[Heart's Yearning (Excellent Rank)]
[As you move towards your ideal, your ideal moves towards you. (Doubles experience gain when learning skills.)]
Looking at the ability Konno had awakened, Luo Shu sighed and turned to share it with Utaha.
Instantly, Utaha's expression soured as she stared at the girl lying on the temporary operating table with closed eyes:
"A broken ability like this only counts as Excellent Rank?"
Anyone who's played games knows how overpowered double experience gain is, and Utaha, as a veteran, was no exception.
Luo Shu wore a wry smile:
'This ability template... are you sure it didn't wander over from the DanMachi universe's white-haired protagonist?'
Compared to this ability, the 1000 Points gained from recruiting Konno suddenly seemed insignificant.
Hearing Luo Shu's words, Utaha had to admit that after witnessing Konno's awakened ability, what had once been a polite understatement now seemed entirely justified.
Recalling how frail and small the girl had been before, though her appearance hadn't changed, Utaha felt Konno had undergone an earth-shattering transformation:
"Is this what they mean by 'those whom the gods love die young'?"
Meanwhile, Konno lay on the bed with her eyes tightly shut, muttering in confusion:
"That's weird... I closed my eyes, but I can still see things?"
"Are you seeing something like a computer prompt box?"
Luo Shu approached Konno and explained:
"Don't resist it. Try to accept the information there with an open mind."
Konno's lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
This phenomenon lasted a full three minutes before she suddenly opened her eyes, staring blankly at the incandescent ceiling light.
"Awake?"
Luo Shu asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Konno Yuuki turned her head to look at Luo Shu's face. As her rationality gradually returned, she asked in a dazed voice:
"God...sama?"
"Just call me Luo Shu." Luo Shu said kindly. "No need to rush getting up. What you just underwent was only a Familia contract. Though your physique has been appropriately strengthened and your vitality improved, you haven't actually been cured of your illness yet."
As he spoke, Luo Shu reached out and placed his hand on Konno Yuuki's shoulder, saying calmly:
"Next, don't move. I'll remove the disease for you."
Though Konno Yuuki had many questions, after hearing Luo Shu's words, she obediently pressed her lips together and stared intently at him.
It didn't take long—almost the next second—before Luo Shu withdrew his hand and said:
"Alright, it's done."
"Eh?" Konno Yuuki froze for a moment, instinctively looking at Luo Shu.
At this moment, Utaha stepped forward, crossing her arms with a composed expression as she said:
"No need for confusion. Though HIV is an incurable disease, isn't it perfectly normal for a god to cure it instantly?"
Hearing this, Konno Yuuki suddenly understood, then blushed slightly and said softly:
"I'm sorry, I didn't react properly just now."
"That's a perfectly normal reaction." Luo Shu calmly raised his hand and casually explained: "If you weren't my Familia but just a regular person, I'd have to prepare eight treatment courses for you, sell you some starch capsules, and charge the highest medical fees in the industry."
"By the time you recovered, you'd probably be crying tears of gratitude to me, at the very least sending me a 'skilled and benevolent' commendation banner."
She had seen this scene many times outside hospital operating rooms. Imagining herself in that position, she found it rather amusing.
"What are you laughing at?" Luo Shu glanced at Konno Yuuki and reminded her: "Don't forget, your family are exactly that kind of regular people."
"Uh..." Konno Yuuki immediately stopped laughing, her mind filled with images of her parents and older sister clinging to Luo Shu's legs and crying.
—This feels so embarrassing!!!
Meanwhile, Utaha, beside them, had already caught on and said with a strange expression:
"You plan to package the treatment as eight courses and sell it to this girl's parents?"
"Obviously." Luo Shu gave Utaha a calm look. "A Familia's family isn't my family, understand?"
Utaha looked at Luo Shu with a subtle expression.
At this point, Luo Shu had already turned back to Konno Yuuki, whose face had become awkward, and said:
"Treating three regular people's serious illnesses will cost you 1000 Points in total. These points will be deducted from your future salary."
Hearing this, Konno Yuuki immediately understood and asked in return: "This is the price?"
"Correct." Luo Shu nodded with a smile, seemingly very satisfied with Konno Yuuki's comprehension.
Konno Yuuki smiled in response, then nimbly climbed to her feet. Now standing, she lightly hugged Luo Shu, her face red as she said:
"Thank you."
'The god who heard my prayers...'
Konno Yuuki wasn't an idiot. Although Luo Shu repeatedly emphasised it was a price, she understood that, compared to the cost paid, finding the means to pay that price and successfully reap the rewards was what truly mattered.
This life-saving grace made Konno Yuuki think deeply about many things.
Konno couldn't help glancing at Utaha, seeing the ample curves the other girl was supporting with her arms - almost as large as her face - then looking down at her own flat chest, feeling an overwhelming sense of sorrow.
'This seems like an extremely difficult competition to win... damn.'
While Konno was lost in thought, Luo Shu, who hadn't moved away earlier, wore a somewhat complicated expression.
Beside them, Utaha clicked her tongue and couldn't resist saying in a disdainful tone:
"First, wipe that criminal look off your face."
"We still have many things to deal with today, don't we?"
"My god!!"
Hearing this, Luo Shu snapped out of it and looked at Utaha, who was visibly jealous, unable to suppress a smile.
In Luo Shu's view, a woman was most charming precisely when she got jealous over you.
A jealous Miss Utaha is super cute indeed.