I sit there in a stupor, wondering about the hint I have found. Based on the way my mind interprets data from the scan, I normally can only catch pieces of information when I get the first hit of the data.

This time is no different, in that sense.

What was different is that the information that was there spanned from one central action, making it easy to determine what needed to be done.

All the situations I could sense, from the very vague notions I had gotten, involved healing random people.

It’s weird, but the overall feeling that I got from it, was as if there some sort of gacha or random chance to getting this.

As if there was a reason that I couldn’t know everything about this. The reason that my scan had taken it in a different way than I had prepared for.

That doesn’t change the situation I’m in, though. I obviously just went through a very serious knockout. One which really concerned my group.

The tough part about this is that I’m pretty sure there’s going to be an insanely enormous amount of danger attached to healing people magically in a city full of cultivators. But also, there is a possibility that the only reason I’m able to get this cultivation method is because I’m doing such a thing.

Nonetheless, I picked myself up begin heading over to Gong, Ai, and Lin’s location. They have seemed to have been meeting up and discussing something after leaving to go to their own areas.

They seem to be discussing what to do about the pickup that will happen in the next few days. The one that the sect will do to begin testing.

That almost stops me in my tracks, bringing to the forefront of my mind how close we actually are to this happening.

If we are this close, then it is even more important that I discuss this with them.

With little ado, I head over and apologize again for earlier. Then go into what I had found.

The three of them listen quietly, not saying anything before I finish telling them what I figured out.

When they do respond, it is actually Lin that speaks up.

“Well, James. From what we’ve been able to tell, your knowing ability is usually right.”

Ai seems to shift uncomfortably at that, like there is something they had talked about earlier that she wants to say. Something she disagrees with.

I can feel my eyes squint at that, but before I can even think of addressing it, Lin continues.

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“My take on it, is that the best thing we can do is to try to mitigate for it.”

She paces in front of Gong and Ai, seemingly in thought.

It feels a little weird to be getting a briefing from Lin. Normally, this would come from Ai.

She might have caught onto my train of thought, as she clears up the confusion.

“Ah, I’ve been working with gong to do some research into the sect and other aspects. Especially since everyone’s so busy, and I needed to move away from my liberating skill sets.

“One of the things I found, that may be useful to know in this situation, is that for the exam they actually take you into the sect grounds before the testing. This seems to be a way to make sure that you are not using unsavory methods to pass the exam.”

She pauses.

“What this means for us, is that it’s likely that will not be until you pass the exam, that you will be able to explore the city. However, this also means that it will be very strange, if you go into the library to get a cultivation method and don’t use it.

“My recommendation is to pass the exam, but don’t immediately go to the library until you’ve actually picked up your cultivation method. You should still have access to the library as an inner court member.”

Gong speaks up after her words.

“I’d also like to give a recommendation, based on some discussions the three of us have had on how you can use your ability, without revealing much.

“We’ve noticed that you’re able to maintain and use the healing over a distance, pretty regularly. Since it seems the distance is not as much of a problem, the farther away you can stay while you heal, the better.”

I’ve definitely thought about that, but I wonder how far I could actually take it without sacrificing too much the healing capabilities? At least for the level and speed of healing that it seems to normally take for people.

After using my scan on this question, I find that my limit now generally seems to be around a mile away. The real limiting factor isn’t actually my healing, but my scan.

If I’m to use this continuously, it would definitely put a strain on my brain to do so. One that I’m lithe to take too far, in an area where I could be attacked at any moment for the healing I’m doing.

Communicating this to the group has them agreeing that this should be a safe distance. In the populated areas, at least.

Since I’m going to need to heal a lot more, it’s likely I might have to go into less populated areas, in which I might have to extend things farther, but do it slower.

I explained to them my method of healing all the way to just under the surface of the skin, which they agree seems to be a good idea.

With that portion complete, we adjourn for the night. Though, it seems Gong is still hard at work, doing several different things, to try to keep this whole situation afloat.

… Seeing her work that hard kind of makes me feel guilty.

And frankly reminds me of the thing I’ve been avoiding, the thing I really don’t want to do, because of the ramifications.

The iridescent worms.

I could probably find them. Throwing out a wide scan over this area. Maybe not all of it, but definitely the clusters that Gong would eventually reach.

That she might reach.

Fuck.

How the heck are we to do this? I know Gong has been preparing in the background, but I’m honestly scared to deal with this myself.

Sigh.

I’m about to leave to go to the sect. It’s possible that I could be there for a month or longer.

How long do those people have to suffer? How much further will the numbers of those things grow?

I know what I have to do.

Dang it. Time to take care of business.

With my heart readied, I extend a pulse outward to get the general direction of the local iridescent worm clusters.

… What the fuck?

I find something that shocks me deeply.