"A Blessing...?"
Aster's mind came to a halt, trying to wrap around the fact that Vanessa just said. As he did, memories came flooding in, reminding him of his life before, from an early age, until becoming a teenager.
"A Blessing?!" He growled in anger. "If this is a blessing, then everyone in the world must be gods!"
The disease that his parents dedicated most of their lives to, but still failed to find a cure for, was getting labeled as a "blessing"! He would be considered a saint if he didn't get angry, for his parents' sake!
{... Sorry, I guess my words are a little lacking.}
Seeing how affected Aster was by her casual words, Vanessa felt sorry for him. Her sleepiness faded as she assumed a serious expression, commanding respect from anyone looking at her.
{Your "Nameless Disease" is, in essence, closer to a curse. However, after analyzing the magical properties of it, I'm 99.9% sure that it's a blessing in disguise.}
"..."
Aster's frown deepened. He was not willing to listen to her words at all. It was just his curiosity that was stopping him from dropping the call and blocking Vanessa forever.
{How do I explain this... Right, let's go on a tangent. You know Hercules, don't you?}
"... Yes, I do."
Hercules was a famous demigod who was known for his unparalleled strength.
{Then, you must know how he had to undergo the twelve labors to atone for his sin of murdering his wife and children.}
'Wasn't the twelve labors something he did to become a true hero?' Aster wanted to interject but decided to hold his tongue.
{After he completed the twelve labors, he was then absolved of his sins by God Apollo and successfully achieved immortality. Your blessing—or curse—is of a similar essence to Hercules' twelve labors.}
"You mean... a punishment—a challenge—bestowed to me to achieve immortality?"
{No, I'm not sure if you can achieve immortality after overcoming this. However, I'm sure that you'll receive a long life, much longer than even the elves.}
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Aster listened to her words and felt a little conflicted. He did want to visit the laboratory and check up on the nuclear reactor, worried that it might explode after a long time of having no maintenance. However, he didn't expect to revisit the place less than a month after leaving it!
"... Alright. I'll go and check tomorrow." Still, he couldn't hold his curiosity and agreed.
{Good. Although I want to accompany you, I don't know if I'll be available tomorrow. Ah, try contacting Magnus first; he might send someone else to protect you while out there.}
Aster smiled, nodding his head. "Got it. Thanks for the help."
{It's fine; I'm just doing what I wanted to do, anyway.}
Just as he was about to end the call, he suddenly had an epiphany. He recalled the image of the magic circle that she showed earlier, and the familiar-looking runes drawn all over it.
"Ah, wait!" He exclaimed. "Do you perhaps know how to decode this script? We encountered a mysterious locked door on the fifth floor, and we think it leads into the newly discovered crypt there."
{Hmm? Let me see... Oh, it's the Old Fragish Runes. Yes, I can decode this, but... with this amount, it'll take a day at most. Call me the day after tomorrow; it should be done by then.}
"Somehow, I feel sorry for this." Aster smiled wryly. "If you ever have something else you need from me again, just ask, so that I can return the favor."
{Really?} Vanessa's eyes turned sharp. {Then, can I gather a sample of your seed? I'm wondering what's the difference between a 100% human seed and those of the current generation.}
"Ah, that..." Aster scratched his head, feeling a little awkward. "I have a promise with Magnus to only do the deed once a month. So, I guess, you can ask him about it."
{Ah, I don't need to have sex with you if you don't want to. Just extracting a sample of your seed is fine. Can I?}
"..."
Although her request was slightly different from his promise to Magnus, he still couldn't decide whether he could agree to it or not. He let out a sigh, not wanting to be an ingrateful prick, and nodded his head.
"Alright. But only if I find a clue about what you talked about earlier." He pulled a condition as if a last-ditch struggle. "If I didn't find anything, then sorry, but just ask Magnus to schedule you."
{Got it. That's fine with me.}
For some reason, Aster felt like he just made a contract with the devil. Chills crawled down his back as he stared at her predatory eyes, watching him.