Damned Healer

Darian kept moving forward, walking through the desert. When night fell, he stopped, sat down where he was, and closed his eyes in meditation.

He had already been in that spot for more than fifteen days, but he still had to wait at least fifteen more. That was because, when he first arrived on this planet, he received an emblem and was warned by the local watchman:

"Your message has been sent. But, unfortunately, the guest has come at a bad time. The Emperor and the Matriarch are in an extremely important and critical meeting. It will take at least thirty days before they can receive you, so you have the option of leaving and coming back later, or waiting here, inside our home."

Darian chose to stay, and when the planet's leaders were ready to see him, they would be able to locate him instantly and bring him over. That's why…

…at this moment, Darian was actually training.

Lian had given him several techniques that used the power of chaos, but one in particular caught his attention: the Celestial Armor of Chaos.

It was a technique that used chaos power to create an extreme physical armor. That was the most powerful technique Lian had ever created and used until he became an immortal.

Back then, Lian noticed Darian's interest and came up with an idea. Corin, the Chromaraic God, was a close friend of Lian's, and he knew his techniques very well. So, Lian made some adjustments to his own technique and passed it down to Darian.

He called it the Primordial Stellar Physique. Basically, the common stellar physique could be fused with the Celestial Armor of Chaos. The two techniques used very different principles, but with a few tweaks, they could work together and massively increase his capabilities.

But… the requirements for Darian to use it were terrifying.

Lian divided it into seven stages, and Darian could only merge the two techniques after completing them all. The worst part was that, even to attempt the very first stage, he had to be sure his body already had immense capacity; otherwise, he'd explode in blood instantly.

Lian explained that, to be sure, he needed to use a physical power measurement common in high-level universes: FiendGod strength.

It got that name because, in the past, there was a FiendGod who created a supreme, unbeatable physical technique.

Darian needed at least two thousand points of FiendGod strength. This measurement wasn't calculated only by physical weight but also by half of some raw energy mixed in. There were several energies that could add weight — like the earth element, for example. A certain amount of it counted as one point.

Since this was a strength measurement used in high-level universes, Darian was sure the inhabitants of this planet, who were used to taking on hundreds of Rank S missions in those universes, knew how to use it and had ways to measure it. After all, they were beasts who valued physical might above everything.

Then, Lian gave him the golden advice: Darian had gone through the complete purification of Nivanic rebirth. Because of that, his body was now like a pure, dry sponge. This was a unique and rare moment, and he could use it to drastically boost his physique.

Basically, he had to push himself to the limit, forcing his body to react defensively, and that way quickly sharpen his physical strength. If he did it right, he could reach the required amount to start training the new physique.

This planet was possibly the best place in his whole universe for that. For that reason, when he arrived at the planet's entrance and chose to wait inside, he asked the guard if there was some harsh, unforgiving place where the physically weaker ones usually tested themselves.

The answer was, obviously, the one great desert of the planet.

In that place… since the planet was nourished by a massive inscription, every single grain of sand contained earth energy.

The sand flew through the air and hit him nonstop, and every particle was like a heavy rock ball smashing into him. On top of that, the sand built up on his body, and the weight he carried quickly multiplied many times over, only getting heavier.

It was just thirty days, and that training was only a bit tough and suitable for beginners, but definitely useful to stimulate his physique.

Darian didn't mind waiting thirty days, because he could feel Niara perfectly.

Her soul and energy were very weak, like she was on the verge of death. But… Beleth calmed him down, telling him to focus on her correctly. Then Darian realized that, in fact, she was stable and even slowly improving.

Beleth didn't know exactly what had happened to Niara, but he guaranteed he had information that she was stable. Even so, Darian needed to go see her personally, to witness the situation with his own eyes.

***

On the twenty-ninth day on that planet, Darian finally left the desert and headed toward the capital.

Right past the desert, there was land full of water. Green hills and rivers stretched everywhere. Boats could be seen sailing and rowing along the currents. Beneath the shimmering waves, fat fish leapt from the water while herons skimmed the surface. On both sides of the river, green clouds of mist lingered, making it feel like paradise.

The contrast between the dry desert and this land overflowing with rivers made it seem like two different worlds meeting in one place. It felt like stepping out of a barren land into a prosperous, divine place.

Darian arrived and entered the city after a short walk. Just showing his emblem at the entrance was enough to let him through.

The city didn't have tall walls or huge roads. Around it, a river branched out, running through every corner of the place.

With a boat, you could reach anywhere in the city. Giant trees provided shade, and the flowing water everywhere created a cozy and pleasant atmosphere.

Darian, however, was pretty ragged at that moment, his face covered in dirt. At best, people would just see him as a beggar.

Sensing his four rings and looking at his appearance, no one would give him a second glance. But…

…in just a few minutes, a young beastkin girl came up with a smile and handed him a few coins.

Darian found it funny and accepted. The city's currency was special, made from a simple, worthless metal that only existed on that planet. Since he had nothing on him, it was good to have a few coins.

He didn't even need to go far before getting more coins. Soon enough, though, he started feeling strange.

Ever since returning from the Trial, Darian had stopped being just a mortal. If he released his aura freely, he would draw massive attention across the planet. So he had sealed his soul power completely, using a chaos-based technique.

No one should be able to sense anything unusual in him, but he quickly realized that some people had extremely sharp instincts. Even if they couldn't explain it, they felt something unique coming from him. The kind-hearted, seeing him in such poor condition, felt compelled to help him.

Darian couldn't help but smile as he looked at the coins in his hand. Still, he pocketed them. He had to get used to weird things happening around him now.

Suddenly, he heard a voice and noticed several gazes turned toward him ahead.

"Little friend, we meet again." It was old Hudu, accompanied by the youths who had been with him before.

Darian gave a small nod: "Looks like you all had a fruitful trip."

No doubt about it, they looked way more spirited than last time. They must've had good training.

The lively, elegant girl from before let it slip: "We got lots of ores!"

"Lihan! You can't just show off your treasures to a human, or he'll get greedy! Humans are treacherous and will do anything for treasure." Tizol, like an older brother, quickly scolded her harshly.

All of them clearly belonged to some family. As for Hudu, he must've been someone really important, maybe even their leader.

Darian snorted. That was some straight-up prejudice against humans. On Earth, there was something similar, but directed toward Demons. They were culturally seen as evil. Here, humans were automatically considered treacherous and wicked.

In the end… on average, demons really did tend to commit shady acts. And humans… it wasn't exactly a lie that they were often scheming and plotting against others.

You couldn't say that this prejudice against humans or demons was completely wrong, but still, each person was unique. Judging right away was a mistake.

Darian smiled and told the girl named Lihan, "I was talking about your willpower. Compared to that, ores are just external stuff. There'll be plenty of chances to find treasures later, but training your will isn't just a process; it's a kind of destiny. That kind of gain doesn't come all the time."

"Little friend, that's really deep."

Hudu couldn't help but praise him. He watched Darian with growing doubt. Those weren't words you'd expect from a young man, but from someone seasoned, who'd seen a lot of life.

Darian sighed. Truth was, he no longer carried a youthful aura, and he spoke all the time like an old man teaching the young. He had spent ten years training people, whether in the desert, the Wild World, or the Heavenly World.

"That's just theory." Tizol snorted.

Hudu smiled and asked, "Are you still training? If not, would you like to come have a drink and something to eat with us?"

Darian didn't mind and accepted. Soon, he was led to a massive tree growing near the river. Beneath its shade, there was a small, finely built bar.

The place was run by dwarves and considered expensive, only frequented by high-level folks.

Hudu brought Darian and his young disciples there, ordering good drinks and fine fish for everyone.

When Darian tasted the fish, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Hahaha, Mr. Darian, is this your first time here?" Lihan laughed lightly at his reaction.

He nodded quickly.

"The capital was built here because these rivers are home to high-level spiritual fish. There are all kinds, and each has a terrifying ability to nourish the body of whoever eats them. Fishing for them is completely forbidden; anyone who dares is killed on the spot. Only authorized people, like the dwarves here, can fish them and sell them at insane prices."

She explained, and Darian swallowed hard. He could clearly feel the fish nourishing his body and strengthening his physique. Just one bite was worth a whole day of desert training. That was truly magical food!

After finishing, Darian was very satisfied. He turned to Hudu and spoke calmly: "You really are a good person. Today I ate and drank very well, so I owe you one. In the future, you can come to me if you need help."

Lihan winked playfully and asked, "Can we come to you to talk about anything?"

Darian looked at the young girl and nodded: "Yeah, anything. But you'll only be able to ask me once."

"Really?" She laughed and said, "That sounds a bit arrogant. This is my father, and he's the head of our family, you know? Our family is among the top hundred strongest on the planet."

Darian looked at her and replied lightly: "Well, you'll find out later. Just remember: my favor is worth a lot."

The men in the group were clearly displeased. To them, Darian was just messing with their younger sister.

"Hmph, such arrogance. The head of our family would never need the help of someone this weak." Tizol snorted, "Maybe in two hundred years, if you manage to reach six rings, you'll be worth something."

Darian just ignored him, taking another sip of his drink. That only made Tizol angrier, but he couldn't do anything about it.

After a few minutes of silence, Hudu finally spoke: "It really is a kind of destiny to meet a little friend again. We came to the desert to train, and we should've gone back a long time ago. But we found out that the princes and princesses of the royal family are patrolling around here. So we chose to stay one more day."

Darian's eyes lit up at that. "Princes and princesses?"

"Oh? Mr. Darian also wants to see them?" Lihan smiled when she noticed the change in his expression.

Darian nodded: "In fact, I came to this planet to marry a princess. So it'll be good to meet her siblings."