Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Zach had no desire to even think about leaving what remained of the Labyrinth of Vidur. He didn't want to think about much of anything. He just wanted to sit by Nora's side and do nothing.

He knew his familiars would wonder where he was. He knew he had things he 'should' do. But he just couldn't find it in him to pick himself up and do them.

He was lethargic and apathetic. He didn't want to do anything. He didn't even want to think.

Zach…He didn't want to forget about Nora, but he did want to forget that she had died. But if he did, he would only have to go through it again once he remembered or had to face reality again, so he couldn't do that.

Without a sun or weather, it was almost impossible to tell how much time passed within the remains of Vidur. Zach wasn't even trying to keep track of time, so he had no idea. His time was spent looking at Nora's face, the barren sky, and sleeping.

His body was still a mess, both inside and outside. His hair had started growing back, bright red, but his skin was still covered in burn scars. They weren't gruesome, but they certainly took an edge off of his handsomeness.

They also reflected how Zach felt inside, both physically and emotionally.

However, surprisingly enough, his body wasn't completely useless. He would have expected it to almost break down completely after he forced the world essence energy to give him the strength to defeat the Child.

But he didn't think much about it. What did it matter?

"Kid…" Patient Zero gently spoke for the first time in a while. She had watched Zach do nothing for some time now without saying anything. She understood him.

The death of a loved one could have that effect. It made everything in life feel useless. It robbed one of all of one's motivation, even more so for someone who didn't need to eat. Zach didn't have to do anything.

Naturally, he did nothing.

But without moving, he wouldn't learn how to carry that stone. He would lose the strength to even pick himself back up. He was already on the verge of that.

The only way to do something about it was to have someone else pick him up.

With no familiars, friends, or family around, that duty fell to Patient Zero.

She had hoped Zach would find the will to continue moving on his own. But that didn't appear to be happening any time soon. Maybe it would in the future. Maybe Zach would get up and pick up the stone on his own. But that could be months or years down the line.

A lot could happen in that time, especially when Zach was isolated in this tiny corner of a broken world.

"Kid," She said again, finally reaching through the fog in Zach's mind.

"...What?" He asked.
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"Stand up," she ordered.

"Why?" He asked, not moving an inch.

"Because I said so," She answered, standing in front of him.

Zach sighed and, with the movements of a sloth, stood up with an annoyed expression. He frowned when he saw the two swords in Patient Zero's hands.

"I found these in the fortress. Here," she said, tossing one of the swords to Zach. Zach didn't move. He let the sword hit him before clattering to the ground. He looked at the sword at his feet before slowly looking at Patient Zero.

"What do you want?" He asked, disgruntled.

"We didn't get to fight back then, and I'm bored of sitting around. Pick up that sword and fight me, kid."

"No," Zach answered flatly.

Patient Zero tugged on the corner of her lip and shrugged.

"Well, if you won't come to me, I guess I'll have to go to you," she said, raising the sword and taking a step forward, appearing in front of Zach the next moment.

Zach punched the flat of the blade, thwarting the attack before glaring into Patient Zero's eyes.

"I don't use weapons."

Zach extended his other fist toward Patient Zero's chin.

"Perfect." She grinned, bowed out of the way from Zach's strike and tossed away the sword, which ended up piercing the ground and trembling in place like a doorstop.

Before it stopped trembling, Zach was already on the ground with a dazed expression and Patient Zero's foot on his throat.

It was a given that Zach didn't stand a chance against the mighty Patient Zero, considering her strength that had brought her to the stars.

But Zach had not felt an ounce of force in her movements. Suddenly, he had just been on the ground.

Patient Zero removed her foot with a cocky smile and reached out with a hand to help him up.

Zach smacked away her hand and stood up on his own. He was no longer a sloth.

Instead, he was a punching bag.

Zach didn't even know why he agreed to fight Patient Zero or why he was so fired up and determined to beat someone he knew he couldn't beat. But he didn't stop trying to defeat Patient Zero.

She beat him into the ground with ease multiple times in the span of a minute, but he got up just as many times.

She never used overwhelming force. She didn't injure him. She didn't tire him out.

Patient Zero just had such a technical advantage that she could play with Zach with one hand and one foot tied together. She was even suppressing her strength to equal Zach's.

If her mind and body had been this clear when Zach and the others raided the Labyrinth of Vidur, they wouldn't have stood a chance.

Zach had never experienced something like this.

He had sparred against his familiars, all of whom were stronger than him. They could win against him when suppressing their strength as well.

But this…

Patient Zero wasn't just beating him.

It wasn't even a fight.

Zach felt like an ant trying to knock down a brick wall the size of a mountain.

Still, it wasn't as frustrating as losing Nora.