The Achievement Junkie

"Right… Sorry, I can get carried away sometimes," Dragas stated. At the same time, a wash of green nature energy spread over Jack's body. The Dryad Goddess carefully searched for anything she could find out of the ordinary. "There are a few microscopic burns, but your condition can't compare to Moranti's when he first asked for help."

"So… How long should it take to recover?" asked Jack.

"Given how unnaturally strong your vitality is, I think three days of treatment twice a day should remove all microscopic burns along with the more obvious ones."

"Then can I--"

"One moment, and don't put your clothes on just yet!" Dragas rushed into her jungle of flora, taking a minute to gather more of the ingredients she had gathered prior. "Had Moranti informed me that Jack would come, I'd have already gathered enough materials. This will take a few minutes."

"Can't I just--"

"Jack, at lv. 91 your body's vitality matches Moranti at lv. 97, surpassing it even," Dragas mentioned. "Because of that, I'll be able to give you a more concentrated solution to aid your burns. However, this also means your body will feel even more pain than Moranti experiences during his medicinal baths."

"Bath?" Jack caught on to the situation, understanding why Dragas and Moranti were starting to hit it off. It was made more obvious as Moranti began to disrobe as well.

"To keep the potency of the medicinal bath, the ingredients must be blended and incorporated properly into the bath within minutes of taking the bath. The longer the solution sits, the less potent and effective it will be," reasoned Dragas. "I'll expect you here tomorrow morning after breakfast and tomorrow night before bed. Three days of this and you'll be as good as new."

"And there's no way that you could teach Eliza how to do this?" asked Jack.

Dragas blinked and chuckled, "She can come with you tomorrow morning. I'll assess her skills and aptitude for herbology then. I doubt she'll be able to handle the solution you need, but it'll be some wonderful bonding time with my daughter."

Another five minutes passed as Dragas finished stewing a variety of ingredients, which had been chopped, left whole, juiced, or peeled to give the bath the desired effect. The Goddess of Seduction retrieved two large, external bathing pools and carefully poured her two pots of solution into them. "Ready! Moranti's is on the left and Jack, yours is on the right."

Without a word, Moranti stepped forward and immersed himself in the turquoise-colored bathwater. He took in a sharp breath through his teeth before releasing a long sigh of relief.

Jack followed, stepping into his bath without worry. But the moment he hurried in, Jack felt as if his body was burning from the inside out. It felt as if Jack's blood started to boil beneath his skin.

"Relax, Jack. This will only take twenty minutes and the first time is always the worst," added Dragas. "By tomorrow night, you'll feel much more comfortable with this."

Not saying anything, Jack kept his focus on the task at hand. It was a new kind of pain that Jack hadn't experienced, unlike anything Jack had imagined.

Those twenty grueling minutes passed slowly. For a moment, Jack felt that his bath was taking longer than his entire trip through Earthen Keep. Even Moranti felt time slow down, though not to the extent that Jack felt.

"Here's your towel."

Dragas's voice pulled Jack back into the moment. Jack opened his eyes and spotted Dragas at the side of the lifted bathing pools, a long towel in her hand.

Eager to escape what felt like bathing in hell, Jack scurried out of the bath and hurriedly dried himself off. The sensation of internally boiling lingered but began to gradually fade. Jack took long and deep breaths as the air seemingly cooled his internal organs.

"Where's mine?"

Only then did Jack realize that Dragas left Moranti in his bath. He didn't care much about that detail though as Jack was glad to be out of that hellish bath.

"It's only been ten minutes, so you've got another ten to go," stated Dragas.

"What?! But--"

"See that?" Dragas pointed at Jack's bath, getting Moranti and Jack to notice something. "It's already clear, meaning that Jack's body processed his more potent solution in half the time it takes you. That's why he gets to leave early and take his wives to the banquet, which should be starting any minute now."

Turning to Jack with a smile, Dragas added, "Eedaj told me to head out too, but me and Moranti will follow you shortly. Hurry up and get your wives, or you'll miss some of the festivities."

Jack nodded. Despite the burning that was still fading, Jack's body felt more energetic than ever. "Then I'll be off!" Bolting for the door, Jack added, "And don't have too much fun before the banquet!"

"I'll keep that in mind…" Dragas sighed as she heard the door close. Finally returning to her attitude deserving of the title Goddes of Seduction, Dragas bit her lip and smiled at Moranti. "So, are you ready for some in-bath therapy?"

Unaware and not wanting to know what was taking place after his leave, Jack used his minokawa form to hurry home. The hero rushed through the front door and surprised his wives.

"Sorry for the wait, but I'm ready now." Looking around, Jack asked, "Where's Lina?"

"She already left," answered Maura. "Lina's going with Erina and Lunara."

Eliza and Daliea exited the bedroom, happy smiles on their faces. Daliea asked, "Are you okay? Are there any wounds?"

"There are some but nothing that Dragas can't fix. I'll explain more on the way."

Jack happily gathered his three wives and left for the guild's main building. During their walk, Jack explained his healing procedure and Eliza eagerly agreed to join Jack to learn herbology. Also, they chatted about Jack's divine title and how each of their names had changed, gaining Jack's new last name, Accrutya.

It felt good to not only relax but to enjoy the moment. Being in the company of his wives was different than the thrill of battle or the rush of completing a difficult achievement. Jack felt calm while also feeling lively. The feeling was a rare occurrence for Jack, but it was one that Jack wanted to treasure the more he experienced it.