Chapter 400: Die in tiny socks.

Zyra looked at him and instantly burst out laughing. His eyes were wide, his face was pale, and he looked like a terrified puppy expecting a beating.

She waved her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on! Dissection probably just means they cut you open like a normal hospital does. No big deal."

Hunter froze. "Like a normal hospital? No big deal! You say that like they’re offering me a cup of tea!" He took a step back, eyeing the door suspiciously. "Big deal, Zyra. Very big deal. Your husband could die!"

Zyra gave him a light shove through the door, all the way to one of the sleek treatment pods lined against the wall. "Relax, Mr. husband. I really don’t think they’re going to butcher you in here."

Hunter stared at the pod, his boots practically glued to the floor. "Are you sure? I think you sound way too relaxed about my organs being sliced up. Do you realize my importance in your life? I am the sun and you are...the moon." He stopped and shook his head. "No, that would not work because the two never meet and we both know I can’t spend five seconds away from you or I will melt like a snow man in the sun."

Zyra’s jaw dropped. "Hunter, I think Warden Trixy is about to make another appearance."

Hunter grasped her hand. "You know what I mean. When your spouse is going into surgery, you are supposed to cry and roll around on the ground, promising never to remarry."

Zyra burst into laughter. "Are you serious right now?"

He nodded.

She took a deep breath and faked a loud cry. Taking it a step further, she rolled once on the floor and loudly declared that she would never remarry.

"Do you feel better now?" She asked him.

"No." He answered flatly.

Zyra put on her best reassuring smile. "Trust me. There is zero percent chance of death. Probably. If there was a problem, Beauty would be making a bigger ruckus than you."

His shoulders fell. The metallic door of the treatment pod slid open with a soft hiss. Both of them leaned over and peeked inside. Resting in the center was a ridiculously tiny white bed. Sitting neatly on top was a folded white patient gown and a pair of matching white socks.

Before Hunter could digest the absurdly small bed, Warden Trixy’s calm, mechanical voice echoed through the speaker. "Patient, please change into the provided wear and lie down on the treatment bed."

Hunter swallowed hard, staring at the tiny socks. "Uh, Warden? Is whatever this machine does going to hurt? Be honest with me."

"Rest assured, Patient," Warden Trixy chimed back smoothly. "You will not feel a single drop of pain. By the time you exit, you will feel significantly better."

Zyra snorted, leaning against the wall as she watched him sweat. "Don’t be such a giant baby, Hunter! It’s a medical pod, not a dragon’s mouth."

She yawned, her jaw cracking, and pointed at a cold waiting chair opposite the pods. "I’m going to crash right there. Wake me up when you survive."

She didn’t even wait for his reply. She sat down, curled her legs up to her chest like a little ball, and closed her eyes.

Hunter watched her, his heart softening. His wife was completely exhausted.

They hadn’t slept a single wink in two straight days, running on pure adrenaline and burning through their energy reserves. She could have left. She could be sleeping in a massive, soft bed back at a luxury hotel right now. But here she was, sleeping on a hard metal chair just to wait for him.

Man, I am one lucky guy, Hunter thought, a faint smile touching his lips.

He stepped into the pod, stripped off his gear, squeezed into the ridiculously small gown, and lay down on the bed.

The exact second his back hit the mattress, the pod door slammed shut. Heavy metal straps shot out from the sides like strikes from a hidden viper, instantly pinning his arms, legs, and chest to the frame.

"Hey! What the—!" Hunter yelled, wiggling frantically. He couldn’t move an inch. "Warden Trixy! You said this was going to be painless! Why am I tied up like a sacrificial pig?!"

Silence. Not a single sound answered him.

"Warden?! Hey! Don’t ghost me now!" Hunter’s eyes went wide. "Yep, the machine lied to me. I’m going to die in tiny white socks with no underpants!"

Suddenly, the top panel slid open. Mechanical arms descended from the ceiling. It wasn’t even a full robot—just a giant floating screen attached to terrifying metal limbs. One arm held a pair of giant scissors. Another held sharp clamps. A third held a terrifyingly long scalpel that gleamed under the white light.

"Oh, come on!" Hunter squeaked.

A fourth mechanical arm popped out, holding a thick needle and a tube. Before Hunter could even scream, the arm moved with terrifying precision and shoved a needle straight into his vein.

"Patient, prepare for transfusion," the mechanical voice chimed in his ear. "I am going to inject dark blood into your veins. This will repair your corrupted, damaged cells. Afterward, the Alysian healer module will cleanse the remaining diseases and inadequacies left by your human DNA."

The machine paused for a second, a red-light scanning Hunter up and down.

"Note: Your body contains an excessive amount of old physical scars that will be treated," the machine continued smoothly. "Mind destabilization has been detected. I cannot repair emotional trauma. Perhaps the automated Therapist System can assist you with your deep-seated issues."

Hunter let out a long, exhausted sigh and rested his head back against the pillow. "A therapist machine? Yeah, right. I don’t think even a godly artifact could fix the mess the human inadequacies of a family I have, made inside my head. Maybe... maybe I just need to punch my old man in the face to feel better. Could have told me I was a Somnivore long ago."

Gurgle, gurgle.

Cold, dark liquid surged through the tube and flooded into his body. Hunter braced himself, but surprisingly, there was no agony. Instead, a deep, cool sensation spread through his chest.

Ten minutes passed in awkward silence while Hunter stared at the ceiling, wondering if the scalpels were just for show.

Ding!

"Blood transfusion complete," the system announced. "Initiating Alysian Healer."

The bed smoothly glided forward, sliding Hunter headfirst into a massive glowing circular ring. The moment the bright light bathed his skin, a rush of incredible warmth hit him. It felt like drinking a barrel of high-grade wine. His tired muscles surged with power, his bones hardened, the cracks in his soul were sealed, his fatigue instantly melted away, and he felt stronger than he had in years.

"Healing complete."

The bed glided back to its original position. The heavy metal straps snapped open with a sharp clack, releasing his limbs.

Hunter immediately jumped up. He pulled up his sleeves and inspected his arms. His skin was flawless. All the ugly, jagged scars from past battles were completely gone, replaced by smooth, white, healthy skin.

He was taller, and bigger. He cracked his knuckles and chuckled to himself. "Man, if this kind of technology ever reached the humans, the local doctors and surgeons would literally starve to death on the streets."