OP Absorption
Chapter 100: Knocked Out

Chapter 100: Knocked Out

Fin stepped back through the shimmering fissure, the air shifting from the heavy stink of Kain’s throne room to the cool, damp earth scent of his own forest. The tear hung open behind him, pulsing faintly.

Arachne stood near the base of a tree, leaning against it slightly. Her breathing was shallow, her face pale beneath streaks of grime and dried blood. She straightened immediately when she saw him, wincing as she moved, and bowed low despite the obvious pain racking her body. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, trembling slightly.

"Welcome back, my Lord." Her voice was quiet, strained, but steady.

He looked at her, taking in the battered state, the way she held herself upright through sheer will. A faint smile touched his lips. He walked over and patted her head gently, awkwardly.

’she is very loyal, cute.’

Arachne went utterly still for a beat, her dark eyes widening almost imperceptibly. Then she straightened her posture even further, the trembling in her hands lessening slightly.

Fin turned back to the fissure. It still pulsed with that sickly light, an open wound in his domain. He lifted his hand, fingers spread, then slowly closed them into a fist.

The tear in the air shuddered. It folded inwards on itself, lines of light converging, shrinking, until it snapped shut with a faint pop, leaving only undisturbed forest air.

’Okay. Closed.’ He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, the adrenaline finally fading, leaving bone-deep exhaustion behind. The fight, the power drain, the confrontation... it had taken more out of him than he realized.

He started walking towards the direction of the castle, his steps heavier than intended. "Let’s go—"

His vision swam. The trees blurred into indistinct shapes. The ground tilted sharply beneath his feet. He hit the soft moss before he fully registered he was falling.

"My Lord!"

The last thing he heard was Arachne’s cry, sharp with alarm, and the sound of her desperate, stumbling footsteps rushing towards him through the undergrowth.

Arachne reached his side, stumbling slightly. Her own injuries screamed in protest, but she ignored them, kneeling beside him.

His breathing was shallow, his face pale. Unconscious. She placed trembling fingers against his neck, feeling for a pulse. Steady, but faint. Relief warred with urgency.

’Not dead. Just... spent.’

She looked around the silent forest. The clearing was a mess. Her gaze flicked towards where Scarlet had been observing.

She emerged slowly from behind a thick tree trunk, watching Arachne with a wary, assessing expression. She didn’t offer help, just stood there, arms crossed, looking from the unconscious Fin to the battered Arachne.

"Well," she said, her voice flat. "Looks like playtime’s over."

Arachne ignored her. She tried to shift Fin, to lift him. He was heavier than he looked. Pain lanced through her broken ribs and collarbone, forcing a sharp intake of breath. She couldn’t lift him alone, not like this.

She looked back at Scarlet, her expression hardening. "Help me." It wasn’t a request.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her own torn clothes and healing wounds. "And why should I? Not really my problem, housekeeper."

Arachne’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "He saved your life. Twice." She didn’t elaborate. She didn’t need to.

Scarlet chewed the inside of her cheek, looking again at Fin’s still form. Saved her life? Technically, yes. Healed her. Didn’t kill her. That was... something.

And being stuck in this weird dimension with an unconscious King and his maid wasn’t ideal if the maid was too injured to function.

She sighed, the sound sharp with annoyance. "Fine. But if he wakes up grumpy, I’m blaming you."

She limped over, kneeling opposite Arachne. "Okay, how do we do this without breaking him? Or ourselves?"

Together, carefully, awkwardly, they managed to get their arms under his shoulders and knees. He remained limp, unresponsive. Straining against their own injuries, they lifted him slowly, staggering slightly under the weight.

"Castle’s that way?" Scarlet grunted, nodding vaguely back the way they’d come.

"Yes," Arachne confirmed, her voice tight with effort and pain.

They started the slow, difficult trek back through the woods, carrying their unconscious Lord between them, leaving the empty golden armor glinting faintly on the mossy forest floor.

---

Fin’s eyes opened. The ceiling above was dark stone, high and unfamiliar for a moment before recognition clicked. His room.

He pushed himself up slowly, expecting the symphony of aches and pains from the fight with Dan. There was nothing. No throbbing ribs, no twinge in his ankle, no residual sting from the cuts. He felt... fine.

More than fine. Rested.

He swung his legs over the side of the massive bed. The floor felt cool beneath his bare feet. He glanced down at his chest. No scars, not even from the older wounds. The domain’s healing, or maybe his own cores working overtime while he was out?

The heavy door slid open soundlessly. Arachne stood there, holding a tray with a steaming mug and a plate of something that looked like bread. She wore simple dark trousers and a tunic, moving without the pronounced limp she’d had after the fight. Her collarbone seemed fine.

She stopped when she saw him sitting up, her expression carefully neutral, though her eyes scanned him quickly.

"My Lord. You are awake." She walked further into the room, setting the tray down on a nearby table.

"Yeah," he said, stretching slightly. "How long was I out?"

"Three days," she replied, her gaze lingering on him for a second longer than necessary. "You expended considerable energy."

"Three days?" He rubbed the back of his neck. That explained why he felt so recharged. "How are... How are you?" He nodded towards her shoulder.

"Fully recovered, my Lord," she said, touching the spot briefly. "The domain facilitates healing. As does your ambient mana." She hesitated. "The other one... Scarlet... is also healed. Mostly." A slight edge entered her voice on the last word. "She has been... exploring."

He grunted. Scarlet exploring his domain unsupervised didn’t sound ideal. "Right." He looked at the tray. The bread looked plain, the drink in the mug dark. "Food?"

"Yes, my Lord. Sustenance."

He stood up, walked over, and picked up the mug. It smelled vaguely like roasted grain. He took a sip. Warm, bland, but filling. He picked up the bread. Dense, chewy.

"Thanks," he said, taking another bite. He needed to check on Meg. Find out what Scarlet had been ’exploring’.

Deal with the fallout from his little visit to King Kain. Three days out. A lot could have happened. Or maybe nothing at all. First things first.

"Where’s Meg?" he asked, setting the mug down.