*BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM*

A massive explosion erupted from the man’s body.

A blinding flash of dark purple and black energy burst outward like a dying star, engulfing the entire alley in a violent storm of flames and destructive force.

The shockwave shattered windows in nearby buildings and blasted the brick walls.

Klein reacted instantly.

He grabbed Lyra by the waist and leaped backward with everything he had, using the full power of his open second mana core to propel them away from the blast.

Lyra instinctively summoned a thick wall of ice in front of them as they flew back.

The explosion slammed into the ice barrier with terrifying force and it was instantly shattered.

Klein pushed Lyra down to the ground and got on top of her, shielding her body with his own.

He reinforced his body with every ounce of mana he could muster, creating a protective layer around them both.

Lyra’s eyes widened in shock.

"Ira-!"

*FWOOOOOOM!*

The explosion tore through them as the flames ripped across Klein’s back and sides, tearing through his shirt and burning deep into his flesh.

Muscles were torn, skin blistered and charred, and blood sprayed from multiple wounds as the destructive energy ravaged his body.

Klein gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain without a sound.

He kept Lyra safely beneath him, using his own body as a shield against the worst of the blast.

The heat was unbearable as the force crushed him but he refused to move.

Lyra’s eyes shook in horror as she looked up at him.

She could see the pain on his face and the blood dripping onto her from his wounds.

"I-Irakiel...!" she cried out.

The explosion seemed to last forever, but eventually the destructive wave passed.

The alley was left in ruins with an enormous hole in the center of it scorched walls, shattered stone, and thick black smoke filling the air.

Klein remained on top of her for a few more seconds, making sure the danger had truly passed.

His breathing was ragged and his body was covered in severe burns and lacerations.

Blood dripped from his back and arms onto the ground.

Finally, he rolled off her with a pained grunt and sat up against the wall.

[Trait Resurgent Soul is activated.]

﹄ Resurgent Soul: Even in death, you refuse to perish. Your will to survive is unnatural. Grants greatly enhanced regeneration and resistance to fatal wounds.

In the next instant, his body began to heal at a visible rate.

The worst of the burns started closing as the damaged muscles knitted back together and deep gashes slowly sealed.

Klein let out a pained sigh of relief ’Good thing I have this.’

Lyra hurriedly pulled out a high-rank healing potion from her storage bracelet.

Her hands were shaking as she uncorked it and poured the glowing liquid directly over his worst wounds.

The potion hissed as it made contact with his burned skin, accelerating the healing process even further.

Along with his Resurgent Soul trait, his body visibly began to recover at an astonishing speed.

The deep gashes closed, charred skin flaked away to reveal fresh, pink flesh beneath, and the bleeding stopped almost entirely.

"Lyra-"

"Shut up."

She grabbed his chin firmly with one hand, tilting his head back.

Without hesitation, she took a large sip of the healing potion and leaned down, pressing her lips against his lips.

She pushed the liquid into his mouth in a deep kiss, forcing him to swallow it.

Klein’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t resist.

The sweet, cool liquid mixed with the warmth of her lips helped stabilize him further.

Lyra pulled back just enough to take another sip from the bottle, then kissed him again, making sure every drop of the potent healing potion reached him.

When she finally pulled away, she let out a soft, shaky breath and looked down at him.

A smile appeared on Klein’s face "So that’s how a milf’s lips feel. It’s indeed tasty..."

Lyra’s face turned bright red. She stared at him in disbelief for a second before swatting his shoulder, though she was careful not to hit any of his still-healing wounds.

"You-! Even when you’re half-dead, you can’t stop being a pervert?!" she hissed, clearly embarrassed.

"I was trying to save your life, you idiot!"

Looking at his injury getting healed, she was amazed "Seems like you have some insane regeneration skill."

"I thought you were being reckless; no wonder ... you have such a powerful skill."

Klein let out a soft chuckle, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at his regenerating body.

If it was just him, he would have teleported back to the Spirit Realm the moment the explosion started.

But since Lyra was there, he had to gamble and make himself a meat shield to protect her.

He stretched his arms slowly, testing his recovered muscles.

’Anyway, I need to learn a barrier skill and a telekinesis skill. It would cost some money.’

The alley was still filled with smoke and the distant sounds of panicked citizens and approaching police guards, but for a brief moment, the two of them sat together in a strange, quiet understanding.

Klein leaned his head back against the wall, feeling the last remnants of his injuries fade away thanks to the combination of Resurgent Soul and the healing potion.

"You should head back to the inn first," he said after a moment. "I’ll catch up soon. I need to make sure no one tracks us from that explosion."

Lyra hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave him alone after what had just happened.

But she eventually nodded "...Fine. But don’t do anything stupid again."

She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, surprising him.

"And... thank you. For protecting me."

She stood up, brushing the dust and ash from her clothes.

Before she left, she glanced back at him one last time.

"Don’t take too long," she added quietly, then turned and disappeared down the alley, her cloak swaying behind her.

Klein sat there for a few seconds, lightly touching the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him.

A small, genuine smile formed on his lips ’She’s surprisingly soft when she wants to be.’

With a wry smile, he thought ’Also.. I should probably tell her my real name, I just told her my name is Irakiel when she asked first.’

He gave himself a few more minutes to let the Resurgent Soul trait finish its work.

The last of his burns faded away, leaving only faint pink marks that would soon disappear completely.

Once he felt fully recovered, he stood up, brushed off the remaining ash from his torn shirt, and began making his way out of the destroyed alley.

The streets near the explosion site were starting to fill with curious and panicked citizens, along with the first responders from the city guard.

Klein rushed, avoiding detection as he circled back toward the inn using a longer, safer route.

By the time he returned to the inn, the sky was beginning to lighten with the approach of dawn.

He quietly entered through a side door and made his way up to the second floor.

Lyra’s door was slightly ajar.

When he approached, she opened it fully and she looked at him up and down to make sure he was truly alright.

"You’re back," she said with relief. "Come in."

"You took longer than I expected," she said, crossing her arms. "Did you run into any trouble on the way back?"

Klein shook his head "No. I just made sure we weren’t followed. The explosion drew a lot of attention, but I don’t think anyone connected it to us yet."

He sat down on the edge of her bed, rolling his shoulders "We got no information out of that guy before he blew himself up."

"I am thinking of leaving the capital for a while. What about you?"

With a thoughtful look, she muttered "The reason I came to the capital in search of Dark Church is to cure my blockages... since it can be healed by you, I have no reason to stay here either."

Klein nodded slightly "I guess then it’s time for us to part ways. Gimme your contact info, we can meet often and I will cure your remaining blockages at that time."

"Because all blockages can’t be cured immediately, your body needs to slowly adapt to it."

Lyra looked at him for a moment, then reached into her storage bracelet and pulled out her mobile device.

They exchanged contact information quickly, both adding each other to their lists.

She saved him as ’Shameless Flirt’.

He saved her as ’MILF’.

Lyra noticed the nickname on his screen and gave him a flat, unamused stare.

"Really?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "You’re going to save me as that?"

Klein shrugged with a grin "It’s accurate."

She shook her head helplessly.

Looking at him more seriously, she asked, "Are you in an Academy or Guild? If you want, you can join the guild my father is managing."

With a shake of his head, he replied, "I appreciate the offer, but not right now. I am currently at Grayhaven Academy."

She leaned back slightly with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I see. Then I won’t push it. But if you ever need help or a place to stay outside the capital, you can contact me. My father’s guild might be useful in the future."

Klein smiled "I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Lyra."

"Oh, also... before we leave let’s go shopping."

"Shopping?"