"I kinda prefer the previous address," she said teasingly.
Mike also wanted to get to know this woman better, so he went along with whatever she was saying. "I understand, my lady."
A faint dimple appeared on Elvida's cheek. "So tell me, why did you faint?"
"I believe it's just stress," Mike responded.
"Stress? From watching me?" Elvida tilted her head in contemplation.
"No, my lady..."
"It's okay, I understand. A lot of men have fallen sick after staring at me for too long. They get so hard they lose consciousness. Hehe~"
"I wasn't..." Mike subconsciously wanted to rebut, but Elvida only giggled as she pointed at the little tent in his pants.
"And that one?"
Mike glanced down and couldn't help but curse his little brother under his breath.
Why is it acting on its own?
"I caught you~ Hehe."
Meanwhile, Rafael stood still with a dumbstruck expression, his gaze shifting between Mike and Elvida.
That was the first time he felt like he had no presence. And if he actually tried to make his presence known, it felt like he would be interrupting something important.
Can someone tell him when Mike and the witch got this close? So close they were casually exchanging flirty banters as if he weren't there?
He couldn't understand.
Meanwhile, Mike pursed his lips.
This woman... is indeed dangerous.
"Come closer," Elvida beckoned, her posture laid back, like a succubus inviting its prey.
It wouldn't make sense not to answer her, right?
So he approached, standing before her.
Her large breasts pressed boldly through the gaps, one on either side of a vertical bar, squeezed just enough to look like they were trying to escape the cell before she could. The cold metal divided them like a boundary that highlighted their fullness, and they pressed boldly against Mike's chest.
He instantly took a step back and apologised. "I'm sorry."
But the woman only continued smiling, her voice slow and sultry. "Step closer, will you?"
"I—"
In the end, Mike had no choice but to step forward, holding the woman's sultry gaze.
She leaned in, their noses almost touching, then, out of nowhere, she pecked him on the lips.
"Ahhh?!" Rafael didn't even realize when he screamed, his hand flying up to cover his mouth from sheer shock. His eyes went wide, like someone who had just seen a ghost.
The evil goddess—the subject of their desire... kissed Mike?
Were his eyes failing him? Was this real?
He had trouble believing what was right in front of him.
Mike was just as shocked. His body froze.
This woman...
But what truly rendered him unable to react were the messages that suddenly flooded his mind:
[Healing Energy Gained +1!]
[Charm Gained +0.5!]
"Wait, what..." Mike tried to process what he just saw.
His healing energy increased?
That's when he remembered the information that came along with these perks:
'Physical cultivation with elves...'
'The higher the elf's rank, the greater the benefit.'
So even a kiss on the lips could actually grant him more healing energy?
What the fuck?
What the actual fuck?
"Hey Will, I have a question!"
[Please go ahead.]
Mike clenched his hand. "The healing energy—can it cure my cancer?"
There was a moment of silence before the system replied:
[No.]
Mike's happiness crumbled before it could last.
But then the system continued:
[It can't completely cure cancer, after all, that involves multiple tumors that are deeply rooted and highly resistant to energy-based treatments. However, the healing energy can slow down tumor growth, reduce symptoms, and most importantly, extend your lifespan. Elves, especially high elves, possess regenerative energy that keeps them biologically younger than their actual age. Their bodies naturally resist aging and disease. By absorbing energy from them, you gain a fraction of that resistance. While it won't make the cancer disappear completely, it can keep it at bay.]
"I was excited for nothing," Mike muttered, laughing bitterly at himself.
But even so, he couldn't deny the surge of hope that rose in his chest.
If the healing energy could suppress tumor growth and extend his lifespan, didn't that mean he'd have more time?
And that's exactly what he wished for.
More time meant more chances to find a true cure.
This was a good thing!
For a moment, he felt giddy.
But the system just had to spoil the mood with its not-so-motivating follow-up:
[So, User-001, try working harder and gather more healing energy! +1 Healing Energy = +1 hour of life.]
"Wait, what????!"
"+1 Healing Energy only gives me one hour of life?!"
Mike nearly facepalmed.
He needed 24 kisses to get a day of life?
The system replied calmly:
[Yes. So continue working harder.]
"Are you that stunned?" Elvida licked her lips, her tone tinged with amusement as she watched his blank expression.
Ever since she'd been locked up in this damn place, he was the only one who could lift her mood.
Part of it was because he looked so innocent.
His shocked expressions, silly reactions, and wide eyes, all of it made her laugh every time. He was such an endearing young man that she couldn't help but kiss him. And seeing his dumbfounded face, she almost leaned in for another kiss.
He's such a cuti—
All of a sudden, a warm current ran through her body, and her eyes widened abruptly.
She staggered back in shock, staring at her hand as her pupils dilated.
The sensation faded quickly, but it had definitely happened.
She had felt a hint of mana flowing through her!
She felt it just now!
She couldn't be mistaken!
Ever since her core had been forcefully broken and rendering her unable to cultivate or channel mana, she had secretly tried again and again to draw it in. But all her attempts had failed.
She had fallen lower than even a low-ranked elf and completely incapable of absorbing even a strand of mana.
It was a cruel fate for someone who had started cultivating at three and who had once been one with the flow of mana. She could only watch it drift around her... never again to be hers.
Until now.
Just as she was about to give up...
She felt it activate in her body for a moment.
Even though it lasted only three seconds, it was definitely real.
She was sure of it.