Chapter 183

[Spicy.]

“N-no, this can’t be…!”

[Ah, Arin, that’s why timing is everything in life. You should’ve just charged in, tsk tsk.]

“Y-you…!!”

Arin flushed red as she watched the fairy kiss her instructor. Even though she understood it was part of the healing process, seeing her instructor’s lips claimed by a fairy in the form of a woman left her feeling a strange, inexplicable sense of loss—almost as if something precious to her had been taken away by a stranger.

She stomped her feet in frustration, her emotions bubbling over.

“…Fairy’s Blessing.”

“That’s a rare one, right?”

“‘Rare’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. Throughout the history of the continent, fewer than five people are said to have received it.”

While Arin fumed, Roen and Derrick were awestruck by the spectacle of the [Fairy’s Blessing].

The Fairy’s Blessing.

A miracle bestowed upon the heroes of legend and myth.

What its effects were had never been revealed—every hero who received it kept their silence.

But one thing was clear: all those blessed by the fairies had left indelible marks on history. Even the heroes of civilizations long past, from over 10,000 years ago, were still remembered today. For humans, it was a blessing reserved for immortality in the annals of history.

Perhaps this meant their instructor, too, was destined to leave behind an extraordinary legacy.

“But there’s this one anecdote from an apocryphal record…”

“Huh?”

“It claims the Fairy’s Blessing isn’t some miraculous power, and that the heroes remembered in history were simply great on their own—not because of the blessing.”

“But didn’t all those blessed heroes become legends?”

“A scholar who analyzed those records suggested that, aside from the five well-known heroes, there were at least 120 others who received the blessing.”

“….”

“So, the idea is that talented people are just talented, and the blessing has little to do with it. What’s more, some lesser-known accounts say things like ‘I wish I’d never received it’ or even that it was ‘the worst blessing ever.’”

“…Doesn’t that make it a curse?”

“Hmm, perhaps…”

[Hehe, just a little longer. The wounds are deep, so I need more time!]

“Mmph!?”

Hmm…

“I guess whether it’s a blessing or a curse depends on the person…”

Watching their instructor endure, Roen couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him.

Being kissed by a beautiful fairy might sound enviable, but being subjected to it against one’s will was a different matter entirely.

“Hah.”

Roen closed his eyes tightly.

Watching this spectacle of dubious blessings and curses left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“One thing’s for sure: I’d rather pass on that.”

“…Haha.”

Derrick laughed awkwardly, silently agreeing.

Still…

‘But the fairy is beautiful, so maybe it’s a happy thing…?’

Derrick cautiously entertained the thought.

Crack!

“!!!”

Forget happiness!

Whoever said a kiss was blissful must’ve been lying!

‘Damn it! I’m about to die for one moment of happiness!!’

What Ihan felt wasn’t happiness but pure agony.

It was as if he were drowning, unable to breathe, yet he wouldn’t die.

And worse?

Crunch!

“Mmph!!”

The pain was like nothing he’d ever experienced—searing, relentless, and utterly unbearable.

[This might hurt a little. About ten times the pain of childbirth? That’s how a woman hero who gave birth to more than ten children described it.]

“Ughhhh!!”

Even as she continued her “kiss,” the fairy somehow managed to speak. But Ihan had no room to marvel; he was too consumed by the agony.

He wanted to thrash, to struggle, but his body remained rigid, completely paralyzed.

‘Is this really healing?! What kind of healing hurts this much?!’

He had expected no pain, only to find himself in the middle of what felt like torture.

[It’s healing, yes. But think of it as reconstruction rather than simple treatment. Your body is in such a wrecked state that I have to break it down and reassemble it like a puzzle. Naturally, it’s going to hurt a lot.]

The fairy’s explanation offered little comfort.

[Just hang in there.]

‘How long?!’

[By human standards… about 12 hours?]

‘!!?’

Learning that he would endure 12 hours of what felt like childbirth multiplied by ten was almost enough to make him faint.

Correction: he couldn’t even faint.

The pain was so intense that even if he passed out, the shock would jolt him awake again.

Ihan began to wonder if he’d wronged the fairy somehow.

[No, I still like you.]

“……!”

‘You like me, but you’re putting me through this?!’

His eyes glared with a touch of sacrilege, but the fairy merely smiled warmly.

[Hehe, remember this well: pain matures and strengthens a person. Not just the body but the mind and soul. There’s no lesson without pain, and no strength without hardship. Strength gained without pain is as fleeting as sand in the wind. But strength forged through suffering? That stays with you. This is a blessing. A blessing called ‘Pain.’]

‘I’d rather not have it…’

[Oh, humans blessed by us always complain like that, hehe!]

‘…….’

It was becoming clear why the heroes of old rarely spoke of the Fairy’s Blessing.

With pain this excruciating, who would want to call it a blessing?

Still, in Ihan’s case…

‘At least let me scream!’

[No.]

‘This is madness…’

He gritted his teeth, enduring the torment.

There was no resentment, only the silent resolve to bear it.

Crunch, crack!

“!!?”

Bones, muscles, nerves, and tendons were all being broken and reassembled. Warm, spring-like energy coursed through his body, mending fractured and tangled areas. Slowly but surely, his body was being rebuilt.

The process was torturously slow, like a turtle’s pace, and the pain climbed steadily, unrelentingly.

Yet…

‘I’m… getting used to it… bit by bit.’

Ihan began to adapt.

The first reason for this was ironic: as a child, he’d been subjected to similar pain as a test subject for spellcasters’ experiments.

The second reason was his regular training, which often involved enduring significant pain.

Pain, he’d learned, could be borne as long as one endured, adapted, and remembered that it would eventually end.

‘I’ll survive this. I will!’

Even through the agony, Ihan focused on observing the changes within his body.

He watched as his muscles were deconstructed, his bones reassembled, and his entire being transformed.

He was sure of it now.

This was nothing short of—

‘…Rebirth.’

A transformation of his body akin to the Taoist practice of changing mortal bones into divine ones.

Ihan had always strived for a similar transformation through training, but this was on an entirely different level.

‘It’s not just my muscles and bones. My heart, blood vessels, stomach, and tendons—everything is changing.’

Even the internal organs, normally impossible to train, were being rebuilt beyond human limits.

This was a miracle only a fairy could perform.

A blessing beyond human reach.

A serendipitous encounter.

Yet…

[Now, just a little longer.]

"……!?"

[Only 10 hours to go.]

“!!!!”

[Wow, you’re holding up so well! You’re the second human to endure our blessing this well. The first was the Warrior King, the first and last barbarian king. Do you know him?]

“Mmmphh!!”

…It was impossible not to feel conflicted about this so-called blessing.

*****

Thud.

… Ihan had fainted.

After enduring over twelve hours of the Fairy’s Blessing, his body had finally given out, and he lost consciousness. Frankly, it was a miracle he had lasted as long as he did.

The fairy, however, looked at him with a slight pout of disappointment.

[Hmph, I wanted to talk a little more….]

She was visibly saddened, knowing the knight wouldn’t wake up for at least two more days. She had hoped for a longer conversation.

Shaking her head, she grumbled softly, as if lamenting how “fragile” humans were.

At that moment—

[Oh, is it finished over there too?]

[Woohooo!]

[Kya-haha!]

[Great work!]

Another knight lay nearby, unconscious, surrounded by other Spring Fairies who had blessed him. Unlike Ihan, he hadn’t endured an intense and passionate kiss, but he had still passed out from the overwhelming experience.

[Hmm, looks like his vessel was in really bad shape. They must have used the entire blessing just to fix it.]

The Spring Spirit smiled faintly, sensing the lingering aura of calamity that Ihan had referred to as the Heaven-Slaying Star.

Buzz.

The malevolent energy, which had tormented and attempted to destroy its host for so long, now trembled like a frightened dog under the fairy’s gaze.

It didn’t dare resist.

[Hey, stop tormenting that human. Learn to get along, alright?]

The fairy scolded it lightly, though she didn’t expect it to comply. The energy was more of a curse from the heavens than an ordinary force.

Still, with the vessel now fully restored, Ihan would be able to control and utilize it more effectively. Unless he pushed himself too far, his body should hold up.

[In the end, it’ll depend on the knight’s capabilities.]

As she thought about curses, another realization struck her.

[Oh, this one has a curse too… Hmm, should I remove it?]

The Spring Spirit noticed another deep-seated curse within Ihan’s body. It was challenging to deal with, but not impossible for her to erase if she wished.

[…No. Something like this should be overcome on his own!]

The fairy decided the curse was another trial—something necessary for Ihan to grow. Great heroes, after all, needed such hardships to forge their paths.

If Ihan had been awake, he would have begged her to remove it, insisting he had enough trials already. But he was unconscious, and the fairy’s resolve was firm.

[What a shame. I wanted to talk more, but it’s time for us to get back to work.]

Rustle.

The Spring Spirit gently stroked Ihan’s cheek, her warm smile softening her expression.

It had been a long time since she’d met someone with such a fateful destiny, someone who held steadfast to his convictions despite it all.

[You probably don’t want to be a hero, but you’re becoming one simply by staying true to your beliefs. Hehe, such a diligent knight. If you live a second life, perhaps you’ll be able to take it a bit easier.]

Because of this, she felt a tender affection toward him.

For a fairy, the emotion of love was akin to a poison.

And yet, fairies fell in love so easily. Even knowing the danger, they couldn’t help but yearn for the feeling.

Looking at this knight who had endured so much and still expressed gratitude despite the pain, she couldn’t help but feel drawn to him.

[So charming…]

[Hmm?]

[Kya-ha?]

[…No, I won’t deny I felt something, but I should hold back. It seems this one already has someone.]

The Spring Spirit quickly set her feelings aside. She knew better than to meddle with someone who had a destined partner.

[He has a soulmate waiting for him. Hmm, I wonder who he’ll choose?]

She could sense multiple bonds in Ihan’s destiny—multiple potential partners.

One of those potential matches was even standing nearby.

“Is it over now?”

“It seems so.”

“…What an ordeal.”

…The young half-fairy girl.

The Spirit could also sense destiny tied to her, as well as to someone else in the distance.

[…….]

[Hehe, don’t glare at me like that. I’m not going to take him away.]

The fairy raised her hands playfully, addressing a certain “someone” watching her from afar.

She was curious which partner this knight would eventually choose.

[Well, that’s a delight for the future.]

With a bright laugh, the Spring Spirit raised her hands high.

[Now, return to your land.]

Whoosh!

A warm spring breeze swept through the area, enveloping the two knights, the two men, the woman, and even the child who had appeared out of nowhere.

The group’s expressions showed clear confusion, but the fairy simply waved goodbye.

While she was grateful to them, they seemed to have already claimed their rewards.

And so—

[Farewell.]

Her final words were carried on the wind.

Whooooosh.

…The breeze carried away all traces of their presence, as if no one had ever been there.

[…….]

The Spring Spirit lingered for a moment, gazing wistfully at the now-empty spot, before floating upward.

[Let’s go. It’s time to get back to work.]

[Kya-haha!]

[Woooah!]

It was time to inform Winter.

Spring had returned.

A child climbed a hill early in the morning, as they always did, to make a wish.

They wished for the fairy’s anger to subside and for the snow to stop falling.

But—

“Mom, what’s that?”

“…….”

“Mom? Dad?”

“Sniff….”

“Haaah, thank you, Fairy. Thank you so much….”

“…?”

The child tilted their head in confusion.

Their usually composed parents were tearing up, as were the other villagers.

But what stood out most to the child—

“Wow, it’s beautiful!”

—was the warm, radiant light breaking through the clouds for the first time.

The child’s eyes sparkled with wonder.

To the child, their mother said,

“…Eren, my dear. It seems the Fairy has finally lifted her anger.”

“??”

The mother pointed to the sky, showing the child something they had never seen before.

“That, my dear… is the sun.”

“The sun…? That’s it!?”

The child’s eyes widened in awe.

Having only heard of the sun in stories, they were speechless at the sight of it for the first time.

But soon—

“Ah!”

“Eren!?”

The child ran up the hill behind their home, where they would leave their favorite pebble each day to make a wish.

And there—

“…It came true.”

The pebble was gone. In its place, flowers had bloomed.

“Hehe, thank you, Fairy!”

For granting their wish—

The child was filled with genuine gratitude, and when their mother followed them to the hill, she gasped at the sight before pulling her child into a tearful embrace.

The snow had melted, and where the child’s wish-laden pebble once lay—

A beautiful field of dandelions now stretched as far as the eye could see.