"You can come out now," I called out. "Hiding doesn't really work with me."

The person was hidden well in the forestry, but without anti-detection measures, the drone easily picked them up. They didn't even have a camouflage suit, so I couldn't fathom what they were thinking.

After a few seconds, still no response. It seemed they were adamant about staying hidden.

Was it the language barrier?

"I'm not here to hurt you," I said, trying again. "Just a traveler finding my way through."

After a few more moments, I heard some rustling in the leaves.

"Stay quiet," a feminine voice called out. It sounded a bit husky, with a certain timbre, but strained. She couldn't move freely, likely losing blood and needing to address the wound.

She emerged from behind a tree, clutching her right abdomen tightly.

Her purple hair cascaded down to her shoulders, framing deep violet eyes set in a face that could only be described as strikingly beautiful. Symmetrical and refined, her features held a rough undertone that complemented her husky voice.

Her facial features hinted at Asian descent, reminiscent of those from the Eastern Rim of the Imperium, where one of the Great Houses traced its lineage back to Chinese emperors. Despite these characteristics, her origin seemed ambiguous, and I couldn't quite pinpoint her exact heritage.

I tilted my head.

"Interesting," I remarked before she could say another word.

Standing tall at around six feet, or roughly one hundred eighty centimeters, she exuded an intriguing presence. Her attire consisted of black leather boots and dark, discreet clothing, blending rough black leather with woven cloth and iron plates covering her shoulders, arms, and medium-sized chest. It seemed primitive, almost belonging to a different era altogether.

She frowned at my words. She could understand them.

"I'm guessing you're being chased?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Can I ask by whom?"

"Bandits," she replied grimly. "I stole something from them. They were planning an attack on the city soon. I managed to get hold of their attack plans and some of their magic crystals. Those crystals are crucial for breaching our walls."

"Huh," I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Magic crystals?"

"Yes, these are highly unstable ones," she explained. "They stole them from a Mage at the Sarin Tower. Normally, such crystals would need to be synthesized, but stealing from the Magus Association is a crime punishable by death."

Magus Association? Mages?

"Would you like me to take care of them?" I said, glancing at my watch. A small hologram displayed in front of me, showing a heatmap of the area with several red dots. The pursuers were still searching the vicinity, getting closer by the minute.

"Are you sure you can handle all of them?" she asked, her voice strained. "Maybe we should consider calling for reinforcements. There are quite a few of them, around twenty or so, from what I saw before I escaped."

"I should be able to handle them," I assured her. "But just to be sure, about these magic crystals... Does that mean there are mages among the bandits? Otherwise, why would they be so interested in stealing them?"

She nodded grimly. "I'm not entirely sure how many mages they have, but I'd estimate two or three. They've mastered both Tier One and Tier Two Magic. With most of our mages deployed at the front lines, they're a significant threat."

"Front lines?"

She frowned. "Of the Demon King Vanquishing Expedition? That's why there have been more bandit attacks recently. They're using our battle against the Demon King as an opportunity to raid the southern cities. Most of the adventurers who usually stay in our city are journeying to the frontlines. We also send our food to the Adventuring Guild and the Noble Houses to support the war effort, so the bandits use that chance to steal our carriages."

"I see..."

Demon King? Did the Temporal Storm take me beyond the Known Universe? Maybe "magic" is just another term for energy cores?

I needed to do some more digging.

"Just to make sure, you're the only one?" I tried to confirm. "No other friends or allies with you, right?"

"Yes," she replied. "I work for Sundrift City. They asked me to go on this solo mission. It was supposed to just be a quick in and out." She coughed a couple of times, small amounts of blood escaping her mouth.

"I get the gist of it," I remarked. "But be careful. Your blood levels are dropping."

"Could I ask you for a potion, if you have any?" she groaned, supporting her weight against a nearby tree. "I'll make sure to pay you back. Double, even triple the price for one."

"Nope, I don't have any potions," I replied, clicking my watch. "But I can stitch up the wound for you. That should stop the bleeding for now, as long as the wound isn't too deep."

Her eyes lit up momentarily. "Are you a Healer?"

"Hold on," I said, raising a finger before speaking into my watch. "Drone, sedate the remaining people surrounding us. They're getting too close, and I don't like that."

"Affirmative. Performing action now," the drone's voice responded.

"Alright," I turned back to her. "What were we talking about?"

She glanced at my wristwatch. "Is that an Artifact?"

"Artifact?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose you could call it that."

I thought about it for a moment. Her definition of "Artifact" was likely different from mine. The more she talked, the more I suspected this place was some kind of fantasy land. Demon King? It had been a long time since I'd read fiction books about things like that. Dealing weapons across planets didn't leave much time for fiction.

"What does it do?" She asked.

Before I could explain that my watch was multi-purpose and had many features, a loud thump echoed from the nearby trees. This was followed by the sound of twigs snapping and a body hitting the ground with a muted thud. It seemed my drone had found one of the so-called bandits hiding in the trees. I pointed towards the sound, a small smile playing on my lips.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"That," I said. "Impeccable timing, don't you think?"

She looked at the bandit's body and then at me, her brow furrowed in disbelief. She seemed to be grappling with how my wristwatch could have subdued someone like that, or perhaps she was reassessing the level of danger I posed. After a few quick glances back and forth, she finally asked, "Is... is he dead?"

"No," I replied firmly, shaking my head. "Just asleep for now. But I could easily kill him if I wanted to."

"Wouldn't it be wise to do so before he wakes up?"

"Whoa, hold on a minute," I chuckled lightly. "We're jumping ahead here. Shouldn't we interrogate him first? How do I know you're not trying to deceive me? What if you're on the wrong side of this coin, and they're just trying to reclaim what's originally theirs?"

"That's... a fair point," she frowned, considering my words. "Does that mean you don't trust me?"

"It's not personal, really," I admitted. "I just don't trust many people. Comes with the territory. Besides, it's safer this way. If you're right about these bandits, we might need some leverage. Hostages could come in handy, or we could negotiate for something valuable. I could also get creative with my interrogation tools, you know?"

"You seem very nonchalant about this," she remarked.

"Do I?" I replied. "Well, when you've done these things so many times, they just kind of blur together."

"That is..." She paused, searching for words. "Frightening."

"Is it?" I mused. "Wait. Don't answer that. That was a rhetorical question."

"If that's the case, then," she shifted the topic, "So if you're not a Healer, are you an adventurer? A mercenary? An assassin?"

I could see her analyzing me, trying to piece together who I might be. There weren't many people who fit my description, facial or otherwise. But, considering I was from another planet, she wouldn't have any familiar references anyway. As tempted as I was to reveal my origin, it wasn't wise without understanding the full context.

My body had been genetically engineered for superiority—tall with robust muscle genetics, exceptional eyesight, nearly perfect memory recall, and high intellectual capabilities. Thanks to advanced CRISPR technology, these enhancements were impressive, though not uncommon among the Great Houses of the Imperium. Evolutionary advantages could now be tailored from birth rather than relying solely on natural selection over centuries.

"I guess you could call me an adventurer, among other things," I replied casually. "But titles aside, I should probably introduce myself properly. You can just call me Zarek. I mainly sell weapons of various sorts to people all over." I extended a hand toward her.

She hesitantly took it, but shook firmly. "My name is Aria. I handle anything related to espionage or assassination for the Duke of Sundrift himself."

"Alright, fantastic Aria," I replied with a slight grin. "How are your wounds looking?"

Before I could assess her injuries, several more thuds echoed from the distance, accompanied by the snapping of twigs. In my peripheral vision, I saw several bodies drop from the trees—clear signs that the drone was doing its work. Some sounds were closer, others farther, but a palpable sense of panic rippled through the bandits. On the heatmap, the remaining dots scattered in all directions. They realized something was up. Luckily, the drone was efficient. Before the bandits could fully flee, it intercepted them.

"Hey, Drone," I spoke into my watch, "Give me a status report."

"Twenty-five life forms sedated. Five lifeforms were unable to be sedated."

"And where are those five now?"

"Unknown," the drone replied, "Those Lifeforms have moved past detection radius."

"I see," I replied, turning to Aria. "Hey, is there any way to stop a small, relatively quick rock from penetrating your body through magic?"

"Your Artifact speaks to you?" Aria asked.

"Yeah, more like I command it and it listens. Anyways, that's not too important," I replied, "It appears we have five people who have escaped my capture."

Aria nodded, "Most likely mages. They would be able to use Tempering to stop something like what you described."

"Tempering?" I frowned.

"It is a way to coat the outer body with a thin layer of protective Aura. I'm surprised you don't know about the basics of magic. Even mercenaries use Tier One magic in their practices."

Ah, so it was like an Energy Shield, I thought. My wristwatch was also equipped with an energy shield, but recharging it would take a long time. Energy shields protected against normal projectiles without using much power, but anything plasma-based, like a plasma blade or gun, would definitely drain its power significantly.

"Let's focus on getting you patched up before we continue. I'm sure I'll learn more about magic and Tempering you talked about later on," I replied, not wanting to waste any more time.

I snapped my fingers, and a large bed materialized from my Dimensional Storage. Aria's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly composed herself, having already witnessed my other seemingly impossible feats. What's one more surprise at this point? I thought. Next, I retrieved a medkit and some surgical instruments, placing them neatly on the bed to prepare. Grabbing a vial of anesthetic and a washcloth, I turned to Aria.

"Come, lay down," I instructed.

Aria hesitated. "I thought you said you weren't a Healer?"

"Not exactly, but I'm a Surgeon in my own right, so you'll be fine."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "What is a Surgeon?"

"You know, like a..." I paused, realizing the disconnect. "How do you not know what a Surgeon is?"

"The same way you don’t know what Tempering is," she shot back.

I nodded slightly. She had brought forward a fair point. I was just beginning to understand just how different this world was.

"Well, you don't have much of a choice, do you?" I said. "Besides, I was also a combat medic back in my day. That was a long time ago, but I have a lot of experience firsthand. We're basically going to stitch your wound up just like a seamstress would stitch up clothing."

Her eyes widened. "Is that truly possible?"

"Do you not trust my ability?" I asked with a cheeky grin.

"I have never seen a Healer do something like this," she admitted. "Usually, they wrap the wound and apply Healing magic. It accelerates the healing process significantly."

"Well, this is probably the next best thing you're gonna get for now. Also, you don't have much of a choice, do you?" I replied. "That wound might worsen without proper care. Untreated, it could be fatal."

"I... I see," she said, finally relenting. "Very well then, I will trust you with this."

"We're going to need to expose the wound, so if you can move around, do so. Otherwise, I'll have to cut through your armor."

Aria managed to shift her light armor, revealing the long slash across her abdomen. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep, meaning no vital organs were hit. This would be relatively straightforward.

"I'll start by cleaning the wound to prevent any infection. It might sting a bit, but I'm sure you can handle."

She nodded, wincing slightly as I dabbed the washcloth soaked in antiseptic over the gash.

"Next, this anesthetic will numb the area, so you won’t feel much. Just a small prick," I said, injecting the anesthetic around the wound with a syringe.

She flinched but held still.

I set the syringe aside and grabbed a pair of sterilized forceps and a needle holder. "Alright, I'm going to stitch you up now."

Aria's eyes tracked my every move, a slight bit of apprehension on her face. "What are those?" she asked, eyeing the instruments.

"Just some basic surgical tools. This," I said, holding up the needle holder, "is a needle holder, and these are forceps. They help me handle the needle and thread without touching the wound directly. Try not to move while I’m working."

With the needle holder, I grasped the curved surgical needle, threaded with fine suture material. "And here comes the fun part," I said with a smirk, starting the first suture, "For me, I mean. Not so much for you, but the anasthetic should be working."

I used the forceps to gently lift the edge of her skin, making it easier to insert the needle. "I'm going to make a series of stitches to close the wound. Each stitch will pull the edges of your skin together so it can heal properly."

I focused on each suture, ensuring they were evenly spaced and snug without unnecessary tension. Taking my time, I carefully placed each stitch, my hands steady from years of practice. The Ganaria Prime Liberation came to mind— I remembered performing countless surgeries under pressure. Compared to those times, this wound was a cakewalk.

After the final stitch, I secured it with a knot and clipped the thread with surgical scissors. Surprisingly, Aria remained patient, only shifting slightly during the process. Normally, even with anesthetic, there's some discomfort, but she seemed to handle it well.

"There. All done. Wasn’t so bad, was it?" I said, inspecting my handiwork. "The stitches will hold until the wound heals. Just try to avoid any strenuous activities for a while."

"Thank you," she murmured, looking down at her stitches. I sensed her curiosity, a desire to touch or feel them, but she restrained herself, respecting my instructions not to agitate the wound. "Will the numbness wear off soon?"

"In a couple of hours. For now, take it easy," I reassured her.

"Here?" she asked, glancing around.

"I'll brew some tea for you while you rest," I offered with a smile. "I've got some bandits to interrogate, after all. Unless you want to tag along?"

"I need to know as much as possible for their plans for breaching my city," she replied firmly.

"In that case, looks like you're stuck with me a bit longer," I quipped.