Chương 17: The patient

Sounds of clicking and clacking of bones near Eric's head woke him up from a deep sleep. His normal makeshift bed had been transformed into a nightmare operating table. Skeletal arms holding knives, cutters, screwdrivers, and a linen cloth layered with blood hovered around him. He tried to get up, but the leather straps on his hands and legs were holding him tight. His mouth was taped shut, so he couldn't talk. Where am I? And why does everything hurt?

The skeletal hands gestured rapidly to each other after putting down the surgical instruments. Whatever bone-language they were using made absolutely no sense to Eric. On his right side, one appendage picked up the automatic saw and lowered it towards his legs. Another hand fired up the machine from the other side of the table.

"Absolutely not! We're done here! Our patient is awake and we don't need your services anymore!" Grim caught the skeletal arms mid-motion before they could amputate Eric's legs. The Reaper pulled out a bag of what seemed to be bone dust and gave it to the appendages. They leaped to the ground and skittered across the room on their fingers. Three skeletal arms walked over to the exit of the Elegy Vault, dragging the reward from Grim. Before leaving, two of them linked together and opened the door.

The Reaper closed the gate with a snap of his fingers and removed Eric's duct tape.

"I want answers. Tell me everything," Eric said, his voice trembling a bit.

"Your beauty sleep went surprisingly well. These were the best surgeons I could find." Grim unbuckled the restraints holding his apprentice and continued,"You're lucky I didn't have to fix you myself because my anatomy knowledge is really barebones." Grim chuckled at his own joke. Eric sat on the bed and looked at his left arm. Scars from the flaming chain earlier marked it, but it was no longer severely injured.

The rest of his wounds from the fight were gone, and his body felt a little stiff from lying so long on the surgical table.

"What did these 'surgeons' do?" Eric asked.

"No idea. I got distracted while they were stitching you back together. I could sense the moment you woke up and teleported back here. The skeletal arms are professionals, but they sometimes steal a bonus appendage from patients for their operating team," Grim said. The dizziness from the medical procedure faded, and Eric felt better. He wanted to ask what was happening on Earth, but his mentor interrupted him.

"You know," Grim said, "I didn't think you could fight so well. You learn fast." He looked around the empty room.

"Now explain how you almost died outside the vault. I remember unlocking that achievement." Grim summoned his favorite desk and throne.

"Come on, we have a business meeting to attend!" A beanbag appeared in front of the sturdy desk with the words "My best apprentice! Ever!"

"Well, first of all, I learned three new skills: Teleport, Spectral Throw, and Phantom Hand," Eric said.

"Great! These are some of the useful skills in your class. They might be pretty boring compared to others, but the versatility offered is unmatched!" Grim said.

"Yeah. I was on the verge of dying several times and they saved me," Eric shuddered in the beanbag and continued,"What else? I leveled up and killed a bunch of bad guys. I also defeated a boss, or at least that's what the description said."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Grim leaned over for a high five with his chalky hand. Eric reached over and returned the gesture, grinning. The Reaper's chaotic enthusiasm made this strange world feel almost normal.

"Honestly, I was quite surprised. It was tense. That key warden had what I needed to open Ash's cage. Speaking of it, I noticed how there's no need for a key at all. I just have to move one of the giant water sprinklers in the right direction," Eric answered and sat more comfortably in his chair.

"I do not know the details of Ash's imprisonment. The moment you free the bird is the moment you're gonna have a companion for life. Don't doubt its loyalty or intelligence," Grim said and continued, "Did you encounter any strange skill choices by now?"

"Actually, I did. Two of them differed completely from the others. Both wanted to reset my skill tree and reset my class. What is this skill tree, anyway?" Grim summoned an old, dusty book on the desk and with a flick of his fingers, it opened on a page with the Reaper Acolyte class. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Each class has certain routes and abilities it can learn. By choosing one, you go further down the tree and lock some paths while opening others. Your class leans toward mobility, summoning, and direct combat. The skills you chose are versatile, so you haven't pigeonholed yourself."

"How am I supposed to know which skills are worth taking? For example, Sky Star earlier said that it could limit my future skill choices," Eric asked.

"That's right. It's more on the evasive side of things, but it's also tied to Heaven-aligned skills, which is a completely different topic. Some aspects let you borrow power outside your class without fully abandoning your current path. For now, I recommend you stay in your lane, or should I say… our lane," Grim winked at his apprentice. Eric smiled once again but quickly returned to his serious tone.

"How are things on Earth?"

"About as bad as usual. The corrupt want more power, and the greedy want more money. One devil dropped a new plague on a cruise ship, and it's all over the news. I don't think it's gonna go big like last time," Grim answered and cleared his voice, "Your family is okay. I need you to trust me on that."

"Good. I don't know if I said it, but… thanks for looking out for them," Eric said.

"Death keeps his promises," Grim said and hurried to break the awkward silence.

"So… what do you think of your first few days on the job? Any complaints?"

"Your tutorials are insane. Some of them are borderline impossible. I have to admit, it's exhilarating when you solve it, but that doesn't make it easy," Eric said.

"I know. You think I got my skills easily?" Eric remembered what the key warden said about Grim. Inside, his mind was telling him that the next question might not be appropriate, but his heart yearned for the answer.

"Grim? Can I ask you something serious?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"When I defeated the key warden earlier, he said that you took his family from him. That's why he joined the Shattered upon arriving here," Eric paused for a moment and finally let it out, "Was he telling the truth?" The Reaper stood silently for a few seconds and stared at his apprentice. The green fire in his eyes lit up stronger than before.

"Listen, kid. Sometimes, I have to do things I don't want to. I don't say how or when somebody dies. While there are some tricks to extend the time, when somebody reaches the end of the road… I have to collect them," Grim looked directly into Eric's eyes and leaned forward.

"Do you think I go to Earth wanting to take innocent children? To see the grief in people's eyes when I arrive? There are powers far beyond me. Bigger rules. You have to understand. I collect what's already been scheduled. That's it." Eric lowered his gaze.

"I'm sorry." Grim's shoulders dropped, his towering presence now quiet and heavy on his throne. The maniacal jokes were no longer on his mind. He stared at the table, crushed by grief. Eric knew his question wasn't easy to answer. He thought about the key warden's words a lot. After all, almost the same thing happened to him. He could live a normal life, but chose not to. Death himself was his guide, and he couldn't go back anymore. Fear and anxiety settled in Eric's chest.

He wondered if his mentor was faking all the help. The Reaper experiencing anger, grief, and sadness, gave him the reassurance he needed. Grim wasn't just a cold-hearted killer with funny jokes and witty phrases.

"I didn't want to make you feel bad. Without your help, I wouldn't be here now. Thank you for giving me a chance," Eric grinned with a joke in mind and continued, "Surviving this long should qualify me for a promotion, right?"

"Best I can do is employee of the month and expired diarrhea chocolates," Grim laughed. The mood lightened enough for Eric to go back to work-related matters.

"Another thing that annoys me is that I could use some armor. I'm running around in my interview clothes fighting corrupted souls and flying bloodthirsty minions."

"You looking to protect yourself or deal some…" Grim pulled out his tired adventurer voice. Eric froze.

"Don't say it," he blurted, then pressed on.

"Come on! I'm being honest! Don't you see this giant scar?" Grim chuckled.

"Alright, alright. Unfortunately, we aren't near an Eternal Arms chamber, so we can't get something substantial. Even if we were, big armor doesn't fit you. Something more agile and sleek would suit you best." The Reaper snapped his fingers, and a circular forge appeared in place of the desk.

"It looks like I'd have to DIY this." Eric panicked from all the green flames, hammers, and heat surrounding him.

"Um… I can go back to the Eternal Arms chamber and find something. We don't have to…" Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Grim summoned two big spectral hammers in both hands. His robe transformed into a blacksmith's apron that had multiple smaller pockets on it.

"Put your left hand on the anvil," the Reaper commanded. Eric's eyes widened, and he grabbed his scar.

"You can't be serious!"

"I said… put your hand on the anvil," Grim raised his voice. Channeling spectral power into the scars, Death began hammering away at his apprentice's arm. Sparks and fire flew into the air without hurting Eric. He seemed to absorb every hit from the master blacksmith. His bones vibrated, and he clenched his jaw before each swing of the giant hammer.

"Almost done!" After the onslaught of strikes, Grim walked over to the forge and dunked both his tools in a bucket of water. Soon, he moved back to the anvil and summoned his scythe.

"I have no idea how your body's going to react to this, but you should come out tougher." Grim touched Eric's hand with the scythe one last time, and the smithy disappeared.

"Where's the armor?" Eric asked.

"It should be here any moment now. I did it myself. Have some patience."

"Okay, I'll lie on the bed for a while to…" Eric's left hand began to glow brightly. Green flames slowly materialized a golden shoulder plate across his whole arm. Electricity pulsed back and forth between all the pieces. He had armor on his biceps, forearms, and fingers. In the center of the shoulder piece, there was an engraving of a ram's horns struck by lightning. Grim stared at the armor in complete confusion.

"That… wasn't supposed to happen." Eric remembered his encounter with the key warden and the blessing.

"I received a blessing from the key warden. After his defeat, a shard dropped near me, and I absorbed it. Maybe your forging magic reacted to it somehow."

"Well… congrats! I'm free from obligations to this piece of armor. It looks cool enough to protect you. Now, you just have to find a way to use it." Grim said. Eric opened his inventory and picked up the new item. Grinning ear to ear, he couldn't wait to read the description.