Free Web NovelChapter 35: 35 | Is This Love?
Dexter looked at the two glowing orange arms floating behind Mira, and while he showed mild surprise on his face, inside he wasn’t completely shocked.
After all, he was the one who had secretly slipped her the D-Rank Mana Arm Talent Card.
Still, he hadn’t expected it to show up this fast.
Before he could say anything, one of the spectral arms moved on its own.
"Slap!"
It smacked the sunflower dress right out of his hand.
Dexter blinked at the empty air where the dress had been, then at the floating arm.
"...Well. That’s new."
Mira looked just as stunned.
The two orange arms hovered behind her shoulders, right where her real arms would be. She slowly turned her head to look at them, and the mana arms moved with the thought, as if they’d always been part of her.
One of them floated forward and stopped right in front of her face. She stared, wide-eyed.
The translucent fingers flexed. It was pure, glowing mana shaped like an arm—slightly bulkier than a human one, but definitely hers.
Her breathing quickened. Then her eyes flashed and she looked at Dexter, shock written all over her face.
Dexter folded his arms and spoke quietly. "...Dual talent awakening?"
Mira frowned, but then her eyes lit up with understanding. "...Yeah. That’s probably it."
But even saying the words didn’t erase the wonder from her face.
Double awakeners were impossibly rare, something like a 0.001 percent chance.
Across the whole city, there wasn’t a single known one. Yet here she was, a second ability blooming from within her. Mana Spectral Arms.
Slowly, a mischievous smirk spread across Mira’s lips.
Dexter felt a warning prickle. Without warning, one spectral arm shot toward the pile of clothes and grabbed the tiny, revealing dress Mira had wanted earlier.
Dexter narrowed his eyes. "...You’re still trying that?"
Mira’s smirk only grew.
She tried to command the arms to dress herself. But there was one problem, she had zero control.
They grabbed the dress, pulled hard, and—
"RRRIP! "
The whole thing tore right down the middle.
Silence.
Mira froze. The spectral arms froze. She looked down at the ruined fabric, then slowly up at Dexter.
Dexter stared at her for two full seconds.
Then he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha—! See? Now you have no choice. You’re wearing this one." He held up the sunflower dress, triumphantly
Mira glared daggers at him, sitting there in just her bra and underwear, her cheeks flushed
She clicked her tongue. "Fine. Do whatever you want." The spectral arms crossed in front of her chest, exactly like a person folding their arms in anger.
Dexter couldn’t help smiling; it was strangely adorable. "Good. We’ve reached an agreement."
The arms immediately uncrossed and stretched outward, waiting.
But there was still a problem. Her real arms still didn’t work, which meant Dexter had to help her anyway.
He gently picked up the sunflower dress and helped her slip it on, adjusting the straps carefully. As he did, a thought popped into his head.
He looked at the floating mana arms. "Since you awakened this... could you make more arms? And if you learn to control them, maybe you could integrate one into your real arm, force the muscles to move. Do the same with your legs, and maybe... you could walk again."
For a moment, Mira’s eyes blazed with a dangerous amount of hope. But then her expression turned soft and a little bitter. She shook her head.
"My control is terrible. I just tried to put on clothes and tore them apart. If I shoved one of those into my real arm now, I’d probably destroy it."
Dexter nodded slowly. "...Yeah, that makes sense." Too risky. She needed practice first. He let the subject drop.
A few minutes later, they came out of the bathroom and into the living room.
Selene sat on one sofa, still cultivating.
Lyra was cross-legged nearby, also lost in her own world of mana.
Even though they’d be leaving soon, neither had stopped. Dexter wasn’t surprised. For the first time in years, they could cultivate without agony. Of course they were obsessed.
He suddenly heard Mira grunt in pain.
’The chronic pain is still affecting her? "
Even after using the type 2 relic ir still didn’t help.
Then Dexter remembered something.
The ring. That artifact the system had given him, the one that could take give his pain to someone else... He could actually use it to take someone else’s pain onto himself.
Without thinking too much, he slipped it onto his finger and quietly walked over to Mira.
Before she could ask, he reached out and touched her shoulder. Then he activated the ring.
For a split second, nothing. Then—
"Bang!"
The pain swallowed him whole.
It was like being hit by a truck made of broken glass and fire.
Years of nerve damage, years of constant aching, all the suffering Mira had endured—every single ounce of it poured into Dexter in an instant.
’Fuck me! ’
His body spasmed violently.
His knees buckled and he crashed to the floor, muscles convulsing, nerves screaming as if they were being torn apart from the inside. Cold sweat drenched him. He shook uncontrollably.
The sudden noise made everyone jump. Selene’s eyes flew open. Lyra spun around. Mira stared in shock. All three focused on Dexter, crumpled on the ground.
It took several agonizing seconds for him to force a breath. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up, still trembling hard. The pain hadn’t faded; it chewed violently at his nerves, a living fire inside his body.
It was so much worse than he’d expected.
Lyra grabbed her phone, her glasses speaker spoke in that mechanical voice: "What happened?" Selene stopped cultivating, brows tight. "Dexter... what’s wrong? Are you hurt?"
He forced himself upright, every inch of him screaming, even breathing hurting. Yet somehow, he managed a strained smile. "...I’m fine. Just... got a little shock." Neither Selene nor Lyra looked convinced.
But Mira wasn’t listening.
She was frozen, staring at him. Because for the first time in years, the pain was gone completely. The relentless agony she’d lived with every second of every day had simply vanished.
Then she saw Dexter’s reaction and then eyes lowered to the ring on his finger.
Then she realized what Had happened, he had d taken her pain. Transferred it onto himself, for her. Without a word, without a second thought.
Mira slowly lifted her head and looked deep into Dexter’s eyes.
Something deep inside her shifted. The coldness in her eyes melted into something warm, soft, and entirely new.
Not for family, not for friends, not even for the fiancé She had once had before the accident.
The way she looked at Dexter now was different, like she was seeing him for the very first time.
He kept surprising her again and again and again, through effort and pain and also through his actions without asking for nothing in return.
Was there truly anyone so selfless?
Meanwhile, Dexter was still fighting through the fire in his body. He cleared his throat, smile still shaky. "...I’m really okay. You guys... excuse me for a second."
He Without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked toward the bathroom. Each step was a little unsteady, his body still trembling from the overwhelming pain.
Behind him, Mira just kept staring, unable to look away. Something inside her she thought she’d never have suddenly started to bloom.
’is this what they call, Love?’
