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Apocalypse Healer - B1 Chapter 15
🕑 Added 2024-10-24 09:57:28 +0000 UTCBefore David fetched the levitating slate, he sensed something. His aching body started glowing as the purple notification disappeared.
Golden, sparkling motes materialized around David and revolved around him. David’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits, but even that was already painful. He groaned, his eyes following the golden motes until they disappeared. One moment, the motes revolved around him, forming a cocoon, and in the next moment, the motes burst toward David.
All David saw was the golden trail they left behind as they entered his body through the deep gashes all over his body. The golden motes paved a way through his body. They spread rapidly until every corner of David was occupied.
What is that? It feels…warm but not like the infection. It’s not dangerous…
The golden motes nestled in David’s body and dimmed. The power contained within the motes was used up and channeled into David before they disappeared.
David frowned deeply, not even realizing that it didn’t hurt anymore, and closed his eyes. The Holy Sea appeared in the darkness of his mind space. The Holy Sea was still damaged, large cobweb-like cracks covered the whole energy reservoir. But the cracks didn’t look like before. They weren’t as wide and deep as before.
Dim, barely visibly glistening sparks covering all cracked areas were the reason. They had to be. Why else would the countdown trickle down so fast?
[4H:12M:58S]
Vigor filled his body when the golden motes disappeared. It fueled David to the brim and more. The excessive vigor wasn’t wasted. On the contrary, it was used efficiently to aid David’s ailment.
His body started itching. The itch covered not only his skin but also his flesh. It spread throughout all scratches, gashes, and cuts he’d sustained in the last fight before proceeding to occupy his skull and invade his cracked bones. The itching was almost worse than the pain had been…only that the pain was no more.
[2H:57M:11S]
David opened his eyes in a squint and looked at his arms. He moved them cautiously, which wasn’t necessary. There was no more pain to feel.
His wounds were healing rapidly. Surprise flashed in David’s eyes as he watched the deep gashes regenerate. Tendrils of flesh, muscles, and veins wiggled mindlessly as they grew back together, closing the wounds that had been inflicted with blades and claws. Even the hole in his thigh healed rapidly, just like the chunks of flesh some Kobolds had ripped out of his body.
His bones weren’t cracked anymore, his rib cage had been fixed, and the concussion was no more, either.
Not even thirty seconds passed since the fancy notification disappeared, yet David was back to his peak condition.
[0H:0M:7S]
[0H:0M:0S]
[The User’s Holy Sea has been repaired and can be accessed again.]
David took a deep breath. For a moment, he expected to be assaulted by a wave of pain, but there was nothing like that.
A thin smile blossomed on his lips. It was the first time he wasn’t in pain since the world turned upside down. It felt great…if not for the pungent smell of rotting flesh and masses of blood to hit his nostrils by surprise. He’d barely taken a second deep breath when the smell struck him. David retched and nearly vomited on the spot.
His smile crumbled, and he sealed his lips, knowing he would have to breathe again soon. It wasn’t merely the battlefield that smelled, after all. David was covered in bodily fluids, including some Infected’s brain mass, a ton of blood, and sweat. There might be more, but the mixture was already bad enough to knock weak-willed people unconscious.
His lips parted, and he took small breaths, trying to adjust to the situation for as long as necessary.
These golden motes. What were they? Are they from Bereth? In the first place, who is that guy, and why is he watching me?
David jumped to his feet, his expression distorted. He looked up and straight into the cloudless sky through the shattered glass ceiling.
“Are you the one who started this mess?” David asked, ignoring the black slate hovering next to his face. His expression stiffened, “If you are…Fuck you!...and thanks, I guess.”
It was confusing. David was unsure how to feel. If Bereth instigated the integration into the Pantheon, David should hate him. He likely killed billions of innocent people. Yet, Bereth was also the most probable to have healed him. The slate hovering near his face was probably from him as well.
Furthermore…David didn’t hate the new world.
He should hate it. Death was ever-present, and it hadn’t been long since others betrayed him, leaving him behind to die in their stead.
But did he really hate the new world?
David shrugged.
He closed his eyes and focused on his Holy Sea again. It was already recovering holy power, slowly filling the reservoir.
The Holy Sea is slightly larger than before, and it appears that holy power is regenerating slightly faster.
That verified one of David’s theories. The Soul stat was related to his energy reservoir.
But I still don’t know how they’re related. The Holy Sea is slightly larger and replenishes the used-up energy faster than before, but how is the Soul responsible for that? Is the Soul and the energy reservoir connected, or are they part of the same? How did the energy reservoir form inside me in the first place? I can perceive it in my mind space and sense the energy gathering somewhere behind my navel, but how did it form and connect to me…just like that?
David didn’t feel much when the Holy Sea formed inside him. He also learned how to use both the Holy Sea and Skill Runes relatively easily, but that was not because he understood them. It had been a necessity to use every means at his disposal to survive. That didn’t mean he had comprehended everything.
In fact, David had yet to understand anything. And the appearance of ‘Bereth,’ whoever that may be, and his interest in him didn’t make anything easier.
I can search for answers in the future. Since there are Kobolds, it should be possible to meet other magical races. As long as they’re not as aggressive as the Kobolds, it might be possible to communicate. Then again, it might be harder than I make it out to be. These magical creatures and races invaded the Earthen Union. Their reasoning is still uncertain, but it is true that they invaded our world.
David ruffled through his hair, his expression distorting in disgust when he felt the half-dried blood in his hair.
“I should leave first. Change my clothes and…” His eyes drifted to the hovering slate, and he smiled grimly, “Bereth, or whoever is watching… Watch me all you want, but donate some Skill Runes and equipment if you do so! I am a greedy bastard, so open your damn wallets!”
That being said, David reached for the black slate. He jolted as his fingers grazed the slate, and the symbol etched on it glowed vibrantly.
[You have discovered a Skill Slate]
[Draining Touch – Tier-2 I]
[Do you wish to use the Skill Slate to acquire the Skill Rune?
Remark: The Skill Rune can only be used once.]
There was no way he would reject the Skill Rune.
“Yes!” David said with the intent to acquire [Draining Touch].
The symbol engraved on the slate flickered, and a flood of information entered his mind. Yet, a dim red notification popped up just when David expected the Skill Rune to form next to his other Skill Runes.
[Skill Rune [Draining Touch] cannot be engraved on your Soul. [Draining Touch] goes against the Cleric Codex. The acquisition of [Draining Touch] has been rejected!]
“No! Wait a moment! I don’t give a damn about the Cleric Codex. I don’t even know what that is!” David exclaimed, “Give me [Draining Touch]! It fits my fighting style perfectly. I am a fighter, not a healer!”
The system did not care. The Skill Slate shattered while a new notification materialized before him.
[Similar, more suitable Skill Rune has been detected. Binding process has been initiated. Prepare for the influx of information!]
“At least I’m getting…something,” David murmured, the notification soothing the fire ignited in his heart. But it wasn’t extinguished just yet. David waited impatiently for the influx of information. It came crashing down on him and imprinted deep into his mind. Simultaneously, streams of light gathered beside the other Skill Runes. The dark mind space lit up. It glimmered vibrantly as a maelstrom of pristine light formed.
The new Skill Rune was etched on his Soul while its information entered his mind.
[Skill Rune has been successfully bound.]
David hoped for the best, but the information entering his mind was…confusing. The flashy maelstrom disappeared, revealing his newest acquisition.
[Holy Touch – Tier-1 I]
“System…I don’t want to sound rude,” David started slowly, but he decided against remaining calm, “Actually, I don’t care how it sounds.”
He cleared his throat.
“Are you stupid or mentally challenged? [Draining Touch] was a Tier-2 Skill Rune. [Holy Touch] is only Tier-1… If you take away my well-deserved reward because of some bullshit codex, you should give me something equally powerful in return, you know?!”
