Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 320: Healing Room

Chapter 320: Healing Room

The healing room sat at the left wing of the Les Murmures. A space of beds and a single healer overlooking everything, a dark-haired nun with a golden cross and often sitting in prayer. Dasha scanned her expression once. She was not faking the prayer and he also didn’t glean the strength of faith in her. Did she pray merely to get results?

The other woman in the room had been a maid at the Yajnas and was exposed for being a spy yesterday. The second eldest son of the Guild Master had ruptured her ear drums. The healer said she would never be able to hear in her left ear again. The damage was too much.

Xavier leaned on the wall and beckoned over the fake nun with a look. The Ibong Adarn could heal limbs and sickness with relative ease. When it came to organs such as the eye and heart, the Ibong Adarna struggled. For that, a sophisticated healer was necessary.

"Jack the Ripper," the fake nun said. "It appears you have gone and done something reprehensible. The Lord will not forgive you."

Dasha sat on the bed, unwavering. "He will."

"Fighting in the name of the Lord is not the same as fighting for Him."

"We are all pretenders fighting for the Lord. It makes no difference whether it’s a nun or a holy knight."

The fake nun replied with words she did not mean. "We have Commandments. You have desecrated them all."

"Tell me: is it thou shalt not kill? Or thou shalt not murder?"

The fake nun did not respond. Palm extended, the fake nun uttered, "Healing Well." His gaping eye was basked in a warm bubble of blue. The warmth almost off-setted the natural pain. A second palm came together. "Heavenly Resurgence."

A bright light appeared. The bubble remained as the light entered and ignited his eye with an embracing light.

"Heavenly Resurgence," the nun repeated. The light embraced him again.

This was going to take a while. Dasha signalled Xavier.

"Discovering what exactly occurred at Gate 10 has also been slow," Xavier said. "Those with strong connections to the gods likely know, but they are tight-lipped about it. The Templar Grand Master, Malini of the Yajna, or any of the Devas or Abikus. Your request to collect a list of the survivors has been delayed."

"Even after a month, hm."

Dasha had been at Gate 10 although not at the central part of the conflict. The dark clouds and the phoenix...they had something to do with the real tragedy of Gate 10.

"What is your plan?"

"It’s fine, it doesn’t matter. Not for now anyway." The nun’s chants tuned out as the two males conversed. "And the lab?’

"I did as you told me and found that chemist you spoke of. I had him joined with three alchemy graduates from the Magic University. I am curious: how did you know where he was and that he would agree?"

Dasha Pang could not forget a face or a name. If he saw someone on the street, no matter how minor and forgettable they were, he remembered. He always remembered. Stager Meier, a student he lectured several times at Zurich University in Switzerland. During the labs Dasha led for his dissertation, Stager was the best at following orders, although overall second in terms of output and speed. Amongst the geniuses and field-leading pioneers he met, Stager was special but not extremely so. An excellent, intelligent grad student with a bright future ahead of him in the best of companies—nothing more, nothing less.

However, he was dead and he existed in Dasha’s memory banks and so he possessed the knowledge and skill to do his work for him: thus, Stager was remembered. Thus, Stager had worth.

"Stager was someone I knew in my late life. He lacks the confidence to fight and requires direction at all times. Direction that we can provide."

Another Whisper entered the room, rolling his shoulders and groaning. He noticed the fake nun being occupied by Dasha and went over and sat on a bed two spaces over.

"Heavenly Resurgence," the nun muttered, not paying attention.

"What happened, Dolon?" Xavier asked.

"I got my shit rocked in the Underground." Dolon scratched the wolf skin on his head. A strong Greek male, the muscles on his legs were pronounced and exposed by his battle skirt. "I suppose I’m a bit famous."

"Unfortunate, " Xavier said. "Any fighters of interest?"

"There’s this new player, Nash. He’s pretty good for a newbie. Has a small gang of players around him and he’s good at appeasing Hachiman and the Alaisiagae goddesses."

"Has he chosen a faction?"

"He’s from the British Isles and hangs with Cocidius often though not exclusively. He bounces around a lot."

"A clever one then."

"Li Tianlu is also back."

A sigh almost seemed to escape Xavier. "Causing havoc, I presume?"

"Obviously. He’s been pestering Shadowblade over a match at the top floor. A grand place where he can show his superiority." Dolon clicked his tongue. "What an idiot. He already got his ass handed to him by the Kangxi Emperor."

"Li Tianlu is a cultivator. You know how they can be," Xavier retorted.

"Phoo..." The fake nun finally stopped. Dasha’s left eye socket was enveloped in the bubble still. "Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve your sick servant, and give your power of healing to those who minister to his needs, that he may be strengthened in his weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Heavenly Resurgence!"

The bubble was absorbed into his eye socket and in a burst of light his vision returned. Dasha could see, although...

"Haa..." The fake nun stumbled back and held onto the bed behind her to stand. "Your eye is largely healed. However, it is merely a shell. It will take some time to heal."

Indeed, the left side of his vision was spotty. He ignited Internal Healing and the spots disappeared, only to reappear when the healing stopped. The soul was the crux of the body and mind. It was how healers could find the blueprint toward a specific organ. It was like filling up a cup. If the soul was cracked, the blueprint and thus the cup was not as easy to fill. There were leaks. Flaws.

Dasha blinked rapidly and flexed his gauntlets to test himself out. "Your healing was adequate. That is more than enough."

"You should rest," the fake nun advised..

Wordlessly, Dasha slipped off the bed. Xavier followed.

"Hey Jack!" Dolon called out. Dasha stopped to peer over his shoulder. "Things have changed since your time. If you need a guide at the Dark Tower, hit me up!"

Dasha didn’t reply and simply exited the healing area. Walking alongside Xavier, he sensed a question from the man. "Speak," he said.

"...I don’t mean to be offensive but killing the Monster Hunters..." Xavier’s eyes scanned him deeply. "That should be impossible for you."

The numbers should have killed him. The Class Four hunters with their years of chemistry should have killed him. There was no reason someone of his calibre should have attained victory.

"You were correct, Xavier," Dasha said with that same laxness previously. "Not everything has to occur perfectly. The month-long detour served me quite well."

"...?"

’Within the depths of my mind, I now understand.’

This world was his to seize. Now that he understood the core of Qi, everything was for him to change as he pleased.