A Hospital in Another World?

Successfully casting the healing spell, Garrett returned to the dining table feeling particularly confident. He shared lunch with the priest, chatting away, also keeping an eye on the boy for an hour to ensure no allergic reactions resurfaced before he could finally rest.

Before retiring for the night, he instructed sternly that if the child felt any discomfort, he should be woken up immediately.

Perhaps because he was the healer or perhaps in gratitude for saving the child, Farmer Edmund didn't make him and his comrades bunk together but instead arranged a separate room for Garrett. Linen sheets, a soft quilt—Garrett lay down and sighed in comfort.

...The first day of crossing over had finally passed.

From this day forward, he had to survive alone in this strange, otherworldly place. His only reliance: his scientific knowledge, the newly learned healing spell, and...

He touched his chest. A wax-coated hemp thread fastened a pendant, a memory that had never left his side since childhood.

A translucent, leaf-shaped, pale green pendant. Neither gold nor jade, nor wood nor stone.

"I wonder what this thing is... oh well, might as well keep wearing it..."

Garrett murmured softly. With his eyes closed, he fell into darkness in less than a second.

Arriving in this otherworldly place, traversing who knows how many miles in one go, experiencing two emergency rescues, Garrett slept deeply. He didn't wake up at all during the night, sleeping like a log.

The only disturbance to his sleep was a dream that kept turning and rewriting his paper:

"Patient, male, 37 years old... treated for injuries. Diagnosis... grade III liver rupture, one intestinal rupture, 5 cm in length... intestinal repair surgery without anesthesia, followed by healing potions, healing spells for recovery, and the inclusion of intestine. Patient passed gas six hours after intestinal surgery."

Discussion: Post-intestinal surgery, due to anesthesia and surgical trauma, the patient's intestinal recovery tends to be slow, generally requiring 48-72 hours. In this case, the patient recovered intestinal motility in just 6 hours, significantly shorter time.

It can be considered that the use of healing spells post-surgery significantly contributed to the intestinal recovery function. Further clinical research is recommended based on this case...

...Cursed paper.

Garrett groggily woke up, slapped himself on the head, producing a crisp sound.

"I've crossed over, no need to exhaust myself with thesis defense for tenure anymore, cut me some slack..."

Because of this not-so-nightmare nightmare, when Garrett was getting ready in the morning, he felt a bit groggy. He dressed, had breakfast with sleepy eyes, and just as he was about to assemble with his comrades, he received news:

They were requisitioned by the temple guards to participate in the upcoming search operation.

"Us?"

Garrett was puzzled. Beside him, young priest John panicked:

"Garrett, you can't go! That knight from yesterday, he really dislikes you; this requisition must be aimed at you! If you go, he'll figure out how to deal with you!"

"Oh, really?" Garrett scratched his head. "The priest seemed pretty reasonable, and his impression of me wasn't bad either. But we're city guards! We're supposed to patrol!"

"But that knight is the lord's nephew..." Captain Karen sighed, full of helplessness. "The Temple of the Spring Goddess is considered a 'noble temple,' with mostly nobility among its priests and knights. Requisitioning city guards like us without prior notice is just a formality.

They said they'd provide evidence for our patrol tasks once we return. Little Garrett, just forget it."

"But Captain Karen, your injury hasn't fully healed yet! — I'll go find them!"

"Little Garrett..."

Ignoring the captain's attempts to stop him, Garrett dashed into the hall. Knight Raymond blocked the entrance, patiently listened to his request, and smiled, "You're a healer, so you have the privilege not to participate. As for Captain Karen, isn't his injury already healed?"

Garrett lowered his gaze slightly. Raymond's words seemingly exempted him, providing ample reason not to join the action. He could indeed refuse to go, but what would happen to his teammates if he did?

Raymond's malicious intent was clear. A squad of city guards, alone and unable to resist requisition. If he didn't go, the knight's anger and malice would undoubtedly pour onto them.

The search task would encounter various dangers; if they went, they might end up as sacrificial pawns in front of the temple guards!

Not to mention their comradeship or Captain Karen's care for his original self. As a doctor, he couldn't abandon them when their lives might be in danger!

What to do, what to do...

He no longer argued, bowed slightly, turned, and walked away. After circling a few times, he slipped into a room across the barn, grabbed a temple guard:

"Where is the priest? Can you inform them for me?!"

"The esteemed priest is still in morning prayers." The temple guard looked at him with an odd gaze. A mix of disdain and suspicion, as if saying:

Don't you pray to the gods every morning?

Garrett: "..."

It seemed like he had read somewhere that priests prayed every morning to restore their healing abilities... Right, when he was washing his face earlier, young freckles were muttering something to the sun.

Oh no, this morning, I was only complaining about the thesis, completely forgetting about prayer. Also, even if I prayed, who would I pray to? The God of Nature?

He couldn't recall the nature god's name, doctrine, or prayer words...

I truly am a fake divine healer. Garrett lamented.

Even so, giving up wasn't Garrett's style. He calmed himself, turned, and found Farmer Edmund, requesting him to immediately send a message to the city. Then, he found Knight Raymond again, continuing to argue with him.

Garrett pleaded and reasoned, but finally, he resorted to a threat:

"Then let me go in Captain Karen's place! — After all, I'm a healer, I have privileges, if you don't agree, I won't go!"

"Fine! It's settled!"

Their palms met with a clap. As they touched hands, Garrett's left hand, hanging by his side, subtly clenched into a fist.

This guy really means trouble. I have to be careful!

With his backpack and water pouch, Garrett embarked on the journey once more. About to depart, young priest John, carrying luggage, rushed over and stood by his side without hesitation:

"Garrett, I'm going with you!"

"Why are you going?"

"Since you all won't send me back home, I'll naturally go with you!" John winked at him, with a determined yet mischievous smile, his freckles shining brightly on his face:

"No way you're ditching me!"

Garrett, helpless, reached out his hand and gave him a firm handshake.

Although requisitioned into the search team, Garrett was utterly clueless about what they were looking for. He followed the group, trudging through mountains, crossing three peaks, wading through two streams. Finally, after camping for the night in an abandoned castle, he was rudely awakened by a scream:

"Ah—skeleton!"

Clang clang clang clang, the sharp sound of unsheathed swords.

Though the castle was remote, it was quite large, with a main castle, a hall, a watchtower, and multiple buildings. Unfortunately, most of it had collapsed. Thankfully, the main hall was mostly intact, and some rooms in the buildings were still roofed, with only the two towers in the southeast and northeast corners appearing habitable.

The temple guards occupied the most intact main hall of the castle. Priest Donald and Knight Raymond didn't stay with them but had arranged two rooms upstairs. The team's horses settled in the buildings, and rather than squeezing in with them, Garrett's group of five decided to set up camp in the southeast tower.

And at that moment, from the northeast tower, came a noisy uproar, with shouts, footsteps, and the sound of swords striking bones.

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