Chapter 60: Together

The treatment chamber was ready. Machines surrounded Emily’s bed, their surfaces glowing with mana as researchers moved between them and checked the final readings.

Cassian stood at the center of the room, watching everything carefully. The Bone Remaker Paste had already been prepared, and the Life Gold Water sat inside a secure container nearby.

Emily looked at the two materials. They had spent months searching for them. Now they were finally here.

"If it fails..." Emily whispered.

Reinhard looked at her. "We won’t let it."

Emily’s eyes moved toward the others. Maki stood beside Lily and Yuna, all three wearing the Pain Reduction Rings Reinhard had given them.

He had placed four rings on the table before the treatment began, one for each of them, and had also prepared four Healing Grapes. One for himself. One for Maki. One for Yuna. One for Lily.

Emily looked at everything in silence, and Reinhard walked over and placed his hand over hers. "We’re doing this together."

Emily’s fingers tightened around his.

Cassian looked toward the family. "Once we begin, the reconstruction will be painful. We don’t know exactly how severe it will become, and we won’t know how the damaged pathways will react until the process starts."

Maki nodded. "Then we’ll deal with it when it comes."

Lily swallowed nervously. "I’m ready."

Yuna took a slow breath. "So am I."

Emily looked at them. "You don’t have to do this."

Maki shook her head. "We already decided."

Lily smiled. "You’re not getting rid of us that easily."

Yuna nodded. "We share the burden."

Emily’s eyes became wet.

Reinhard smiled. "See?" He gently squeezed her hand. "Believe in your family."

Cassian checked the final readings. "Everyone ready?"

Reinhard nodded. "Begin."

The chamber activated, mana surging through the machinery as the first stage of the treatment began. The Bone Remaker Paste entered the system, and Emily’s body immediately tensed.

For several seconds, nothing happened. Then her fingers suddenly clenched around Reinhard’s hand, her breathing becoming uneven.

Cassian looked at the monitors. "The reconstruction has started."

Emily’s body shook as the first wave of pain hit her.

Reinhard’s expression changed. He had expected pain. He hadn’t expected this.

Emily gasped, her entire body tightening as the damaged bones inside her legs began shifting. "Emily!"

"I’m fine," she forced out.

Another wave hit. Her scream escaped before she could stop it.

Reinhard immediately activated Enhanced Link Chain, mana spreading through the connection. Five people became one. Reinhard. Emily. Maki. Yuna. Lily.

The pain struck all of them. Maki’s body jerked. Lily’s face went pale. Yuna clenched her teeth. Reinhard’s muscles tightened.

Emily stared at them in horror. "No." She tried to pull away. "Stop!"

Reinhard held her hand. "No."

"But you’ll—"

"Everything is fine."

A sharp crack echoed through the chamber as Emily’s damaged leg shifted under the reconstruction, the sensation immediately traveling through the Link Chain. Maki’s body jerked as the same pain tore through her leg, and she grabbed the side of the chair to keep herself upright.

Lily cried out as both of her legs suddenly trembled beneath her, while Yuna clenched her teeth and gripped the treatment station as the pain spread through her body. Even Reinhard’s knees nearly gave way.

"Your legs..."

"We are fine!"

Another crack echoed through the chamber. Emily screamed as the reconstruction continued, and the same sensation passed through the family again. Maki’s legs trembled violently, Lily dropped onto one knee, and Yuna struggled to remain upright. Reinhard’s jaw tightened as he stayed beside Emily.

The Pain Reduction Rings were already reducing the physical pain, but the sensation was still overwhelming.

Emily looked at her family with tears in her eyes. "You don’t have to do this."

Maki forced herself upright. "Neither do you."

Lily wiped the tears from her eyes and managed a weak smile. "You’re not getting out of this alone."

Yuna nodded through clenched teeth. "We share the burden."

Another wave of pain struck, and the family endured it together.

Emily screamed again. The bones inside her legs were being reconstructed, broken structures being reshaped and rebuilt from within, and through the Link Chain the others experienced echoes of the same destruction.

Cracks continued to echo through the chamber. Maki’s legs trembled violently. Lily collapsed onto one knee. Yuna gripped the edge of the treatment station. Reinhard remained beside Emily, his breathing becoming heavier.

Then Emily suddenly felt another surge of pain and screamed. The connection intensified, and Reinhard’s body shook.

He activated Iron Mind, and the mental pressure from the pain began fading. Pain Tolerance reduced another portion of the physical sensation. His Serene kept his body stable. His Pain Suppression and all other skills allowed him to keep standing.

Still, the pain continued.

"Reinhard," Emily whispered.

"I’m here."

"You’re hurting."

He smiled. "So are you."

Another wave struck, and the treatment chamber shook.

Cassian stared at the monitors. "The reconstruction rate is increasing!"

"Is she stable?" Maki asked through clenched teeth.

"Her vital signs are holding!"

"Then continue!"

Cassian looked at her. Maki was barely standing, yet she was still telling him to continue. He nodded. "Increase the stabilization flow."

Mana surged through the chamber, and Emily’s body convulsed. The pain became worse. Lily screamed. Maki’s legs finally gave out, but she refused to disconnect from the Link Chain. Yuna dropped to one knee.

Reinhard’s vision blurred. He could feel every muscle in his body fighting against the pain. Then he remembered the Healing Grapes. "Everyone." His voice was strained. "The grapes."

Maki understood immediately. Lily reached for hers with shaking hands. Yuna did the same.

Reinhard crushed his Healing Grape and swallowed it, and warmth immediately spread through his body, the damage and strain beginning to recover. Maki consumed hers next. Then Lily. Then Yuna. Their breathing slowly stabilized.

Emily watched them with tears in her eyes. "You idiots."

Lily gave her a weak smile. "You’re one to talk."

The treatment continued.

Then the mana pathways began rebuilding. Cassian’s expression changed. "This is the second stage."

The foreign seal inside Emily’s damaged pathways suddenly reacted, and the entire chamber shook. Warning alarms erupted.

"Mana pressure is rising!"

"By how much?"

"Thirty percent!"

"Forty!"

The Life Gold Water entered the treatment system, golden light flooding through the chamber, and Emily screamed. This pain was different. The bones had been breaking and rebuilding before. Now something deeper was being torn apart. Her mana pathways were being reconstructed, every damaged channel inside her legs forced open and connected again.

The foreign seal resisted. The residual curse reacted immediately, dark energy spreading through the treatment chamber.

Cassian’s face changed. "The curse is consuming the Life Gold Water!"

Reinhard looked at the monitors. "Can you stop it?"

"I’m trying!"

The curse spread further, and Emily’s condition began dropping. "Her mana circulation is destabilizing!" "She’s losing control!"

Reinhard tightened his grip on her hand. "Emily." Her eyes opened weakly. "Look at me." She struggled to focus on him. "Don’t fight the pain." She stared at him. "Let us carry it."

The Link Chain surged. The pain became unbearable. Maki screamed. Lily’s body collapsed completely. Yuna’s hands slammed against the floor. Reinhard’s entire body shook. Emily cried out. The pain spreading through the five of them was almost impossible to endure.

Then something changed.

A warm current suddenly spread through the Link Chain, moving between all five of them, and the connection became stronger. The pain that had been crashing through their bodies suddenly began distributing more evenly.

Maki’s breathing steadied. Lily stopped shaking. Yuna slowly raised her head. Even Reinhard felt the crushing pressure become more manageable.

A notification appeared before him.

[Family Bond Enhancement Activated.]

[Shared Burden Efficiency Increased.]

Reinhard stared at the notification for a moment before looking toward his family. They were still suffering. But none of them were carrying the burden alone anymore.

Cassian stared at the readings. "What just happened?"

Reinhard tightened his grip on Emily’s hand. "We’re sharing it better."

The treatment stabilized. Emily’s condition stopped falling, and the readings slowly began returning to a manageable range.

Cassian immediately looked toward the researchers. "Continue."

Mana surged through the chamber again, and the family remained connected as the treatment continued.

The curse pushed back again. Dark energy crawled through Emily’s mana pathways, and the Life Gold Water fought against it.

Emily’s body shook violently.

He swiftly activated the Amulet Of Pact when he heard her gasping. Reinhard instantly felt more pain rushing into him and then his vision blurred again.

He could no longer feel his hands properly. His body was approaching its limit. He activated Enlightened Heart and for ten seconds, the pain disappeared.

Everything became clear.

Reinhard immediately strengthened the Link Chain. "Hold on." The others looked toward him. His voice was calm. "We’re almost there."

Emily nodded weakly. Maki forced herself to sit upright. Lily wiped tears from her face. Yuna closed her eyes and steadied her breathing.

Then the pain returned, and Reinhard endured it.

The seal began cracking, a small fracture appearing across the foreign mark embedded inside Emily’s damaged pathways.

Cassian saw it. "Wait." Another crack appeared. "The seal is breaking."

Everyone stared at the monitors. The curse surged one final time. Emily screamed. Reinhard gritted his teeth. "Don’t let go!" The family held on.

The Link Chain flared.

The Family Bond Enhancement stabilized the connection. The Life Gold Water surged through Emily’s legs.

Then, CRACK!

The foreign seal shattered. The curse collapsed with it. The dark energy disappeared.

Golden light flooded through Emily’s legs. The damaged mana pathways began reconnecting, one after another. Her bones finished rebuilding. Muscles formed around them. Nerves reconnected. Mana channels reopened.

For the first time in two years, Emily’s legs were no longer broken. They were whole.

The monitors suddenly stabilized.

Cassian stared at the readings. "Wait." He checked them again. Then again. His expression slowly changed. "The reconstruction is stable."

Nobody moved. Nobody dared to breathe.

Cassian looked at Emily. "The procedure has succeeded."

Silence filled the chamber.

Lily let out a weak laugh before falling backward, completely exhausted. Maki closed her eyes and finally relaxed, while Yuna lowered her head and took a long, trembling breath. Reinhard’s legs gave out beneath him, and he dropped to the floor beside Emily’s bed.

Emily stared at them.

Her family had suffered with her yet every one of them had stayed.

Tears filled her eyes. "You idiots..."

Nobody answered but all of them smiled at her.

Emily’s lips trembled as she focused on one foot and tried to move her toes. For a moment, nothing happened and then one moved.

She froze before tears rolled down her cheeks. "I can feel them."

Emily looked. "Reinhard..."

"I’m here."

Emily looked at her family. Maki was crying. Lily was smiling through exhausted tears, while Yuna had closed her eyes with a small smile on her face.

Emily laughed softly. "You idiots..." Her voice broke. "Thank you."

Reinhard smiled.

For the first time in two years, Emily could feel both of her legs. Then a notification appeared before Reinhard’s eyes.

[Target Value Increased.]

[Emily Ashcroft: B+ → A.]

[Gnosis Recovery Investment Updated.]

[Restoration Compatibility: 75% → 85%.]

His smile widened.