Chapter 23 - Healing

You know, I think I've gotten a better understanding of why Nobles are the way that they are. Their behavior and attitude towards Commoners, they're raised in environments where such behavior is not only normalized, but actively encouraged.

And here's the thing about humans, at least from my perspective...doing things that could be considered morally wrong feel a hell of a lot better than doing the right thing.

More often than not, doing the right thing, while could give you a sense of pride and accomplishment, is usually a huge pain. At least, the process of it is, anyway.

But doing something wrong, something in which the process itself gives you a sense of pleasure and makes you feel superior...it feels amazing.

Like how I used to fuck that maid in my previous life, it was wrong, but it felt so damn good. Murder is another thing that's objectively wrong, but imagining and fantasizing about killing Duralles and his family, ohhh, how indescribably amazing that feels.

And here's the thing about this world...most of the things that the Nobles indulge themselves in, those would be considered heinous crimes in my old world. But that's not the case in this world.

Those acts are readily encouraged, they're highly addictive, and with no consequences to worry about, of course they're gonna indulge to their heart's content.

I've seen the look of euphoria and ecstasy in the eyes of Duralles when he tortures me, and I've seen the same looks in the eyes of his children who engage in it as well.

By the time they're done, their cheeks are flushed, they're breathing heavily, and their expressions are filled with satisfaction and pleasure. It's sickening to watch.

But in a way, it's helped me keep from losing my mind...the more I see those expressions, the more determined I feel towards never letting myself become subservient towards them, and the stronger my desire gets to deny them the pleasure of breaking me.

I won't let them wear me down...no, instead, I'll get used to it. I'll face their abuse head on instead of dreading it, I'll let my hatred of them fester and grow with each passing day, until I can kill them and experience the joy of that pleasure for myself.

That's what drives me more than anything now, even more than the initial hope I'd clung to...

"Come on, this is no fun, scream or something...it's no different that hitting a puppet," Sighed one of Duralles' older sons, who was currently pummeling me with his fists.

"But I barely feel a thing, I bet a baby could hit harder. Or would you like me to fake it...my Lord?" I responded in a condescending tone, before spitting out the blood in my mouth, which struck his eye and sent him stumbling back with a groan.

"You foul, disgusting, lowly Commoner...!" He snapped furiously, as he stomped over towards me and slammed his left fist square onto the middle of my face.

He then struck the spot around my left eye with his right fist, before hitting me with a barrage of punches at those two exact same spots, my nose and my left eye.

I grimaced in pain as he broke my nose, stubbornly refusing to cry out in pain and give him the satisfaction, even as I felt a couple of my front teeth breaking off.

I can't open my left eye, he's broken the spots in my skull around it...at this rate, he's going to bash my face in and kill me...!

"U-um, my Lord, the Duke wants him alive, you'll kill him if you don't stop, s-so please-...," Began the slave from the Light Continent, before crying out in pain as he swung his arm out and struck her face with the back of his fist with an angry growl.

"How dare you tell me what to do, bitch! You're even lower than a Commoner, Light Continent filth! Tch, you've ruined my mood...heal this trash and come to my room, I have to remind you of your place," He muttered with a huff, as he stormed out of the basement and slammed the door shut.

The woman then healed herself, wiping away a trickle of blood running down the corner of her mouth, before solemnly walking over to me and healing me.

As I spat out my broken teeth, I felt new teeth start to grow from the spots they'd broken from, before the pain around my left eye began to slowly fade.

"Th-thanks...the Light Attribute healing Spell is amazing," I sighed gratefully, as all the pain around my body faded.

"Hm," She responded blankly, her face devoid of all emotion.

She's barely even said a word to me this whole time, despite healing me on a near-daily basis.

"Can all Light Attribute users heal like this?" I inquired, in an effort to get her to say something that could be informative.

"No. I am-...I was...-special," She muttered in response, before her eyes suddenly widened in horror and she stared at me with a desperate look on her face, "N-no, I didn't say that, I-I'm not special, I-I was never special, I'm lower than garbage, I swear! P-please, don't tell them I said that, I-I beg you...I beg you!"

Whoa, Jesus fucking Christ, what the hell!?

"Y-yeah, sure, I won't say anything," I replied with a nod, bewildered.

Fortunately, the Enslavement Collar only prevents me from attacking my captors or trying to escape from them. It doesn't stop me from lying, and it can't be used to force me to do something against my will.

Of course, if they want to force me to do something, they'll probably just beat the shit out of me until I agree. I won't be able to fight back, after all.

"R-really? You...you won't tell?" She inquired fearfully, trembling like a dry leaf in the wind.

Hm, this is easily the most she's ever spoken to me in all the time I've been trapped here...this might be my chance...

"Well...how about this? Use that healing Spell on me again, but this time...keep your eyes closed for, say, twenty seconds? Do that, and you have my word that I won't say anything about what you said about being special. Oh, and you have to keep quiet about this in return," I suggested in response.

"Huh? Close my eyes? Okay...?" She replied with a confused look on her face, before doing it.

I can't chant out loud, that'll give it away...I need to activate this without the incantation. Alright, I can do this, just clear my mind and visualize the chant as clearly as possible. Here goes...Initiate Skill: Magic Eater!

A red haze then formed as a Magic Circle appeared, the haze taking the form of what looked like a streaky snake with wide jaws, a dark mist around it.

I've never used this before, but I can't afford to mess this up...I then locked my gaze onto the Magic Circle formed by her Spell. I can't let my Skill touch her hand, I just need it to swallow up the Magic Circle.

I extended it towards her, opening the jaws around the Magic Circle carefully...and then swiftly shutting them and swallowing it up, quickly dissipating my Skill as a slight, confused frown appeared on her face.

"What happened...? My Spell faded...," She muttered, opening her eyes in bewilderment.

"Hm? It did? Oh, I just thought it was because you finished healing me," I shrugged, playing dumb.

"But I haven't...there's a scar," She replied, pointing at my left eye.

I reached up and touched the area around my left eye...yeah, I can feel it, there's definitely a scar there. I already have a scar, from when the Knights attacked my village, a small diagonal scar about an inch or two below the corner of my right eye.

"Don't heal it...leave it as it is. If I'm not mistaken, it can't be healed after a few days, right?" I asked her, as she nodded in response...oh, just great, looks like she's clammed up again.

I was hoping I'd gotten her to open up at least a little bit, but I guess that was short-lived. Still, though...I just learnt how to cast that Spell. Light Attribute: Super High Speed Regeneration.

I understand how it works, the information just sort of imprinted in my mind when I swallowed up her Magic Circle. This Spell...it works rapidly, and can even regrow limbs and heal fatal wounds if you're quick enough to respond.

I see now, this must be why she said that she's special...this must be an especially advanced healing Spell. She was possibly someone highly respected in the Light Continent...but these people must have broken her down mercilessly after enslaving her.

Hm, but she doesn't have an Enslavement Collar on...maybe she was a specialist in healing and wasn't very good at fighting? That's certainly possible...it's pretty feasible that mastering a Spell like this took a lot of time and effort, forcing her to neglect learning attack Spells.

I almost feel bad if that's true...she spent time and effort mastering this Spell, and I just learnt it in an instant. There's two ways to learn a Spell using the Magic Eater Skill...either swallow up the Spell itself, or swallow up the Magic Circle.

For Elemental attack Spells, the former method is a lot easier. But with Spells like this one, that don't have a tangible form, the only option is going after the Magic Circle instead.

Oh, looks like she's already leaving. I thought she'd at least ask me not to tell the Nobles about what she said again, but I guess she's decided to hope that I keep my word.

I have no reason to screw her over, and I definitely have no reason to help this rotten family in any way whatsoever.

I've got a powerful new weapon in my arsenal now, the High Speed Regeneration Spell...and because they assume I possess solely the Dark Attribute, they'll never see this coming, they won't even consider the fact that I'm able to cast Light Attribute Spells.

On another note, I remember seeing Ultra High Speed Regeneration and Instant Regeneration in the list of Skills I perused during my reincarnation process. And I remember seeing notes under both those Skills, stating that their effects can't be achieved with the Light Attribute.

Naturally, I was super tempted to pick Instant Regeneration, it made it to the top five of the shortlist I was supposed to narrow down to three, but in the end, didn't make the cut. Admittedly, I have regretted that at times.

But not anymore. I'm fairly certain that this Spell I've just learned is likely the strongest healing Spell someone can master. I mean, thinking about it logically, if the Instant Regeneration and Ultra High Speed Regeneration Skills are the strongest healing powers in this world, then this Spell, Super High Speed Regeneration is probably the next best one.

Anyway, there's a reason I told her not to heal my scar. As I understand it, once enough time has passed and an injury closed up, it can't be healed using Spells. For instance, if someone loses a limb but the stump fully closes up, it'll be too late to heal them, because that'll be the new norm for their bodies.

I want to keep this scar as it is, a permanent mark to remind me of my hatred for these people. If I ever come to fear them like they want me to, I'll need to make sure that my hatred is stronger than my fear.

But it's the last scar I'll ever have on my body, because from now on, I can heal any and all injuries that are inflicted onto me. I could even lose a limb or some other body part and be able to easily grow back what I lost.

But I'm guessing most healing Spells can't do something as drastic as regrow limbs at all...so for this to be my first acquired Light Attribute Spell is quite something. I'll have to ensure I make full use out of it...

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