Eros walked to a patch of open ground and casually tossed a seed. Under the astonished gazes of the eight survivors following him, a vine hut rapidly took shape.
"The four of you, come inside," Eros said, standing at the door and addressing the female students.
Charlene didn't say a word; she kept her head low and hurried into the hut. Once all four girls were inside, Eros closed the door and brought out The Brilliant Sun, allowing its soft glow to illuminate the dim interior.
He reached out and grasped the wrist of the first girl—Charlene. Her face flushed a faint crimson, but she didn't pull away or resist, letting Eros hold her. In the next second, a green light pulsed from Eros’s palm.
A surge of life force flooded into her wrist, spreading through her limbs and reaching every corner of her body. Charlene bit her lower lip, an involuntary soft moan escaping her throat. Her wounds, both large and small, began to heal at a visible speed until her body was restored to its original state.
However, this method of healing via life force infusion naturally nourished the contamination within her as well. Ethereal tentacles began to sprout from the surface of Charlene’s skin.
Unfazed, Eros lifted the glowing Brilliant Sun and increased its output. Instantly, an intense orange-yellow light filled the room. The moment the phantom tentacles touched the radiance, they dissolved into green smoke and vanished without a trace.
Eros repeated the process for the other three girls, clearing the pollution from their systems. Looking at the group, now fully recovered, he nodded with a calm expression. "It is done."
Once the four girls had adjusted their clothes and stepped out, Eros turned his gaze toward the four male students. "You four, get in."
The men didn't hesitate and entered the hut immediately. Eros hung The Brilliant Sun from the ceiling of the vine hut and cranked its power to the maximum.
"Purify yourselves. Watch the time; it’s best not to stay inside for more than five minutes."
With that, Eros walked out. Before closing the door, he didn't forget to cast a remote healing spell on the four men.
One of the girls who had just been treated widened her eyes. She had heard Eros’s instructions to the men—which meant they could have handled the purification themselves?
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Wait... then why did I...?
Seeing her dazed expression, Eros flashed a grin at her before heading toward Undine, who was walking his way. Outside, the battle was completely over; every spirit had been slain. They only needed to wait for the Spirit Essences and materials to precipitate before returning to the temporary camp.
Once Eros was out of earshot, the dazed girl whispered to her three companions, "How could he do that?!"
Charlene, her eyes wandering, gave a dry cough. "He saved us. It’s only right that we pay a small price. Besides, Prince Eros didn't actually do anything to us, did he?"
The other two girls nodded in agreement. Seeing this, the first girl’s expression turned utterly blank. You guys call that a "small price"? Is my definition of "small price" fundamentally wrong?
On the other side, Eros met Undine. She put her hands on her hips, tilting her small face up with pride. "I killed thirteen by myself this time!"
A smile tugged at Eros's lips. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket to wipe a small smudge from Undine’s fair cheek, saying dotingly, "As expected of Sister Undine! Is this the true power of the world’s number one sister? Truly amazing!"
Undine’s face flushed a soft pink. She clasped her hands behind her back, unconsciously twisting one foot on the ground. "Oh, stop! It’s not as exaggerated as you make it sound!"
"I don't care what others think; in my eyes, Undine is number one in the world," Eros said as if stating a simple fact.
"You dog! Stop saying that!" Undine, overcome with embarrassment, tried to cover Eros’s mouth with her hands.
Eros leaned back to dodge, looking puzzled. " I’m just telling the truth. Is it a crime to be honest?"
"Even the truth is forbidden!" Undine retorted, lightly butting her head against his chest.
Feeling the "kitten-like" impact, Eros chuckled. "Hehe! Fine. I'll only tell you privately when no one else is around."
The corners of Undine’s mouth curled upward. She glanced left and right, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear, "You can whisper it to me even when people are around!"
Immediately after saying something so bold, she buried her face against his shoulder in shame.
Eros suddenly put on a confused face and shouted, "What was that? What should I whisper to you when people are around?"
His loud voice drew the attention of several nearby students. Undine was mortified, pummeling Eros’s shoulder with her fists. "You dog! Do you want to die?!"
Eros’s eyes were full of laughter as he let her hit him. Eventually, he caught her wrists and asked softly, "You aren't hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine," Undine huffed.
A moment later, Annie approached holding a small pouch. She handed it to Eros. "These are the Spirit Essences and materials from the spirits you and your sister killed."
Eros took the bag and smiled at her. "Thank you for the trouble."
At the thanks, a faint blush touched Annie’s face. "It’s only what I should do," she said with a hint of bashfulness.
Seeing this, a warning bell rang in Undine’s mind. She cleared her throat and interjected, "When are we heading back?"
Annie regained her composure, resuming her poised demeanor. "With the Sun-domain artifact Eros provided, the purification time is greatly reduced. We should be able to head back very soon."
Undine gave a curt "Oh."