Death Healer

The evening air was cool and crisp – a welcome relief after the relentless heat of yet another day spent in a tent. At the very least, this time, the tent finally opened at the back towards a checkpoint at the quarantine zone wall.

[Cardinal] Atticus had apparently welcomed Lily’s request without complaints. In fact, it had been such a swift acceptance that she had been wary of being visited by the man soon. However, after five weeks and with most of the slums cleared up from the disease, she couldn’t help but think that perhaps the [Cardinal] had just wanted his people not to die.

Remember, you might have to kill people who are not completely evil, Hadrian’s words resounded in her head.

“We got word from the patrol: everything’s clear. They have checked all the houses and are doing one final sweep. Including the few that are still waiting in the plaza with barely any symptoms, we are done.”

Gentiliana sat beside her niece, looking curiously at the young girl and waiting for an answer. The once bustling camp had quieted down, a testament to the hard–won battle against the plague that had ravaged the slums of Alalia.

“Good. That’s… good,” Lily muttered, fully exhausted, slumping against the other women.

Gentiliana cradled Lily’s head, her eyes reflecting both pride and concern. “You’ve done the impossible, Aurora. Your plan worked flawlessly. It’s been five weeks of nonstop toil, but you’ve turned the tide against this disease.”

Lily, her eyes distant, nodded. The past weeks had been a blur of endless healing, and her skills [Death Touch] and [Lesser Mandala of Eradication] reached the Master Stage through sheer necessity and relentless use.

…

3 Weeks Prior

[*Ding!* Adjunct Skill – Lesser Mandala of Eradication Beginner Stage → Master Stage!]

[*Ding!* Adjunct Skill – Lesser Mandala of Eradication {Master} hasn’t been paired with an equally Master Stage Skill!]

[*Ding!* Adjunct Skill – Lesser Mandala of Eradication locked to Beginner Stage, Level 100!]

Lily had known that would happen, but then, just a few days later…

[*Ding!* Skill – Death Touch Beginner Stage → Master Stage!]

[Sixteen Perks have been offered to you.]

She smiled. The limit of Perks that could be offered at once was twenty – something she had almost reached with her nineteen Perks in [Mana Sense]. Usually, people would unlock three to four Perks. What allowed her to have such a vast selection was her knowledge from Earth. Magic was directly influenced by one’s understanding of it.

She looked at the list of Perks.

Siphon of Death: Transfer Death from one vessel to another.

Paralyzing Touch: Adds a paralyzing effect to your skill.

Black Death: Your attacks inflict blight upon your enemies.

She scrolled down, skipping the most boring ones, when she came to a sudden halt.

The Exchange of Death and Life: Offer Death, receive Life.

Her eyes went wide at the Perk, but then, she saw something right below.

Pestilence Purge (Double–Perk): Exponentially increased efficacy and efficiency against diseases caused by pathogens. Attention: this is a shared Perk between [Death Touch] and [Lesser Mandala of Eradication]. Choosing this Perk will result in no additional Perk being offered for Lesser Mandala of Eradication.

Despite many second thoughts about the former, Lily had decided to go with the latter. Perhaps, once she brought [Death Touch] to the Grandmaster Stage, she would be offered the other Perk again.

Or so she hoped.

…

The Present

Pestilence Purge had been a complete game changer. It allowed Lily to barely use any Mana to destroy the plague in the people. Once she had selected the Perk, the only limit to her healing speed was how many people she could physically touch per hour. Soon, she had cleared every single person in the plaza, with no more need for triage. And that’s when she had decided to start patrolling alongside the [Templars] and delivering as much healing as she could, sometimes even falling asleep in the arms of her guards from exhaustion when her legs couldn’t hold her anymore.

“The people we’ve healed are becoming immune,” she said, her voice tinged with exasperation. “Even if they catch the plague again, it’s highly unlikely they’ll spread it significantly. We’ve broken the chain.”

“But there’s still a problem, isn’t there?” Gentiliana asked, reading the unresolved tension in Lily’s posture.

Lily’s gaze hardened. “The rats,” she said, a note of grim determination in her voice. “They’re the carriers. Tomorrow, we need to exterminate them. Completely.”

Gentiliana raised an eyebrow. “Why tomorrow? Why not tonight? We can send enough men—”

“Because there’s something I need to do first,” Lily replied, her eyes glinting with a resolve that seemed to transcend her young body. “I have something important to do. I can’t explain it now, but I promise, tomorrow, we’ll be ready to cleanse the sewers.”

Gentiliana studied Lily for a long moment, the silence between them filled with unsaid words and unasked questions. Finally, she nodded. “I’ll gather the [Templars]. We’ll prepare for a thorough sweep of the sewers. We’ve come this far; we can’t leave any stones unturned.”

Lily gave her a small, grateful smile, but her eyes remained troubled, her mind clearly elsewhere. “Thank you, Aunt Gentiliana. I know I’ve asked a lot from you and from everyone these past few weeks.”

“You’ve given them hope, Aurora. That’s more than anyone could have asked for,” Gentiliana reassured her, reaching out to gently squeeze Lily’s hand.

As the night deepened around them, Lily slowly got up, saying goodbye to her aunt.

The plague had been defeated—her skills had leveled up. She was a few weeks from finally getting a class. Now, there was one last thing to do before disappearing. She would leave the thorough cleaning–up of the sewers to her aunt and the [Templars]. They had all gotten infected at least once, and Lily had gone over the plans for more effective quarantines for those who might get reinfected, so she wasn’t strictly needed anymore.

After I kill whatever took Elysium’s life, Lily thought, I need to return to Hadrian.

…

The damp, echoing passages of the sewers stretched before Lily, a labyrinth of shadows and filth. Her steps were silent – a ghostly presence in the suffocating darkness. She didn't need a torch; her Sphere of Perception skill allowed her to navigate the sewers as if she walked in daylight.

The massive rats scurried in the periphery of her senses, their movements sharp and skittish. They were everywhere – a seething mass of fur and teeth – but Lily felt no fear. In these forsaken tunnels, to these filthy animals, she would be Death coming to exact a final retribution.

She encountered the first rat in a narrow passageway, its beady eyes glinting maliciously in the scant light. It was massive, probably the size of a small dog, with matted fur and sharp, yellowed teeth. Lily didn't hesitate. With a fluid movement, she stepped forward, her hand glowing with a faint, eerie light.

[Death Touch]

[Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain]

The rat lunged, its jaws gaping wide in an attempt to sink its teeth into her flesh. But Lily was quicker. She sidestepped the charge, her hand reaching out to touch the creature. The moment her fingers made contact, the rat convulsed, its body writhing as the dark magic of her skill coursed through it.

[Necrotic Restoration]

As the life ebbed away from the creature, Lily felt a surge of vitality flood her body, rejuvenating her. The rat collapsed at her feet, lifeless, a victim of her deadly touch.

Weak, she thought to herself. Even that one rat back in the streets had struggled harder than this one. Lily glanced at the monster’s corpse through her Sphere of Perception before moving deeper into the sewers.

Proceeding with her sewage journey, Lily's senses tingled with the presence of more rats. She rounded a corner and came face to face with two smaller rats, their movements quick and erratic. They were faster than the first one.

She braced herself as the rats attacked in unison, their movements coordinated and swift. But Lily's training had honed her reflexes to a fine edge, and she could see in a circular radius around her. So, she dodged the first rat's lunge, her hand reaching out to graze its fur.

[Death Touch]

[Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain]

[Necrotic Restoration]

The rat screamed, a high–pitched wail of agony, as it recoiled from her touch and started spasming on the ground. The second rat took advantage of her momentary distraction and leaped at her. But Lily was ready. She pivoted, her other hand glowing with the same ominous light.

As her hand connected with the second rat, it too convulsed, the life draining from it in a matter of seconds. Both rats lay still at her feet.

She frowned.

This is… easy.

When she had been here with Elysium, it had all seemed so hard, almost impossible. But this? This was almost pathetic.

…

She ventured much deeper than she had when she last came down here, guided by the subtle cues of her Sphere of Perception. The tunnel opened into a larger chamber, slightly illuminated by the moonlight coming through sewer grates above, and there, she encountered a pack of rats. They were many, their eyes glinting in the darkness, their bodies tense and ready to attack.

Twenty? Thirty? She steadied her breath and watched the rats start to hiss. It doesn’t matter.

Lily steeled herself for the onslaught. The rats surged forward, a tide of fur and teeth. She knew she couldn’t dodge all the hits this time, so she simply focused on making sure no rat swiped, clawed, or otherwise bit into her face or throat.

[Death Touch] kept flaring up against the bodies, making the rats curl up instantly as the Death Magic spread throughout their bodies. Since [Death Touch] had reached the Master Stage, its effects had clearly been multiplied several times over, even though [Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain] was still lagging behind.

The rats fell in droves, but their sheer number seemed endless as more came from the side corridors that led to this chamber. Undeterred, Lily kept killing. [Necrotic Restoration] bolstered her, turning each strike into a surge of rejuvenating energy and healing pulse. The pain was present, yet it paled in comparison to her rage. Still, her body was slowly being whittled down and then rebuilt by her skill—something all but pleasant. However, one pleasant thing did happen.

[*Ding!* Skill – Alchemic Constitution level 4!]

[*Ding!* Skill – Alchemic Constitution level 5!]

The skill that had almost never leveled, not even when she had cut herself to practice [Necrotic Restoration], suddenly showed signs of life.

…

The last rat hit the ground with a thud, ushering in a deafening silence. Lily stood alone, victorious yet empty. She expected a rush of satisfaction, but only a numbing hollowness greeted her.

She looked down at all the dead rats, realizing she had barely gotten a handful of levels from the engagement, most of which were in [Wraithform]. The levels in [Alchemic Constitution] were welcome, and something to be discussed with Hadrian, but the rest of her experience was still… subpar.

Suddenly, a paralyzing terror struck her. It was the same ominous dread she had felt with Elysium years ago. Her body froze, but her soul, tempered by [Meditation], fought back against the fear.

As the terror in her heart slowly receded, she saw it at the edge of her Sphere of Perception – a nightmarish creature, a blend of human and spider, crawling towards her. The monster was the size of a man, and its eight spider–like legs moved with an eerie grace. Its many eyes scattered around the body, glinting malevolently, were fixed on Lily.

Despite its horrifying visage, however, the creature lacked the expected agility or strength. Its true power seemed rooted in the fear it instilled, not its physical prowess.

Lily stood her ground, her hands alive with the deadly glow of magic. The abomination advanced, slow, and menacing. Lily was ready. She braced herself to face this horror, this embodiment of her deepest fears.

The showdown was imminent.

Lily advanced cautiously; her senses heightened to their peak. The creature mirrored her movements, its multiple eyes locked onto her. The air was thick with tension, and the only sounds were the distant drip of water and their synchronized movements.

She made the first move, lunging forward with her hand extended. The creature reacted instantly, its body contorting in an unnatural manner to evade her touch. Lily noted its sluggishness with a frown.

Is it baiting me?

She feinted and retreated, waiting for the creature to lunge, but only seeing its grotesque body twisting away. Frustration built within her.

She started walking around the creature who, despite its many eyes, could barely keep up with her.

“Attack me, you coward,” she growled. “Attack me!”

Her voice resounded against the stony walls of the sewers, a memento of madness in the dark.

The monster barely registered her provocation; it simply kept turning to keep facing Lily with its human–like head.

“You killed him,” Lily spat. “You killed Elysium.”

She remembered Elysium’s eyes, carved out by some unknown horror. And now, she was facing it.

“I will take you down,” she promised before lunging forward.

The monster raised one of its spider legs, but its movements were not enough again, not even to elicit the use of [Wraithform]. Lily simply punched the humanoid head with a simple combination using [Death Touch] and [Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain] with as much Mana as she could.

She didn’t even remember to use [Necrotic Restoration].

The beast surprisingly stepped down, trying to get away from Lily as it swiped at her. Lily allowed one of its legs to hit her but felt barely any force in its swing.

“Is this all you have?!” She roared, lunging again and peppering the humanoid body with punches.

Lily's relentless assault continued until, with a final, savage blow, the creature's body gave in, collapsing to the ground with a dull thud. Its many eyes stared blankly, no longer glinting with malevolence – just vacant orbs in a lifeless husk. The creature that had haunted her dreams, the phantom of her deepest fears, lay defeated, its form just a heap of grotesque limbs and twisted features.

As the realization of its death set in, Lily's movements slowed, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. The tears started then, streaming down her face – a deluge of pent–up emotions finally breaking free. She had prepared herself for an epic battle, a clash of wills and strength, a confrontation worthy of the fear and respect the creature had instilled in her. But the truth was bitterly underwhelming; the creature was nothing more than a fragile horror, its power residing solely in the terror it could evoke.

The weight of this truth bore down on her. Had she known, had she been there with Elysium, could they have survived? Her healing abilities, his strength… they would have been more than enough to fend off such a weak creature. The thought tormented her, a gnawing regret for a past she couldn't change.

When Elysium had begged her to come with him into the sewers, she had thought he was a fool. But in reality, Lily had been the fool. With her healing, the boy would have easily been able to take even a dozen rats. She had healed tortured men with a slit throat and a punctured heart. What problem would she have had fighting against a few rats?

And even then, why not pay someone stronger to follow them down the sewers just to make sure they were safe? The possibilities had been endless. She could have even, perhaps, brought Lumius along. But all these things only came to her now, thanks to these years with Hadrian and, in part, to whatever change [Alchemic Constitution] had enacted in her soul.

Her fists, still raised, trembled as the fury subsided, giving way to profound sorrow. She looked at the creature, its death bringing no satisfaction, only a deep, hollow ache for what she had lost. Elysium's absence, a void in her life, felt more pronounced than ever in the wake of this meaningless victory.

That’s when she noticed the monster carried a sort of pouch on the side of its grotesque body, and she went to grab it, rustling through its filthy content. When she found what seemed like a wooden object, she pulled it out of the bag and felt the world crash down on her.

It was the redhead’s wooden sword, the same she had seen him play with so many years ago when they were still little more than toddlers.

Grief–stricken, Lily fell to her knees, her hands dropping to her sides. She uttered a choked whisper, “Elysium... I'm sorry... so sorry...”

The sewer around her, a place of dread and darkness, now mirrored her internal desolation – silent, still, and devoid of the terror it once held.

It was a mere hollow victory.

Lily remained there amidst the dank and the dead. It was in this solitude and surrounded by the remnants of her fears and the consequences of her power that she finally faced her loss.

She had lost Elysium.

She had lost her Light Magic.

I need to go back, she told herself, feeling a weight in her stomach while looking back down the tunnel that led her here. She fastened the wooden sword to her belt. I must return to the monastery; the [Templars] can take care of the rest.

My dad… I can’t say goodbye. They might catch us if we send him a letter. I’m sure he’ll either find us somewhere else or—or he will just understand.

…

Emerging from the sewers and into the night, Lily felt the stark contrast between the cool, fresh air against her skin and the putrid sewer. She looked up at the sky, a vast canvas of stars and possibilities, and felt small.

She contemplated the view for a moment. Then, as she was about to walk away, she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

“You should have never come back.”

She turned, seeing a flash of gray hair approaching at high speed.