Chapter 5

"I can't help it. I can't make it easy on the patient, so let's cheer ourselves up by imagining the riches we'll enjoy later.

Raymond cleaned diligently, thinking about his dream bucket list.

Perhaps because of his happy imagination, the time went well.

"Oh, this is hard work. If I ever make it, I'll make sure to have a dedicated cleaner for the clinic.

After scrubbing the floor to a sparkling shine, Raymond patted his back and sighed.

He was sore from the hard work.

"Maybe if I raise my health stat, it'll be a little less painful.

It was time to think about it.

Ting, a message popped up.

[You have cleaned up the aid station].

[Achievement: 'Improved Sanitation'].

[You get 10 skill points!]

[Bonus points for a great achievement]]

[You get 10 skill points!]

[You get a bonus level up!]

[Levels up to 5!]

[You get a perk - you'll be 'slightly' better at cleaning in the future!]

Level up!

Perks were given. Not so much a perk, though.

Anyway, that wasn't the only good news.

[You've reached 40 skill points!]

[You can buy skills in the Market!]

Skills!

I can finally spend my points to learn a new skill.

"What skills?

[You can buy general skills and attribute skills].

[As a first purchase, perks apply].

[For 40 points, you can buy a unique tiered skill!]

As expected from a perk message, a list of amazing skills popped up.

[list of perks available for purchase]

-Iron Stamina (Unique)

-Scribe's Dexterity (unique)

-Sage's Eye (unique)

There were no detailed descriptions.

But Raymond had a rough idea of what the skills would do based on their names.

"They're skills that support physical strength, senses, and intellect.

All of them were important for seeing patients.

Skills he'd love to get his hands on.

Unfortunately, a warning popped up.

[Caution: choose your battles carefully! Opportunities for perks do not come easily].

Raymond gulped.

A whopping 'Unique' rank.

A very high rank among the many ranks of a skill.

There's no telling how many skill points you'll need to accumulate before you'll have another chance to purchase it.

Therefore, he had to choose the skill he deemed most important.

"What now?

The night at the shelter fell as I pondered.

* * *

As Raymond was thinking about which unique skill to choose, he suddenly realized that he was starving.

Suddenly, a dark cloud rolled over the shelter.

A bloodied patient was brought in!

The patient was in critical condition and could not be saved without a tremendous amount of healing power.

* * *

"It's a vomiting patient! Use your heels!"

"Quickly!"

The sudden appearance of an emergency patient made the aid station dizzy.

Apprentice Hanson, who was guarding the aid station, hurriedly put on his heels, but to no avail.

"Shit!"

Raymond's face hardened.

"He's suffering from severe vomiting. I need a grade A heel to treat this!

The Heal was not a miraculous ability that could heal wounds with a touch.

It was a life-promoting power.

Therefore, it was less effective in cases of acute bleeding.

A large amount of blood was pouring out of the vessels, and there was no way it could be easily healed by promoting life force.

Of course, promoting vitality has the effect of activating clotting, so it wasn't completely ineffective, but it was less efficient.

Therefore, for a bleeding this severe, she might need a grade A heel.

'Grade A heels, where can I find such a healer right now?

Grade A!

Only the highest-ranked healers could use them.

For the record, there was only one person in the Belland Healing Center who possessed Grade A healing power, the director, Bugs.

There were very few Grade B's as well.

'If it's a medical skill, ... can cure this patient, but...'

Raymond swallowed hard.

It wasn't that there wasn't a way.

Medicine.

Its wonders could cure this patient.

"According to our knowledge of surgery, there is a way to operate on this patient.

But there was a problem.

Raymond can't do that surgery at his current level of skill.

"Maybe I should move up a level and become an 'experienced resident,' but I'm out of my league.

The hemostasis surgery.

It wasn't a difficult surgery.

It's something that could be done at the resident level.

The problem was that Raymond was a "first-year resident," the lowest level of surgical resident.

It was impossible.

"What do we do?

Just then, Chief Therapist Lance came downstairs.

"Vomiting patient?"

"Yes, healer. Mother Bucks is out of town treating a nobleman."

Lance frowned as he looked at the gagging patient. He recognized the gravity of her condition.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do, so send him back."

"...!"

Raymond gasped at the words.

"Send him back.

That would kill this patient.

"Shouldn't we try the heels?"

"Heels? Look at the blood he's coughing up. I can't even use my heels."

"But...."

Of course, I know she needs an A-grade heel.

But you're just going to let him die without trying?

"But just in case it gets better...."

"Senior."

Lance interrupted Raymond coldly.

"Are you trying to lecture me now, how dare you?"

"...."

"For a pathetic flunkie who couldn't even get out of his apprenticeship for five years...."

Raymond flinched involuntarily at the growl.

"If you're so worried about the patient, why don't you treat him yourself, eh?"

Raymond clenched his fists.

He was out of his element.

"What am I going to do?

In truth, it wasn't even a question.

What was he, an apprentice, to do with what the head healer, Lance, had given up?

If he tried, the chances of failure were far greater, and if he tried and the patient went wrong, he'd get a bad rap.

Worst of all, he could lose his apprenticeship.

"Disqualification? No! How have I gotten by so far? It's wise to stay in the background.

If you don't know what you're doing, and you get caught, you're done for.

So it's best to stay quiet for now.

'I'm not being cowardly, I'm not going to save him anyway. So....'

But at that moment.

Raymond bit his lip hard.

The patient's blood-soaked face came into view.

If no one did anything, he would die.

"Fuck!

It was that moment!

[You have a sudden quest!]

[Become a Zealous Healer!]

(Medicine Quest)

Rank: One Half Scalpel

Difficulty: Superior

Conditions: Heal patients who are beyond your skill level with a strong will.

Reward: Bonus Level Up x 2, 30 Skill Points

In the blink of an eye, several thoughts flashed through my mind.

Selfishly, it's best to stay put.

Or so I thought.

With a patient dying like this, is it right to stay put?

No matter how much I care about my own safety?

"Fuck! I don't know!

Raymond cursed, his eyes rolling back in his head.

[Skill, Heart of Steel manifests!]

[Skill, you will have a heart of steel].

Hearing the message, Raymond lost it.

"Are you sure you want me to heal you?"

"...!"

Lance's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Now... what?"

"With your permission, I would like to cure this patient."

"...!"

Everyone looked at Raymond in confusion.

Raymond himself was stunned by his own words.

"Ugh! Are you crazy?! A vomiting patient! Damn it! There's no way I can cure him!

My heart was racing.

I wondered if I should take back my words now.

"But you're not standing idly by while he dies in front of you like this!

My sister-in-law said, "He doesn't have some grandiose sense of mission as a therapist.

Rather, he chose to become a therapist because he wanted to be successful, so you could say he's a bit of a snob.

Still,

<Now that I have been granted permission to practice medicine, solemnly pledge devote my life the service of mankind.< p>

Even if he is a snob.

Like that phrase in the lore of 'general medicine'.

If you were a healer, you were obligated to at least not turn away from a patient who was dying before your eyes.

"Ha, you seem to have lost your mind somewhere, have at it!"

Lance snarled after a hollow laugh.

"Instead, keep this in mind. If you don't know what you're doing and it turns out badly, I'll hold you accountable."

"...."

The threat made Raymond's heart sink.

But there was no backing down now. Raymond nodded stiffly.

"Very well, then, I'll get to work on the patient right away."

* * *

The healers, including Lance, left the patient in Raymond's care and whisked away.

"May you have great luck this time.

Raymond sneered.

"Do you think I can do it?

Raymond looked at the patient with heavy eyes.

It didn't matter now if he could or couldn't. All that was left was to do his best.

Just then, he heard an unexpected voice.

"Ho, is there anything I can do for you, old man?"

It was Hanson!

Raymond looked at Hanson's face in surprise.

"That, that... because I don't want to see this patient die like this either."

Hanson blushed slightly and trailed off in embarrassment.

Raymond felt relieved.

It would be impossible for him to perform the surgery alone, and now he had an assistant.

"Thank you, Dr. Hanson. Now, will you prepare what I told you?"

"Yes, I will, but how are you going to treat this patient?"

Hanson asked anxiously.

"You and my heels will never be able to save him."

"We'll save him with something other than heels."

"What? What do you mean, something other than heels?"

Hanson asked, stunned.

He couldn't think of anything other than a heel.

No wonder.

Heal was the alpha and omega of treatment.

"What do I say?

Raymond wondered.

He was at a loss for words.

"I'm going to cure him with a mysterious, ancient art."

"...!"

"For your information, ancient healers also called it medicine...."