Chapter 6

Ancient!

A word for a glorious civilization that existed in the distant past.

Raymond decided to tell the world that he had learned from the ancients what he was about to do.

It was a blatant lie, but there was nothing else he could say.

Fortunately, Hanson accepted Raymond's story without question.

After all, little was known about the ancient civilization. They were considered mysterious, like legends shrouded in fog, so any lie would do.

"We're in a hurry, so I'll explain later. For now, prepare yourself for what I have to say."

"Yes, please."

"Get some water, as clean as you can, and prepare it."

"That's ...?"

"Similarly, I need you to sterilize the cleanest knife you can find over a fire. Also, go to my room and prepare a thin thread that has been sterilized in herbs."

"...."

Water, knives, and thread?

Hanson's eyes widened in confusion.

What was he about to do to his patient?

Raymond coughed in disbelief, a common sense reaction for a Lepentaina.

"You'll know it when you see it. ... Anyway, I'm in a hurry, so get it ready."

* * *

Fortunately, the preparations didn't take long.

To reduce the chances of infection during surgery, the patient was moved to the cleanest room possible and put to sleep and anesthetized with a hallucinogenic drug.

"It's a good thing I had a catgut on hand, just in case.

Catgut.

It was a thread made from sheep's intestines that would dissolve into the body over time and be used as a suture.

I was able to get it because the wizards of the Magic Tower were using it as a material.

Hanson scratched his head and asked.

"What exactly are you trying to do, senior?"

"Surgery."

"Can... what?"

You'll see.

Raymond couldn't explain further.

His heart was beating like crazy, and he didn't have the presence of mind to take his time.

"Can I do this?

Don't think about the outcome.

Just do your best.

"The water's already been spilled. We have to save him, if we don't want to lose our apprenticeship.

If he fails to save the patient, Lance will surely disqualify him as an apprentice.

So we must save him.

That's what he thought, but his chest felt like it was going to burst from the tension.

If it weren't for the Heart of Steel, my legs would have already given out and I would have collapsed. Maybe I would have run off into the distance.

"Open.

After disinfecting the surgical site, Raymond raised a small, fire-sanitized hand knife.

His fingertips began to tremble, and he pursed his lips.

"Get it together!

A trickle of blood brought him back to his senses.

A sizzle.

The blade dug a little into his abdominal wall.

"Stand, sir?"

I could see Hanson sucking in a breath, but I didn't care. Raymond was just as surprised as Hanson.

It was the first laparotomy.

The skin split open, revealing yellow fat. Blood trickled, revealing a transparent membrane of crimson muscle underneath.

Dizzy.

His hair turned white once more.

[Heart of Steel is manifesting! Willpower is hardening!]

[Heart of steel is manifesting! Willpower is hardening!]

I might have let go of his hand if it weren't for the message that flashed through my mind.

'I'm doing well, I'm going to be the best healer I can be, so I can do this!

Like a mantra, Raymond told himself.

Raymond had always thought.

that he wasn't dirt or a bug.

One day he would be the best, the one everyone looked up to.

"I'm going to be the best! Imagine all the riches I'll have when I'm the best!

I moved my hand, trying to calm my mind as much as possible.

Ding.

A midline incision.

I did exactly what the book said, and the abdominal cavity, hidden within the peritoneum, was revealed.

It was my first laparotomy, but it didn't take long to feel the thrill.

The sight of the abdominal cavity was disorienting.

"Stop, senior. What the hell are you going to do with the patient...?"

Hanson asked, his voice trembling. He seemed to be wondering if he should forcibly stop Raymond now.

In fact, if it weren't for Raymond's mumbling, Hanson would have overpowered him.

"I'm going to ... it, somehow. I have to."

"...."

Hanson swallowed hard when he saw the look in Raymond's eyes.

Raymond's eyes were a greenish emerald. They were gentle and almost bossy.

But right now, they were fiery. They were burning with the will to succeed.

"First, we need to determine the source of the bleeding.

Raymond reddened and recalled his surgical knowledge.

There was usually only one cause of vomiting.

Bleeding peptic ulcers.

Of which the stomach and duodenum.

He needed to find out which one was bleeding.

Fortunately, it wasn't difficult.

The duodenum was leaking pale yellow fluid.

"It's a perforation of the duodenal ulcer! We need to ligate the blood vessels in that area and close the hole.

The surgical procedure was straightforward.

Identify the bleeding vessel, tamponade it, and close the hole.

That was it.

A deceptively simple process.

But bringing it to life was another matter entirely.

"I can do this, I'm going to be the best, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this.

"Hanson, I need you to lift this red organ here."

The red organ, the liver.

"...."

Hanson hesitated, then said, "I don't know," and followed Raymond's lead. Hanson shudders at the feel of the liver, which is both soft and somewhat hard.

"Now cut the perforation with a knife.

But there was a problem.

She knew exactly what to do, but her hands wouldn't cooperate.

He kept fumbling and making mistakes.

"No!

After a few mistakes, the willpower I had built up with the help of my "heart of steel" faltered.

My body stiffened once again.

'Wake up! The operation will fail at this rate! Wake up, you idiot!

Raymond thought desperately.

What to do.

How to make the surgery work.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.

"Buy a skill! Stroke of the Sword!

I purchased the unique skill I had been putting off.

"Strong physical strength and great intellect are important, but in the end, the most important thing is the ability to save a patient!

[You've purchased the skill!]

[Perk applied! Minimized point cost!]

[A stroke of the pen].

Classification: Attribute Skill

Rank: Unique

Point Cost: 40 (Perks apply)

Skill Level: D

-Once per week, you can perform a surgery beyond the limits of your ability! Increase your sensory stats by 10!

-Reduced cooldown and increased sensory stat gains as skill level increases.

Upon seeing the message, Raymond immediately used the skill.

[Senses temporarily increased!]

[Senses: 6 → 16]

That was it.

Raymond had an amazing experience.

His fingertips became more sensitive, and he was able to perform movements he had only thought of in his head.

"Is this the skill of a skilled resident?

Raymond shook his head.

It didn't feel like it.

The surgery didn't feel familiar at all.

It still felt unfamiliar and unskilled.

Instead, the difference was in the feel of his hands. I was able to perform fine motions much more smoothly than before.

It was as if I was lacking in experience and skill, and my natural talent made up for it.

It didn't matter.

Now I could go through the surgery piece by piece.

Sizzle.

The knife carefully sliced through the duodenum.

Pow. Pow.

A fountain of blood poured from the inside of the duodenum. It was arterial bleeding.

"Give me the thread."

"Ah, ah, yes!"

Hanson stood stunned, then handed Raymond the thread, which had been washed in water sanitized with a pulse of herbs.

"Tie!

The technique of tying off a blood vessel with thread to staunch bleeding unfolded at Raymond's fingertips.

Could he do it?

The thought flashed through his mind for a moment, but his fingers danced effortlessly.

Tingling.

The veins that had been pulsing with blood went silent.

"That's it! Now we just need to close the perforated duodenum!

Raymond slowly worked his way through the surgery, step by step.

"Careful. Careful. Don't make any mistakes.

My heart was pounding with nerves, and sweat beaded on my forehead.

The omentum, the membrane that connects the stomach, was pulled up to the puncture site. Then, with a needle and thread, I used the thick fat of the omentum to close the puncture hole.

It was a Graham patch, where the omentum plugs the hole.

With the hole repaired, Raymond breathed a sigh of relief.

Now it was time to clean up the mess.

To prevent the ulcer from recurring, he located and severed the vagus nerve, which is responsible for stomach acid secretion.

He used boiled, sterilized water to flush out the gastric juice that had contaminated the peritoneum.

After performing all the procedures according to surgical knowledge, Raymond performed the final step.

Close.

After closing the knife-sliced stomach with thread.

[The first successful open surgery!]

[The first open surgery on the continent of Leipenthaina!]

[Achievement: 'Father of Surgery'].

[You will go down in history as a pioneer of surgery!]

[The achievement is high for your class rank! Skill point gain is limited!

[You will receive 100 skill points!]

[You will receive a bonus level up!]

The message didn't end there.

[You have cured a patient beyond the limits of your rating!]

[You have achieved the achievement 'Zealous Healer'!]

[You have 30 skill points!]

[You get a bonus level up!]

[You get a bonus level up!]

[Perk: You have an extra 'bit' of courage when treating patients above your skill level!]

Three levels up for a whopping 130 skill points!

It was a huge reward, but Raymond couldn't see the messages.

"...Haha."

His legs gave out.

A shudder.

He sank back into his seat, hot tears streaming from his eyes.

He didn't know why he was crying.

Was it because he'd brought a dying patient back to life for the first time? Or because he had just performed his first open-heart surgery?

I don't know.

I just laughed like a fool, and the tears came. My chest heated up.

I stammered.

* * *

"What, Senior Raymond cured a vomiting patient?"

Lance, who had been relaxing in his office, jumped up in surprise.

"What nonsense!"

"Well, it's true. I don't know what he did, but the patient is over the hump and recovering."

Lance frowned and headed to the hospital room to see for himself.

"There's no way I can cure a vomiting patient with a heal that's not even F-rated!

But what was going on?

To his surprise, it wasn't a lie.