Chương 58: Healer Melon

"Have you procured the necessary supplies, Healer Melon?" my mother asked the middle-aged man, who was completely bald. His head glinted in the courtyard's light, where he was standing. His head looked like a shiny egg.

"I have, Supreme Warlady. But you expect me to be using my skills constantly?"

"Yes. The training will be relentless. I need to see the final preparations. Son, you get into your armor. We will depart for the dungeon this afternoon." I had barely started to nod and give an affirmative before she turned away and left. My armor was still the same damaged piece of armor I had when I first went into the dungeon. The armor had been repaired and cleaned up, but still showed heavy wear. I greeted the Healer.

"So, you are the healer she recruited? Justin Burnstock."

"Yes, Healer Melon of the Five Star Institute of Healing. I have read about your medical history. May I have permission to inspect your health?"

"Yes." If my mother left me with him, then she trusted the man. He placed his hand on my head." Health Analyze. Well, you are in excellent condition, even a bit too good, some might say. As for your soul, I am no expert like Healer Castelle, so please don't damage it."

"What are you good at?"

"Support for stamina and healing points. I have a bit of a wild streak. So, when your mother offered power leveling for ten years of service, I took the offer."

"If I may ask, how much did she power level you?"

"From level 20 to level 60 in just three months. Now I am trying to align all my skills with my level. That will take a long time. I know it won't be simple work, but she promised me I would be safe. And I am not about to doubt the Supreme Warlady at her word."

"How much would something like that normally cost?"

"Lots of platinum. Unless you are a noble, it is hard to afford power leveling past level 40, since you need at least a legend to help you. The results can vary, depending on the amount of risk. I come from a humble background, so I leaped at the opportunity. Not that good at fighting, unfortunately, so level 60 is probably as far as I will ever go."

"What kind of supplies have you been stocking up on?"

"Potions. Lots of potions. Also, other medical equipment. Going to run a lot of Alchemical toxicity screenings as well."

"What, really?"

"Hmm, yes. Your mother wants to ensure you get the best care and has consulted me quite a bit on anything medical-related. Potions are a concern with your past levels of Alchemical toxicity." His shiny head was distracting me.

"Ah, yes, I am bald."

"Is there a way to heal it?" Baldness wasn't that common.

"A condition from stress. Standard healing uses the soul as a blueprint to fix the physical body. Early treatment is needed for this reason, but treating long-term or congenital issues is much trickier. Attaching a limb that was cut off seconds ago is easier than fixing a small scar from a month ago. My baldness…well, it occurred over a long time, and I wasn't about to waste my Mana healing myself when I could learn more by helping others. Plus, it makes me unique. You won't forget me now." I definitely wouldn't.

"Any low-tier skills to learn healing?"

"Mana Sense is a good starting point. I know I am here to ensure you don't die while getting resistances. Your mother believes that is something important to work on."

"Is that going to be hard?"

"Very. I doubt we will make much progress, just getting resistance skills is incredibly difficult. Also, don't count on them. Monsters can overwhelm them, and the more powerful monsters have crazier esoteric attacks."

"I have heard the warnings. I am surprised my mother wants me to work on such a defensive skill selection."

"It will help your survivability a lot. Even a couple of levels in a Resistance Skill can make a big difference." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"I have Healing Resistance… You know that, right?"

"I have seen that in your medical record. It is concerning, but I am skilled enough to work around such an issue. Also, healing can be used for deadly attacks. Since the body and soul don't resist such skills normally, they bypass most defenses."

"How would you heal someone to hurt them?"

"Cancerous growths. By focusing too much healing magic in a specific area, the body can create a tumor, which can kill a target. It isn't quick or simple, but it is one way that Healers such as me can fight in the dungeon while improving our skills. Then there are undead-type monsters like skeletons, which are highly vulnerable to such magic, instantly killing them, at least on the upper layers of the dungeon."

"Well, my life will be in your hands, Healer Melon," I said with a head bow.

"Ah, no need to worry too much. Your mother will be there as well, carefully supervising things." That was what concerned me. I now knew her well enough that she wouldn't step in unless I were literally about to die. Otherwise, she would let me fight and struggle on my own.

"Did you grow up around here?" Since there was nothing else to do until my mother returned, I got to know the man I would spend a lot of time with.

"Monolith used to be my old stomping grounds, believe it or not. I did well at my Preparatory School and got a scholarship to attend the Five Star Institute of Healing."

"Preparatory School, what is that?" Healer Melon gave me a look and then smiled.

"You probably had a specialized Tutor… Damian, I believe his name was?" he asked me, and I nodded.

"Most people send their kids to a Preparatory School if they can afford it, one teacher, and around 10 to 20 students. You can have multiple classes each year. Normally, they last six years, from age 6 to age 12."

"It starts before the status is available?"

"Your tutors taught you beforehand. It allows students to get an enormous boost in levels when it unlocks at eight. Also, with large groups, it is easier to see who progresses better or worse in the same setting. A teaching method pioneered by the College of Advancement."

"And you beat out everyone else?"

"In my year. It wasn't easy, but I worked long nights, and a family member could power level me up to level 20 early on. That gave me enough of an advantage to get into the Five Star Institute of Healing with a scholarship. Unfortunately, there I was only mediocre at best, which meant I had to be more aggressive with healing contracts I accepted."

"Healing contracts?" I was learning quite a bit. Healer Castelle never talked about any of this.

"Well, it is too much to expect everyone to go to the Five Star Institute of Healing. Only the most serious cases go there directly, but Healers need work. The top students get assigned to a city and work out of the Adventurer's Guild. The Five Star Institute of Healing has a deal with them. We can set up shops in their guild, and they only recommend our healing services. Stops the competition. But there are a lot more Healers than there are positions. There is not much attrition in the job.

So, there are contracts, teams, or Tutors who hire Healers like me. Well, I took contracts that went into the dungeon, the highest paying but the riskiest."

"Why a contract? Can't you go down with a team?"

"Healers normally don't fight. The team needs a contract to determine loot distribution and address other related issues. Helps prevent misunderstandings. If a team returns without its Healer, the guild will blacklist them and make them pay a huge fine."

"And people want Healers?"

"There is a shortage of Healers willing to go into the dungeon. The Adventurer's Guild manages things, so contracts don't become out of balance. But I can handle myself to a certain extent down in the dungeon."

"And you made enough money and increased your skills?"

"I also went bald from stress. But yes, I increased my skills enough that I could return to the Five Star Institute of Healing as an assistant lecturer on dungeon delving. It is a shame that healing rarely gives experience unless used in combat. When your mother showed up offering power leveling up to level 60 in return for 10 years of service, I immediately grabbed onto the opportunity."

"You couldn't pay for power leveling with the money you had?"

"I have been saving up, but Healing is not a cheap profession. Mana potions are the most common expense. People never ask for healing for minor injuries because of healing points. It is only big injuries, like a limb loss, and you can't slow heal an injury like that, otherwise you risk permanency." Healing was a lot more complicated than I had initially thought.

"But wouldn't your customers have to pay for Mana potions?"

"If they can afford it, yes. But the people in the most desperate need of emergency healing are the poorest." That didn't answer my question, but it also did. It meant he healed people, expecting nothing in return, or he didn't crush them financially.

"If you have a stable position in a big city, you can make decent money. Adventuring gives more levels, but the costs are much harder to manage. Adventuring is a risky profession, and losing a limb or even a finger can mean the end of a career."

"Well, my mother picked you. So, take comfort in knowing you meet whatever expectations she has."

"It is an honor of a lifetime to serve the Supreme Warlady," he replied earnestly.

"With the additional free stat points I got from my levels, I will do so much more. My Mana is a lot higher now, and things come much easier. It is a shame that power leveling beyond level 60 is very difficult. To become a legendary healer is nearly impossible."

"Can't you learn combat skills?"

"Yes. A Battle Healer is what the profession is called. They do well, but they are ultimately a different profession than a full Healer. They focus more on quick basic skills, while I have much greater depth and breadth in terms of abilities. Keeping stamina up during a fight can make a vast difference, especially when the monster groups get a lot larger on the 6 th layer."

"They do?" Another thing I had missed in my studies. Probably something passed on by word of mouth or experience.

"Hmm, yes. Every 5 layers, the dungeon adds a small twist. On the 11 th layer, mixed groups of monsters appear. On the 16 th layer, there are more varied tactics and even the occasional healing or support monster."

"Good, you two have gotten acquainted," my mother said as she returned. She began putting all the crates of supplies into her spatial storage.