Chapter 3: Healing with Style

Before long she stumbled upon a scene of chaos witnessing a multitude of people locked in a fierce battle against a group of sinister gnarled black trees. These eerie trees soared through the air unleashing leaves that may have seemed harmless at first glance but upon contact with human flesh they sliced through it with the ease of a knife through tofu and black trolls wielding spiked clubs red goblins brandishing machetes and large purple wolves joined forces to attack the humans in a terrifying display.

A fleeting thought crossed her mind tempting her to join the fight against the humans she despised. However, she quickly realized she lacked a weapon and had no knowledge of the weaponry employed by clerics in this unfamiliar world and her combative skills relied solely on her bare hands. Surveying her surroundings her gaze landed upon a discarded red wooden staff nestled in the grass and with haste she retrieved it finding the weapon surprisingly light but adorned with amateurish paintwork a clear indication that it had been abandoned. Recalling Seraphina's mention of her limited access to spells and attack skills she decided to use the staff solely for striking purposes.

A mischievous smile played upon her lips as she whispered, 'Hehe. Let me give them a good thrashing.'

With determination in her stride, she rushed towards the goblins intending to defend them by striking the humans however as she moved her actions transformed into a peculiar dance of pivots a sequence she had never managed to execute before. Before she could fully comprehend her newfound prowess a sudden thud resonated as a troll struck her head with its spiked club and her balance faltered and she tumbled onto the grass blood trickling from the wound but despite the setback she refused to yield as her soul was that of a spirit deity theoretically immortal. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her head she rose to her feet resolute in her desire to strike at the humans once more. The humans stared at her a mix of confusion and astonishment evident in their gazes regarding her as an enigmatic oddity.

'What on earth is she doing?' Exclaimed a chanter with flowing blonde hair dressed in a shimmering silver gown.

'I would have attacked her if I hadn't known she was human'. Remarked a mage donning a blue robe.

Lily paid no heed to their words for they held no sway over her intentions for she had not come to defend them but to assail them. Swinging her staff through the air her blows failed to connect with anyone leaving her taken aback by her own feebleness and a surge of annoyance washed over her at her newfound vulnerability.

Amid the crowd a young warrior observed her actions attentively.

Suddenly he raised his voice and called out to the others, 'She's attempting to buy us time by distracting them. Now let's strike!'

The people responded swiftly unleashing their most powerful spells and maneuvers but even though it was evident that the monsters were being pushed back their defeat remained elusive.

Approaching Lily, the young warrior asked, 'You helped us, didn't you?'

Though Lily felt the urge to scream 'No you, repulsive human!' She chose to keep her thoughts to herself. As a storm of black leaves swirled toward them panic welled up within her however the man stepped forward positioning himself in front of her shielding her with a large red shield. His selfless act caught her off guard leaving her with a strange unfamiliar feeling because a human had protected her despite her clearly unattractive appearance. Determined to reciprocate the gesture she resolved to assist him alone and swinging her staff she intercepted a lunging wolf and was astonished to find that the red staff remained intact despite the creature's sharp teeth.

The battle raged on transforming into a gruesome bloodbath with the humans becoming increasingly oppressed. Lily realized that the monsters regarded her as a human and directed their attacks accordingly and she had to employ all her skills and strength to defend herself.

Amidst the chaos a man suddenly complained, 'Tch. Why did you have to unleash your high-tier spell in this situation clumsy Vivian?'

He cast an irritated glance at a beautiful blonde woman clad in a short light blue dress holding a black staff in her right hand.

'I didn't know the others were so inept. Gustaf is still standing.' Vivian defended herself shifting her gaze towards a handsome young man with blond hair dressed in light mage attire and wielding a red spell book.

Lily felt exhaustion wash over her gasping for breath as she took intermittent breaks seeking refuge behind the man named Eamon. He suddenly introduced himself revealing that he belonged to the monk warrior class all the while defending her as she sat sheltered behind him. Lily unwilling to introduce herself to him or engage in further conversation remained silent however her silence was abruptly interrupted as she felt a sudden impact on the left side of her head realizing she was bleeding and anger surged within her fueling her resolve and rising to her feet she turned to face the source of her pain and saw a goblin laughing mockingly. Enveloped in fiery rage she inadvertently tapped into a strange and enigmatic power lying dormant within her and the power surged through her body infusing her tightly grasped staff with vibrations coursing through its form. Fearful of losing her grip she held on tightly as her palms pulsated with warmth and a sensation akin to a gust of energy stirred in her stomach and unexpectedly her mouth began to emit a mournful melody singing foreign words in an unknown language. Shocked by her lack of control over her own movements she witnessed her staff pulsating with a foreboding dark energy wisp resembling smoke swirling around it and gradually it transformed into a black sphere reminiscent of obsidian radiating an ominous aura and the sphere took the form of a small black sun casting an eerie shadow that shrouded the entire area in darkness.

In a breathtaking moment the sphere burst open unleashing a destructive wave that enveloped everyone present and a palpable chill ran through everyone's bodies as if an unpleasant force had passed through them. Soon after a deathly silence settled upon the scene and even the wind seemed to abstain from whispering its presence. Lily felt something land in her right hand accompanied by the gradual return of the sun's rays piercing through the dissipating darkness.

Surveying her surroundings, she realized that all the humans appeared bloodier than before and some lay motionless on the ground seemingly lifeless and the monsters had vanished completely as if they had never existed at all. Amazement washed over her as she marveled at the extraordinary power of her staff, and she was determined to keep it close grinning foolishly.

The blue sky once again appeared while the radiant sun illuminated everything in its warm glow however the silence lingered and angry gazes from the humans fixated upon Lily.

A bewildered man sitting nearby inquired, 'What in the world just happened?'

'It was her that hideous witch.' A woman responded pointing directly at Lily whose elation and eerie grin made her appear sinister.

Eamon looking up at Lily with admiration exclaimed, 'Wow that was a high-tier spell from the mage class that I've never seen before.' He began to view her in a different light.

The others in the group began to speak ill of Lily, their resentment evident due to her casting an unfamiliar spell however she had no intention of defending herself since she believed she had done nothing wrong. It was the staff that had wielded the power leaving her perplexed as to why humans were so blind and ignorant.

'I'm a cleric'. She informed Eamon curious as to why he couldn't ascertain her class through the interface and inquired further.

He explained that the system in Elysium prevented them from seeing each other's details as it aimed to grant them freedom as people were inherently judgmental and this had been the way of their world since its inception and the system governed their world and all abided by its rules. Seating herself across from him Lily sought more information about the system and Elysium however his knowledge appeared limited, and he seemed to repeat himself often leading her to suspect he might be suffering from amnesia. As she observed him more closely she noted his medium-length brown hair, dark eyes, pale complexion and his tall lean figure making him an undeniably handsome young man and he wore a red robe with matching pants complemented by brown boots. He had informed her of his status as a monk warrior class a concept she was familiar with but uncertain if it held the same meaning in this realm because in her world true monk warriors utilized golden staves for combat yet she saw no such weapon on him only a red shield.

Her curiosity piqued she inquired, 'Do you possess a staff?'

'Huh?' Eamon exclaimed momentarily unsure if she was referring to his physical anatomy before realizing her intent.

He replied 'Yes, I do. Why do you ask?'

Filled with excitement Lily wanted to see it and eagerly asked, 'Can I take a look?'

However, the enthusiasm was short-lived as a man among the group spoke aloud with disdain in his voice, 'Ugh she's disgusting. Come on Sif let's get away from that hideous sow who nearly killed us.'

He stood up and began to walk away accompanied by a woman triggering a chain reaction with the rest of the group departing the area casting scornful glances taunting Lily and hurling degrading insults at her. After the departure of the others only Lily and Eamon remained sitting in silence.

Lily's gaze fell upon Eamon's right arm which bore a sizable open wound and filled with guilt over his condition she offered, 'Let me heal that.'

'W...' Before Eamon could utter a complete response she pointed her staff towards his arm but a sudden realization struck her that she had no knowledge of how to cast a healing spell.

Muttering, 'Heal him with style' She summoned a vibrant rainbow beam adorned with glitter that surged towards his arm.

Eamon screamed out in pain prompting her to hastily shout, 'Stop.' Causing the beam to abruptly cease.

Observing the aftermath, she witnessed his wound sizzle seemingly worsening instead of healing and the scent of burnt flesh reached her nostrils causing her to bite her lip and feel embarrassed for exacerbating his injury.

Perplexed she questioned, 'Why in the heck is it shooting glitter?' Her gaze shifted towards her staff searching for answers.

In his discomfort Eamon coughed and replied, 'That was rainbow poison a debuff spell used by clerics. However, yours seems unusually potent.' Concern filled his eyes as he inspected his arm apprehensive that the poison might spread to his bones.

Uneasy Lily inquired, 'Can it be healed?' A sense of worry crept over her.

After careful consideration Eamon reached into his right pocket and produced a small bottle containing a black flowing substance resembling tar. Lily harbored doubts about its effectiveness but as he poured it onto the wound the skin began to heal rapidly surpassing her expectations.

'Wow.' She exclaimed in surprise realizing she had been outperformed by an unknown liquid.

Eamon let out a deep sigh, his gaze fixed on the now-empty bottle and spoke with a tinge of weariness, 'That was the only one I had. I hope you won't cast any more spells on me.'

Shaking her head Lily responded, 'Why would I do that? We're strangers.' She rose to her feet and bid him farewell expressing her gratitude for his assistance.

As she turned to leave Eamon called out, 'Wait. Can we travel together? I happen to be heading to the nearby city and it seems you're unsure of your destination.'