Ash waved his hands casually and said, "No troubles at all, it's my pleasure."
Then Ash took the black box from his storage space. Seeing this scene, Elsa was surprised. Even though she knew about the existence of Nen, she couldn't help but marvel at this scene.
"Wow, Shiro-san, how did you do it? Is this also something that can be done with Nen?" Elsa curiously asked. Nen, the power that saved her, or at least what she heard from Ash, held a high level of respect and awe in her eyes. It gave her a second chance at life, and she wanted to know more about it.
Hearing this, Ash thought for a moment before choosing to nod. He couldn't reveal the existence of the system, so he could only attribute it to Nen.
"Um, this is one of my abilities. I can store anything inside game-like storage grids. Have you played games before? You know the inventory where the game character stores its equipment? My ability is just like that—no matter the size or the amount of things. As long as it's not a living being, I just need to touch it, and then I can store it. The same thing can be stored in the same grid infinitely, and they won't experience the passage of time." Ash couldn't help but want to show off in front of Elsa.
Sure enough, Elsa's face revealed a satisfyingly shocked expression, which made Ash smile proudly.
"That's incredible, Shiro-san. You can basically store a lot of ice creams, chocolates, and all delicious food and never worry about them expiring or losing their taste! That's so enviable! Can I have such an ability too? Can I learn Nen?" Elsa looked at Ash with envy in her eyes. Such a convenient ability, she wanted it too.
"Mmm... that's a bit difficult to determine. You must know that there are different categories of Nen users, and each category determines what kinds of abilities you could create. So, if you are lucky and turn out to be a conjurer, then you may be able to develop an ability similar to this. And don't worry, after you recover all of your life energy, I'll personally teach you Nen!" Ash comforted Elsa and briefly explained how things work in Nen. He chose not to tell her that even if she were a conjurer, she couldn't come up with an ability with the same power as his system storage without imposing strict conditions and restrictions.
"Really! Then I'll thank you in advance!" Elsa smiled like a blooming flower. She couldn't wait to fully recover and start learning Nen.
"Extend your hand to me," Ash softly urged, his voice a gentle breeze that beckoned Elsa.
Elsa responded with a hesitant nod, her cheeks tinged with a rosy hue as she presented her tender white palm to Ash.
"Your hand, it's delicate and beautiful," Ash praised truthfully, holding Elsa's palm beneath his fingers. The smooth and flawless texture earned his admiration.
Elsa's ears blazed with warmth at the skin-to-skin contact. On top of that, Ash's praise shattered the ceiling of her shyness, sending a rush of emotions through her heart, making it quicken its beats in response.
'B-Beautiful?! Did Shiro-san just say my hand is beautiful?!' Elsa's disbelief echoed in her mind. Despite Ash's approachable demeanor, she had always considered him distant—an ethereal presence beyond her reach. The ordinary girl within her had long abandoned the hope of capturing his attention. Yet, the allure of Ash's handsome, angelic appearance and the sense of security he emanated, akin to the protection of her brother, had captivated her. A desire for a deeper connection, an unraveling of the enigma that was Ash, blossomed within her.
Unaware of Elsa's thoughts, Ash ordered the box to release all the remaining life energy stored in it.
Ash already knew the function of this black box, which is sealing—things put inside it won't be opened unless certain conditions set up by the maker are met. Ash managed to open it using Absolute Order, and at that time, it consumed a lot of his energy.
As life energy spilled forth from the black box, a white mist danced into existence, guided by the orchestration of Ash's absolute order. The ethereal essence directly entered through Elsa's palm and rushed all over her body.
Elsa felt a subtle warmth emanating from Ash's touch. Then this feeling quickly covered her entire body as the stolen essence of life began to weave its way back into her withered body. Elsa's eyes widened with astonishment as the long-lost feeling of being full of vitality and energy finally came back.
"*Gasp*"
Although she tried hard not to embarrass herself, a soft gasp still managed to escape her lips. The sound contained a blend of relief and astonishment.
Her fatigued body, weary and drained, began to stir in response to the revitalizing life force. A delicate shiver coursed through her limbs, akin to the soft caress of a breeze rustling through leaves, awakening dormant vitality. As the life energy surged within her veins, a symphony of sensations unfolded: happiness, relief, safety, hope, and so on.
The tension and pain that had
settled into her shoulders and lower back, remnants of her hospital stay, started to dissolve. It was as if a soothing balm permeated her being, erasing all the physical discomforts. With each passing moment, the newfound vigor danced through her veins, healing the wear and tear her body had endured.
Her cheeks became rosy, a sign of celebration at the body's restoration, a heartfelt smile painted on her face like a blooming flower after a refreshing rain.
Tears of happiness welled from Elsa's orange eyes. Just a few days ago, when she thought her youth was lost and she was near the end of her life, when she lost hope and was ready to face death, as her body day after day lost all the vigor it previously had, Elsa finally couldn't help but vent her sadness and express her joy silently. She looked at Ash, at his angelic face, and thought in her heart, this is the angel sent by God to save her, this is her knight!
"I... I can feel it," she whispered. Each syllable was infused with the delight of a once-captive spirit set free. "It's like a warmth, a light that I thought was lost forever."
Elsa, once entangled in the abyss of despair, now soared on the wings of newfound hope. The tendrils of darkness that had threatened to end her life were replaced by the blossoming realization that life, in its purest form, was returning to her. Her heart full of gratitude toward the white-haired man in front of her, the orange eyes looked at the golden eyes, conveying silently this gratitude.
Gazing into Elsa's grateful tear-filled eyes, Ash felt, for the first time since he came to this world, a feeling other than excitement. It's the feeling of pure happiness—the happiness of saving a beautiful girl like the heroes in the movies he used to watch. This was a dream shared by every boy in their childhood—the fantasy of saving their crush from the clutches of villains and earning her affection in return.
Elsa's heart fluttered with gratitude, an overwhelming desire to express her thanks to Ash bubbling within her. Unconsciously, she found herself drawn closer to him, as though an invisible force guided her towards the orchestrator of her miraculous rebirth. The rapid beats of her heart echoed in her ears as she closed the distance.
A scene unfolded in her mind, reminiscent of countless movies where the heroine, saved by the hero, culminates in a blissful kiss signaling a happy ending. Inspired by this scene, Elsa yearned to recreate the same moment with Ash, to convey her gratitude through actions rather than mere words. However, this thought left her jittery and hesitant.
A series of self-doubt seized her as she questioned the appropriateness of her feelings. Would Shiro-san look down upon her for such a bold act? A myriad of thoughts raced through her mind, casting shadows on the purity of her intention.
Ash observed everything with clarity and discerned Elsa's unspoken intention. Initially taken aback, he found himself surprised by the seemingly innocent Elsa's boldness—was she truly contemplating kissing him? However, as he witnessed her momentary hesitation and wavering, Ash realized he couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip away. The pathway to her heart lay open, and he understood the need to seize the moment!