Chapter 7 A Helping Hand

Warning: The following is an original novel authored by me. It was originally written in Spanish and translated into English, so it may contain spelling errors. I would appreciate it if you could point out any errors in the comments. Thank you.

I could barely understand Raiza's request…

Why would anyone want me to use my degenerative magic on their body?

Almost reading my mind, Raiza said:

"I saw in your memories that you regain your vitality when you use that degenerative magic on someone. Use it on me so you can recover faster."

At first, I hesitated, but noticing the determination in Raiza's eyes, I put on my new gloves and adjusted my glasses.

I wasn't sure about doing this, but in the worst case, I could heal her myself, so I took her only hand and recited my degenerative magic:

"Cell Destruction."

I used very little vitality for the spell because I didn't want to harm her. Once I had caused considerable damage, I stopped the effect of my spell.

I recovered some of my vitality and saw that Raiza was looking at her arm with great curiosity, which was in a sorry state due to my magic.

But then, to my surprise, I noticed that her arm was healing from the degenerative magic on its own. It reminded me of Yubel.

Her body reacted the same way to my magic. I wonder if it has something to do with the Hero's Gift. So, are there two heroes? But that shouldn't be possible…

Raiza whispered, "So I was right… I still can't believe what Kang did to your friends and you."

I didn't quite understand what she was saying, but then she said aloud, "Ester, use your degenerative magic on me until you regain your strength, as it will be needed."

…

After that exchange of words, I managed to recover my vitality using Raiza's body.

I could see that my degenerative magic caused her a lot of pain, but she was willing to endure it since we had no time to lose...

Once I was recovered, it was time to return the favor to that bossy elf… so I proceeded to implant the right arm prosthesis into Raiza.

When we left Ellen's Workshop room, I was greeted with a light breakfast: a piece of bread, a chunk of meat, and a glass of strong coffee. I finished it quickly while Ellen was preparing the surgery to implant the prosthesis in Raiza…

I finished eating quickly and went to the room prepared for the surgery.

Raiza was lying on a stretcher, and beside her was a large table full of blacksmith tools and a wide variety of medical instruments.

Amidst all the tools was the prosthesis for her right arm. I remember that the last time I healed Raiza, that arm refused to regenerate, and I still have the mental image of how I found Raiza that day...

She was truly a strong woman to survive all that and still want to keep fighting...

With everything ready, we began the surgery. Throughout the process, Raiza stayed awake and conscious, as she wanted to see how the prosthesis was connected to her body.

The process is very similar to a common surgery.

The prosthetic arm is a recreation of a real arm with nerves and muscles, all made with runic engineering, so it is very similar to the process of reconnecting a severed arm from someone who lost it...

Of course, my healing magic wouldn't do everything on its own. Now it was up to me to connect the nerves of her severed stump to the prosthetic arm one by one, and I also needed to connect the blood vessels, as this prosthesis was designed to allow blood flow through it like a real arm so that she could still use magic with this new arm.

During the surgery, Ellen supervised the correct functioning of the arm while I assisted with controlling the bleeding. I needed some of her help in joining Raiza's bones with the prosthetic skeleton.

What took the most time was connecting all the nerves to the body with the artificial nerves of the prosthesis, as that had to be done entirely on my own…

After 10 hours of surgery, we finished. Ellen and I were exhausted. As soon as we were done, we didn't even wash the blood off our surgical gowns.

We just sat in our chairs while drinking some cold coffee…

"Young man, you are a very good healing mage. Generally, those like you don't study the nervous system or how to connect blood vessels so thoroughly. When I've had to install prostheses in people, I just hand over the prostheses and refuse to work on this kind of surgery, as there aren't many knowledgeable people in the field outside of some nobles, but you are a pleasant exception."

As we were chatting, Raiza got up from the stretcher and started moving her new arm. This prosthetic was much stronger than a normal arm, as those who usually buy this type of prosthetic are people with weak bodies who want to strengthen themselves quickly.

So, they are made to be used in battle…

"Raiza, try not to use that prosthetic too much. You'll need some time for your body to fully accept your new right arm, so avoid fighting and stick to simple exercises."

Raiza looked at Ellen after she finished speaking and replied, "Thank you so much, Ellen, this is your best work."

"Of course it is, and when you cut off the Demon King's head with that same arm, I'll be a legendary blacksmith, so you better not die."

Now it was time for her recovery, although Ellen was the most tired, as after the tournament, she had received many weapon orders and custom commissions.

But first, she had to finish the rest of Raiza's order, as not only did she request the prosthetic arm, but also needed armor and a sword worthy of a hero, so Ellen would be very busy these days…

As for us, with the tournament reward, the money from material collection, the money we stole from the bandits, and the winnings from betting on ourselves in the tournament, minus Ellen's fees, we had 27 gold coins, 80 silver, and 280 copper.

And to think all of this started because I had 5 silver coins in my pockets, it's surreal and a testament to everything we've had to go through on this short but intense journey.

Which has only just begun…

...

...

...

Hello, my name is Shiva. I am a beautiful fire dragon, more specifically, the Dragon of Wisdom.

I love collecting books and taking them to my nest. My nest is located between three countries: the kingdom of Rusthia, the territory of Titánica, and the southern lowlands. In the area where I live, there are only monsters, so I rarely see humanoid races. So, when I need books, I have to visit one of the three countries. I usually go to the territory of Titánica a lot, but it's not a region rich in literature.

In the southern lowlands, books are a treasure, and it's not a good idea to go after them…

And the kingdom of Rusthia is very similar, but if I cross that country, I can reach the free trade zone of Zhanty.

That was my goal: to go to Zhanty to buy books. I just needed to exchange some scales with a blacksmith, and the rest would be easy. The problem was getting there…

The humans of Rusthia don't like dragons, and whenever I saw humans, they tended to be hostile.

I mean, no one tried to talk to me before attacking, until I met Amelia's team. They were in a carriage driven by an idiot who tried to attack me, and of course, I devoured him along with his horse.

Then, Amelia and her team decided to confront me.

I noticed that the man named Yubel would be a big problem, so I sent him away to deal with the weaker ones… but before killing them, Amelia mentioned a man named Ester.

A man with issues about the length of his penis. I really don't understand humans who worry about such trivial matters…

But I couldn't help but laugh and asked Amelia to tell me the full story. That satisfied my curiosity, as it was that curiosity that drives me…

When she finished her story, I no longer felt any hostility towards them and decided to join their adventure. I'm not interested in their conflict with the Demon Lord, but I wanted to meet Ester and laugh in his face.

It's been two days since I joined their team. I sense a strange vibe in the air; I think Ester's absence is affecting them. I wonder if they would have defeated us with Ester…

As I was thinking about this, we arrived at one of the three towns on the way to Zhanty. There's a shorter route to Zhanty used by traders, but you need to carry a lot of provisions for an optimal journey.

So, for small teams like ours, it's better to pass through these towns to restock and do some trading…

If you ask me… I'm not interested in anything in this human town… until I see a girl in the distance seemingly writing in a notebook.

I was curious about the contents of that notebook and approached the girl, asking if I could see it. The girl looked at me and agreed willingly…

"Big sister, I'll let you see my notebook, but only if you promise to do me a small favor." I said yes without thinking much, as I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity.

I took the notebook and looked at its contents. To my surprise, there were no words in the notebook, only drawings of plants, animals, and people. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, just a coloring book.

Somewhat disappointed and with my curiosity satisfied, I wanted to leave, but the little girl said, "Now stay still, I want to draw you."

I didn't want to, but I made a promise, and it is my duty to honor my word… so reluctantly, I sat on the ground and stayed still, waiting for the girl to finish drawing me quickly so I could leave.

I noticed Amelia and her friends watching me from a distance, laughing.

I was a bit embarrassed, but it was the first time I saw Amelia smile after how she cried when Ester left them…

…

After a few minutes that felt like hours, the girl finished drawing and, with a smile on her face, showed me her drawing…

She was a woman with pink hair and reptilian eyes. It wasn't my best look, but for some reason, it made me happy to see my drawing.

I thanked the girl and searched for Amelia and her team at the inn in the small village.

When I arrived at the inn, I only saw Amelia eating some meat and fruits, a rare combination, but I wasn't going to judge.

I sat at the table and ordered the same as she did.

I asked her about the other two members of the group. Amelia replied:

"They went to talk to the village chief. Whenever we pass through a village, we look for jobs, and if it's within our means, we help out in exchange for some reward. It doesn't have to be much; we're content as long as we're treated well."

Once I started eating, Yubel and Eduard arrived at our table.

Yubel said:

"The village chief told us that there are bandits around the village. They haven't attacked yet, but he said to be careful if we leave the village. I also asked about jobs for adventurers, but there were only requests for materials or to subdue some beasts in the forests not too close to this area. There's no goblin invasion, so I think we can sleep peacefully tonight."

We left our horse and cart at the stable and went to our rooms to sleep. I shared a room with Amelia, while Yubel and Eduard slept in the adjacent room.

I slept peacefully that night… or so I'd like to say.

I was woken by screams and smelled ashes in the air. I thought I had burned the room with my volcanic breath while sleeping, but it wasn't me.

I immediately woke Amelia. When we went outside, Yubel and Eduard were waiting for us outside the room; I think they had just woken up too.

We left the inn and saw that several houses had flames coming out of their roofs. It was a real fire.

Seeing such a disaster, my companions immediately started helping the villagers.

I only watched them indifferently. Yubel and Eduard were evacuating people to the square, and Amelia, with her ice magic, summoned a freezing breeze to extinguish the flames.

It seemed everything was under control until I heard a woman crying, "Where is my daughter?" and more people expressed the same concern.

In the rush of evacuating people, some hadn't noticed the absence of their family members, as most were families with several children… and only at that moment did they realize that several children were missing. It's understandable that they didn't notice until everyone was safe.

Then I heard a woman in the distance asking for help. The fire hadn't reached that area, and I was curious why she was asking for help.

Without much urgency, I went to the source of the woman's cries, where she was struggling with a man I didn't remember seeing in this village.

When they saw me, the man ran away, and I noticed the woman was protecting a small girl hiding behind her. I think the man wanted to harm her or something…

Anyway, the man was gone, and they were safe, so I thought I had nothing more to do here… or so I thought… but then the girl cried out, "Help, those men took my sister."

Honestly, I felt a lot of indifference to her words.

Don't judge me, I hate getting involved in human conflicts…

Until I noticed the notebook the girl was holding. It had some blood on its cover… I recognized that notebook. I took it from the girl and looked inside. It was my drawing, but it was slightly more advanced. My face had more color, and I had drawn a field of flowers in the background.

I thought it was a beautiful drawing…

At that moment, the girl at my feet began to cry while her mother hugged her. Both were trembling with fear.

I didn't know what was frightening them until I touched my face and, just by feeling it, realized I was making a face of true hatred.

"It's not fair, I hate getting into these kinds of problems… it's all your fault… your damn fault…"

It had been a long time since I felt hatred for a human being. I truly wanted to kill those men who harmed that girl.

My only lead was the man who had recently struggled with the girls' mother.

Using my sense of smell, I followed his nauseating odor. I pushed the woman and her mother off my legs and began to run…

To get there faster, I used my dragon wings even in my human form. In my haste, I tore my shirt, but I couldn't care less.

With the speed my wings gave me, I covered the distance and managed to spot the man…

I unsheathed my claws and cut off his legs at the ankles. It was such a precise cut that he wasn't bleeding since I made sure not to sever any blood vessels. Still, I suppose it must have hurt because the man was crying on the ground, but I covered his mouth as his screams were annoying me, and I asked:

"Where are the girls you kidnapped? If you don't tell me, I'll cut you into pieces without killing you. I know human anatomy; I know how to hurt you without letting you die. First, I'll break your spirit, and then I'll finish breaking your body… you tell me how much you want to suffer."

The man, with tearful eyes, nodded in agreement. He took out a map from his pocket and pointed to a rock formation. I also noticed that the map had other smells, so even if the information was false, I could track his accomplices with that alone.

"Don't kill me; I was just following orders from that sadistic son of a bitch. If I didn't, he would have killed me…"

I didn't need his excuses, so I just tightened my grip on his head to silence him and left him lying in the forest.

Following his directions and the smells, I immediately went to find the kidnappers, leaving that man to his fate.

Still, I doubt he will survive long without legs in a forest full of wild beasts.

Following the trail on the map, I saw some marks of a cart on the ground. That must have been how they transported the kidnapped girls. I followed the trail at full speed, reaching a cave with two guards at its entrance…

The men stared at me, but I couldn't care less. I slowly walked towards them and heard one of them shout:

"Hey, little girl, did you get lost in the forest? Because, you know, we really get excited by semi-humans like you."

Since my shirt was torn, I noticed the men were staring at my breasts… well, it was the last thing they looked at in their miserable lives…

With a swipe of my claws, I severed their heads. The cut was clean; again, I didn't sever any blood vessels. Their heads were still alive when they hit the ground, and I could see how they stared at me. Their eyes were filled with terror, but I wasn't going to waste any more time watching their miserable deaths and proceeded to enter the cave, not anticipating the disgusting scene that awaited me.

When I entered the bandits' hideout, I saw something that disgusted me...

A bunch of dirty, disgusting old men wanting to get intimate with kidnapped girls.

I was already angry, but after that I decided that I was not going to kill them... death would be a sweet reward after what awaits them...

A man trying to undress a girl managed to look me in the eyes, but he couldn't even alert his colleagues because before realizing it, the guy cut off his arms and legs, leaving his torso and head intact.

"Crawling on the ground like the miserable worm you are doesn't seem like a bad fate for someone of your ilk."

That man began to scream in pain, drawing the attention of the other subjects, who in disbelief released the girls and the most skilled tried to go in search of their weapons...

But it was too late... I proceeded to do the same with each of them, the strongest were the first to lose their arms and legs and the weakest only waited for their fate, still in fear.

The two men at the door were lucky, they died quickly without feeling pain... while the 15 guys inside the cave were the opposite...

They were not dead but the state of their bodies made them cry and beg, their moans were barely understood, but I ignored them, these human worms did not deserve more of my time...

I looked among the girls who were with those men, but I didn't find the girl who drew the picture for me. I wanted to ask the girls if any of them knew about that drawing girl, but they were all too scared, and some were crying because they didn't know I had come here to save them.

But one girl gathered her courage and shouted at me:

"Please, help my friend. They took her to the back of the cave."

Without wasting time, I ran to the back of the cave. When I arrived, there was a room with an iron door surrounded by empty cells.

I kicked down the door, and yes... I saw her. The girl was on an operating table next to an older man, almost an old man, who said:

"You must be the one who massacred my men." Without saying another word, I tried to cut off his head, but he drew a sword and blocked my attack.

The man said, "Well, I see you don't know how to talk. By your eyes and claws, you must be from the dragon tribe. What did I do to earn the wrath of a dragon?"

Then he pointed a sword at the girl's neck. She was still alive on that table. From the décor of the room, it was obvious that it was a torture chamber.

Fearing that any unnecessary move would result in him killing the girl, I remained still.

The man noticed my hesitation and said:

"Speak or I'll cut the girl's throat. It's obvious you came for her, and if she dies, everything will be in vain for you."

Reluctantly, I replied, "I don't want to talk to beasts like you. I've seen your kind before; there's no difference between you, demons, or wild beasts… not to mention that I see you as worse than them."

The man responded, "That offends me, kitty. Well, I suppose my little game is over. I was planning to sell these girls as slaves in the capital of Rusthia, but my plans have been thwarted. Now I doubt I'll leave here alive… Let's make a deal: give me your word that you won't harm me, and I won't hurt the girl. I know dragons keep their word. Promise it, and I'll leave; I won't come back to these lands, as I'll consider them your territory."

I felt disgusted at the thought of making a promise to that man, but I had no other option…

"I promise. I won't kill or harm you, but you can't take anything from this cave."

The man responded, "Oh, clever girl. You want me to break my word so you can kill me without any guilt. That's fine with me; keep my men and the merchandise. My life is worth more than that."

The man stepped away from the girl and headed outside the cave. Normally, I would have tried to harm him in some way, but due to my oath, I could only write a few words on his chest without him noticing.

When the man exited the cave, he trembled with fear at the sight of his mutilated men writhing on the floor. But he couldn't help them or the dragoness would do the same to him.

Upon leaving the cave, he saw a man with long blue hair holding a long-handled axe in his hand, and without a word, the young man attacked so quickly that he couldn't defend himself and was cut in half, splitting his head into two.

As Yubel looked at the man's body, she noticed that it was written in human blood on the man's chest:

"This man is the boss. Kill him, musclehead."

Yubel looked at the lifeless body of the man and continued speaking:

"So that dragoness realized I was pursuing her all this time."

Yubel also heard the mother's screams that caught Shiva's attention, but she was so fast that Yubel only followed her from a great distance. Shiva noticed this but didn't mind Yubel following her. In the end, it was very useful.

…

As I was leaving the torture chamber with the unconscious girl in my arms, I saw that the other girls were no longer in the cave. Only the still-living human remains of the bandits remained, writhing in pain.

Upon leaving the cave, I saw the decapitated body of that man on the ground.

"Don't cry, girls. That woman is my companion, and we came to save you, so stop crying."

Yubel was comforting the girls with a big smile on her face that calmed their hearts, and some even blushed. I'm glad that fool wanted to follow me. I admit it helped me a lot in the end.

…

With the bandits subdued, we loaded the kidnapped girls into the bandits' carriage, while the mutilated bandits were left to their fate as punishment.

…

Once in the village, the parents were happy to have their daughters back, and the village chief wanted to thank Yubel personally, but I didn't care about that…

I went to the house of that mother to personally return her daughter. When I arrived at her door, I could still hear her crying.

"Open the door quickly," I shouted, as my hands were occupied. The mother kept crying, but I noticed that the same girl who asked me to find her sister opened the door for me.

"Mama, my sister is here. Stop crying, please."

With those words, the woman went to the door, and through tears, I handed her back her daughter, safe and sound. "Thank you for my daughter, truly thank you."

I could barely understand the woman's words as she continued crying, and her other daughter hugged me while also thanking me.

After leaving the still unconscious girl with her mother, I went to our inn, where I slept like a rock without exchanging words with anyone else, as I was emotionally exhausted.

…

The next day, it was time to leave and continue our journey.

The townspeople rewarded us with plenty of food for the trip, but as we were about to depart, the same woman from yesterday, the mother of those two girls, approached my cart to say goodbye.

"Mrs. Shiva, thank you so much for rescuing my daughter and protecting this village. My life won't be enough to thank you for what you did for all of us last night."

The woman continued speaking. I think she was still in shock, so I let her vent…

She also told me that her daughter, the drawing girl, was fine, but she was in bed because the shock of everything was too overwhelming for her, and she left her other sister taking care of her while she said goodbye to us for her daughters…

"By the way, Mrs. Shiva, my daughter asked me to give you this drawing." And before I left, she handed me a sheet of paper with a drawing of what appeared to be a woman with pink hair and reptilian eyes hugging a child in a field full of flowers.

"Your daughter is a great artist; please take good care of her."

After that last exchange of words, we left the village.

I really hate getting involved in human conflicts, but seeing that last drawing…

Made me feel very happy.