Chapter 24: Strange Training Method

[Third Person's PoV] 

Secre was quietly engrossed in a book, occasionally glancing up at Stephen as he diligently practiced his healing spells. He had been at it for 24 hours straight, but now, much to their mutual regret, it was time to leave the library.

When they returned to their real bodies, both slowly opened their eyes. Stephen sighed, closing his grimoire and stowing it back into the mirror dimension. He began reviewing the vast amount of medical knowledge he had studied, covering everything from acupuncture and the mind-body-spirit connection to self-healing and the energy flowing through one's meridians. He also recalled the surgical techniques and Western medical practices he'd absorbed.

Stephen then cast his [Image of Ikonn] spell, conjuring detailed illusions of the human body. The realism of the illusions disturbed Nero, who watched cautiously.

Standing up, Stephen snapped his fingers. A large Eldritch magic circle appeared on the floor, altering the room's reality and trapping him in a self-made illusion. With another snap, his attire changed: his cloak transformed into a white doctor's coat, and glasses appeared on his face. Nero, now wearing a small pink nurse's hat and shirt, looked unamused by the transformation. Her deadpan expression almost made Stephen laugh, but he could see the curiosity in her eyes.

"I'm crafting different medical scenarios using illusions to test my knowledge and see how I would solve them," Stephen explained.

Nero tilted her head, and Stephen, understanding her unspoken question, continued. "You're wondering how I can properly test myself if I'm controlling the illusions, right? How would I know if I'm doing something wrong or right when I could just assume everything I do is correct?"

Nero nodded.

"Well, I didn't just craft this illusion based on my thoughts. I used all the knowledge I've acquired as the foundation. It works purely on facts, not on my personal assumptions. This way, I can differentiate between what I know and what I truly understand. Knowing something is one thing, but understanding it is what really matters. Does that make sense?" Stephen tilted his head slightly.

Nero swayed a little in response, and Stephen chuckled. "A little bit, right?"

He turned his attention to the medical bed, where the body of a motionless man lay. "First, we need to identify the problem," he said, crossing his hands to form diagonal Ls with his index and middle fingers, symbolizing the closed eyes of Agamotto. He spread his arms, forming the symbol of an open eye, and a soft wave of arcane energy passed through the man's body like a scanner.

Stephen frowned, placing a hand on his hip as he processed the information. Nero tilted her head in confusion, curious about what he found.

"The Eye is telling me that this is an illusion…" Stephen said, brows furrowed. Nero shot him a look that said, "Really?" Stephen picked up the amulet on his chest and held it like a microphone. "Yeah, no kidding, it's an illusion—I created it!" he exclaimed, half-talking to the amulet.

With a sigh, Stephen repeated the spell, this time with less intensity. Despite the illusion, he managed to see inside the man's body and discern the problem. A magic circle appeared over Stephen's palm as he put his hands on his body before lifting his hand higher, revealing images of the man's skeleton, organs, veins, nerves, and muscle fibers, breaking down the body layer by layer using his power over illusions.

Focusing on the skeleton, Stephen made a gesture for it to stay in place while swiping the rest of the layers away. "It looks like this man suffered a spinal cord injury near his neck," Stephen said, zooming in on the damaged area. "This type of injury would either be fatal or leave someone paralyzed from the neck down."

Stephen placed his hands on the man's chest. "Fortunately for him, it's something I can treat," he said, closing his eyes. Nero watched intently as the shattered bone fragments glowed with an orange hue, slowly moving back into place, reassembling the fractured neck bone.

Though the bone was now whole, cracks still remained. Stephen muttered softly, "عندما يتحد العقل والروح والجسد، يبدأ الشفاء الحقيقي" while forming an upside-down devil horn over his chest.

[Healing Magic: Terranotti Healing Spell]

A beautiful green hue enveloped Stephen's hand as it rested on the man's chest. The light then spread from his hand to the man's entire body, the energy dancing in a majestic display. Nero watched as the cracks in the man's bones began to seal and close before her eyes.

Once the healing was complete, the man's eyes snapped open, and he sat up abruptly. Without a word, he stood and walked away. Stephen removed his glasses, staring dramatically into the distance with a smoldering look. "And that is an operation complete."

Nero blinked, unsure of what to say. Although Stephen's magic always impressed her, his overly dramatic behavior never failed to make her sigh.

With a clap of his hands, Stephen commanded, "Next patient!" Instantly, a woman in a patient's gown appeared, lying down on the bed.

Nero gave him a slight look, prompting Stephen to shift his tone, becoming more serious. "I know it might seem like I'm playing around, but I take this very seriously. I'd appreciate it if you weren't so judgmental of the female patients I conjure. As a doctor, I will always remain professional. There's no such thing as male or female—only a doctor and their patient."

Hearing the weight in his voice and seeing the intensity in his expression, Nero chirped a small apology, bowing her head sincerely.

Stephen smiled warmly and rubbed her cheek with his fingers. "Apology accepted. Now, let's see what we've got here… let's find out what her deal is."

Repeating the same motion as before, Stephen conjured the image of the woman's uterus. "An abnormal amount of cramping and bleeding... could be a hormone imbalance. But let's not rule out other causes—uterine cancer is also a possibility."

The rest of the day flew by as Stephen immersed himself in testing his expertise through countless medical scenarios, pushing his knowledge and honing his skills. With every patient conjured, his proficiency in healing spells grew, until finally, he reached a new level of mastery. Now, he could perform his spell with just a simple hand sign.

As his proficiency increased, Stephen heard a knock on the door. Confused, he opened it to find Charmy standing there with several plates of food.

"It's dinner time! I figured since you're busy training, I'd bring you food to replenish your magic. It'll boost your productivity with a full stomach. I even brought some for Nero!" Charmy said with a bright smile.

Stephen, touched by the gesture, made the plates float beside him and took Charmy's hands. "You are the best damn member of this squad, Charmy. If you ever need my help with anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Charmy giggled, waving him off. "Aw, shucks, all I'm doing is giving you food."

"You don't understand how much that really matters."

"Oh, stop with the sweet talk! Now go on, enjoy your meal," Charmy said, shaking her head in amusement as she skipped away, her large chef-sheep following behind her.

Stephen chuckled, finding Charmy amusing, and happily sat down to enjoy dinner with Nero, savoring their well-deserved break together.

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