Supported by his subordinates, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki walked slowly out of the pool.
His legs clearly still refused to cooperate. Each step felt as though he were treading on cotton, his unsteady body swaying slightly from side to side.
The two white-coated staff supporting him held an arm each, practically half dragging, half carrying him to a chair beside the pool.
The cold backrest pressed against his soaking-wet back.
The blue-green liquid left on him from the pool trickled down along his shoulder blades, collecting in a small puddle beneath the seat.
The dozens of researchers in the room immediately gathered around him.
No one spoke. There was only the clicking of instruments and brief hisses as tubing connectors were tightened.
Soon, three IV needles had been inserted into his left arm, right arm, and the side of his neck.
Inside the transparent tubing, faintly glowing Nutrient Solution dripped down at a visible pace.
As the IV fluid slowly entered his body, Isshiki's breathing gradually steadied, and his chest no longer rose and fell so violently.
Having completed the initial treatment, the subordinates around him tacitly dispersed to either side and returned to their previous tasks.
Only then did Isshiki let out a long breath.
His rigid back relaxed against the chair.
His face was still frighteningly pale, his lips almost bloodless, but at least he no longer looked as though he might collapse again at any moment, as he had when he first stood up in the pool.
Only then did Ōtsutsuki Pushi straighten up beside the stone pillar and approach at an unhurried pace.
He stopped beside Isshiki's chair and looked down at his clansman, who had just crawled back from death's door, his lips curved in a way that made others uncomfortable.
"How interesting."
Pushi tilted his head,