I decided to stay for two days tee my mana fully. The first night we spehe former jurber , but the day, I relocated us to the nearby rest stop. I liked the stump-chairs and the log tables. It resembled the first rest stop we visited with the caravan, but was further off the road and hidden by some trees. I spent the first day breathing in mana with total tration tee faster, and noticed that there was muana in the air. I didn't know if it was the mana released from the jurbers or if this location was better. Either way, my mana was at 2680/4200 by the evening of the first day.

  After I made us dinner, I took out my guitar and began pying. In a short while, I heard hooves clopping and a carriage. I got up and saw a big fancy carriage pulled by four horses and an escort of six riders in faniforms.

  Oh no, more nobles!

  I began to break camp quickly to leave, but then I heard a pained cry and frantic shouts, so I went to iigate. Two men were carrying a g pregnant woman on a stretcher, and a young man beside her was shouting frantically at everybody and looked like he was about to faint. I approached the maended my hand for a handshake, and said, "Hello, my name is John, and I'm a healer. Do you need help?"

  "Blessed Spirits. YES! My wife is having the baby too early and is bleeding."

  "I will help her. Don't worry, breathe."

  I diaghe mother and realized she wasn't doing so well. The baby remature and in distress, and the mother was losing a lot of blood. Turning to them, I expihe situation, my tone serious but calm.

  "The baby is premature and in distress," I said, log eyes with the husband. "And the mother is losing a lot of blood."

  The husband paled, his hand tightening around his wife's. "What we do?" he asked, voice trembling.

  "I o cut her open to save the baby," I tinued, gng betweeo gauge their reas. "She won't feel it. I will put her to sleep with a spell."

  The mother nodded weakly, her grip on her husband's hand faltering. The husband looked torn but resolute.

  "Do it," he said, voice steadying. "Save them both."

  I quickly summoned my biggest piic table, covered it with a pstic sheet and a regur sheet on top, and asked the husband to help me undress her and transfer her to the table. He wasn't happy about the undressing part because of the guards. So I summowo of my bookcases and put them as a partition, and he rexed and helped me undress her and move her to the table.

  I moved quickly, casting and Purify ohing. Flowed Ahesia into the mother, ensuring she wouldn't feel any pain. Split my mind, stopped the bleeding from the uterus, and began the C-se.

  With precision, I made the incision, revealing the baby inside. Grabbed the blood so she wouldn't bleed out, and carefully lifted the baby out. A quick diagnosis revealed a problem in her respiratory system. Splitting my mind into three, I sent healing waves into her to aid her lung development, but they remained underdeveloped. I Rubbed her batil she cried and sighed with relief.

  Ohe umbilical cord stopped pulsating, I tied and cut it. Cast & Purify on her before ing her in a soft towel and handio her father, who looked ready to faint.

  "If you feel yoing to faint, tell me," I instructed him, casting Fortify Life For him just in case. He looked a little perkier, the color returning to his face.

  I went back to the mother, diagnosed her again, stopped the bleeding, removed the pta, and, holding the cut closed with my hands, healed her. I also cast Fortify Life For her and awo Healing Touches, just in case, and stopped the Ahesia. She tio sleep, and I let her be.

  I returo the baby, checked her, and saw she was better. However, after all the healing, she needed nourishment. Of course, I didn't bring baby food; why would I? So, I had to wake the mother up and tell her to feed her baby. The mother was also in a state of dehydration and starvation. So I told her to feed the baby, and her husband would feed her. He gave me a startled look but didn't argue.

  I handed her a bottle of water. "Drink all of this," I instructed gently. She took it and drank eagerly.

  Once she finished, I asked, "Do you need another?" She nodded, so I gave her a sed bottle. She drank it down and then looked up. "I'm fine," she said, her voice stronger.

  I took out a takeaway box with grilled salmon aables. "You he B12," I expiurning to her husband. "Feed her, please."

  Judging by their expressions, they never heard of B12.

  She tried to protest. "I feed myself."

  Shaking my head, I crified, "Healing takes a lot of nutrients from the body. You and your baby he food now to plete the healing process."

  She paused, then nodded, accepting the situation. Her husband, looking more enthusiastic, fed her.

  I stood there looking at the domestic picture. She was nursing the baby, and her husband was feeding her and telling her how amazing she was and how beautiful their daughter was. And I felt a strong pin my heart. Sophie and I decided not to have kids early to trate on our careers, and the sick, and it wasn't an option. This could have been us. Happy new parents enjoying their first moment with their child. I missed her so much, but it was getting easier. Maybe because it was almost a year and a half after her death, maybe because I was ing to terms with it. I didn't know, but I didn't feel choked up from grief or with longing, just mencholic.

  After the mother and baby ate, I asked the mother her name, Domenica, and the father's name, Aurusti turned out they weren't just any nobles; she rincess, the daughter of the king of Mara, and he was the Heir Apparent of Somer. Their destination was her parents' kingdom, where she po have her baby and stay with her mother for a few months. Her bleeding and early bor happened halfway, and they weren't sure what to do until I approached them. They wouldn't stop thanking me and invited me to both kingdoms to be "treated like the most treasured guest." I thahem and said I might visit.

  I remembered my Luck saying something about fortunate enters and checked.

  Luck

  This quality does not have physiental aspects.Luck affects ce, fate, ainy.Luck is the invisible guidance leading toward fortune, prosperity, success, and fortuitous events or circumstances.Luck is also the internal warning of danger, of knowing not to go somewhere or not to do something.Luck is the guiding hand that leads you to a better existence.

  So, I guess raising my luck was lucky—especially for them. I felt embarrassed about the poor joke but still snickered.

  After they left my "Operating room," I ed, purified, and stored everything. My pn was to stay at the rest stop tonight, but now I felt like I was encroag. So I went to tell them goodbye and che the mother and baby o time. I checked Domenica, and she was fine, only tired. Cast o healing and fortifying on her and checked the baby. She was much better, and her respiratory system was ier shape. It didn't just heal. It developed and was almost fully normal, like a regur baby and not a premature one. I leased, especially about the fantastic Fortify Life Force spell responsible for this miracle.

  Aurustihanked me repeatedly and gave me a hefty pouch of gold. I tried to refuse, saying it was my pleasure, but he insisted. Finally, I agreed and took the gold. I didn't have a problem with being paid for my services as a doctor, but the magical heali different for some reason. I o examihis thought and see why. There was no reason not to get paid for a valuable service provided.

  I said goodbye to them, called Stretch, who slept through most of the event, took out my bicycle and trailer, and prepared to head out. I wasn't tired, and the two moons, especially the big one, gave me enough light to ride at night.

  Before setting out, I checked my persistent red blinking light.

  Level up

  +3 intelligence, +3 wisdom, +2 vitality, +3 free points

  Css: Healer Level 7

  Stat points: 3

  As a tribute to the fortunate enter, I added the free stat points to Luck. When I added the free points, the red light started blinking again.

  Milestone Reached

  Luck 20 or Above

  Reag a Luck stat of 20 or above marks a signifit milestone in your journey. At this level, you ow actively engage your Luck to determihe best dire to travel for a fortue. This means more than just avoiding danger; it means seeking fortuitous enters, disc hidden treasures, and arriving at pces where success and prosperity await.

  With Luck over 20, you gain an intuitive sense of where to go for a lucky find, whether it's a hidden cache of valuable items, an enter with a beneficial ally, or a situation that leads to ued prosperity. This heightened sense guides you through the intricate web of possibilities, ensuring you are always in the right pd time.

  Engaging your Lu this way transforms it from a passive trait to an active tool in your arsenal, enhang your journey and helping you navigate the world's uainties with fidend purpose.

  Why do I keep getting surprised?

  In some books I read, there was a leap when reag some number with stats, but I had some high numbers, like 44 Wisdom or 37 Intelligend Vitality, and there was no special effect or anything. Why was Luck different?

  I don't uand this system!

  It was simir enough to some things I read in some book or other, so it felt familiar, but the minor points of difference kept tripping me up. I should stop expeg things to be one way or another based on what I read and find the intricacies of my personal system.

  This system should e with a user manual. This is no way to run a system.

  I felt a rebuke directed at me.

  "Yeah, yeah, don't get your panties in a twist. Just thinking. I'm allowed, right?" I asked out loud.

  I felt amusement.

  You know what, I'm too tired of the whole thing even to feel surprised.

  I got on my bike and started pedaling.