Transmigrated to Game World with SSS Wife

"Thank the gods for Ameko Berries," Juliana said as she stretched. She could feel the last few organs in her stomach heal.

Still, everything was too tight. Just stretching had caused enough pain to make her squint her eyes.

'Don't worry hero. I'll be there soon enough.'

She didn't have any berries left, but she did know a few minor healing spells. Nothing crazy, just what any mage.would have been taught. As long as those spells weren't weakened by the same thing her lightning was, it would be fine.

It was troubling though. Her spells should've been quite a bit stronger. She clearly remembered having the ability to create lightning across the entire battlefield–even if most of her other memories were hazy.

Almost all of her memories of things like magic and monsters and demons were still perfectly intact. It was everything else that seemed to be gone.

So while she didn't even remember her own father, she knew what the hero's aura reminded her of. The thought made her shudder down to her soul.

'Honestly, it's flucking BS that you saved me. Now I have to save you, or some a$$hole vengeful ghost will be on my tail.'

Besides, he did feel different from them. Even if he was strong, he didn't feel too malicious. Not to her, anyway. His attitude towards monsters was a different story.

'Yeah, it's only right that you heal him. Least you could do.'

Having convinced herself, Juliana spent one more moment lying on the ground. Then she jumped to her feet in a single action, granting herself motivation to perform her task.

The second she saw him, she knew her healing spells were no longer a viable option.

In fact, how the heck was he still breathing?!

She almost couldn't believe that he was still alive. Standing next to him timidly, she nudged his side lightly with her foot.

He groaned in pain, but otherwise was completely still.

"Sorry..." She whispered, taking in his incredible injuries.

They were far worse than anything she had ever seen– well, felt like she had seen. Without actually remembering the battles and her comrades, she knew that she'd seen many kinds of injury before–and none made her stomach hurl like this hero's.

'I told you not to strike it's arms.' She knelt down beside him as she pulled back the sleeve of her dress on her right arm. Instinctively, she knew this was the place where binding occurred. If her instincts served her right, then when she binds herself to him, he gains experience, and the level-up would heal any injuries. Hopefully, after that, he'd be nice enough to free her instead of keeping her as a slave.

This last quiver of fear stopped her, unsure if she really wanted to do this. She very much enjoyed having free will.

But the sound of his labored breathing was too much to bear. He saved her, and if she couldn't return the favor, what kind of person would she be? Despicable.

The amount of pain he had suffered just to keep them alive for a little longer... even if it was a stupid charge.

'I warned you about it's venom...'

His entire body looked like it was coated in acid. Now that the brief influx of power caused by what Juliana figured was his [Zone State] was gone, he had no defense against the acid.

Just the sight and smell of his dissolving body was enough to cause Juliana to fling her arm down to his, instinctively performing the binding process.

She screamed as a light enveloped her arm, causing immense pain. A million tiny daggers pierced her skin, attacking even invisible pain points. No amount of torture could begin to cause this kind of pain.

This pain caused her vision to go dark and her eyes to flutter. Everything was going silent and still–her screams, his breathing... The sweet embrace of sleep called for her.

'NO!'

On the verge of passing out, Juliana pushed forward, refusing to stop the process and allow this hero to die. Since he fought through the pain to save her, she had to do the same.

The light continued engraving her skin. Its pain was even more intense than before, but Juliana simply clenched her teeth and held out her arm.

A mark or sort of tattoo appeared on her right arm. She knew this signified the end. As all the light that enveloped her arm disappeared into this single mark, she smiled even as more unbearable pain flared through even her soul.

She did it!

Gasping for air as the last bits of light entered her arm, she looked at the hero, waiting for his gruesome injuries to go away.

It didn't take long. Just a few moments after she was marked his flesh started to become whole again. The rise and fall of his chest grew much more steady and skin began to cover his body once more. In just a few more seconds, it was almost as though he was never injured in the first place.

As he healed, she felt her free will slipping away.

...

Nick groaned as he was pulled from a vast emptiness. For a short eternity, it had become his acquaintance–nothing but nothingness.

Now that he was returning to the living world, he never wanted to return to this place. True death... it was worse than horrible. It was as if nothing existed anymore.

He rather liked existing and living.

Waking up to the dimly lit cave, Nick scraped his fingers across the ground as he felt his chest tighten. Then it started beating stronger than ever. Somehow, all of his injuries were healed.

More than that, he felt stronger. 'Good.'

Tired of lying around, Nick pushed himself off the ground and into a sitting position.

"Hey, what the fluck are you doing, huh! I spent all that time-" Nick raised his hands to his head as the shrill voice gave him a headache. Juliana, that's right. The nice girl that turned into a demon.

Though, he could feel something different about her. When he showed signs of pain, she instantly stopped. No, she had already stopped before he even showed any sign of pain.

Curious but also cautious, Nick looked at the redhead beauty and said, "Thanks. But uh... why am I not dead?"

The system answered for her.

[SSS-Rank Valkyrie: Juliana successfully binded to Progenitor: Nick.]

+--Loading--+

>--< Achievement Unlocked >--<

--(Bind a Valkyrie)--

[Exp. Gained: 1,000]

+--Loading--+

+--Loading--+

[Error: Rewards Overloaded]

+--Rebooting--+

[Start up successful]

[Recalibrating rewards]

>--< Boss defeated: Desert Basilisk >--<

–(Choose a Reward)--

+-- +1 Path point

+-- 1,500 Exp.

Nick didn't know how to respond. He was still contending with the fact he was alive, and now the system was showing him rewards he didn't really understand.

Adding on to that, there was clearly something upsetting Juliana. And considering the fact she saved his life...

"It's ok. You saved my life, remember? We're even. Get your rewards, Hero." Juliana said with a light, happy voice-one that he knew all too well. She now sounded exactly the same as she did in the game.

Even though he had fond memories of that Juliana, he couldn't help but feel like she lost an important part of her to become this.

Even if she said they were even, it didn't exactly feel like it. But he wouldn't be able to properly talk with her if the system kept pinging in his brain.

So, promising to talk with her as soon as he got his rewards, Nick made his selection.