231. Rejuvenation Building Tour

Vivian led them through the various facilities of the rejuvenation building. It was fully equipped with utilities like living rooms, bedrooms, recreational rooms, gyms, and many more. The structure had been constructed a week prior by a group of Capricorn mages before Vivian installed the key components from Poranthis. The injured from the race had also been admitted here and were already released without any issues, including Prima Vel Rigellion.

Finally, Vivian stopped at a thick blast door marked with an intricate arcane circle. The security here was the tightest. “And this is the heart of it all,” she spoke softly as it scanned her mana signature.

The door swung open automatically. On a platform sat a glowing essence: a golden lotus in full bloom, rotating in perpetual motion. Zetius watched its mesmerising beat, a pulse that resonated with his own heart. The deep hum he had heard all this time emanated from this core. The entire structure that cradled the core was made of an ancient bodhi tree, its bark crystallised into a vibrant, multi-coloured surface.

“It’s… the primordial essence,” Zetius mumbled in awe. He had never thought of utilising it on this scale. Celestius Vivian was incredible.

“Sorry, I used it without asking for your permission,” she said, pressing her fingertips against one another.

“It’s alright, Celestius. You acquired it fair and square.” Zetius smiled, and she returned it with a sweeter one.

“I knew you’d be a sensible one. I’m happy to give it back to you, even teach you the advanced usage of it!” Vivian said, clasping her hands to her chest.

“She’s extremely nice, Zetius,” Cubie whispered, hanging from his shoulders from behind.

“I know, right?” Zetius chuckled, visibly flushed. “I appreciate it, Celestius.”

“This looks a bit different from last time. Back then, the bodhi tree wasn’t crystallised and was still teeming with golden leaves,” Cartier recalled, her blue eyes closed in contemplation.

“You have a good memory and a keen eye,” Vivian said. “This is the second prototype I’ve constructed. It’s a mega-device with a far greater area of effect, expanding from a single chamber to an entire building.”

“It is indeed an upgrade!” Cartier exchanged a nod with Triss.

“You have reached the pinnacle of medicine, Celestius,” Triss said, clasping her hands in prayer.

“I can imagine how many lives of arcanists and arcanii we can help with this,” Zetius spoke in awe, the reflection of the glowing lotus flickering in his eyes.

Vivian chuckled, taking that as a compliment. “Now, we’ll need to get you into the examination room,” she said, gesturing for them to follow.

They arrived in front of a white door. Vivian raised a hand to her escorts. “Please wait here. That includes you as well, Cubie, is it?”

“Aww… Why not?” Cubie groaned, her shoulders slumping.

“It’s a secret!” she winked playfully before pushing Zetius inside and slamming the door shut.

The air was cold in this area. There were no discernible features in the room — no window, no bed — only a handcart at the centre.

Licking her lower lip in anticipation, she had been waiting for this moment since that fateful day. Zetius’s resurrection had been a miracle, a case study that blurred the line between life and death. For the sake of the research, she couldn’t pass up a prime specimen such as Zetius.

“Stand there, please!” she ordered, pointing at the centre of the room. He complied willingly, clasping his hands in front of him as she rolled the cart over. In it, there was nothing strange, just standard measurements and medical checks.

After rubbing her hands with antiseptic, Vivian began by having him square his shoulders, raise his arms, and bend them as she applied force in various angles. A few more rounds of physical and orientation checks followed, all of which Zetius passed without an issue.

“Any pain when I do this?” she asked. He shook his head. “And this?” She touched his muscles, moving from point to point.

Her examination positioned her awfully close, well within his personal space. He sniffed, clearly flustered by her warmth and the floral aroma that radiated from her. She was kind and gentle, much like Celestius Elenore, if not more so.

What am I even thinking… She’s just doing her job. Zetius banished any thought that was even remotely dirty. He had to focus on Lupus. I wonder if she’s still in the castle. I need to find her after this. I’m sure Celestius Vivian will allow me.

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Then, Vivian extended a finger and gently touched his sternum, her eyes fluttering shut as she listened intently.

“Your heartbeat’s a little fast. Is it my fault?” she teased, giggling to herself.

Zetius cleared his throat, hoping to dispel his awkwardness.

“All good! You are a healthy, handsome young man!” she concluded in glee.

“Phew!” Zetius brushed his forehead in relief. “Then may I, um, get some air? I just realised I haven’t said goodbye to my friends.”

“Aww, you’re a dear. You don’t need my permission for that, Zetius,” Vivian lilted.

As Zetius strode away, she placed a hand on his chest, stopping him. “Huh?”

“Well, do you mind if I take your measurements? To clear up, this doesn’t concern your health as much. It is for research purposes only,” she asked, winking charmingly.

Zetius creased his forehead slightly. “I guess that’s fine.”

“It won’t take long!” she clasped her hands, almost in a praying position.

“Okay…” Zetius dragged out his response.

“Perfect, perfect!” she mused aloud, taking a measuring tape from the table. “Now, strip everything!”

“Um, what?!” Zetius almost choked. A pair of eyes stared back at him in all seriousness; she wasn’t even remotely joking.

“Come on, don’t you have somewhere else to be?” Vivian urged, her voice brimming with an excitement that spilled onto her face. Her cyan eyes glittered.

“This wouldn’t be the first time, I guess,” Zetius sighed, pulling his shirt off and throwing it aside. She moved closer, studying his veins, curves, and edges as though he were a lab specimen.

“Your trousers, please!~”

“Jeez… what have I gotten myself into again?” He hated himself for this. His empathic side needed to learn how to say no. He closed his eyes and dropped his pants.

“Oh… Gaia…” Celestius Vivian exclaimed, her eyes fixed on his crotch.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, opening an eye. Celestius’s Vivian face had drained of its colour. Is it that bad?

“I… I think I messed up! How?” She blinked, snapping back to herself. “It’s fine! Everything’s fine!” she chuckled dismissively.

“You’re starting to worry me…” Sweat formed on his brow. What exactly does she mean by that?

Celestius Vivian performed her precise measurements, accounting for every millimetre of his body. It was embarrassing at first, but he understood once he saw how professional she was. She was making sure his rebirth was perfect, down to the most minuscule detail. She was, in fact, a perfectionist. Undoubtedly, since she achieved her title as the youngest Celestius of all.

But he had to admit, the last part was a bit daunting, to say the least. Her gentle touch made it worse as he had to fight his inner demons to keep from getting aroused.

She’s sure taking her sweet time. A quiet moan escaped Zetius’s lips. “I think… You might be collecting more data than you need, Celestius,” he said through clenched teeth, his eyes squeezed shut.

“I think I messed up! It’s not functional, no matter what I did.” She was practically jerking him off. The more desperate she sounded, the harder her strokes became.

“Wait!” Zetius blurted, retreating. He bent his torso forward to hide the fact that he was erect. “What on earth are you doing, Celestius?”

“I must have misproportioned your manhood! Now it isn’t the size it’s supposed to be! For that, I need to make sure you can maintain reproductive function. Otherwise, it means I have failed!” she rationalised, a logic that made sense only to her.

His face reddened. Zetius raised his palms and slowly moved to gather his clothes. “It works just fine.” He grumbled.

“How do you know? Are you sexually active?” she asked, her tone worried.

“No!” Zetius said.

“Let me check!” Vivian insisted, her brow furrowed in concern. He could tell it was genuine.

“Take my word for it!” Zetius quickly turned, putting on his trousers in record time. “I must remain chaste for her,” he blurted, his voice echoing in the stark room.

It worked. Celestius Vivian stopped, her cheeks reddening. “Oh my! I got too hyper-fixated on things again! I’m so sorry, Zetius.” She bowed her head up and down frantically. “I didn’t mean to!”

“It’s fine… Just keep in mind, you could lose your medical license for that,” Zetius warned, picking up his shirt with his foot and kicking it into his hand before putting it on.

“I don’t have a license like a doctor does,” Vivian said, scratching her cheek. “I’m an arcanist, remember?”

His jaw dropped. That was something he had never realised. Arcanists bypassed many standard certifications because they didn’t follow the conventional rules of medicine. Their knowledge was often derived from it, but the rest was up to arcane equations: imagination, mana, essence, and so on.

The door swung open as Zetius stomped out. He was pissed. He had just been molested by an unlicensed professional.

“Zetius! Look, I’m a cube again,” Cubie chirped, floating at eye level next to Triss and Cartier. The two chuckled like little birds.

“Where’s the exit?” he asked flatly at the cat Wildren. Cubie shifted into her humanoid form again and tilted her head in confusion.

Cartier pointed. “Just the third door to the right. You’ll see the entrance lodge.”

“Come on, Cubie,” he instructed, his words clipped. His feet clapped heavily on the ground.

“I wonder what the problem was?” Triss touched her lower lip, pondering.

“Well, I might have gone overboard this time,” Vivian appeared beside them. She watched Zetius disappear around the corner. “I’ll make sure to apologise to him next time! He is a very faithful man…”

“Whatever that means, I guess.” Cartier could only shrug.