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Chapter 38 — Before the Darkness Rises
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Scene 1 — Bedroom
Kazu left the training grounds with exhausted steps, closing the door behind him quietly, as if he didn't want to disturb even the daylight itself.
He headed straight toward the bedroom.
The moment he opened the door, a sight greeted him that unsettled his heart.
Miro was lying on the bed, her face unnaturally flushed, beads of sweat sliding down her forehead, her chest rising and falling with clear difficulty—as if every breath was a small battle.
Kazu quickly approached and knelt beside her, his voice coming out this time without strength:
Kazu:
(What's wrong? Are you okay?)
Then he began thinking and imagining:
(Usually I find her in the kitchen holding a spoon… what changed now? Maybe a mana strike caused her a fever.)
Miro slowly opened her eyes, stared at him, then gave a tired, sarcastic smile and replied in broken breaths:
Miro:
(Of course not, idiot… I'm not okay… as you can see.)
At that moment, Nero and Hovi stepped forward and sat beside her, their eyes shining with tears, their quiet crying filling the room.
With difficulty, Miro raised her hands, placing one on each of their heads, gently stroking their hair like a mother trying to calm two small hearts before her own body.
Miro:
(It's fine… just a simple fever… it will go away.)
But Kazu wasn't convinced.
He held his chin, lowered his head, and began thinking:
(I don't have healing energy…
And I don't want to force Renion to heal her…)
He finally raised his head and said in a firm tone that hid deep concern:
Kazu:
(Don't worry, I'll go bring a doctor.)
Miro:
(Alright…)
Kazu stood up, left the room, closed the door behind him, then headed toward the exit.
He opened the door…
and left.
Revealed Information:
"People in this world are classified based on their mana:
Doctors
Offensive
Defensive
Storage
Mage
However, in some cases, a person can belong to more than one classification, such as:
– Offensive & Healer
– Offensive & Defensive
– Mage & Storage
Even so, no matter how many classifications a person has, they only truly excel in one, while the others remain weaker.
For example: a storage user can hide items, but they don't truly disappear—they are stored in a special void, and their magical abilities are weak."
Scene 2 — City Streets
Kazu walked through the stone streets, the sound of his footsteps blending with the city's morning noise.
After a short distance, he reached a crowded market full of people, lights, shouting, and smells.
He paused for a moment, looked around, then said:
Kazu:
(Should I buy something from here…
No, wait… I shouldn't distract myself from my mission. I'll get a healer.)
He moved again, but suddenly—
A loud voice caught attention, and people began gathering.
Man:
(We have stuffed dolls!
And if you buy more than three, you'll get up to 30% discount!
Come quickly before the offer ends!)
Kazu stopped suddenly…
as if the world froze.
Kazu:
(Dolls?!
I must get them.)
He walked directly toward the man.
Kazu:
(I want everything you have.)
The man stared at him in shock.
Man:
(What?! Are you serious?)
Everyone looked at him in confusion and surprise.
Kazu:
(Yes. Hurry up and give them to me.)
Man:
(But there are more than 300 dolls!)
Kazu:
(I don't care. Just give them to me.)
The man smiled with clear joy.
Man:
(Alright then, we'll give you a 50% discount just because you bought this amount.)
He gathered everything in the shop, put it in a huge bag, then said:
Man:
(After the discount, the price of 300 dolls is 100,000 silver coins.)
Inside, he thought slyly:
(I only gave him a 10% discount… hahaha, he's an idiot.)
But—
Kazu:
(Alright, agreed.
And also… this trick is nice. It doesn't work on me, but I'll let it slide.)
Then he took out the money and paid 100 gold coins.
He took the dolls…
and headed toward the hospital.
Revealed Information:
"Currency is divided into:
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond
– 1 Diamond coin = 1,000 Gold coins
– 1 Gold coin = 1,000 Silver coins
– 1 Silver coin = 100 Bronze coins"
Scene 3 — Inside the Hospital
Kazu stood in front of a three-story hospital, then entered.
The smell of medicine spread everywhere, and nurses moved in all directions.
He approached the front desk.
Kazu:
(Hello, can you send a nurse or someone with me? I need a healer quickly.)
The employee looked at him with disdain.
Man:
(Are you a beggar or someone who lost his mind?)
Kazu:
(First time I hear someone talk about himself…
But anyway, I'm not a beggar and I didn't lose my mind.)
Man:
(And what are you carrying in that strange bag? Organs?)
Kazu:
(Just dolls.
Can you send someone or not?)
Man:
(Yes… yes.
You, nurse, go with him.)
Nurse:
(Yes, sir.)
Kazu left, and the nurse followed him—her hair short and black, wearing a dark red uniform.
Scene 4 — Inside Kazu's House
Kazu opened the door… but the bag was so huge he couldn't enter.
After exhausting attempts, he finally managed.
He went to a cabinet in the living room, touched it…
It moved, revealing a secret passage.
He opened the bag, threw the dolls inside, closed it, then entered the bedroom.
The nurse sat beside Miro and began examining her:
(mana devices, stethoscope, ear light, small hammer…)
After finishing, she said:
Nurse:
(She's suffering from a severe fever.
I'll give her some medicine… but before that…)
She placed her hand on Miro's chest.
A faint green light surrounded her, then disappeared.
Nurse:
(I gave her healing energy.
But she must take this medicine to fully recover.)
She handed over magical herbs and a green-colored drink.
Nurse:
(The herbs are eaten with food, and the drink is taken after.)
Then she stood up.
Nurse:
(Now I'll leave… please pay.)
Kazu:
(How much?)
Nurse:
(One million gold coins.)
Kazu:
(O… one million?!)
She laughed.
Nurse:
(I'm joking!
I gave her high-level medicine, so it might be a bit expensive.)
Kazu:
(It's fine, tell me the price.)
Nurse:
(The herbs cost 2 gold, the drink 3 gold, and my fee is 750 silver…
Total: 5 gold and 750 silver.)
Kazu:
(Nice joke.)
He paid her 6 gold and said:
(Keep the rest.)
The nurse bowed and left.
Kazu:
(Miro, you need to rest.
I'll go to the basement, and I'll bring breakfast with me.)
Scene 5 — Basement
Kazu went down smiling, ready to give Kiura his punishment.
But—
Kiura was still on the ground.
And Renion was training on the log.
He approached…
Suddenly, Kiura's body began releasing light steam.
His wounds disappeared.
He stood up…
heat rising from him.
Kiura raised his head, his eyes shining with something unsettling.
Kiura:
(It's time for the mission…)
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To be continued…