The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 77

“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

The doctor lifted his head.

His face was filled with disbelief and confusion.

“The heart has completely stopped beating. Under normal circumstances, he should be dead. No—he should have died already. And yet, he is still alive. Even breathing normally…”

“In perfect condition, at that. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

Lloyd lay unconscious on the hospital bed.

The doctor stared at him, not just with perplexity, but with outright bewilderment.

And that reaction was understandable.

When a person’s heart stops, they die.

That was a law of nature.

Yet, before his very eyes stood an exception.

At first, he had suspected undeath. Perhaps some kind of freshly raised zombie.

But no.

This patient was undeniably alive!

A wry smile formed on the Count’s lips.

“Can you explain in more detail?”

“Ah, yes.”

The doctor wiped his partially bald head with a handkerchief before continuing.

“As you know, my lord, the heart is the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. If the heart stops, so does the pulse, leading to death. However, in this patient’s case…”

“Yes?”

“The pulse is still present—despite his heart having stopped.”

The doctor went on.

“That’s not all. He is breathing. His body temperature is slightly elevated, but still within a reasonable range. And that’s what confounds me the most. Has this patient undergone any magical treatment?”

“No. Nothing of the sort.”

The Count shook his head.

The night of catastrophe, brought by Gigatitan.

Ever since Lloyd collapsed that night, he had received no proper treatment.

Or rather—

There had been no way to treat him.

‘Because no one even knew where to begin.’

Lloyd’s condition was nothing short of bizarre.

His heart had stopped beating.

And yet—

His pulse remained steady.

His breathing continued normally.

Every doctor summoned to examine him had stared in shock, panicked, and eventually left, baffled.

Today was no different.

“To be honest, you are the eleventh doctor I have summoned.”

“……”

“All of them reacted just as you have. None could determine the cause, and none could suggest a treatment. I assume you are no different?”

“I… well…”

“You may speak freely. This situation is so extraordinary that no one would blame you for lacking answers.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“As expected.”

“Yes. This is beyond anything I’ve ever encountered…”

“It’s fine. You traveled far to get here. You may leave now. My chief steward will ensure you are compensated.”

“Understood. Then, I shall take my leave.”

The eleventh doctor left just as confused as the others before him.

The Count’s expression darkened.

‘Is there truly no way to wake him…?’

Lloyd Frontera.

A man he could not afford to lose.

The night of Gigatitan’s rampage—

The Count had been in his debt ever since.

‘Many in this city owe him their lives. And I am no exception. If not for him, would I even be alive right now?’

Had it not been for Lloyd’s quick thinking,

The ship he had been on would have been caught in Gigatitan’s assault.

And if that had happened—

Not only he, but his only daughter would have perished as well.

The mere thought was horrifying.

Shaking off the chill, the Count turned his gaze.

“You must be exhausted.”

“I am fine.”

In the corner of the room, a silver-haired knight remained silent and watchful.

He gave a small shake of his head.

The Count let out a dry chuckle.

“You haven’t fully recovered either.”

“I still have enough strength to protect Lord Lloyd.”

“You never cease to impress.”

“You overpraise me.”

In reality, Javier still wore a splint on his left arm.

The blow from Gigatitan’s foreleg that night—

His injury had yet to fully heal.

“As long as my right arm functions, I am not hindered.”

“But… you’ve been keeping watch for four nights without rest.”

“I suffer from insomnia anyway.”

“The Swordmaster Syndrome, is it?”

“Yes, most likely.”

Javier nodded.

He hadn’t understood it before, but Lloyd had helped him realize the nature of his condition.

“To have that syndrome at your age… Remarkable.”

“It is all thanks to my lord’s strict guidance.”

“The Baron of Frontera, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“…I envy him.”

“If you wish, I can convey your words to my lord.”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

The Count waved his hand dismissively.

“You really are an inflexible one. If you were to say that, the Baron would surely panic. I am not the type to covet another man’s vassal, nor do I wish to be misunderstood as such.”

However—

A peculiar gleam flickered in the Count’s eyes.

“No matter how this matter is resolved, it seems you may soon find yourself quite busy.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I am referring to Her Majesty.”

The Count continued.

“As Count of Cremo, I am obligated to report this incident to the Queen. All lands in this nation exist under Her Majesty’s rule. It is only natural that your party’s actions will not go unnoticed.”

“……”

Javier gave a slight nod.

It was only logical.

He had fought Gigatitan head-on.

Lloyd had delivered the final blow.

There was no way to hide such a thing.

“I expect Her Majesty will take great interest in the two of you. But for now, we can only hope that your friend recovers soon. Even the Queen would not wish for such a promising talent to perish.”

“I agree.”

“Well, I’ve rambled on long enough. I shall take my leave. Tomorrow, I will bring another doctor.”

“I understand.”

“If you need assistance, just call for my knights. They will ensure Lloyd’s safety.”

“I appreciate it.”

“…You really are rigid, aren’t you?”

“Thank you.”

The Count chuckled.

Before leaving the hospital room, the Count cast one last concerned glance at Lloyd, then stepped out.

Now, only Lloyd and Javier remained.

“Haa…”

At last, the suppressed sigh escaped.

Javier, his emotions kept carefully in check until now, turned his gaze to the hospital bed.

‘Lord Lloyd… are you really alright?’

Lloyd lay there as if peacefully asleep.

Javier’s blue eyes darkened with unease.

Suddenly, he recalled what had happened the night before.

After the tenth doctor had left,

Yet again, the physician had failed to make sense of Lloyd’s condition.

It was frustrating to watch.

So—

When he and Lloyd were finally alone,

Javier had secretly examined Lloyd’s state himself.

Unlike the doctors, he had used mana—his own unique method.

And what he discovered had shocked him to his core.

‘He has reached the Triple Circle stage.’

The moment he infused his mana to inspect Lloyd’s body, he felt it immediately.

Three mana circles now surrounded Lloyd’s heart.

Previously, Lloyd had only been at the Double Circle stage—

Yet, somehow, while Javier had been unconscious after fighting Gigatitan,

Lloyd had formed a third circle.

That alone was astounding.

But there was something even more shocking.

‘Those three circles… were spinning at an unbelievable speed.’

Faster than logic should allow.

A speed close to the theoretical limits of the Asrahan Heart Technique.

Because of that, a powerful mana-generated magnetic field enveloped Lloyd’s heart entirely.

It was so intense that Javier couldn’t see past it.

He couldn’t peer inside the circles,

Couldn’t check the state of Lloyd’s heart,

Couldn’t even begin to guess what was happening within.

And that wasn’t the only mystery.

‘And two days ago… when I examined Gigatitan’s corpse… it was even stranger.’

Javier could still remember it vividly.

The colossal body of Gigatitan, lying lifeless on the coastal cliffs.

He had been part of the investigation team that examined the corpse.

Thus, he had seen the fatal wound up close.

Between the 11th and 12th carapace plates—

The weak spot Lloyd had pinpointed.

A massive hole had been blown right through it.

Javier had known instantly—

That was the result of an explosion.

But that only made it harder to understand.

‘That explosion… it was nothing like the ones I’ve seen before.’

It had been on a scale beyond reason.

An absurd level of power.

Like comparing a torch to a candle.

Like a cannonball to a marble.

That was how vastly different this explosion was from anything Javier had ever known.

The more he analyzed it, the more shocked he became.

But one thing was certain.

The one responsible for this ridiculous explosion… was Lloyd.

‘How…?’

Javier had no doubt that there was a connection between Lloyd’s state now and the tremendous explosion that killed Gigatitan.

But what exactly had happened that night…

That, he still had no way of knowing.

‘What did you do that night, Lord Lloyd…?’

Javier’s gaze was filled with deep confusion and worry.

But Lloyd, lying there in bed, gave no answer.

His only response was the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing.

As Javier continued to watch over him—

The winter sunlight in the silent hospital room gradually shifted.

Of course—

Javier had no idea.

At this very moment—

Within Lloyd’s body, an unprecedented miracle was taking shape.

♣

Thump. Thump.

Lloyd’s heart pulsed.

No—his mana pulsed.

His heart remained still.

And that was only natural.

Days ago, his heart had suffered a catastrophic shock.

It had been exposed to an explosion without the protection of his mana circles.

Not just any explosion—

But one formed by the collision of three mana circles.

The force had struck his heart directly.

If it had been Javier or any other knight,

They would have died instantly from such overwhelming damage.

But Lloyd was different.

He had not died.

His heart had not ruptured.

The mana heart inside him had not exploded.

And the reason was simple.

He had no mana heart to begin with.

Thump, thump…

Lloyd had never formed a mana heart.

Ever since he prepared for his duel with Sir Neumann,

He had lacked one.

Or rather—he had never had time to create one.

Forming a mana heart was not something anyone could do easily.

It required immense time and effort.

Even a once-in-a-century genius needed at least six months.

A prodigy would take about two years.

An ordinary person—five years at best.

And if they lacked talent, ten years or more.

Lloyd was neither a genius nor a prodigy.

He was just a man who had rushed to master the Asrahan Heart Technique for a duel.

At the time, he had considered that enough.

So, he had never bothered trying to form a mana heart.

Which meant—his heart was just an ordinary human heart.

And that fact had saved his life.

It had protected him from the collision of his own mana circles.

Thump… thump…

A mana heart was not a natural part of the human body.

It was an artificial construct, created by forcefully condensing mana inside the heart to store power beyond natural limits.

But Lloyd had none of that.

From a mana perspective, his heart had been an empty space.

There had been nothing to explode.

Only a void waiting to be filled.

And the explosive force of the detonation… had filled that space.

It had condensed within, creating a new, unique core.

From that core, a storm of mana had begun reconstructing itself—

Slowly.

Gradually.

But surely.

Thump…! Thump…!

Within the rapidly spinning Triple Circle,

A completely unprecedented form of mana heart was being born.

♣

Days passed.

During that time, the trade city of Cremo had begun to settle.

Everyone worked hard to recover from the aftermath of the disaster.

The central plaza’s reconstruction had finally been completed.

The collapsed and shattered buildings and bell tower had been repaired, at least partially.

The destroyed 23rd outpost had been rebuilt, and most of the injured had recovered enough to stand once more.

During that time, rumors spread throughout the city.

Some spoke of a man who rescued those who had fallen into the sea, after their ship was wrecked by Gigatitan’s attack. Others whispered of someone who summoned a creature to extinguish the fires that had spread near the plaza.

And then—there were rumors of a man who had fought against Gigatitan itself.

Some claimed that, after a fierce battle, that very man had defeated Gigatitan—but in doing so, had fallen into a coma.

Thus, the rumors spread.

And as they spread, pieces of the puzzle began to fit together.

Slowly, the truth unraveled.

The man who saved the drowning was the same one who extinguished the fires.

The man who extinguished the fires was the same one who fought Gigatitan.

And the man who fought and defeated Gigatitan was now lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

At last—everyone knew.

Lloyd Frontera.

It was his deeds.

Because of him—everyone had survived.

And from the moment the people realized this—

They began to gather in the city’s central plaza.

For a single purpose.

With a single wish.

“In this freezing weather? Why are we gathered here? Isn’t it obvious? Lloyd Frontera saved me. I want him to wake up.”

And so, they gathered.

They braved the bitter winds of winter.

Their hope for Lloyd’s recovery burned hotter than the coldest gales.

Together, they prayed.

They sang.

It was their way of repaying the man who had sacrificed himself for their city.

And so—another ten days passed.

The final day of the year dawned.

A day when the winds blew even colder than usual.

And finally—

As if answering everyone’s prayers—

Lloyd opened his eyes.

—

[ You have saved countless people from disaster through your sacrifice, courage, and leadership. The citizens of the trade city Cremo are deeply moved by your noble actions. ]

[ A massive bonus will be awarded for this tremendous social achievement. ]

[ To view the details of your bonus, select ‘here’. ]

[ You have survived the shock of Triple Detonation. Through this extraordinary experience, you have acquired a unique mana heart. ]

[ Mana Heart Skill has awakened. ]

[ To view skill details, select ‘here’. ]