Iver's scream instantly jolted Lily awake.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw golden-red flames blazing over Iver's body.
She jumped and immediately tried to move closer.
But waves of heat roared outward from Iver, setting all the paper letters in the room ablaze. The rising heat surged like a storm—just opening one's eyes was enough to feel one's eyeballs seared with agony.
Fortunately, after only a moment, Iver reacted on his own.
He endured the pain and shut the book, while the flames on his body vanished like an alcohol lamp snuffed beneath its cover.
At the same time, golden radiance like the dawn immediately spread from Iver's body.
His burned body rapidly healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. The newly grown skin became even smoother, and his new eyes clearer and brighter... Even his burning hair went out and quickly grew back, becoming longer and silkier than before.
The only problem was that his clothes had been burned away completely, and the originally maroon chair beneath him had been scorched black.
The papers in the room were still burning. To prevent a fire, Lily immediately curled her fingers, causing countless gray threads to emerge from the void and shatter the flames together with the papers.
"—What happened?"
Less than ten seconds later, Ligeia rushed in, her expression solemn.
She looked at the completely naked Iver without the slightest hint of embarrassment. Instead, like a doctor, she asked seriously and carefully, "Were you rebuffed by the Grimoire?"
"...Possibly."
There was still a trace of fear in Iver's eyes. "This book is vicious. It was my first time failing to read one..."
The agony of his flesh being scorched still left him covered in cold sweat.
Ligeia examined Iver carefully, then proposed a possibility. "Could