Revolution of Healer

I hope you enjoy the chapter... and I'll see you on Tuesday.

It's strange to think of "healing" a stone. I think the correct term is purifying. If I do that, I might be able to reveal its true form.

Shinin~~

It was much more difficult than with the herbs. I had to use both hands this time. I don't know if it enhanced the spell or if it was just a question of posture, but I definitely tried harder.

It took a long time, but it's done!

Hm? That stone... Actually, it's not really a stone. It's more like some kind of ore.

Its shiny, slightly transparent blue color allows me to see my enlarged hand on the other side, albeit in a distorted way. It's beautiful, reminiscent of a diamond, but it's not that fragile. I tested its resistance with a few knocks and realized that it can withstand considerable impacts. It's funny to think that one of the most valuable and sharpest materials in the world is also one of the most fragile, giving way under little pressure.

Hm?

The ore... is becoming corrupted again. Its color is gradually returning to that dark, impure purple. This time, unlike the herbs, the corrosion was much more obvious. I watched for a while and, in just five minutes, the crystal had already been completely consumed again.

If I tried to purify it again, the result would probably be the same. To restore it permanently, I would have to purify the entire cave. But that would take me a considerable amount of time - not to mention the fact that I don't even know if this corruption is natural. Nature has unpredictable ways of manifesting itself, especially one that I still don't understand. Who knows? maybe I'm interfering in an ecosystem without realizing it. But it doesn't matter now.

With one more experience of my powers, I headed off in the direction the stream flowed.

The lighting in the cave was poor, so I used my magic to light the way. The glow was intense, but the range was limited. At least it was enough to see around me.

The damp was more evident. The ground was now muddy. That's a good sign. It means I'm getting closer to my new goal.

I just hope I'm prepared for what's to come.

Or, at worst, I could be meeting my end right now...

***

I kept wandering aimlessly around the cave.

I've never been the hiking type. My maximum exercise amounted to a few sit-ups and push-ups every couple of weeks. I wasn't athletic, but I couldn't afford to sit still either. Even if I ate little, and even if I overdid it, I wouldn't gain weight alarmingly.

Perhaps I would have made more progress if I hadn't made so many stops along the way. I was still exploring my new gift, which remained a mystery - as did the rest of the cave.

As more stones appeared in front of me, I tried to purify them with my healing power. It was then that I noticed something strange. Unlike with the herbs, my power seemed to have reached a limit. Maybe it was because I wasn't consuming them anymore? But when I purified one and ate it, nothing changed. Had I stagnated?

Still, there was no reason to feel bad. For someone who didn't even know magic existed, having a power was already a great advantage. What's more, it was useful information.

Now that I know how far my ability extends, I realize that it's not as powerful as I thought. Perhaps it's a natural mechanism to stop me overdoing it. I have a bad track record with this - so much so that I ended up dying because of my recklessness. But is this really a limitation? It's more like I'm stuck in a single level.

In old RPGs, when you complete all the objectives in a dungeon, it becomes easier. As a consequence, the player gains less experience, and even the drop rate decreases dramatically. Could this be what's happening to me? Am I in some kind of game?

No... The VRMMOs of our time aren't that ultra-realistic. And if they were, this would be something along the lines of Night Souls or Elder King, throwing the player straight into hell from the start. Who knows? Maybe that's exactly what it is, and I just haven't realized it yet...

Anyway, luckily for me, I haven't encountered any hostile creatures yet. If that happened, I wouldn't know what to do apart from heal myself - which wouldn't help much if I kept getting hit without being able to fight back. If only I had a sword or something to defend myself, it would be a different story.

But fortunately, this cave seems peaceful. Or maybe I'm just in a safer part of it. In fact, I don't even know how deep I am. I could be close to the surface or in a hole with no way out. I know I shouldn't be pessimistic, but I like to face facts as they are. If that's the case, all I can do is accept it.

As for my powers... Yes, I've reached a limit. But that doesn't mean they're weak.

As far as their effectiveness is concerned, I can still purify a medium-sized circular area. The herbs are restored without difficulty, but I've had enough of eating them for now. The unknown ores, on the other hand, remain an enigma. I manage to purify them to a certain extent, but after a few minutes they are once again taken over by the corrupting miasma.

I'm not very good at naming things, but that's the feeling they give me.

It's like trying to dry a sponge on a soggy surface. Even if I squeeze it and remove all the water, sooner or later it will absorb it again. So maybe the problem isn't with them... but with this cave.

I still don't know exactly how my healing power works, but I assume it's what keeps me safe. My breathing is normal, my body doesn't feel heavy and, as far as I can tell, I'm immune to the poisons and corrosion of this place.

- Hm?

I've finally reached my goal. I can already see the stream of water.

As I got closer, the sound of the water became clearer. It wasn't that loud, so I assumed it was just a shallow stream. Of course, I didn't expect to find the source right away, but if there's water, maybe there's a way out.