"Be careful, it's a Nivian," murmured a few vendors, moving the shelves under the awnings of their shops slightly inward.
"A Nivian kid? Why is he carrying such a strange, ragged bundle?" a few citizens discussed while eating breakfast on the terrace of a second-floor restaurant.
"Stay away from him, watch your wallets. Last time, a few Nivian kids pretending to be sick swiped my whole day's earnings..." a laborer hastily warned his colleagues.
Julius, with Lucia wrapped in cloth on his back, paid no attention to the surrounding gossip and rumors. Instead, he continued to run barefoot through the drizzle on the commercial street, searching for buildings that looked like drugstores or hospitals.
It was a weekday morning, and despite the rain, there were quite a few pedestrians on the commercial street. Yet, no one tried to ask the boy, who looked to be in urgent need, what he required; even Julius's requests for directions went unanswered.
These well-dressed people just continued with their own affairs, coldly watching the white-haired boy running wildly in the rain, as if observing a peculiar mouse that dared to roam the streets blatantly in broad daylight.
Discrimination, prejudice, though not entirely unfounded, it seems such phenomena are ubiquitous across all worlds.
Feeling the chill from his soaked clothes and the rainwater eroding his already fragile body, Julius had no choice but to use the last of his soul power. By enhancing both his stamina and sensory perceptions, he accelerated again, darting past the surprised onlookers on the streets.
The disdain in that pharmacist's eyes, even as he tidies the pharmacy's entrance while checking his accounts, likely means he's stingy and wouldn't treat someone penniless.
That elderly man dressed as a doctor... probably isn't as benevolent as he appears. The hidden malice and thick karma on him suggest he might be involved in nefarious activities.
After dismissing several potential locations based on his keen judgment of character, Julius had to keep running.
He could have used force to make someone treat Lucia, but if they had mixed harmful spells into their healing magic, Julius, unfamiliar with the local spells, might not be able to see through their deception in time. Thus, it wasn't worth the risk.
After running through the busiest commercial areas and turning several street corners, a scent blending herbal aromas with the fresh smell of wood polish was finally caught by Julius's enhanced sense of smell.
Following this aroma, he quickly arrived at a newly constructed street, standing in front of a new clinic still cluttered with luggage and herbal jars around. The clinic's fresh wooden door bore a sign written with semi-dry ink: Rosaline's Clinic.
With no other option, this has to be the place. Sensing the protective sword intent around Lucia's wound weakening, Julius wiped the rainwater from his hair and pushed open the door.
Upon entering, a fresh medicinal aroma filled the air. Julius looked around to see a new wooden house cluttered with unopened boxes and a young chestnut-haired woman busy grinding herbs behind the counter, her back to the door.
"Ah? A visitor? Welcome to Rosaline Clinic. Unfortunately, we're not open yet. If you need potions, you can visit a pharmacist on the commercial street. For consultations, the old gentleman next door—" The chestnut-haired woman turned, her purple pupils shrinking behind her thick glasses upon seeing the newcomers, "Ni-Ni-Nivians!? I've just moved here and already encountered this!?"
image [https://img2.imgtp.com/2024/04/09/hd4I6vCQ.webp]
Seemingly aware of the Nivians' reputation in the community, the woman, who appeared to be a doctor, dropped her pestle and mortar in shock, hiding behind the counter.
"I just moved here yesterday! I don't have anything valuable, just medicines. We can talk it out, just take what you want, but please don't hurt me..."
"No, you misunderstand," Julius quickly interjected, trying to ease her anxiety, "Dr. Rosaline, we're in an urgent situation. My sister is severely injured, and I currently cannot afford the treatment fees, but I promise to repay you tenfold afterwards. Please, we need your help."
Peering out from behind the counter, Rosaline scrutinized the panting Julius and the pale-faced Lucia on his back. After ensuring there was no one else behind them, she somewhat relaxed.
"Alright... then bring her over, let me see her condition first." After a moment of hesitation, perhaps the sense of duty as a medical practitioner outweighed her fear, Rosaline stepped out from behind the counter and unlocked the door to the consultation room.
"Thank you immensely." After gently laying Lucia, still wrapped in old cloth, on the pristine bed in the consultation room, Julius bowed respectfully, mimicking the manners he remembered.
"So, what injuries has she sustained? Fractures or internal bleeding? Aside from her pallor, she doesn't seem to have any other symptoms—"
Rosaline gasped, her initial question halted abruptly as Julius uncovered the cloth, revealing the body beneath, mutilated under the influence of the Unmatched Sword Intent, yet with blood still flowing properly along its original paths.
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"How is this possible... Flesh and skin appear to be sliced away, yet the blood flow remains normal..." She covered her mouth with her hands, bewildered by the sight of such an anomaly on an ordinary girl.
"No need to worry, just apply your healing spells now."
Perhaps it was Julius's unwavering confidence in his tone that prompted Rosaline not to hesitate for too long. She swiftly removed her gloves and retrieved a glass container filled with pale blue powder from the oak table of the clinic.
Pouring out the contents, she evenly spread the powder onto the fingertips of her right hand.
In the next moment, energy surged, and a ring of azure light illuminated around her right hand, swirling along the powdered fingers.
"Azur water, heed my plea—"
As she called out, a drop of azure water appeared in the air, engulfing all the pale blue powder, melting it. It then began to swirl and grow larger, changing shape, ultimately forming a circular stream that floated and moved above Lucia.
"Flumen Puritatem Manet Vita Rediviva."
The spell recited, the azure stream rapidly filled Lucia's wounds, and under the miraculous liquid's immersion, fresh pink flesh began to regenerate and grow.
Spells? Are they crafted as special incantations to solidify the caster's intent, or is this some necessary procedure to invoke power in this world?
Julius observed Rosaline's casting, his interest in the world's power system deepening. For cultivators, it's essential first to strengthen oneself before manipulating the various energies flowing between heaven and earth. This world, however, seemed to operate inversely.
"Such rapid healing! The healing magic of water I conjured with a single aura could never achieve this efficiency... Is it because of the rain?" The doctor's exclamations came one after another, almost losing control of the spell in her astonishment.
Under the cleansing stream's effect, new flesh quickly filled the gaps left by the Unmatched Sword Intent's slicing, though the pace slowed afterward, gently nurturing the regeneration of superficial skin.
Utilizing water elements as a medium to amplify the recipient's regenerative capabilities, instead of directly nourishing the wounds with life energy. This is indeed a novel approach... Julius continued his observations, analyzing the mechanics behind these magical applications.
"Phew, the situation has stabilized." Seeing the patient's complexion rapidly improve, Rosaline relaxed, "But that initial healing efficiency was extraordinary, could it be?"
Rosaline's realization came a bit late, but she immediately connected it to the unusual state of the wounds. Just as she was about to question Julius, she saw the emaciated white-haired boy focusing on the clinic's entrance, seemingly sensing something, his expression solemn.
"They've finally come. Dr. Rosaline, may I borrow a sword?"
"A sword?" Rosaline was puzzled by this sudden request, "How did you know... Well, yes, there's one I brought from home for self-defense, a rapier—"
Being a former Sword Sovereign, Julius naturally possessed a unique intuition for weapons crafted with meticulous effort by skilled artisans. Without needing to expend soul power, he could sense the weapon that the seemingly timid doctor had hidden in a secret layer under the counter.
*Swish, swish, swish*
At that moment, the sound of footsteps splashing through puddles approached from outside the clinic.
"Three people, adult males, armored, all trained militarily for some time." Julius stated calmly, his experienced ear discerning much from the mere sound of steps.
"Do you mean the HoundGuards? Aren't they responsible for maintaining order?" Recalling the content of the resident handbook she received upon moving in, Rosaline wasn't too alarmed.
"They're here for my sister and me. Her injuries were caused by them." As Julius spoke, he stepped out of the consultation room to position himself directly in front of the entrance.
Perhaps it was while carrying Lucia through the streets searching for a clinic, or maybe when entering Rosaline's clinic, but somehow, Julius's movements were reported to the HoundGuards—by the citizens, in what they considered a preemptive measure to maintain community safety.
This possibility was something Julius had anticipated, which is why he had wrapped Lucia in cloth to avoid drawing the HoundGuards' attention to her as well.
"How can this be—The use of attack magic by security forces against townspeople is strictly forbidden!"
"Dr. Rosaline, you probably haven't seen many Nivians before." Facing Rosaline's surprise, Julius simply stated, "At least in this town named Ironwood, we are not seen as people but as 'white rats' in their eyes. Slapping a few charges on these rats and executing them in public earns them so-called 'peacekeeping bonuses.'"
Hearing this harsh reality, Rosaline froze, but the footsteps nearing the door made her face suddenly set with determination.
"No, Dr. Rosaline, you shouldn't get involved," Julius saw through her intentions and interjected, "I appreciate your willingness to help us further. You are a kind doctor, but their deep-seated maladies of the soul are beyond your healing."
Before Julius could finish, a strange wind blew into the clinic, bringing with it a arrogant voice: ["Criminal occupying the clinic, come out immediately!"]
Julius's memories identified the voice's owner, a young and brash member of the HoundGuards, adept at fire magic—likely the one responsible for Lucia's grave injuries.
Heavy boots stopped outside the clinic, and the young HoundGuard's voice, amplified by wind magic, clearly entered the clinic.
["We've received reports of a dangerous Nivian thief taking over the newly opened clinic in town, holding patients and the doctor hostage, demanding a ransom with a terrible attitude! As members of the Baron's HoundGuards, charged with maintaining the city's security, we now command you to lay down your weapons, release the hostages, or we will use force to execute you on the spot!"]
Julius had no interest in responding to these baseless "charges" staged for the audience. He reached under the counter for the hidden layer, retrieving the weapon Rosaline referred to as a "rapier."
The mirror-polished, slender blade, about twice the length of Julius's arm, fitted into a lightweight leather scabbard, and the silver guard intricately engraved with fantastical beasts made it seem more like a decorative piece than a weapon. Yet, his experience told him this sword would not hesitate to kill.
Though it couldn't compare to the mystical weapons he'd encountered as a cultivator, it was perfectly suitable for his current frail mortal body.
"Dr. Rosaline, please focus on the treatment here. As for the sword, I shall borrow it."
Without waiting for a response, Julius walked towards the door, drawing the sword from its scabbard, feeling the unfamiliar form of this otherworldly weapon.
"Specialized in thrusting but also capable of slashing, appears light yet is solid and steady." Julius appreciated the weight in his hand, sparing no praise, "By mundane standards, a fine piece."
Even for him, experiencing new sword types was always a pleasure, let alone using such an unfamiliar weapon in his first battle in this world.
"For swordsmanship, let's go with the Opaline Drizzle style."
With a casual flick of the sword, Julius retrieved a technique compatible with the weapon from his fragmented memory, then stepped toward the increasingly torrential rain on the street.