Nil failed to suppress his screams as the healers and medical staff in the arena’s backrooms worked on his injuries. They had offered to sedate him using drugs or a sleep spell but claimed waking up would be a slow process. He wished to be done and back home as soon as possible and instructed them to use just enough to numb him. Unfortunately, the local anesthetics weren’t particularly useful for his type of injuries.
The thick constructs Jaqueline used as wheels ripped centimeter-deep gouges all along his front. It took the healers multiple spells to clean and disinfect the wound before they began the healing process. Everything in the vicinity itched as new tissue grew to replace the lost and damaged. Then the anesthetic did its job, and Nil got some relief.
It took minimal effort for the medical staff to fix the clean lacerations and the burns used for cauterization. The monstrous chunk growing out of his shoulder was an entirely different story.
“You have three options,” the chief healer said. “We can regrow the lost and damaged muscle in minutes like we did for your torso, but can’t guarantee whether the nerves and tendons will be perfect. I can’t predict how your sensation and mobility will be afterward. There is a sixty-six percent chance everything will be fine—”
“I don’t like those odds,” Nil said, cutting her off. The injuries, tiredness, and all-around discomfort significantly limited his patience. “What are the other two options?”
“There is a slow regrowth spell. It is more expensive, and recovery will take a week. You’ll be forbidden from exercise and training during it. It's my personal recommendation, and we guarantee you’ll be as good as new afterward. There won’t be any loss in strength, mobility, or flexibility. However, the patch might be paler than the rest of you for a while.”
“One week of training is a lot of lost training.” Nil sighed. He could technically dedicate the time to cultivation and practicing Qi Techniques. The Mind Pill he received in the Moon Rabbit Emporium’s welcome pack was also just sitting in a drawer, doing nothing. However, it was still a long time to go without working out or sparring. “And the final option?”
“Go to the Nexus and use the Fountain of Pyrene,” the chief healer answered. “You’ll need to use their most expensive package to fix the damage. It's not good for business so I don’t recommend it. We keep some of its waters in stores for emergency situations, but you’re neither eligible for the treatment nor would you be willing to shell out the number of credits we demand for it.”
“Could I pick the first or second treatment and then get healing from the fountain later?” Nil asked. Even though he was a Nexus employee, he could only request healing once a week. Not even six full days had passed since he returned from his quest. He wouldn’t get access to the fountain until late the following night or early Monday morning.
“I’d advise against it,” Nil said. “The longer you stay like this, the more your body starts fixing the damage independently and accepts its current state. I could teach a university-level course on the subject, but you’re not my only patient during the day. Let's just leave it at combining even the best healing you can afford with the fountain’s magic, which is a bad idea. The likelihood of arcane tumors and mutations is high. You’ll need to settle on one.”
“I pick number two.”
Nil hoped his next ascension or one of the future realms would come with a healing ability. Using Brutal Battery’s energy to repair injuries could potentially be incredible. However, the presence of ‘brutal’ in the name suggested that the chances of such a development were low.
As Nil lay on the infirmary bed, waiting for the healers to finish their job, he studied his updated his Schema interface. The new cultivation exercises, quest, and match, had netted him a fair bit of growth. Isabella had told him that people progressed through Iron Realm reasonably quickly and then got frustrated trying to get ascension tokens. The fact proved true for Shawn, Selia, and him. Working for the Nexus had already netted them one token. Winning their third Death Gauntlet match would win him one more.
* Might: Iron 9
* Finesse: Bronze 2
* Mind: Iron 2
* Spark: Bronze 7
Brutal Battery: Iron 8
* Absorb: Iron 8
* Expend: Iron 8
* Toggled Supercharging: Iron 3
* Energy Instinct: Iron 4
Source Gauntlets: Iron 3
* Wield The Source: Iron 4
* Galvanized: Iron 3
Ironroot Whelp: Iron 8
* Reinforce: Iron 6
* Regenerate: Iron 8
Nil intended to wait at least a month before returning to the Death Gauntlet for his final Iron Gauntlet match. He hoped to ascend his Might to Bronze and get another rank in Expend during the break. The first felt achievable, but he had doubts about the latter. Nil needed a breakthrough with his Qi techniques and cultivation. It was tempting to purchase a pill, but the Moon Rabbit Emporium’s shop assistant insisted he wait longer before taking another for the attribute.
The arena had convinced Watcher to provide him with three extra sessions. He could only hope that the training would help him jump the final pre-ascension hurdle. It wasn’t just that he wanted to ascend as soon as he got his prize. He wanted to get as strong as possible before heading into the arena again. The match was a close call, and he was sure the next one would be too. If Pietro accepted his challenge, things would prove especially challenging. Nil struggled with the cold, and the thought of being frozen solid terrified him.
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Nil also doubted that Absorbing him would be useful against the man. He’d need to avoid the snow for as long as possible and find a way around it. After some thought, he planned on training extra hard with Meatball. It was likely he’d need her to survive. Her Reinforce ability had gained a rank sometime after consuming the growth fruit and once again in the arena. It was unlikely she’d ascend to Bronze Realm before him, but reaching Iron-Nine in the next month would also prove incredible.
Things going forward wouldn’t be as easy as they were against Kennit. All of Nil’s opponents had far more experience and had been Summoned longer than him. He needed to use every possible advantage he could find. The Source Sphere had worked once since his opponent didn’t expect it. Nil doubted it would save him again until he got better at creating it without wasting an unfortunate volume of energy.
The idea of going for another quest tempted Nil. The chaos and stress always proved effective for rapid rank gain. However, he worried that unexpected time flow differences would screw him over. He didn’t want to risk it.
When the pain of the process intensified, Nil withdrew into himself, circulating energy through his body despite the discomfort and thought about what the future held. First, he thought of his next ability upgrade.
When Brutal Battery reached Iron Realm, he had gained four ability options instead of the standard three. Nil wasn’t sure whether he wanted to see the old options again or hoped for something new. He was glad he hadn’t picked Brutal Amplification or Overload Shielding. The first doubled the output power of Expend for a short duration but then prevented him from using the ability afterward. The second would’ve granted him a temporary barrier when Absorb pushed Brutal Battery’s stores past its limit.
Overload Shielding sounded excellent at first, but then concerns of Brutal Battery’s ever-growing stores concerned Nil. The likelihood of finding foes who could consistently push him past his limits was low and would get lower as his Spark continued to rise. It would have been a more viable option if he had prioritized Finesse or Might as his primary attribute, relying more on the physical aspect of Brutal Battery.
There was also Adaptive Battery, which granted boosts based on Nil’s current energy levels. He gained durability at high energy levels but lost speed. Meanwhile, Nil would’ve gained speed as his stores ran low. It could’ve been great, but Nil didn’t want an ability that slowed him.
The possibilities left him wondering about what could come next. He had enough destructive power. Nil desired something long-ranged or strategic. He also expected more foes capable of overcoming Absorb or wielding magic or elemental powers. Something to protect against them or recover from damage would make his life significantly easier. The Qi cultivation and accompanying techniques would give him more than enough offense with time. He now wanted the necessary tools to protect his friends and loved ones.
Nil wished for the tools to protect and do good. However, the multiverse kept giving him tools for death and destruction.
Is this my future? Kill and destroy to protect?
It took the medical staff and healers three hours to fix Nil. There were several attractions, entertainment, and more in the arena’s backroom. Apparently, many who hated their home worlds divided their time between quests and the backrooms, only going home when they had no choice. He returned to the Forge’s teleportation area. His holo devices beeped straight away. Selia had messaged him.
“It wasn’t pleasant watching you almost die. The healers will probably keep you for a while. I’ll be off preparing for tomorrow. Come find me in the training room 3-M or rest. I’ll see you tomorrow. That battery of yours is fucking brutal.”
Familiar faces greeted Nil in the building’s cafe. Zora and Cara Sue waved him over.
“That was terrifying as hell,” Cara Sue commented. “I was almost sure you were going to die.”
“I knew better.” Zora grinned, pushing a can of fizzy lemonade toward Nil and nodding at one of the two empty chairs at their table. “Some people say Iron Death Gauntlet is as dangerous as the Bronze Gauntlet. I tend to disagree, but that left me thinking differently. You’re a monster for almost taking out that Cursed One single handedly. It was a bloody terraformer.”
“Terraformer?” Nil raised an eyebrow. He took a seat and accepted the offered lemonade. The healers didn’t let him eat or drink during their work. He was now thirsty and ravenous. “You mean that thing was supposed to change the landscape?”
Zora nodded. “I’ve seen a few different types during my quests. Some change the landscape. Others either pollute or change the weather, cutting the world off from light. Shawn’s match had one that fucks with the sea.”
“The Scourge need a comfortable environment to settle and grow,” Cara Sue added. “They rely heavily on Cursed Ones and Cursed Beasts, and the environment needs to be able to house them.”
Nil drained his beverage in three seconds and barely suppressed the afterward burp. When Cara offered him the second half of her sandwich, he accepted the offer. It also lasted only a handful of seconds. “The more I learn about all the fucked up shit going on, the more I wonder whether the Scourge is already here and pulling the strings.”
Cara Sue shook her head. “You haven’t seen the darkness of the multiverse and what the Scourge does. We’re on the same path many took before welcoming them, but we’re not there yet. There are a few bad apples, but we’re mostly on the good side. Mostly.”
“I don’t know what kind of work the Nexus has put you to, but Cara is right,” Zora said. “Things would be much worse if the Scourge were already here. Things are broken and far from perfect, but we haven’t fallen that far. I firmly believe we’re more than capable of fixing the wrongs and all the damage we’ve done.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Nil stated. “The more I learn, the more I fear for my family and friends.”
“I’m with you, Nil.” Zora slid more food toward him, appearing amused. “There is only one path to quelling such fears. Get stronger. Survive. Change things. That’s precisely my intention.”