Chapter 24: I Thought I Could Skip Training
Then, I looked at my most important attribute.
Unfortunately, barrier stayed at level 1.
There wasn’t much I could do about that.
There was simply nobody who needed the help of my barrier here.
I did try a few things, like shielding an injured soldier from the rain and other simple efforts, but nothing worked.
I realized that I had to protect someone from real danger. And unless I went to the battlefield, I could do nothing here.
Fortunately, unlike barrier, my healing attribute was progressing amazingly well. I closed my status window and opened the Akashic sub‑quest related to healing.
The golden letters shimmered in front of me, softly pulsing with quiet authority.
I had already seen it many times, but today, I studied it with renewed focus:
『 Sub quest 1 : Healer path 7
➤ Description: Deepen your connection to the flow of life, honing your skills to mend wounds and soothe ailments with practiced intent.
➤ Objective: Heal 640 people ( 587 / 640 )
➤ Time Limit: –
➤ Reward: Healing Lv 8, Healer Path 8
➤ Failure: – 』
Reflecting on my journey as a healer, I saw the clear pattern to my growth.
The Healer Path had been structured with objectives that doubled at every level: 10 different people for level 2, 20 for level 3, 40 for level 4, 80 for level 5, 160 for level 6, 320 for level 7, and now 640 for level 8.
Thankfully, progress carried over, so when I began level 7, I already had 320 of the 640 completed.
After level 5, the system shifted the requirement from healing different people to simply healing people, making it easier to continue growing without the constant need for new patients.
As I approached the final stretch toward level 8, with 587 out of 640 people healed, I could feel the weight of the journey behind me.
Every soldier I healed, every potion I prepared, and every precise use of my mana had brought me closer to mastering my role as an Aegis Healer.
Each step had been a careful layering of skill, patience, and experience, a progression that mirrored the rhythm of life itself, doubling in expectation with each new challenge, yet always carrying the fruits of the last effort forward.
With the threshold so near, I was reminded that this path had never been solely about numbers.
It was about the quiet victories and the lives I had touched, each one a testament to growth, persistence, and the will to heal.
***
"Al, are you here? Can I come in?"
Izabella’s soft voice drifted through the flap of my tent, carrying that familiar mix of warmth and calm. I immediately perked up on my bed, though I didn’t move to sit up.
My pillow was already cradled against my chest, the soft fabric pressing comfortingly against my chin as I let a drowsy smile play on my lips.
’Strange,’ I thought, lazily blinking at the lamp‑lit ceiling. Night training would begin soon, and it was always Master Valerian who came to drag me out into the cold. For him to send Izabella instead...
A slow, sly grin crept over my face. ’Did he send her to get me today? If so, this might be my chance to skip training.’
I immediately rolled to my side, curling into the soft embrace of my blankets, and let my voice drift toward the entrance, already laced with sleepy nonchalance.
"Come in," I called, my tone gentle, deliberately letting it sound slightly groggy.
The tent flap rustled, and Izabella stepped inside, her white healer’s coat catching the glow of the lanterns. Her black eyes scanned the tent before settling on me sprawled across my bed, hugging my pillow like it was the most precious treasure in the kingdom.
I blinked up at her with an innocent, sleepy smile that I knew always softened her expression. "Izabella... I was just... resting a little. You know, preparing my mind for tomorrow’s work." I yawned dramatically, nuzzling into the pillow as if to punctuate my excuse.
She crossed her arms, her lips twitching between amusement and exasperation. "You’re already in bed?"
"Mmm... yes," I murmured, half‑closing my eyes and letting my voice drop to a soft, drowsy hum. "You wouldn’t want me to go outside all tired and catch a cold, right? I’d be useless tomorrow... and then you’d have to do all the work yourself..."
I clutched my pillow tighter, nestling into the familiar comfort of my sheets.
Izabella’s lips curved in a faint smile, and for a moment, I thought I had won. She crossed the tent slowly, her coat rustling softly, and placed a small tray on the table beside my bed. A bowl of simple soup and a slice of bread.
"I brought you dinner," she said. "You worked hard today."
I looked at the bowl but made no effort to move my body. "Thank you, Izabella. You’re the best."
I knew she had taken a liking to me, treating me like a little brother over these past two years. Leaning into that bond, I pulled the blanket up to my chin and gave her my most pitiful, sleep‑laden gaze.
"If Master Valerian asks... tell him his favourite student needed extra rest tonight..." I whispered.
She chuckled lightly and reached out to adjust the blanket over my legs. "Rest is important for a healer, after all."
I nodded eagerly, already tasting victory. "Exactly. I need to recover my mana and strength. Master Valerian always says that overtraining is bad, right?"
I could almost taste it, the sweet, fleeting triumph of skipping training under the gentle shield of Izabella’s sympathy.
Izabella shook her head with a knowing smile. "He might have said that... but he also told me to bring you to the training grounds tonight."
Her smile turned mischievous. "He said if I didn’t get you, he would come himself, and he didn’t want to disturb the other healers with your screaming."
I froze at her words, my gaze flickering up to meet hers. For a heartbeat, I let my expression crumble, my lips trembling as I forced my eyes to glisten as though tears were just waiting to fall.
Izabella’s black eyes widened, and then, just as quickly, she burst into laughter. The sound was bright and unrestrained, cutting through the quiet of the tent.
"Don’t make that face," she said between soft giggles. "I’m only teasing you. But listen, something important has come up. Your master has cancelled tonight’s training and asked me to tell you that tomorrow, he plans to double the intensity."
Her words lingered in the air, and I could only clutch my pillow tighter, my fleeting sense of relief dissolving into dread.
Tomorrow would be a storm I could not sleep through.