Chapter 59: Life Gold Water

Reinhard came back to Eclipse dragging several containers from Collector Territory behind him, and Lucien was already waiting in the hallway with a coffee in his hand. "You’re back."

Reinhard set the containers on the table one by one, with the care of a man unpacking a very heavy birthday present. "I found a few things."

Lucien looked at the pile, then slowly back at Reinhard. "That’s your definition of a few?"

"You told me to look around."

Lucien laughed and leaned over one of the containers to sniff it. "Why does this smell like smoke?"

"Ember."

"Why did you use Ember?"

"They asked for a territory fee, and I asked for a receipt." Reinhard patted the container. "We couldn’t come to an agreement."

Lucien opened his mouth, closed it again, and took a slow sip of coffee. "I’m not going to ask."

Several Eclipse researchers soon gathered around the table and began examining the items. The first few were easy to identify, some old artifacts, some rare supernatural materials, and a few that were valuable simply because they were very old.

Then one researcher picked up a damaged sword, turned it over in his hands, and frowned at it. "This one?"

"Yes."

"It’s badly damaged. At most, we’d get salvage value from it."

Reinhard glanced at the sword and folded his arms. "The Lens says otherwise."

The researcher paused, and Lucien smiled behind his cup. "Then find out why."

The researchers examined the weapon more carefully, scanning the blade, testing the mana that remained in it, and slowly uncovering what had been hidden beneath the damage.

There were rare materials embedded inside the metal, an unusual construction method, and traces of supernatural energy that had somehow survived despite its condition. The enchantments were not gone either, only asleep.

One researcher stared at his results. "This isn’t worthless."

Another nodded. "It’s dormant." He looked toward Lucien. "If someone can restore it..."

"Millions," Lucien finished.

Reinhard smiled, because that was exactly what he wanted to hear. "Dormant, not dead. Like half the people in this building before their first coffee."

Two of the researchers looked down at their cups, and one of them quietly put his behind his back.

The same process continued with the other items, and the Lens had been right each time. The relics worth 240,000 and 380,000 credits were only the beginning. Another object was valued at 680,000, another at 410,000, and several damaged weapons could potentially be worth millions each if properly restored.

Lucien scrolled down the growing list of valuables and then looked up. "You went out for three herbs, and you came back with this."

"In my defense, I was extremely thorough."

"I really need to stop telling you to look around."

Reinhard grinned. "You probably should."

Lucien finished reviewing the list and set the tablet down. "So what do you actually want for all of this?"

Reinhard didn’t hesitate. "Life Gold Water."

Lucien’s expression changed slightly. "You want that?"

"Do you have it?"

"We do."

Reinhard’s eyes sharpened, and Lucien looked over the collection of materials and relics one more time before he spoke again. "With everything you’ve gathered and the three herbs, you can trade for it."

"Do it."

Lucien laughed. "All right. You’ll have to sign something."

"Of course I will," Reinhard sighed. "I always do."

"Well here is your payment for the week also."

"Oh?"

[Current Balance: $12,175,000.]

[$12,175,000 --> $1,523,000]

[Current Balance: $13,698,000]

"What a lovely income. Is that my bonus?’

"Yes, keep it up."

...

Twenty minutes later, a secure case was brought into the room. Lucien opened it. Inside was a small glass vial filled with golden liquid, almost transparent, yet tiny particles of light drifted through it as if stars had been trapped inside.

Reinhard stared at it. He recognized it immediately.

Life Gold Water.

[Objective: Acquire the resources required to restore the target’s legs.]

[Required Resources: 2/2.]

[Difficulty Grade: A.]

His fingers tightened slightly. After everything they had searched for, everything they had bought, traded, and fought for, the final material was finally in his hands.

Then the familiar notification appeared.

[Investment Objective Completed.]

[A-Rank Investment Successful.]

[Target: Emily Ashcroft.]

[Reward Calculation Complete.]

[Legendary Returns Granted.]

Reinhard’s expression remained calm as the rewards appeared one after another.

[Legendary Reward Granted: Enhanced Link Chain.]

[Effect: Can spread out the pain through the multiple links. The time duration of the multiple link has increased to eight minutes.]

[Additional Reward Granted: Enhanced Iron Mind.]

[Effect: Pain received by the user can be suppressed by 10%.]

[Effect: Mental pressure and psychological effects received by the user are reduced by 40%.]

Another notification followed.

[Additional Reward Granted: Pain Tolerance Enhanced.]

[Effect: Physical pain received by the user is reduced by 10%.]

[Additional Reward Granted: Enhanced Vitality.]

[Effect: The user’s life force has increased.]

[Additional Reward Granted: Enhanced Endurance.]

[Effect: The user’s ability to endure physical strain has increased.]

Four rings appeared in his inventory.

[Additional Reward Granted: Pain Reduction Ring ×4.]

Reinhard’s eyes narrowed slightly. Then another reward appeared.

[Additional Legendary Reward Granted: Enhanced Enlightened Heart.]

[Effect: The user can ignore pain for 10 seconds and rapidly increase their healing ability.]

Four more items followed.

[Additional Reward Granted: Healing Grapes ×4.]

[Effect: Instantly restore 20% of the user’s health.]

Reinhard looked at the rewards that had appeared before him. At first, they seemed like another collection of powerful abilities and useful items, but the more he looked at them, the clearer the pattern became. Pain reduction, mental resistance, vitality, endurance, healing, even the Enhanced Link Chain.

Reinhard’s expression slowly changed. These weren’t random rewards. They were preparation. Akasha was preparing him for the Leg Treatment.

Then another notification appeared.

[Additional Information Granted.]

[Information: Leg Restoration Procedure.]

Reinhard’s expression became serious.

[Analysis: The collected materials are sufficient to begin the restoration procedure.]

His eyes widened slightly, and then another line appeared.

[Warning: Under normal circumstances, the probability of successful restoration is 0%.]

Reinhard’s expression hardened.

Zero percent. Even with every material they had gathered, Emily’s treatment would normally have no chance of succeeding.

Then the next information appeared.

[Additional Reward Granted: More Information — Cause: The target’s legs sustained more than physical damage during the original incident. A foreign seal and residual curse remain embedded within the damaged tissues and mana pathways.]

[Additional Reward Granted: More Information]

[The seal would interfere with the Bone Remaker Paste.]

[The residual curse would consume and destabilize the Life Gold Water before the restoration could be completed.]

So that was why. The materials hadn’t been failing because they weren’t powerful enough. Something inside Emily’s legs had been preventing them from working.

Reinhard continued reading.

[Additional Reward Granted: Deep Knowledge.]

[Immortal Emperor Body has altered the target’s physical and mana foundation.]

[Mana Sovereignty has improved the target’s ability to control and circulate mana.]

[These changes allow the target’s body to resist the seal and curse long enough for the restoration materials to take effect.]

Reinhard’s breathing slowed. Then the number appeared.

[Current Estimated Success Probability: 50%.]

Fifty percent. From zero.

Reinhard stared at the notification. The rewards he’d received before hadn’t merely helped Emily recover. They had been preparing her for this moment.

Then another notification appeared.

[Additional Reward Granted: Information Granted.]

[Success Probability may increase through further preparation of the target’s body and mana control.]

Reinhard nodded slowly. There was still a path forward.

But the next line made his expression serious again.

[During the restoration procedure, the target will experience severe pain as the damaged pathways are forcibly reconstructed. The target’s ability to endure and maintain control during the procedure will directly affect the final result.]

Reinhard understood immediately. The materials were ready. Emily’s body was finally prepared. But the treatment itself would be painful. Very painful. And they needed to make sure she could survive it.

Reinhard immediately took out his phone. "Cassian."

"What?"

"I have it."

There was a brief silence. "Have what?"

"Life Gold Water."

Another silence followed. "You found it?"

"Eclipse helped."

Cassian let out a slow breath. "Then bring it."

"Can you start the treatment?"

"Yes."

Reinhard nodded even though Cassian couldn’t see him. "Good."

He ended the call and turned toward Lucien. "Thank you."

Lucien smiled. "Good luck."

Reinhard didn’t waste another second. He left Eclipse and headed home.

...

When Reinhard arrived, Lily was the first to notice him. "You took long enough."

Maki and Yuna were sitting nearby, and Emily was with them, quiet in her chair. Reinhard walked into the room, and everyone turned to look at him, so he smiled and let the silence stretch for exactly one second longer than it needed to. "I have it."

Emily’s eyes widened. "The Life Gold Water?"

Reinhard nodded. "Cassian can start the treatment."

For several seconds, nobody spoke. The last material they had searched so hard for was finally in this room, and it sat in Reinhard’s coat pocket.

Lily was the first to break the silence. "Then we’re really doing this."

"Yes."

Emily looked down at her hands, and her fingers pressed together in her lap. Reinhard understood why, because the treatment would hurt her, and it would not only hurt her.

Lily looked at Reinhard. "You remember what we said, right?"

"We share the burden." Reinhard gave her a small smile. "I remember."

He reached into the bag he had brought and took out the items that would help them endure the pain, and Lily leaned forward to stare at them. "Where did those come from?"

"Eclipse. It turns out that when you make a company millions of credits, they send you home with a gift basket."

"A gift basket full of pain rings?"

"It’s a very specialized company." Reinhard set one ring in front of each of them. "There’s a ring for Emily and one for each of you, and some healing grapes on the side. Please don’t ask about the benefits package. It has dental."

Maki picked up a ring and turned it over in her fingers without a word, and Yuna glanced at Emily while the room went quiet again.

Emily finally spoke. "Is this really right?"

Reinhard looked at her, and her hands tightened a little more. "If the treatment hurts all of you because of me..."

Reinhard walked over and gently flicked her forehead. "Believe in your family."

Emily blinked at him, then smiled and reached forward to hug him. "I can only do this because you keep making it possible."

Reinhard smiled and gently brushed her cheek. "I can only keep doing this because you keep giving me a reason to."

Emily pulled back slightly. "A reason?"

Reinhard nodded. "You keep showing me that it’s possible to be forgiven." Emily stared at him. "And that it’s possible to keep trying."

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

Reinhard was quiet for a moment, and then he smiled. "My actions in the past must have hurt you terribly."

Emily went still.

"But you never stopped caring about me, and you never stopped being kind to me."

"Reinhard..."

"That alone gave me the courage to change and reach out." Reinhard slowly rested his head in her lap. "To me, you are my hero, Emily."

Emily’s eyes widened. Behind them, Lily coughed loudly, and Yuna elbowed her. "Ignore him," Maki whispered. "He does this."

Reinhard closed his eyes. "Because you never punished me for my past, and that made me so happy."

Emily stared down at him for a moment before a faint smile appeared on her face. "You really think I’m a hero?"

"I do."

"Then I suppose you’re lucky."

Reinhard opened one eye. "Lucky?"

She smiled. "You have a wife who is merciful, kind, and beautiful."

Reinhard nodded immediately. "Very lucky."

Emily laughed. "So shameless."

"You already knew that."

She laughed again, and for a moment none of them thought about the treatment. They simply sat together and enjoyed being a family that had finally learned how to carry its burdens together.

Tomorrow, they would begin the treatment, and for the first time, everyone would be sharing the burden.