28. Sacrificial Renewal

"Liira, you go and get Jarth and have him heal Orion."

Rina turned to Liira while indicating Orion in her spherical field.

Liira nodded and left swiftly.

A moment later, she returned with a man with green hair, who timidly glanced around the place, clearly confused as to why he had been summoned there.

Soon, his attention was immediately drawn to the injured figure of Orion trapped within a blue spherical force field, and he understood his task.

Rina glanced at Jarth's timid expression and couldn't help but reprimand him once more.

"Jarth, how many times do I have to tell you to be confident in yourself? Don't be so timid all the time."

Jarth nodded at her, though he couldn't help but appear somewhat timid, despite his efforts to exude confidence.

"I-I heard you, Rina. You don't have to keep reminding me."

Rina sighed at his timid nature before turning her attention back to the main topic.

"Heal him quickly, and then you can go. But make sure you're ready early tomorrow morning. We'll be leaving at that time."

She then lowered Orion and deactivated her talent.

Seeing this, Jarth approached Orion and placed his hands on his body. Moments later, a green halo enveloped Orion's body, while a red halo surrounded Jarth.

Shortly after, Orion's wounds visibly closed, his complexion regaining its rosy hue. Most importantly, the intense pain that had plagued him dissipated, leaving him feeling oddly refreshed, as if the torture he had endured moments before hadn't happened at all.

At this time, a notification appeared before his eyes.

[Do you want to copy the curse Sacrificial Renewal?]

Orion didn't fully understand the effects of the curse, but he accepted it nonetheless. After all, why not? He had nothing to lose, and if the curse proved to be beneficial, then it would only work in his favour.

However, in that moment, Orion failed to notice Jarth's condition due to his own distraction with the notification.

Jarth's face turned pale, and his body trembled as he gritted his teeth to suppress any screams of agony.

Meanwhile, Rina, Liira, Dion, and even Runo watched with concern as Jarth worked to heal Orion. They were well aware of the grim nature of Jarth's curse, known as Sacrificial Renewal.

This curse forced him to experience all the pain of the person he was healing.

Yet, despite the agony it caused him, Jarth couldn't stop healing others. He understood that only by regularly utilizing his talent and enduring the suffering could he hope to increase his mastery over his talent. Otherwise, he would always remain in the bronze rank forever.

After a moment, the glowing halos surrounding both Jarth and Orion faded away, signifying the completion of the healing process.

Exhausted, Jarth slumped to the ground, his body drenched in sweat as he struggled to catch his breath.

Runo regarded Jarth with pity as he issued his command.

"Jarth, return, and rest," he instructed gently.

Jarth nodded wearily, rising to his feet and slowly making his way out of the area.

Turning to Rina and the rest of the group, Runo addressed them.

"Let's also depart. There's much to prepare for tomorrow."

With nods of agreement, they followed Runo and exited the area.

Orion silently watched them leave as he opened his status to see his new curse.

[Sacrificial Renewal — Your ability to heal others comes at a profound cost to yourself. Each time you use your healing powers to mend the wounds or ailments of others, you absorb their pain and afflictions into your own body.]

'So, this is its effect. But how will it affect me?'

Contemplating, he once again delved into the abyss of darkness and activated the curse of Sacrificial Renewal there.

'It says it can absorb the pain and afflictions of others while healing, so can I also do the same to myself?'

Considering this, he glanced around and spotted a small, pointed piece of wood. He grasped it and used it to prick his index finger on his left hand. A red dot emerged at the tip of his finger as Orion experienced a slight stinging sensation.

Observing this, he activated the curse of Sacrificial Renewal, and as he did, the stinging pain in his finger vanished. However, the point-marked injury didn't heal; it remained as if nothing had happened.

'So, with this curse, I won't feel any pain from any injuries, but the injury itself will still remain. Interesting.'

This new curse truly intrigued Orion because it didn't offer any significant increase in strength. Nevertheless, he considered that he would use this curse for a long time.

'Let's rest for a bit.'

Following that, he rested and waited for the next morning's arrival.

***

As soon as the next day dawned, Runo and the others returned to the prison.

Runo surveyed the four kids sitting there with their heads down as he started to address them.

"Everyone, I know I have kept you here, but I meant no harm. I only wish to leave this place like you guys. Though I don't know the exact method, I know that it requires all of your help. So, are you willing to leave this place or not?"

All the kids, upon hearing Runo, had their eyes ignited, a sudden shift from their usual despairing selves.

It was as Orion had suspected. These kids were transmigrators like them, finding themselves in the midst of slavery on a pirate ship. However, their worst fears were realized when they arrived at the island, encountering true terror.

They hadn't imagined encountering monsters here; some fled, some managed to escape, while others perished.

Later, when they got kidnapped by individuals much stronger than themselves, they despaired, pondering what fate awaited them.

Now presented with an opportunity, they were determined not to let it slip away, fearing regret in the future. Thus, when they heard Runo discussing departure, excitement bubbled among them.

Observing all of this, Orion couldn't help but acknowledge that Runo was quite adept at controlling others.

Seeing the excited expressions on the faces of the four kids, Runo proceeded.

"Alright, follow us then."

He then instructed them to follow him as he led the way out of the massive tree.