyone dies. Some just die sooner than others. You're still young and still have a long life ahead of you. I don't mind if you avenge me, but only do it when you are strong enough. Do you understand?"
Iris nodded her head as she cried her heart out. Right now, she just wanted to stay with her grandma while she was still alive. She would set aside everything else, including her revenge, as well as her responsibilities with her guild, Serenity.
Lux stood beside the bed and allowed his fiance to vent out all the frustration and pain she was feeling. After the Seed of the Abyss had taken root inside his heart, all the negative emotions that he had felt during the battle were turned into the Power of the Abyss, resulting in his Abyssal Transformation.
If it hadn't been for Keoza absorbing the Abyssal Powers that had run amok inside his body, he might have been corrupted completely, turning into an Abyssal Monster that would bring ruin to those around him.
Now that all of these negative emotions were sucked up by the Golden Token, Lux was able to think more clearly, allowing him to make the necessary preparations to save his Grandma's life.
He had a chat with Asmodeus on their way towards the settlement of the Rowan Tribe, and the latter gave him some advice on how to utilize the Flower of Death to its fullest potential.
What the Archlich told him then made the Half-Elf shudder. His first reaction was to reject Asmodeus' proposal completely, but after the Archlich pointed out the pros of the "experiment" that he had suggested Lux to do, the red-headed teenager found out that it might actually benefit Vera in the long run.
However, there were still risks involved, and even the Archlich had to agree that his proposal was only based on theories that had never been tested.
Because of this, Lux decided to consult his grandma about this procedure and ask her opinion about it.
"Grandma, I have a way to prevent you from dying," Lux said softly as he sat on the bed and held one of Vera's wrinkled hands that had protected and guided him for more than a decade.
Iris, who had been crying, raised her head and looked at Lux in horror because she thought that the Half-Elf was planning to revive her grandma into an Undead.
As if sensing her concern, Lux shook his head before shifting his gaze back to the old lady who was looking at him with a tender gaze.
"You don't have to force yourself, Lux," Vera replied. "I am fine. Even without me, I am sure that you will be able to become a wonderful person."
"Grandma, there are still many things that you need to teach me. It's too early for you to go. You still haven't held my and Iris' babies."
"...Yes. This will be my greatest regret in this lifetime. I knew I should have placed an aphrodisiac in your meal when you turned sixteen. That way, I would have been able to hold my great grandchild before passing away."
Lux pretended to not hear his grandma's words and continued to talk to her about his plan.
"Grandma, during the Dungeon Expedition, I managed to get an item that has never been heard of before," Lux said as he summoned the Flower of Death. "This is the Flower of Death. It can allow someone to escape the jaws of death, as long as they still drew breath. However, after ingesting it, you will enter a comatose state for a month, as your body regains its vitality, giving you a new chance at life."
Iris' eyes widened in shock as she stared at the black flower that was floating above the palm of Lux's hand. Just as the Half-Elf had said, this was the first time she was seeing such a thing, and it made her feel hopeful.
"Quick! Let grandma consume it!" Iris said as if her very life depended on it. However, Lux only shook his head because he still wasn't finished with his explanation yet.
A moment later, a black coffin appeared behind Lux.
"Come out," Lux ordered.
Immediately, the black coffin opened and two beams of light shot out from inside of it, landing on Lux's left and right sides.
Sid and Scarlet appeared before Iris and Vera and bowed their heads respectfully.
"They are… the two children that helped us earlier, right?" Iris said after taking a good look at the two "children" that had come out of the black coffin.
"They are not children. They are Dwarves. Long story short, these two tried to kill me back in Elysium," Lux replied before placing his left hand on the young Dwarf beside him. "But they got killed instead, so now, both of them are my subordinates."
"This is Sid. He is very hardworking and very loyal. I have high hopes for him."
Lux introduced the handsome Dwarf who bowed respectfully to Iris and Vera.
"My name is Sid, and thanks to my Master's kindness, I was given a second chance to live my life to the fullest. It is my great honor to see you, Master's Wife, Master's Grandma."
Iris immediately got a good impression of Sid after becoming called Lux's wife, making her smile at the skilled assassin who once tried to kill her fiance.
Vera also smiled faintly as she acknowledged Sid's greeting. Clearly, she liked the dwarf who was now her grandson's subordinate.
Lux smiled as he patted Sid's shoulder. "Right now, he is a Dhampir, and he's working hard to become a Ranker. Unlike someone who is being spoon fed with resources…"
Scarlet, who was standing beside Lux, clicked her tongue before averting her gaze. Clearly, she didn't like the way her Master was going to introduce her, so she decided to just ignore the Half-Elf completely.
"This feisty lady here is Scarlet. After her revival, she turned into a Cambion," Lux said as he used his thumb to point at the Dwarf, whose arms were crossed over her chest and was looking off to her right side. "Don't judge her by her looks, she is one talented assassin and although I have revived her, she's not as obedient as Sid. Truly a troublesome girl."
Scarlet snorted before glancing at Lux.
"I can't stay here for long," Scarlet said. "The Elder might look for me soon. I have already wasted a lot of time coming to your aid, so can I go now?"
"See? Look at how ungrateful she is." Lux sighed, but still nodded his head. "Make sure to become a Ranker as soon as you can. I will need your help very soon."
"...Fine," Scarlet replied before walking towards the Black Coffin. "Only call me when it's truly important. If you want someone to run your errands for you, Sid will be more than enough."
After saying what she wanted to say, she turned into a beam of light and flew towards the Coffin, returning to the world of Elysium.
"Sid, you can go as well," Lux stated. "I'm sure that you're doing your best, so you won't get left behind by Scarlet. Make sure to show her what hard work can do!"
Sid respectfully bowed towards Lux. "As you wish, Master."
A second later, he turned into a beam of light and flew towards the black coffin.
Vera had an amused expression on her pale face after seeing Lux's two subordinates. She had seen how strong the two Initiates were in the battle, and it made her feel relieved, knowing that her grandson still had some trump cards that he could summon to save his life.
"Grandma, the name of this coffin is Blackfire," Lux explained. "It has the ability to store Dead and Near Death creatures inside it. Using its ability, one can…"
Lux explained Blackfire's functions to Vera. Iris, who was holding her Grandma's hand, listened seriously to the Half-Elf's words as if dissecting it from the inside out.
"Since grandma will be in a comatose state for a month, it will be best if you stayed inside Blackfire," Lux said. "With the Flower of Death as an offering, you will definitely recover. Also, there is a possibility that you will gain a strong, new body, just like Sid, who has turned into a Dhampir, and Scarlet, who has become a Cambion.
"But since you will be using the Flower of Death as an offering, you will not turn into an Undead Creature."
Iris, who had been listening quietly on the side, voiced her opinion. "Lux, according to your explanation, everyone that you revive using Blackfire will become loyal to you. Will they lose their free will?"
Lux smirked after hearing his fiance's worry.
"DId you not see and hear Scarlet earlier?" Lux asked. "Does that look and sound like someone who has lost their free will? Also, I don't plan to make Grandma my subordinate. As soon as the revival procedure is over, I will release her from Blackfire's hold."
The Half-Elf then looked at his grandma who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Of course, if Grandma doesn't like it, you can just consume the Flower of Death," Lux stated. "I will abide by your decision. But you have to decide soon, Grandma."
Blackfire, which was floating beside Lux, radiated a crimson glow. It meant that someone around it was about to die, which had activated its ability to store near-death creatures.
Vera could also feel her body slowly turning cold with every passing second, and she understood that she didn't have much time left.
"Lux, I trust you." Vera gazed at her grandson with a tender gaze. She knew that Lux wouldn't do anything to harm her, so she decided to put her life in his hands. "Do what you think will be best for me."
The red-headed teenager clenched his first before nodding his head.
"Grandma, I'll see you in a month's time," Lux said softly. "Blackfire, please take her."
The Black Coffin opened wide as a black mist escaped from within its depths. The black mist covered Vera's body entirely, and she turned into a black mist, floating towards the coffin whose crimson radiance had become intense.
When the last trace of mist was sucked up inside it, the black coffin closed and hovered beside Lux.
Holding the Flower of Death in his hand, Lux stretched his arm and placed the flower over the coffin as an offering. A few seconds later, the black flower turned into particles of light, merging with the black coffin.
Lux didn't know whether he made the right decision or not.
All he knew was that he would find the answer as soon as the Black Coffin released one of the most important people to him, who had cared for him for the past sixteen years of his life.
