Chloe Cromwell.

The girl had long black hair, just like Li. Her beauty was enough to put the moon and flowers to shame. She was the same age as Li, since the two were twins.

Of course... Chloe had no idea who had decided which of them was the older sibling. Li knew, though. When they first came into this world, Li already had a mind of their own, even as a baby. So the nuns had always thought of the precocious Li as the older brother, while clueless Chloe naturally became the younger sister.

Li walked slowly over to the crystal vessel filled with medicine and placed a hand against its surface. At that moment, Chloe, whose eyes had been tightly shut, opened them.

Her eyes were as beautiful and bewitching as rubies, with the faintest hint of a smile. Her two dimples were utterly adorable.

“You’ve already woken up on your own?”

“But I can’t open my eyes unless you release me from this state, Big Brother. That just now was an instinctive reaction~ Welcome back, Big Brother~ Hehe~ But... you seem troubled about something.”

“Yeah. There’s somewhere else I need to go, so I may be gone for a while. This device can keep your body stable... but I’m still a little worried.”

Li had poured every effort into developing this device, all so Chloe could stay alive...

Even Li, the Medicine King, was helpless against Chloe’s illness. Her condition had never been seen before, and she couldn’t retain Pal...

Pal was the source of power in this world, much like magic or spiritual energy. People needed Pal to use their abilities—and even to stay alive.

But Chloe’s body couldn’t retain Pal...

Everyone’s body was a vessel for Pal, but Chloe seemed to be different. She could take in Pal, but she couldn’t hold on to it. As she grew older, her body grew weaker and weaker, until in the end she could only live inside this vessel. It was filled with the Pal medicine Li had developed for her...

It was as if she were completely submerged in Pal. An ordinary person would’ve died long ago in these conditions, but this was the only way Chloe could stay alive!

For years, Li had tried everything to keep Chloe alive—to keep their younger sister alive. But... just as an old friend had said, no matter how great a pharmacist was, no one could create a cure-all. Not even Li.

“Big Brother, you’re staring at my body again. How naughty~”

“Mm... you’ve lost even more weight lately... I’m sorry.”

Li wasn’t looking at his younger sister’s body with any lecherous intent. Seeing her grow thinner by the day truly pained him.

They were both in the prime of their lives at twenty, but... Chloe looked like a child of only twelve. Because of her constitution, she couldn’t gather Pal, and her growth had stopped at that age.

Only her hair... just kept getting longer.

“You’ve already done so much for me, Big Brother. So please, think a little about your own future, too.”

“I won’t think about that... Not until I’ve cured you. And... what kind of pharmacist, what kind of Medicine King, can’t even cure his own younger sister? Don’t worry, Chloe... I’ve found a clue. I’ll have an answer soon. I’ll definitely... I will cure you.”

Chloe smiled and nodded. She would never let her brother see her unhappy—not him, ever...

“By the way, Big Brother, what will happen to the Cromwell Merchant Guild while you’re away?”

“I plan to leave it in Luna’s hands. She’s hardworking and serious. She won’t let me down. As for Phoebe... if her father weren’t an Imperial Chancellor of the Zerul Empire... honestly, I wouldn’t want that student of mine at all...”

“Hehe... Even you, Big Brother, have to worry about power sometimes.”

“Yeah... That’s why I need to get you better as soon as possible. Then I can finally leave this hellhole. I’m setting out tomorrow. This time, there’s definitely hope... Chloe.”

“Good luck, Big Brother.”

“Mm... Good night, Chloe. Wait for me to come back.”

Li placed a hand against the crystal. Chloe reached out and laid her hand over his, as if that could let them feel each other’s warmth.

“Good night, Big Brother.”

The ring flashed red, and Chloe slowly drifted toward the very center of the crystal vessel.

Sealing Chloe’s consciousness and putting her to sleep was the only thing Li could do for her now.

As he looked at his younger sister, Li made up his mind. He had to go to the forest in the Abyss of the Underworld.

What Li didn’t know was...

his troubles were only just beginning.