As the girls harvested, I reveled in my quest reward. On a section of its own within my codex, I noticed a shopping bag icon and ordered my system to open it. I went sck jawed instantly at the selections, each categorized by element type and css type. But what really floored me was how most of this stuff was unavaible to a level five human warrior.

  “Well, that blows,” I muttered to myself. Either way, I still had two slots to fill, so there was that.

  I studied my options and decided on one offensive spell and one defensive spell:

  Burning Ssh: engulfs melee weapon in fmes, dealing residual damage in a powerful burst of heat.

  Requirements: 5 silver coins, world level of 5, melee weapon. Optimal length of melee weapon: 3 ft+

  Crystalline Ice Shield: barricades user with an icy crystalline shield.

  Requirements: 5 silver coins, world level of 5, melee weapon. Burst Effect avaible in upgrades.

  Huh, I guess I was so excited that I missed the fact that I had to pay for these, and they weren’t cheap. I also noticed that I had to keep my skill scrolls on me at all times to use these spells. For magic affirmed races, this clearly wasn’t a requirement, seeing as they could channel mana directly. Whereas folk like me, and even beastkin, we channeled mana through our life-force, and these scrolls were conduits for getting the same effect.

  A fire elemental offensive move, and a crystal element defensive move. Yeah, I could work with that.

  So I paid for [Burning Ssh] and [Crystalline Ice Shield] and then thought of all the summons I’d be doing with my small knife. While it seemed like a basic weapon, I couldn’t badmouth it, seeing as it allowed me to buy these scrolls. Without it, I’d just have another hurdle to overcome. I pnned on upgrading anyway, as soon as I could get my hands on some funds, because right now, I was dirt broke.

  Heh, more of the same, I suppose.

  The scrolls were magically added to my inventory, more precisely, my skill scroll locker, which turned out wasn’t an actual safe, per say. It wasn’t one with a figurative lock as I’d hoped. Because if I became unconscious, or worse, these scrolls could be looted.

  “So much to know about this world and its methods,” I said to myself, before Phenrie walked over to me with a curious expression on her face.

  “Excuse me, Lord Lucien?” she said, and I corrected her immediately.

  “Heh, no, it’s just Lucien.” My remark made her tilt her head to the side and raise an eyebrow at me. I chuckled. “I swear I’m not crazy, and don’t usually talk to myself. I was just buying two skill scrolls.”

  “Well, that notion sure does sound crazy. How did you do that without being at a scroll shop?”

  “I have a virtual one in my head, erm, I mean, my codex.”

  She giggled. “You say that like it’s a normal thing. Surely, you are the chosen one.”

  “Normal? So this is an exclusive feat? Part of some celestial VIP package?”

  “It must be. Virtual Shops are not a thing as far as I know.”

  I smiled. “Well, it’s pretty convenient, given my circumstances.”

  “What did you end up buying?”

  “[Burning Ssh] and [Crystalline Ice Shield].”

  “Nice choices! A lot of people tend to stick with one element and master it. But I like you adventurous types who want to touch all elements for a little variety!” Her face softened. “Thank you, Lord—I, I mean, heh, Lucien.”

  “Hey, you had no problem calling me that before.”

  “That was before you performed this miracle! I guess deep down, Buliba was right. I wanted some confirmation, and we got it.” She bowed. “So, thank you.”

  “Since you can do miracles, can you help someone back at the monastery?” Hy requested.

  “Hy!” Phenrie retorted. “It is too early to give him such a request! And the one you’re thinking of is not for us to make!”

  “No, I don’t mind,” I reassured her. “What did you want me to do? Anyway I could help, I’m all for it.”

  “Please, there is a woman who is like a mother to us all. She’s been touched by the Infernal Mist, and she is terribly ill. Mother Sylena has been bedridden for years. A shaman has been by her bedside, administering healing around the clock, so she’ll stay in this realm with us for as long as she can. We’ve also sought the wisdom of a sage alchemist healer. Even so, she grows weaker.” Hy’s voice began to shake. “If you can bring back life to our field, then maybe you can help her?”

  “I’m sorry to hear about her. I can certainly try. But I’m not sure if my [Fertile Charm] works that way,” I replied, trying to be honest about my limitations.

  Phenrie’s face softened with understanding. “We appreciate your honesty, Lucien.”

  “However, I can heal as well. So I’ll try healing her.”

  Phenrie folded her hands to me and begged, “We are grateful for any help you can offer."

  Hy nodded in agreement, wiping tears from her eyes. “Thank you, Lucien.”

  From there, we made our way back to the monastery, the same monastery that stood on a hill overlooking the rest of the vilge. This was my second time walking up those stone steps, but this experience was even more intimidating than the first. As we walked through the entrance, I began to feel the gravity of the situation and the weight of what I’d told those girls I was prepared to do. Given that I’d seen my divine powers for myself, knowing that I wasn’t a fraud, I still had to process the idea of competing with the effects of the Infernal Mist. It was something that had kept this poor woman bedridden for years. Was I really strong enough to outshine a shaman and a sage alchemic healer?

  Adrenaline pumped through me as we made our way down the hushed, candlelit corridors. All I hoped for was that I didn’t do more harm than good to Sylena.

  “Mother Sylena is in the infirmary,” Hy informed me, her voice barely above a whisper. We rounded a corner and the sight before me was perhaps one of the most heartbreaking ones I’d ever seen.

  I had seen suffering in my life, and had seen hardship, but the sight of this woman, lying frail and fragile as she fought for her life, stirred something deep within me. Her face was sunken with pain that ran deeper than any wound, and each shallow breath seemed to drain even more life from her. Behind the face of suffering was a beautiful red-headed woman with the same snow white wings as High Priestess Kai.

  She may have been in her early 40’s, but her condition made her look older. The room was filled with a heavy silence, broken only by her bored breathing and the soft whispering chant of the middle-aged shaman with long jet bck hair sitting by her, performing her healing ritual.

  Hy moved to her side, gently taking Sylena’s hand. Her eyes met mine. “Lucien,” she began, her voice trembling, “this is Mother Sylena. She means everything to us.”

  Walking up to Sylena’s bedside, I looked at the woman who despite her ailment, possessed a certain aura of grace. Her energy was like an epitome of nurturer and provider. The shaman looked up at me, her eyes weary and exhausted. Nodding at her, I moved in closer, taking Sylena’s other hand. It was cold and frail in mine, a stark contrast to the warm, vibrant woman Hy and Phenrie had described her to be on our way to the infirmary.

  “Could you please excuse us?” Phenrie asked the shaman. She bowed and walked over to Phenrie, whispering something in her ear before she walked out. Phenrie then turned to me and said, “We only have a few minutes before she needs to come back.”

  “Okay,” I said, determined to help Sylena. I turned back to the frail woman on the bed, studying her face. Her skin appeared to be more transparent up close, with thin veins running across her cheeks. Droplets of sweat showed along her forehead, and if I focused long enough, I could feel her shallow heartbeat as I stroked my thumb along her fingers.

  I took another deep breath and closed my eyes, allowing myself to connect with the energy within me. The room went quiet, and I could feel the twins’ anticipation crawling up my back. It was like they were looking over my shoulder even though they’d distanced themselves to give me space to perform. My heart pounded against my chest as I began to channel the divine powers I had been blessed with. A warm sensation coursed through my veins, growing stronger by the second until it felt as though a small sun was burning inside me.

  I allowed this inner sun to bze stronger, feeling its energy strengthen in response, my fingers tingling where they brushed against Sylena’s. The heat spread from the core of my body, down my arm, and into Sylena. A gentle glow enveloped her frail form as I let my power flow into her.

  There was no dramatic gasp of breath or sudden change in her complexion. Instead, I felt her fingers twitch under mine, so gently it could have been imagined. Then it happened again, a light squeeze this time, and I knew I wasn’t imagining it. Her chest rose and fell in a rhythm slightly less bored than before, giving me hope.

  A faint color crept into her cheeks, repcing the pallid whiteness. I watched as her lips parted in a soft sigh, and for the first time since we’d entered the room, I saw her stir restlessly. Her brows furrowed as if she was fighting to wake, motivating me to continue helping her.

  I could feel a sweat bead on my forehead from the concentrated effort of transferring my power to her. At this point, I knew I was trying my limits. I heard Hy gasp softly from where she stood watching anxiously, but I didn’t take my eyes off Sylena.

  Without warning, she spoke, a simple word, no, a name. “Kai….”

  “Oh my goddess, she talks!” Hy tweeted, her sister pushing past her and taking to Sylena’s bedside.

  “Mother Sylena?!” she cried, just as my healing tapered off. My body slumped forward, worn out from the taxing effort of healing her. When I was pouring my energy through her, I felt some pushback, which hindered the full effect of my powers. This foreign energy wasn’t hers, most likely from the Infernal Mist. That shit was dark, and I felt it trying to drag me into its abyss. I shook it off with a deep shudder and cradled my head for a second, Hy rushing over to take my shoulders into her arms behind me.

  “Are you all right, Lucien?” she said, and I cracked her a smile with a nod.

  “I’m fine.” Then, my smile faded. “But I’m sorry I couldn’t do more. That was as much as I—”

  “It’s the first time we’ve heard her speak in over five years….” Phenrie choked as hot tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. “You have no idea how much this means to us….”

  The girls were celebrating, but I was having a hard time getting excited about it. She still wasn’t a hundred percent, though I guess I was being a bit too hard on myself. After all, I didn’t think I could do it. Even if I couldn’t heal her completely, this was a pretty good start.

  “Mom?” someone called out from the entrance of the infirmary. When all three of us turned around, we saw Kai, the shocked expression on her face prompting the girls to leave.

  I felt like an idiot for not making the corretion before—Mother Sylena was High Priestess Kai’s actual mother….