"This is the last batch," Xia Yu said. She had released dozens of incantations in succession, and even with the Elden Ring replenishing her, she felt a wave of dizziness.
Most of the thousand-plus people in the camp received treatment. Only a small portion with milder symptoms had to wait until they returned to the tundra and secured more Originium ingots.
"Doctor, Doctor!" Seeing her stagger, Talulah supported her shoulders without a word and led her toward the tent. This woman was a national treasure; nothing could be allowed to happen to her.
Talulah said distressedly, "You could have taken it slowly."
"I don't like keeping people hanging," Xia Yu opened her eyes and smiled at her. "I know how terrifying the torment of hovering on the edge of life and death is, so I thought I might as well treat everyone together."
"Besides, I already took the medical fee. There's no such thing as taking payment and not doing the job."
"What kind of medical fee is that?" Talulah felt helpless. Supporting the doctor into the tent, she said, "Where else in the world is there such a good deal? Three Originium ingots for a life... calling that a fee is far too cheap."
In the outside world, if someone wanted to treat Oripathy to the point of controlling it as if it were a fresh infection, no amount of money could buy it. Mainly, no one possessed the technology; there was no market, and thus no price.
But Talulah believed that if the doctor showed even a hint of her skill, countless people would wave stacks of cash to find her.
"But I don't need money," Xia Yu half-reclined on the bed with Talulah's help. "If I can help a little, I will."
"Talulah, you are very different."
"Hmm?" Talulah froze. "Doctor, what's different about me?"
"I won't ask how a Draco ended up wandering the tundra," Xia Yu looked at her. "Just your actions, your manner... remind me of someone."
Talulah's body tensed. A Draco's identity wasn't something just anyone could see. But then she realized this doctor was extremely mysterious; she likely just had the ability to know.
"May I ask who that person was..." Curiosity flickered in her eyes.
"...Never mind," Xia Yu hesitated, eventually shaking her head. "You are different after all. Let's talk about you instead."
"I can see you received a fine education. Combined with being a Draco, you didn't have to run through the tundra with the Infected. So, what are your thoughts?"
"Me?" Talulah thought for a moment. "I didn't think much about it, really. I just... felt the Infected shouldn't have to live like this."
"I hope you won't laugh, Doctor," Talulah sat beside Xia Yu and began her story. "I contracted Oripathy myself. To strike a rebellious blow, I used Oripathy to destroy everything my foster father cultivated, finally succeeding in my rebellion against him."
"Then I escaped to the countryside. Alina's family took me in. I worked and lived with them; those were beautiful days."
A shadow crossed Talulah's face. "Until the Infected Patrols came and ruined everything."
"Later, I fled with Alina and saved some Infected. We supported each other along the way, the group grew larger, we found the Guerrillas, and successfully joined up with Old Man Patriot and FrostNova."
"Thinking back, I didn't have such grand ideals at the start. After everything I've seen on this journey, I just thought I had to lead these brothers who followed me so they could live well."
She spoke with high spirits and confidence. "And while I'm at it, I'll demand justice from Ursus for the Infected. I'll take up arms and ask those princes and nobles: do the Infected deserve to just die?"
"A grand ambition," Xia Yu nodded. "But you won't succeed."
'Because even your so-called rebellion is part of the Black Snake's conspiracy.'
"As for asking the nobles? I imagine they will stand on their warships and answer your question with a 'yes' before crushing you."
"I know the hope is slim," Talulah didn't argue. "But if we don't even dare to dream, how are we Infected any different from pack beasts waiting for slaughter?"
"In the darkness, someone has to light the torch first, even if the price is being shattered to pieces. Besides, with millions of Infected in Ursus, if we can unite them, there might be a glimmer of hope."
"Looking at you, I always think of her," Xia Yu smiled weakly and lowered her head, hiding her face. "So similar..."
"Did she succeed?" Talulah asked.
"She failed," Xia Yu shook her head. "She lost miserably."
"Even if I fail completely, I won't give up," Talulah's tone remained firm.
"I hope you can keep that up," Xia Yu nodded and lay back on the bed. "I'm going to rest. Remember to tell those who were just treated: do not touch Originium recklessly just because I'm here. Their illness is not cured."
"I don't think anyone would do that, right?" Talulah said instinctively. "Originium... what Infected likes touching Originium?"
Xia Yu poked her head out from the blankets, annoyed. "Remember, I am the doctor. You don't need to question these rules, just execute them!"
'People looking for death are everywhere. There's no guarantee the camp doesn't have someone with a bizarre thought process.'
"Doctor Xia Yu, I wasn't questioning you," Talulah was startled. "I just can't imagine why someone would do that..."
"Those high-and-mighty officials probably can't imagine why you and Patriot, who could enjoy a lifetime of wealth, insist on suffering in the tundra either!"
Xia Yu snapped, "People in this world are destined to never truly understand each other. You ask why such a weird rule exists? Because I encountered a weird idiot!"
"Right after I treated him, he felt he had no more worries because I was there to back him up. To prove his so-called courage, he went and touched Originium. He didn't just touch it; he stabbed it into his body and showed off to everyone!"
"What happened to him?" Talulah asked.
"He died," Xia Yu looked at her expressionlessly. "Remember: I treat the sick, not the stupid!"
"Understood, I'll arrange it immediately." Although Talulah couldn't fathom such a person existing, if the doctor said so, it must be true. After all, for a kind-hearted doctor to remember a case for so long, it must have been exceptionally bizarre.
She stood up to leave, but just as she reached the exit, Xia Yu called out softly.
"Talulah..."
"Yes, Doctor? Anything else?"
"...Will you betray me?"
"Never, as long as I live!" Talulah pounded her chest in guarantee.
"Go. I'm resting."
With that, Xia Yu closed her eyes, appearing to fall asleep. Talulah clenched her fists and walked out of the tent, silently vowing never to let the doctor down.
As soon as she stepped outside, she saw a dense crowd gathered.
"Talulah, how is the doctor?" FrostNova was the most anxious, stepping forward to whisper the question.
The expectant gazes of the surrounding Infected focused on Talulah. They saw the doctor's dedication; she had kept casting spells until she was dizzy. Who in this world treated Infected with such kindness?
Hearts are made of flesh. The more miserable the Ursus Infected were before, the more they cherished the hand now reaching out to them.
"She's asleep. She's exhausted after saving so many," Talulah lowered her voice. "Everyone, disperse. Don't disturb her rest."
"And keep it down!"
The Infected began to retreat. Being part of the Guerrillas, they had basic discipline. A thousand people moved back without making a sound.
Patriot glanced at the tent and turned to leave. As he walked, Originium shards fell from his heavy armor. He stopped after a few steps. Shards couldn't be left on the ground; it would be bad if someone stepped on them.
"I'll do it, Father," FrostNova reached out and froze the ground where his footprints were. "Go back to your tent and clean up. I'll help the others pry up the ice later and melt it. We'll collect the shards. When we get back to the tundra and take a mine, we can see if there are machines to refine them into ingots."
She started calculating. "We can't waste a single bit of Originium now. These shards might be small, but gathered together, they might save a life."
Patriot nodded in relief at his daughter's diligence and headed to his own tent.
"Right, we need people to collect the fallen shards," Talulah slapped her forehead. "No wonder the doctor was worried. If someone's condition just got controlled and then they cut their skin on a stray shard... that would be a disaster."
"I'll get on it," Alina trotted toward the crowd.
"Then I'll..." FrostNova wanted to follow, but Talulah stopped her.
"Let's find Old Man Patriot," Talulah looked at her. "I have a lot to say about the doctor."
"He's changing and cleaning his body," FrostNova rolled her eyes. "First things first. Let everyone clean themselves up. It won't hurt to wait a bit."
"And don't you need to? Don't forget, you have plenty of crystals on you too!"
"Er, right," Talulah scratched her head sheepishly. "Let's talk tonight then?"
"Yes. We really should gather everyone and have a talk."
Inside the tent, Xia Yu opened her eyes.
She was only slightly fatigued, purely from the repetitive nature of the task. A quick face-wash would fix it. A Tarnished's constitution was no joke. Back when she played the game, she always leveled Vigor to 40 first and eventually aimed for a quality build. A master Tarnished wouldn't be drained by a few dozen incantations.
That was all an act for the Black Snake inside Talulah, to test how much power it had and if it could forcibly control her body.
If it could, how would it treat her, the interloper who ruined its plans? Were there hidden armies or Inner Guards around the Guerrillas? Would the Black Snake strike now, while she appeared weak?
If it chose to do so, Xia Yu would give it a massive surprise.
'Go talk to my Comet Azur!'
But looking at the situation, the Black Snake likely wouldn't move. Perhaps its nearby forces were insufficient, or it was observing from the shadows.
While waiting for a potential ambush, Xia Yu continued researching her spell list. The Law of Regression provided unexpected gains; she needed to find other spells or incantations that could link with the Elden Ring.
Outside, the Infected were silently celebrating their escape from death's clutches. It was temporary, but it provided a sliver of hope for the future.
Why silent? Because the doctor was sleeping. Who would dare be loud enough to wake her? The rest of the camp would slap them into silence.
"Sasha, Sasha!" A white-haired boy clutched an Originium crystal, whispering excitedly to his friend. "Look, the Originium really fell off my body!"
"I see it, Enno. You can sing again," the boy named Sasha looked enviously at the crystal. Something that was once a death sentence was now in their hands, separated from their flesh.
"Don't lose heart, Sasha," Enno patted his friend's shoulder. "When we get back to the tundra, we'll find Originium ingots to treat you too."
Sasha wasn't in this batch because his symptoms were mild. Enno's infection was in his throat, making his condition much worse. For a child, it was still disheartening, but Sasha was sensible. He knew others were worse off, so he forced a smile.
"Sasha, do you want to see my crystal... ah!"
Enno wanted to cheer him up by giving him the crystal, but a sharp thwack on his head interrupted him.
"The doctor was right," Talulah said, her eye twitching at the bold boy. "There really is someone daring enough to play with this stuff!"
She lowered her voice. "Not only playing with it yourself, but giving it to a friend? You... you're Enno, right?"
Talulah gave a thin smile. "Oh, I remember. I saved you guys. I remember how you got infected too. Because your friend was infected and your family wouldn't let you play with him, you just swallowed an Originium crystal..."
Alina couldn't help herself either, reaching out to pinch Enno's ear. "Are you always this reckless?"
Usually gentle, she didn't hold back when disciplining a brat. Small mistakes could be handled with words, but life-threatening matters required more. They were young and didn't understand the severity; if they weren't disciplined now, what would they grow up to be?
For an Infected, this boy's actions were like welding a blasting cap. Even if his heart was in the right place, he couldn't be allowed to view this as a toy.
Alina grabbed a broom and gave his rear a solid smack. "Touching everything, are we!"
The sensitive Enno almost cried out from the stinging pain, but Alina glared at him. "Don't you dare make a sound! If you wake the doctor, your friend will never get treated!"
Alina knew these children well and knew exactly how to handle them. Enno immediately covered his mouth, enduring the pain.
Sasha felt bad for his friend, but he was more mature and knew Sister Alina was doing this for Enno's own good. He was also afraid Enno would do something else impulsive. Sasha always felt guilty; he hadn't been able to stop Enno from swallowing that crystal. Enno had a family, but because of that impulse, he had to flee with Sasha.
Nearby Infected gathered to whisper about what happened. After learning the story, they all agreed: the boy needed a beating.
"Turn in all the crystals that fell off your bodies!" Talulah whispered to the crowd. "The doctor really had foresight, guessing there'd be people like this."
"Let me be clear: if any of you think you can touch Originium just because the doctor is here, she won't treat you if you get worse."
"She treats the sick, not the stupid. Those were her words!"
The Infected hurriedly began collecting the fallen crystals. They didn't dare be negligent.