Chương 84: 1-83 Pressed for answers

Josef was quick to follow the charging knight, unwilling to let her fight inside the white haze for longer than necessary. If Linda had been patient enough to wait another second, he would have even given her a dose of regenerative magic. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, and now he had to focus on clearing the path so the rest of them could follow as well.

At least his theory about the armor had proven itself to be most likely true, as those knights in front of them appeared to be doing well enough despite being full-on exposed to the dangerous mana. Well, those that didn't come with a pre-existing mania. Though considering the mental manipulation they had attempted right outside the dungeon in broad daylight, he suspected that not everyone was entirely to blame for how they acted.

Thinking back on that bookseller from his first shopping trip into Highsend, it was clear not everyone had that excuse, however. Ultimately, Josef had to admit that he was only distracting himself from the fact that he knew very well how this encounter, and most likely many more after, would go. They would have to cut down people, and there were no pretty euphemisms or excuses that could cover up that fact.

Whether the man in front of them was a genuine lunatic believer, or an indoctrinated puppet on a string, he would only let them pass one way. Could he perhaps pull off a non-lethal takedown? Choke him just a little on water magic and walk away? Even if he wanted to give it a try, there were two unassailable arguments against it. One was the very angry Linda, who would likely not have any qualms about hacking into an unconscious target on her quest for revenge.

That anger was going to vent and trying to stop her would definitely cause a volatile reaction. The other was the knight himself, who skillfully redirected her charge to send her sprawling, twirling around and bringing his second blade to bear against his original target. The man had tried to use Linda's attack as cover to land a hit himself, only to find himself struck in a surprise attack. In the end, mercy was an option that only the strong could pick, and their opponents weren't going to be pushovers.

Josef didn't know if the short blade in the knight's off-hand was just a dagger, or some kind of parry blade, but it found its mark under the rim of the helmet, sinking deep into the neck of his target. The struck man dropped like a stone, not even choking up blood after the lethal strike. Just as the assailant was trying to whirl around and sink his blade into Linda's back, however, one of his legs was struck and submerged in coils of water.

Pretzel had used the very first opening her summoner had created in the haze to send out her spell to restrain the knight. Lashing out at the serpent of magical water, the man landed several quick slashes that left a concerning cleft in the construct's shape, but ultimately failed to sever his bindings. He probably would have succeeded if he had just a couple more seconds to spare, though Zippa didn't leave him with such a luxury.

In a remarkable display of his usual recklessness, he grabbed the knight's sword with claws wreathed in flames. Sparks and droplets of blood were flung from their clash, but the reptile's grip ultimately stayed unyielding. Then, before the other blade could find any purchase, a greatsword came crashing down onto the knight's shoulder, crumpling the armor and biting deep into the man's flesh, causing him to drop to his knees.

"The light…" his voice was wet and strained, his lungs no doubt in disarray.

"... it comes… for us all." Maybe Josef could have still stabilized him at this point if he wasn't preoccupied with a different patient already. He was kneeling over the man who had been stabbed in the neck, trying his hardest to fix the damage after pulling him into a more stable position. His breath had just stopped, but if he was quick enough, that wouldn't have to be the end of it.

Leaving his immediate surroundings and security to his companions, Sprout in particular was anchored to him with her vines, he focused on the task. He quickly identified the main issue in saving this man, as the blade had bitten into his spine and likely shattered one of the vertebrae. At least, that was his suspicion without having access to some magical x-ray vision. Something was definitely blocking his magic from reconnecting the severed nerves, and a piece of bone barring the way was a prime suspect.

With the remainder of the damage being easily dealt with, reconnecting soft tissue barely proved a challenge for him anymore, he began to poke and prod at the offending piece of calcium. His restoration magic really didn't like removing anything that was already there, and unfortunately, the piece didn't slot back into the regrowing bone, as the magic didn't need it to regrow what was broken. If his skill were greater, maybe he could have prevented this altogether, using all present mass for the restoration.

That would even save some mana, but for now it remained a pipe dream. He could try growing the surrounding tissue to push this piece out, somehow, but even if his magic acquiesced to such freestyle healing, it would leave him with a different kind of obstacle in reconnecting those nerves. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Woof," Sprout called for his attention, licking him with a dry, bark-like tongue. Apparently, she had picked up on his frustration and was offering her support. If nothing else, at least their bond was clearly improving.

"Actually," Josef mused, looking down on his adorable plant, "maybe you could help me, girl. Feeling up for it?" Sprout tilted her head, her ears growing a smidgen to fold more dramatically during the gesture, before barking her agreement. Where did she even pick up these mannerisms to begin with? He once again had to wonder about his peculiar new familiar. Since she wasn't created by him, he clearly wasn't to blame for having some weird influence, right?

Whatever the reason, she untangled herself from him effortlessly and plopped down next to his patient. She still maintained that bloated appearance of a little pug, apparently having found it to her liking. At least she wouldn't drool like a real one, or spontaneously choke on her own genetic damage. Gently, he took one of her paws and guided it onto the wound.

"I need you to pull something out of here, okay?" Some of the vines making up her appearance were very small and fine, and she appeared to have perfect control over them. Not exactly a precision medical instrument, but it sure beat him digging around with his fingers. If only it weren't for their communication barrier, which made it hard to give precise instructions to the confused dog.

Finally, he resorted to using the most direct way of explaining things he could give, drawing a rough sketch into the leftover dust on the ground.

"Look here, this is the skull and the spine," he pointed at a circle with a line attached to it. Pointing at a longer line underneath, he continued, "That is the rest of his spine. And this," he pointed to a small squiggle in between the lines, "is the bone you need to dig out." Apparently, those were the magic words, as she barked excitedly and looked back and forth between the sketch and their patient. With an excited woof, she all but jumped on the man before some of her vines slithered into the wound.

After what they had gone through, the sight evoked a fair amount of revulsion in him, and Sprout's excitement had him concerned for their patient. Please don't remove his spine, he silently prayed. Finally, her vines retreated, revealing… nothing?

"Are you finished? Could you find it?" His answer came in happy barking and a wagging tail. Feeling skeptical, Josef sunk his healing magic into the wound, only to find the process unimpeded. With the blockage gone, he was finally able to regrow the nerve connections, leaving the finer details to a generous donation of mana. Since Sprout hadn't pulled out the bone, did that mean she somehow absorbed it, like when she dug her roots into the boss?

If she could compost anything biological, then that was outright terrifying. Also nifty, and he could think of many ways she would be able to assist him with his healing endeavors. ☆☆☆☆ Summon Familiar (Inferior) -> (Moderate) Current limit: 4 With their newly improved connection, that might actually become feasible. Even though it was still a far cry from even Dusty's messy link, the emotions they could share had become just a little bit clearer.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Josef stood up, seeing as his patient was taking his sweet time to regain consciousness. Sure, they wanted information on what happened up ahead, but fortunately, they had another avenue to gain that knowledge. It came courtesy of Bezzo, who dragged a panicked knight back by her ankle. It was the third one, which had been on the floor when they arrived. She was fighting back only weakly, and a bit of blood exiting her armor around the waist suggested she had gotten injured.

"She tried to make a run for it, so I took the liberty of bringing her back," he coldly explained, dropping her in their midst.

"Stay away, you scaly freak!" She thrashed about weakly, trying to gain distance from the lizard.

"Brother," Zippa began, looking at his brother with sharp eyes.

"Did you poison her?" The younger reptile simply shrugged.

"She was struggling something fierce. Why should I be gentle with someone who would abandon their comrade so easily?" Linda was nodding next to him, and he could already imagine how her eyes gleamed dangerously under that helmet. Those two certainly had their issues, but at least they somehow got along through them. Even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

Walking over to the knight who had fallen under their combined attacks, he quickly checked over his wounds, but had to admit that there was nothing he could do for the man. His wounds had been too grievous, and the delay too long.

"I barely even know the bloke's name!" The woman protested.

"The fuck do I care if he wants to play the hero. I don't wanna die like that fool!" she almost spat her last words towards the downed man.

"Just so you know, he is very much alive." Josef stood up and turned to her, speaking coldly, already disliking her a great deal.

"I made sure of that." Saying his piece, he fixed her gaze and waited for that information to sink in.

"What? Are you saying you healed him?" Then, dread overtook her face.

"You are one of them healers? Are you-""Call me Adam, independent healer and an enemy of Sanctum," he once more introduced himself with his alias.

"Now, before we continue, let me make one thing very clear. On your way out, you will take this man," he pointed at the downed knight, "with you. If I find him dead or abandoned, my lovely snake will hunt you down and swallow you whole. Are we clear on that?" Pretzel, ever supportive, rose up to her full height before sharply hissing at the woman.

"I swear!" She was quick to throw herself into a bow. Something between facing a healer and being threatened with a snake had given her attitude a sharp adjustment.

"The Mother Tree shall strike my name if I go back on my word!." That sounded quite serious, though Josef had no idea what her vow was about. Leveling a glance at Linda, he received a curt nod from her. Apparently, this was an important thing for elves. He'd have to find the time to ask her about that at some point.

"On the topic of names, why don't you introduce yourself and your friend, huh?" Zippa cut in, disregarding the obvious tension. Throwing the reptile a nervous glance, she focused back on him before answering.

"I am Marla, Lord Healer. A-and this guy is named Kall.. no, Karrus. I think." She sounded less than confident in the end, but it ultimately didn't matter.

"Alright then, Marla. Tell us what's going on here. What are we going to walk into down there?" Then, thinking of her earlier comment when they had just arrived, he asked, "Who hired you? Are you working for someone from the black market?" Reading someone's tension through armor was a difficult feat, but the way she flinched at the final question was very revealing.

"They definitely didn't offer enough coin." She pretty much sunk into herself, starting her explanation.