Soon, under Kirie Fujino's eager gaze, the fingers resting on his daughter's forehead began to glow with a faint milky-white light.
Along with the rhythm of life, a weak yet powerful heartbeat came from within her slightly rising little chest.
A seed of light was taking root in the dark soil, branching out and sprouting leaves.
She was alive?
Kirie Fujino leaned over the side of the sofa, his two rough hands tightly gripping his daughter's frail wrist as he felt that wonderful pulse of life. He was so overwhelmed that he could barely contain himself.
"The curse from the necromantic ritual and the toxins from the Magic Crest have already seeped into this child's body and soul. It will take some time to completely purge these negative effects."
After clapping his hands and offering a brief explanation, Samael nodded to Natalia beside him. The two went upstairs to catch up, leaving the downstairs space and time to the father and daughter alone.
"By the way, how did you two meet?"
In the bedroom, the ancient serpent casually tore open a spatial rift and rummaged through it for his treasured whiskey. He poured a glass for his old friend as hospitality, then sat on the sofa beside her and asked curiously.
"You could say we had a shared hobby."
As Natalia spoke, she pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from her pocket and waved it around. Then she skillfully put one between her lips, lit it, and began puffing away.
Got it. A smoker's hobby...
Samael's gaze landed on the "Smoke Dragon" label on the cigarette pack, and he immediately understood.
This was a particular kind of cheap cigarette made with a unique process in some small workshops in Taiwan Province. It barely circulated among smokers, yet some people were