Arknightcraft Modpack (Steve in Terra) (Minecraft x Arknight)

Caught red-handed, Irene was at a complete loss for how to react.

Or rather—she hadn't even realized how severe things had already become.

She had sensed something off for a while now.

The corrupting influence of the things on the ground seemed to have less and less of an effect on her.

Even worse—when she looked at those monsters, a strange and unnatural sympathy stirred within her.

She didn't dare to think about what that meant.

But what she had never expected was for the young man infront of her had already noticed everything.

"And what does telling you even change?"

Her voice was bitter, tinged with an unshakable sadness.

"Am I supposed to just say it out loud? That I'm slowly turning into one of those things?"

She had seen humans transformed into those sea monsters before.

She knew.

She knew there was no cure.

Even among the Inquisitors of the Inquisition, some had succumbed after slaying too many of these creatures, their bodies tainted beyond salvation.

So this is what they mean when they say, 'He who fights monsters must take care not to become one.'

A cruel, tragic irony.

"I suppose those creatures set this trap in hopes of turning me into one of them."

Irene forced a faint smile as she turned to Steven.

"Maybe they wanted to extract some information from me in the process. But at least you stopped them, right?"

She was still trying to reassure him, trying to convince herself that everything would be fine.

Maybe the Inquisition had a way to deal with this.

And even if they didn't, they wouldn't take me so easily.

I would rather die than become one of them.

"Did I ask you about any of that?"

Steven rolled his eyes at her.

Why was she being so dramatic?

She thought he couldn't fix this?

He had cured Oripathy, for crying out loud.

And now she thought this was beyond him?

He reached out and tapped her hand, inspecting the area that had already begun to mutate.

"Does it hurt?"

Irene's gaze flickered—she hesitated for a moment.

"You already asked—"

"I can cure it."

Steven cut her off flatly before she could finish pretending to be strong.

"...Huh?"

Irene froze, her forced bravery crumbling in an instant.

Her face went completely blank—as if she had just misheard something.

"I said I can cure it."

Steven sighed, meeting her eyes.

"Who gave you the right to decide whether I can or can't?"

"Since when was this even difficult for me?"

Irene wanted to argue, to tell him this was impossible, that the corruption had already fused with her body, resisting even the strongest healing potions.

That there had been cases before and they had never ended well.

But looking at Steven's expression, something about the way he spoke—

It was so casual.

So effortless.

Like it wasn't even a challenge for him.

Irene felt her heart waver.

Because knowing him, maybe it really wasn't.

Steven studied the infected area, his expression thoughtful.

The symptoms lined up with what that earlier Status Ailment description had said—

Her body was slowly being eroded by the sea monsters' power, her very being gradually assimilating into their kind.

To anyone else, this would be a nightmare.

A hopeless, irreversible process.

But for Steven?

At worst, he'll just drown her in a bucket of milk and the problem will be solved.

Steven couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity as he observed the scaly texture on Irene's skin.

It took him a moment to remember.

Wasn't this the same as the infected area on his daughter's neck?

Could Abyssal Hunters also be infected by these Seaborn creatures?

Or was it even worse than that?

Thinking about the suffix attached to Skadi's name, Steven realized this situation might be far more complicated—and interesting—than he had initially thought.

Absentmindedly, he continued rubbing Irene's small hand.

This sudden distraction completely ruined the once somber atmosphere.

To an outsider, it looked less like a treatment—and more like he was simply using healing as an excuse to hold her hand.

"It doesn't really hurt, but..."

Irene's voice was uncertain as she tried to suppress her emotions.

Few things in life could compare to the despair of being diagnosed with an incurable disease only to be told moments later that there was, in fact, a cure.

She was excited—but at the same time, as she watched Steven's actions...

Was he really reliable?

Or was he just taking advantage of the situation?

"Are you sure... that your constant rubbing has anything to do with healing?"

Steven snapped out of his thoughts, finally realizing what he had been doing this whole time.

His hand froze mid-motion.

"...Ahem."

"It's for circulation."

"It promotes blood flow, which in turn makes treatment easier."

"You wouldn't understand."

Irene narrowed her eyes in doubt.

Steven, however, simply gave a sheepish smile, before digging into his pocket (Inventory) and pulling out a bottle of diluted milk.

He had already figured out one key factor—

Whether or not someone could resist the Seaborn corruption after drinking milk depended on their physical constitution.

Aside from himself, it seemed that only the Abyssal Hunters could handle it directly.

Irene, on the other hand—

Yeah, probably not.

"Drink it."

"Let's see if there's any improvement. If not, I'll figure out something else."

Steven rubbed his chin as he continued examining the scaly patch on Irene's hand.

If the milk didn't work, well, he could always just cut it off, disinfect the wound, and drown her in a few bottles of healing potion.

Sure, it might be a bit brutal, but hey, it gets the job done.

And if even that didn't work...

Then Steven would have to start considering other options.

There are a lot of Mods that involve healing and curing entity from corruptions after all.

Luckily, Irene didn't resist.

Even though she was still skeptical, she listened and obediently drank the diluted milk.

Almost immediately, a wave of tingling heat surged from the back of her hand, spreading up her entire arm before finally subsiding.

She instinctively frowned at the sensation, but soon, she noticed something.

The eerie feeling of her body transforming was fading.

The unnatural discomfort that had been clawing at her mind was melting away.

The scales on her hand dried up and peeled off, revealing the smooth, flawless skin beneath, like freshly made double-skin milk pudding.

Irene blinked.

For some reason, an odd thought crossed her mind.

If Steven sold this stuff to noble ladies as a beauty product...

He'd probably make a fortune.

She wasn't sure why that was the first thing to pop into her head, but soon, a genuine smile spread across her face.

For Irene, this affliction had been nothing short of a death sentence.

And now, Steven had cured her.

How could she not be overwhelmed with joy?

After fidgeting in place for a moment, struggling to contain her emotions, she finally gave in to her gratitude.

With a small hop, she latched onto Steven's arm, shaking it vigorously like a spoiled child.

At the end of the day, despite her title as an Inquisitor, Irene was still just a young girl.

Someone her age should have been enjoying her youth, not confronting such horrors.

And she had seen everything Steven had done for her.

For a moment, she had no idea how to thank him properly.

"Alright, alright, calm down."

Steven chuckled lightly, glancing at the excited little bird that was practically bouncing in place.

With a gentle flick, he tapped her on the forehead.

"And to think you were just hiding things from me earlier. What, were you planning to wait until you turned into a little fishman before coming to cry for help?"

Irene pouted at his teasing but didn't refute it.

After finally managing to calm down, she suddenly realized something—

Her actions just now had been a little too intimate.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, she took a small step back before putting on a serious expression.

"I didn't know you were this amazing... So, do you have any interest in joining the Inquisition?"

She hesitated for a moment before extending an invitation.

"With your skills, you could help Iberia rise again. These potions of yours... they're too important for the Inquisition to ignore."

Steven blinked.

Then he sighed and shook his head.

"Looks like Carmen didn't tell you everything."

He could only praise the old man for his discretion.

Otherwise, there was no way Irene would have been dumb enough to ask him that.

Join the Inquisition?

What a joke.

Now that the potato farms were in full operation, he wasn't just part of the Inquisition—he was their biggest supplier.

Hell, forget the Inquisition, right now, he was Iberia's largest food supplier.

Why the hell would he trade being a major stakeholder for being an underpaid grunt?

"Wait..."

Irene squinted at him.

"Did Lord Carmen recruit you a long time ago? Are you already an external member of the Inquisition?"

Given Steven's reaction, that was the only explanation her little brain could come up with.

And honestly, she wouldn't mind.

Having Steven as a colleague sounded pretty good.

"Nope."

Steven smirked.

Then, he leaned in slightly and dropped the truth—

"Actually, from now on, your entire Inquisition will be working for me."

"So remember to call me 'boss,' got it?"

Irene paused.

Then she rolled her eyes.

"Pfft. Look at you, bragging again."

She put her hands behind her back and started skipping around him playfully, like a carefree sparrow.

Her serious demeanor as an Inquisitor was gone, and in its place, a lively young girl finally allowed herself to be free.

"Steven, you're way too confident. If you hadn't just saved me, I definitely wouldn't forgive you so easily."

She stuck out her tongue playfully.

Steven only laughed.

"It's not confidence."

He shrugged.

"If you don't believe me, go ask that old man Carmen yourself."

<+>

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