Chapter 18

Successfully casting the healing spell, Great returned to the dining table, feeling particularly justified as he had lunch with the priest. He chatted and ate, while also tending to the boy for an hour to ensure the allergic symptoms did not recur, before finally feeling at ease to go to sleep.

Before falling asleep, he repeatedly instructed that if the child felt any other discomfort, he must be woken up immediately.

Perhaps because he was a healer, or perhaps out of gratitude for saving the child, Uncle Edmund, the farm owner, did not make him share a large dormitory with his comrades but instead arranged a separate room for him. With fine linen sheets and a soft, fluffy quilt, Great lay down and sighed contentedly.

...The first day of crossing over was finally over.

From today on, I have to live alone in this unfamiliar world. The only things I can rely on are my head full of scientific knowledge, the healing spell I just learned to cast, and...

He touched his chest. Around his neck, a wax-coated fine linen string held a pendant, which, according to the original body's memory, had never left him since childhood.

A translucent, leaf-shaped, light green pendant. Neither metal nor jade, neither wood nor stone.

"I don't know what it is... Oh well, I'll just wear it..."

Great mumbled softly. He closed his eyes and fell into darkness in less than half a second.

Great had a deep sleep.

Having just arrived in this world, he had walked for countless miles and experienced two emergency treatments. Great slept very soundly. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he slept until dawn without waking up once.

The only thing that disturbed his sleep was the recurring dream of writing a thesis:

Patient, male, 37 years old... treated for trauma. Diagnosis: third-degree liver rupture, one intestinal rupture, 5 cm in length... performed intestinal repair surgery without anesthesia, using healing potion and healing spell to restore, and repositioned the intestines. The patient passed gas six hours after intestinal surgery.

Discussion: After intestinal surgery, the patient's intestinal motility is usually slow due to anesthesia and surgical trauma, typically taking 48 to 72 hours to recover. In this case, the patient's intestinal motility recovered in just 6 hours, a significant reduction in time.

It can be concluded that the use of the healing spell post-surgery significantly promotes intestinal recovery. It is recommended to conduct further clinical studies based on this case...

...The accursed thesis.

Great, still half-asleep, got up and slapped his head, producing a crisp sound.

I've already crossed over, I don't need to struggle to write theses for a promotion anymore, spare me...

Due to this not-quite-nightmare, Great was rather listless when he got up to wash and dress. He dressed and ate breakfast with sleepy eyes, just as he was about to line up with his comrades to set off, he received a message:

They were being conscripted by the temple guards to participate in the next search operation.

"Us?"

Great was bewildered. The young priest John, hearing this, became anxious:

"Great, you can't go! — That knight, the one from yesterday, clearly dislikes you. This conscription is definitely aimed at you! If you go, he'll find a way to deal with you!"

"Ah, really?" Great scratched his head. "The priest is quite reasonable and has a good impression of me. But we are the city guards! We still have to patrol!"

"But that knight is the mayor's nephew..." Captain Calvin smiled bitterly, full of helplessness:

"The Temple of the Spring Goddess is a 'noble's temple.' Most of the priests and knights there are of noble birth. They can conscript the city guards with just a word.

Patrol duties and such, they say they will vouch for us when we return. Little Great, forget it."

"But Uncle Calvin, your injuries aren't fully healed! — I'll go talk to them!"

"Little Great..."

Ignoring the captain's attempts to stop him, Great turned and rushed into the hall. Knight Roman stood at the door, listening patiently to his request and then smiled: "You are a healer, of course you have the privilege of not participating. As for Captain Calvin, isn't his injury already healed?"

Great slightly lowered his gaze. Knight Roman's words seemed to exclude him, giving him a good reason not to participate. But — but how could he not go!

Not to mention that they were comrades, and Uncle Calvin had always taken care of the original body. As a doctor, he couldn't abandon his comrades in potential danger and desert them in the face of danger!

"It's just that the danger to life is gone! He can only eat liquid food now, how can that be considered healed!" Great argued forcefully:

"Uncle Calvin's wounds on his arm and leg haven't healed yet!"

"As a warrior, such minor injuries can't keep him from fighting," Knight Roman shook his head. "Besides, you can still heal him along the way, can't you?"

Great was speechless. He had treated Uncle Calvin earlier, but after healing a wound on his left leg, his head started to throb. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate, he couldn't focus, and no white light came from his fingertips.

Based on his experience from reading web novels and playing games, Great felt that it might be due to excessive mental strain. Or perhaps, as a low-level priest, he had used up his healing spells?

"...I want to see the priest!"

"The priest is still in morning prayer," Knight Roman's lips curled slightly, his eyes lowered, and he glanced at Great. That look was both disdainful and suspicious, as if to say:

Don't you need to pray in the morning?

Great: "..."

He seemed to recall that priests pray to the gods every morning to restore their healing spells... Yes, when he washed his face, little freckles also mumbled to the sun, wondering what he was doing.

Finished, this morning he was so focused on complaining about the thesis that he completely forgot to pray. Besides, even if he prayed, to whom? The God of Nature?

He couldn't remember the name, doctrines, or prayers of the God of Nature...

I'm clearly a fake divine inspiration. Great felt sad.

Even so, giving up was not Great's style. He calmed himself and continued to argue with Knight Roman. He pleaded and reasoned, and finally, in a fit of desperation, he issued a threat:

"Then let me go in Uncle Calvin's place! — Since I'm a healer, I have the privilege, and if you don't agree, I won't go!"

"Deal! It's a promise!"

With a clap of their hands, Great's left hand, hanging by his side, subtly clenched into a fist.

— This guy definitely has ulterior motives. Be careful!

Packing his backpack and shouldering his water bag, Great set off again. Just as they were about to leave, the young priest, carrying his pack, rushed out and stood beside him without a word:

"Great, I'm going with you!"

"What are you going to do?"

"You're not taking me home, so of course I'm going with you!" Little John winked at him. His smile was both determined and mischievous, his freckles shining and dancing:

"Don't even think about getting rid of me!"

Great, helpless, reached out and shook his hand firmly.

Although conscripted into the search team, Great was completely clueless about what they were looking for. He followed the group, trudging over mountains and through streams, crossing three hills and two small rivers. Finally, they camped in an abandoned ancient castle in the evening. Just as he was half-asleep, a scream jolted him awake:

"Ahh— Skeletons!"

Clang, clang, clang, the sharp sound of swords being drawn.

Although the ancient castle was deep in the mountains, it was quite large, with a main castle, a great hall, watchtowers, and a cluster of buildings. Unfortunately, most of it had collapsed. Fortunately, the great hall was mostly intact, and a few of the cluster buildings still had complete roofs. The only habitable places left were the two towers in the southeast and northeast corners.

The temple guards occupied the most intact main hall. Priest Donald and Knight Roman did not stay with them but had two rooms cleaned out on the upper floor of the hall, staying next to each other. The team's horses were stabled in the cluster buildings. Great's team, not wanting to crowd with them, discussed and decided to camp in the southeast tower.

At that moment, the northeast tower was already filled with shouts, footsteps, and the sound of swords clashing with bones.