Chapter 184 Anna [2]
However, despite the intense pain, Adam continued to watch the ritual closely, in which Veronica reached out to the shattered source. It looked like shards of glass piercing through magical channels, causing even more agony.
"Adam, it's going to hurt a lot now because, before the operation, I need to remove the remaining pieces of the source, which are now in the form of shards," Veronica warned, frowning. "It's going to be very dangerous because these shards have embedded themselves in the magical channels, serving as both a threat and protection. Please endure this."
"Ugh... all right."
Adam found it difficult, but he responded and sighed. A few seconds later, the pain returned, two to five times stronger. He only furrowed his brow but refrained from crying out, not wanting to appear weak. However, the longer it went on, the more unbearable the pain became, and he could barely hold back. It felt like being pierced from the inside with heated needles deliberately targeting the nerves.
Sweat poured from his forehead, and his heartbeat accelerated. His body went numb, and his consciousness grew hazy. He could hardly listen to what Amarantha was saying to him, and all he could feel was pain. The pain overwhelmed all six of his senses!
***
The ritual lasted not for an hour, not for two, but for a whole day! As a result, Adam was not in the best shape afterward. Even though he suffered from such intense pain, his regeneration couldn't keep up with healing the damage. It seemed that if he weren't a demon, he might have died from how excruciating this experience was. However, in the end, they achieved a good result.
Anna was healed. Her life was saved. Moreover...
"I'll become a father in five months," Adam thought, letting out a tired sigh.
A week had passed since the ritual was performed, and both he and Anna lay in bed unable to get up. Doctors monitored them around the clock, and every half hour, he had to drink the potions that Amarantha prepared for him. He couldn't control his body as if he were paralyzed, but Veronica had assured him that this was temporary.
For his safety, Adam was placed in a secure and protected room, which was further divided in space, making it one of the most secure places in this world. From time to time, his wives would visit him, and he had to comfort them.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtToday, Elyra came to visit him. As she entered the room through a separate entrance accessible by a token, she immediately rushed over to him, carrying a basket of fruits.
"Adam! I brought you apples and oranges that we received as a gift from an unknown person. According to the analysis, these are fruits from Elfheim. There was also a letter in the basket, but neither I nor Amarantha read it," she said, sitting on a chair next to the bed. She placed the basket on the nightstand.
"..."
"Also, the girls wanted to let you know that they'll handle all the difficult tasks, so you can rest. Isn't that great?" she cheerfully said, taking out an apple and starting to peel it.
Elyra smiled and began to peel the apple. However, what stood out in her behavior was that she avoided eye contact with him, as she had been doing since she entered the room. Adam sighed, realizing the pain he had caused.
"Also..."
"Forgive me, Elyra. I made you worry," Adam interrupted her, apologizing. He looked at Elyra's tear-streaked face, which she tried to hide. He had witnessed a similar scene with almost all the women who had visited him. He felt bad that he couldn't get up and comfort her. "I completely failed as a worthy husband. I made you worry so much, and on top of that, I burdened you with work. I'm sorry."
"N-no, d-don't a-apologize! It's... it's okay, got it?!" Elyra struggled to speak, sobbing. She placed the apple and the knife on the nightstand, covered her face with her hands, and began to cry. Adam closed his eyes, feeling guilty. Despite his desire to do everything perfectly, it was challenging to achieve what was considered ideal in this world. This time, he had caused them significant distress due to his forgetfulness.
"This wouldn't have happened if I had talked to you all before. I will make amends for my mistake," he said in a hoarse voice, maintaining a mask of indifference, but beneath it was pain.
"N-no, I said, d-don't apologize! You're not at fault, understood?!" Elyra insisted, quickly wiping away her tears with the sleeves of her dress.
"M-m..."
***
One day, when he could already move his arms, a visitor came to him, the Vampire Queen.
"Hello, Lady Liara. I suppose today is the day for payment?" he said, trying to sit up straight.
"Yes, but you don't need to get up, don't strain yourself," she said with a smile, sitting on a chair. Crossing her legs, she tilted her head to the side. "I heard about your heroism, so I decided to postpone the payment for a few days. But since you're in a somewhat normal condition now, I assume you can settle your debt, right?"
"Yes, I need to give my blood, or..."
"No-no-no. I will drink directly from the source!"
She brightened and her beautiful red eyes gleamed, while her fangs became sharper and longer. Adam said nothing and simply presented his neck, which Liara immediately bit into with her fangs. He felt a pleasant tingling all over his body and a slight weakness.
His body worked at full throttle to replenish the blood reserves, which were diminishing at an accelerated pace. Liara ran her hands over his chest, descending slightly, but before touching his groin area, she stopped sucking his blood and moved away, pulling her hand from under the blanket.
"Haaa..."
She sighed languidly, her cheeks turning red. She resembled a person who had consumed too much alcohol and was now suffering the consequences. Her gait was unsteady, and she nearly stumbled as she made her way back to the chair. Collapsing into it, she sighed and caught her breath, feeling her heartbeat racing.
"Your blood is just marvelous. As expected from the heir of [email protected], you possess exquisite blood. It's like sipping on the finest wine!" she recounted her sensations, grinning. She leaned on the nightstand and sighed. "What a loss. Your blood is the most delicious I've ever had in all my life, you know? Amazing!"
"I'm glad to hear that..."
Adam sighed, settling back down. It was even difficult for him to speak, so he could only respond occasionally and mostly listen. Liara was talkative and could chat for hours, although he felt a bit of support from her as she helped accelerate his regeneration.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm***
By the second week, Adam had regained his strength and could walk, although it wasn't immediate. He was like a paralyzed person who had recovered from his ailment and, due to lack of practice, had forgotten how to walk. He sighed and sat on the couch in the living room with Amarantha's assistance.
"How uncomfortable it is when your legs don't work properly," he complained, cracking his neck. Turning to Elara, he asked, "Elara, how is Anna doing?"
"Everything is fine. There were no complications, so she should be able to walk in about two days. She misses you a lot," Elara replied, sitting down next to him and taking his hand in her palm, gently stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. "Your child with her is also safe. Although I was shocked by how quickly the fetus is growing, it seems that nymphs have a different process."
"Of course! If we consider it purely technically, we couldn't have had children until my mother invented a way!" Sierra explained, smiling.
She told them that initially, nymphs were born due to the accumulation of magical energy in one place, and then they lived until they died of old age or were killed by monsters. However, this unreliable method led to their extinction, and her mother decided to study how to reproduce. She traveled the world and found Sierra's father, who was a human. They fell in love, and in the heat of passion, they accidentally discovered a way to reproduce.
Adam smiled and sighed understandingly as he heard the story. Now he was sure that the woman in the story was Sierra's mother, given her description of traveling mostly for fun rather than research. Her carefree behavior strongly reminded him of Sierra herself.
Looking at the renewed joy in the living room, Adam gently smiled and closed his eyes, feeling a slight tiredness. Despite everything, it was all in the past.
His main concern now was the child soon to be born. To be entirely honest, he wasn't brimming with confidence about his ability to care for children, but he didn't shy away from it and prepared mentally and materially.
He had a room ready for the children, and he asked Ekaterina to teach him about child care, a request she gladly agreed to. There was one noticeable change, though...
All the women were excited. It seemed like they were ready to pounce on him at any moment and make a child with him, but they restrained themselves because there were already six women pregnant with his children. Plus, Adam still had many things to take care of.
"Although, I think we can handle this. I hope I can raise good children," he thought, sighing. He stroked Elara's hair, and she smiled brightly, healing his soul.
To be continued...