Chương 3: 1-2 Making friends

Josef was still breathing heavily, having had to run quite the distance to catch up. He definitely had more endurance than before his transmigration, that was for sure. His new heart probably had something to do with it. This one did solid work.

"I'm a healer, do you need help?" Josef repeated his question after catching his breath. Why was she just staring at his face, was his nose really that much of an issue? He decided he should get started on checking the kid while her mother was working through whatever that was.

'Coco': Lycan - Level 2 Conditions: Blood fever Mana poisoning Josef was surprised, seeing a level on a kid that apparently didn't even have a class. Perhaps lycans were simply built different. Though most likely there was some proper explanation for that. He was still new to this whole thing. He did wonder how exactly magic healing was going to help with a fever, but not overly concerned. After all, he understood both the issue and the purpose of a fever.

Blood fever in particular sounded like the source of the infection was in her bloodstream. But as long as her body was healthy enough, whatever infection she has would still be taken care of the natural way. Mana poisoning, however? He had no clue about that. Sure, he knew that mana was the fuel for magic, but that was the extent of his knowledge. Maybe her mana was overfilled? What healing magic was supposed to do about that, he didn't know. Coughing dryly, Josef continued.

"Your daughter seems to be suffering from blood fever and from mana poisoning. Do you have any idea how she could have gotten that? The mana poisoning, I mean." That seemed to snap her out of it.

"T-that can't be. She is too young to use her mana. How is that possible?"

"Maybe she ate something funny?" Josef shrugged. A surprising amount of issues with children could be explained by that.

"Anyway, we should probably get her off the street. This is no place for a sick child. Or for you, going by the amount of guards I saw. The name's Josef, and this is Dusty," he gestured to the bunny on his shoulder. When had he climbed back on again?

"I'm a… traveling healer in training, I suppose." He stepped forward and offered a hand.

"Cana," she hesitantly took it and pulled herself up. Readjusting the hold on her child, she continued, "and this is Coco." Josef didn't need to be an expert in lycan body language to tell she was on edge. Her ears and tail made it easy. Kinda like on a dog. Not that he would call her a dog. That would be rude. Cana looked like she was fighting with herself before she continued.

"Prove it. That you can heal. No funny business though, or I-""I get it, Cana. Please believe me, I mean no harm." Josef held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Besides, what do you expect me to do? Mend your eyelids shut?" He had to snort at the thought. Maybe he could actually do that. Cana wouldn't grace that with an answer, but didn't move away as he slowly moved to touch her shoulder ☆ Minor Heal (Pinnacle) Sometimes all it takes is a single touch and a bit of goodwill. Channel your mana with the intent to heal and share it through touch. The most simple healing spell. Doing his best to follow the instructions of the spell, he started tugging at his mana.

Something about it was instinctual, like he had spent his whole life feeling this new energy inside of him. He had felt it ever since he got the heartstone in his chest. It felt like a little trickle, snaking its way out of the tranquil lake inside his heart, branching and splitting into pathways around his body. Now he increased that trickle into a small river, trying to focus it along the pathways towards his hand.

He couldn't really stop mana from being wasted, as quite a bit flowed along other paths and dissipated, but for a beginner, he felt proud of his attempt. And with the mana starting to gather, he tried to add his intent. Heal her. Wash away exhaustion. Like a mantra, he repeated that in his mind as a warm glow spread from his hand. He only kept it up for a few seconds before interrupting the flow. He only had so much mana, and the actual patient was still waiting. Cana's face was frozen in shock.

Clearly, he needed to verbally restart her once more.

"Now, before we move on, please let me cast a simple healing spell on the kid. She looks pretty rough." She looked down at her daughter and winced. Guilt replaced shock. Then she nodded. Once more he opened the floodgate. Mana flowed through him, and intent had to follow in its wake. Heal her. Reduce her fever. Nourish her. The drain on his reserves was immediate, but even though it felt unpleasant, he kept it up until the loss of mana made him feel lightheaded.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. He didn't need to check his status to know his mana had gotten low. But that's what resources were for, spending. At least Coco seemed better for his effort, her rest now more gentle and her body no longer shivering. Sadly, her status proved that both conditions were still there.

"Don't mind me." Josef took a moment to catch his breath and steady himself. He was swaying slightly, but recovered quickly.

"Now if you don't mind, lead the way, please" As Josef followed her along, he realized that they must have entered the seedier parts of Highsend. Fewer houses were built with stone, and the wooden ones seemed much more worn down. The smell was also getting worse. Whatever waste management the town had, these parts were having none of it. Eventually, they crossed a larger street, and he spotted a lot of water at the end of the road. He hadn't known Highsend was a harbor town.

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to take in the view, as his guide pressed on. The sun was almost completely down and it was getting harder for him to see. He wondered if Cana's eyes were better adjusted for the dark. Something told him that this wasn't the time to ask her though. Finally, their journey came to an end in front of a large wooden building. The place appeared to be marginally better maintained than most of the buildings in this part of town. A wooden sign dangled above the door out front.

Josef had to squint his eyes to make out anything on it. It looked like a white snake slithering through the handle of a mug? Hopefully, they had a place where he could crash for the night. Instead of heading for the front door, which had light and the sound of people coming through, they went around the back where Cana knocked at a backdoor. The door opened just a bit and a little snout poked out at knee height.

"Oh Cana, you be back!" a squeaky voice shouted. After the door slammed back shut for a moment, he could hear some rummaging on the other side before it was opened completely. The being who opened the door looked like the meat skewer vendor from before, covered in a patchwork of scale and fur. This time he had the presence of mind to actually check what their kind was called.

'Dizzy': Kobold??? - Level?? When her gaze snapped to him, he felt a shiver go down his spine.

"Who there!" she had jumped out and now stood between Josef and Cana.

"Easy there, Dizzy. He is trying to help Coco, please let him in." Cana pleaded with the kobold. Dizzy, in turn, looked up to Cana, then her child, before her gaze landed back on Josef. Waving the lycans inside with her claws, Dizzy walked up to him and beckoned him with a claw to bend down to her. Once he was almost at eye level she snatched him by the ear and pulled him closer.

"You listen close, boy," she whispered, her voice sharp as a knife.

"Keep eyes to self or Dizzy keep eyes for you, understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am, sorry ma'am, it won't happen again, ma'am." Josef hadn't felt this admonished since as long as he could remember. He had just learned a valuable lesson in looking at other people's status. It was possible for others to sense it. Terrific. How lucky was he not to have been caught at the gate? With one last tug at his ear, Dizzy let go and waddled back to the door.

"Be quick, keep cold outside." As he followed her in, he quickly glanced at the system message he got during that little scare. ☆☆ Discerning Eyes (Advanced) -> (Exceptional) It only takes one look to understand what you see. A much more basic version of the true eyes of a dragon. None the less a foundational skill. No one wants to be caught peeping. Your probing for information has become more obscure. That upgrade felt like the system was calling him out. Following inside, Josef closed the door behind him.

The sudden warmth made him realize just how cold it had already gotten outside. In front of him was a cozy looking combination of kitchen and living room. Two walls were lined with a kitchen counter, cupboards, shelves, and a fiery hearth. There was also a door leading to the front part of the inn. Business was going well if the amount of noise was any indication. Dizzy was currently occupying the hearth, stirring a big pot of stew over the fire.

The rest of the room was filled with a sitting area and a dining table, offering enough space to host about a dozen people. That's where Cana was currently sitting, talking to a large, white scaled, snake lady. He could take a guess who the proprietor of this place was. Suppressing the urge to check her info, he decided to just think of her as a naga until proven otherwise.

"I-I thought they would help her, Zassa. I was so relieved when they let me in, but then…" Josef took a seat next to them as Cana was explaining what had transpired inside that temple. Introductions could apparently wait for now. What he heard was unnerving and disgusting. That old man from the plaza was spot on. He didn't want to fall in with that kinda crowd. He might not be able to remember his parents' faces right now, but he knew they would be disappointed if he even considered joining those Sanctum people.

Good god, if harvesting people and slavery weren't already bad enough, what kinda clients did they have for selling children? After Cana had finished her story, all of them were looking more pale than before, including Dizzy, who had kept her head on a swivel to listen in. Zassa was looking at Josef now, her pale yellow, slitted eyes unreadable to him.

"So what made you follow her, little elf? Did you feel like playing the hero, or were you just looking to get rewarded?" Even her voice wasn't giving away her intentions. Josef didn't miss the implications behind her words.

"Look, lady, I just saw a kid needing help and decided to do what's right. A healer who doesn't heal sounds like a waste of space to me." Taking a breath, he continued, "Also, I'm not an elf. I'm a human. We're the more awesome version of monkeys." The naga looked momentarily surprised, then thoughtful at that.

"That would explain your flat face at least, though I can't really see the resemblance." As she said that, her eyes were drifting down to his-"No need for a tail when we're not living in trees, you know?" Josef then added with a smirk, "but I could always start flinging shit if you don't believe me." That one broke the ice. Zassa was shaking her head after suppressing the start of a laugh.

"Dragons above, you can't be an elf. They would have drowned you as a kid with a mouth that dirty." The little smirk on her face revealed that to be a compliment. Rising up to her full height, she had been wrapped around a chair multiple times, Zassa offered Josef a handshake.

"I don't normally allow men back here, but I will make an exception for you, human. Help little Coco and heal my girls when needed, and in return you may hide within our little haven. Honestly, I have no idea how a naive boy like you could even make it this far, but we can make this work." They were strangers to him. There was no guarantee they wouldn't try to use him for his abilities. But right here and now, Josef felt something. It wasn't the feeling of home, but there was something secure about it. A chance.

He could shake on that.