Rules of Biomancy: A LitRPG Healer Fantasy

Elijah looked at the miniature cloud floating in front of his face. It was erratic, barely keeping its round shape, but the darkness held together. Inside, he could see small flashes of miniature lightning, and he could feel the static on his tongue as it continued to approach him.

"Focus on the path you want it to take," Grace softly spoke into Mila's ear and took the small hand and pointed it away from Elijah. Though the young girl's expression tensed, and it was clear how difficult the task was, she nevertheless succeeded. Elijah saw how the lightning almost struck his beard, the cloud swerved away and continued on its intended route. "There you go. Well done."

He noted how Grace didn't raise her voice or try to excite the girl too much. He could tell she was proud of what Mila was accomplishing, but any distractions were more than enough to break the trance-like state required to keep the cloud intact.

Nobody else in the room said anything either. Aleksi just smiled while sipping his tea, Jack whispered excitedly to Sasha, and Sasha… just sat on her chair, ignoring the man while focusing entirely on the Stormcaller.

"Now, you let it slow down naturally. No instant breaking. Just a gradual reduction in your pushing," Grace continued to whisper to Mila, as the cloud finished its full circle around the room. "Perfect. Now, let's try to reach out and feel it. Yes, exactly like that. Can you feel that crackling? It's fun, right?"

The small fingers entered the black cloud fearlessly. The lightning within wrapped around the digits, sparks flying around instantly, but there was no sign of pain or fear. If anything, Elijah could almost see the lightning in Mila's eyes, matching in intensity.

"Yes!" Mila shouted, breaking the calm air as her outburst was matched by the cloud. The lightning peaked, enveloping her right arm alongside Grace's, and the cloud vanished into thin air. Though she tried to hide it, Elijah spotted the small flinch on the Wind Mage's face. Though Mila seemed to be immune to her own Affinity, the teacher didn't share the same perks. "Again! Again!"

"How about we take a little break first? I know where Alin hides those mint cookies you like so much," Grace offered, which instantly won over Mila. Sugar truly was the one weakness of all younglings. "Watch this."

With a wave of her hand, a small metal box from the top shelf floated down into Grace's hand. Elijah could smell the contents when she popped it open, and so could the young Stormcaller as she jumped to get at them.

So little patience.

"Sasha, I trust you with controlling the dosage," Grace said, as she took a couple of the cookies out of the box before handing them over to Sasha. "I know one isn't a problem, though."

With how quickly the sugar-filled cookie was devoured, Elijah idly wondered if Dawn had been offering lessons.

"I see that Alin hasn't been skimping on lessons in our absence," he commented when Grace sat down at their table. Jack and Sasha sat at another table, on the other side of the living room, so it was possible to get a word in without being too obvious. "Did he say how she was doing?"

"She's more gifted than most kids her age, as I'm sure you've noticed," Grace agreed, popping one of the cookies in her mouth before offering the two others to the old men. Elijah declined, but Aleksi was more than happy to accept on behalf of them both. "And… It wasn't easy for her at the start. She wasn't happy about not being with Sasha. Made that clear when she took the eyebrows off Alin."

"That she didn't burn everything around her down means that it could be worse," Aleksi said, already working through the second cookie of the minute. Maybe Dawn really had given a seminar without his notice. "And even if she was gifted, we all know how hard it can be to teach somebody so young."

"I don't remember you as a teacher," Grace countered.

"I was there when Elijah tried to be one for you," the giant replied instantly. "From the second you showed that spark, he didn't stop fretting about how you were doing, how he needed to sit you down and talk about safety, and how worried he was about you messing up and somehow hurting yourself. Honestly, it was hard even being a spectator."

That brought out the laughter, Aleksi joining in, while Elijah just sighed and sipped at his tea.

"When you put it like that, I guess you've got some experience," she admitted. "But really… thinking back, I wonder how I didn't realize you were talking from first-hand experience. I always just assumed you'd read some book in your spare time to help me, but, no, you just lived through it all yourself."

"You were young and accepting of what you saw and heard, just like every other bright-eyed kid," Elijah explained. "It's hard to spot something not making sense when you've grown up beside it."

"Fair enough," Grace gave in. Another question seemed ready to fly off her tongue, but a high-pitched laugh brought their attention to the other table. Try as Grace might to make Mila take a small break from her training, another black cloud had manifested above Mila and Sasha's heads. "Wait. Is that… is she smiling?"

The question came out as a whisper, like Grace was afraid reality might fix the error if she spoke too loudly. Elijah thought the same, honestly, as he looked at the scene in front of him. Jack was talking loudly, still as excited as ever about Mila's ability, and Mila was completely focused on taking her hand in and out of the black cloud, but Sasha… With Mila on her lap, both arms wrapped around the little girl to keep her in place while she messed around with the black cloud, she was smiling.

The stone-faced woman, who never broke her composure or offered much in the way of human emotion, couldn't contain herself in the face of childish giddiness.

Maybe she needed this more than anybody else.

While Elijah preferred to keep a distance from how Jack and Sasha handled their lives, it was nice to see moments like this. He knew both of them had their issues, and that they were both actively trying to progress regardless of them, but seeing this… Maybe it made him a little happier than he cared to admit.

"Keep that expression on your face for another minute, and I think Mila might start calling you grandpa," Aleksi whispered into his ear, immediately ruining his mood. Grace's failed attempts to suppress her giggling only worsened it all. "Oh, don't look at me like that. We both know you'd love it."

"You're projecting," Elijah countered, which only caused Grace to fall deeper into hysterics.

"No, I've fully accepted that I wouldn't mind getting that moniker," Aleksi assured him, with a clap on his shoulder. "You, however, need to do a little soul searching. Maybe join Greta next door and talk about the exciting knitting projects you could make little Mila wear."

Never before had Elijah's patience been tried so much.

'Can I get a cookie?' Dawn requested from within. Grateful for the distraction, Elijah assured her of as much before making Grace float another handful of the things over to their table. The duck was quick to manifest on the table, an elongated beak snapping one of the sugary treats from mid-air before swallowing it whole. 'Weird taste. Off-balanced.'

The taste steadily transferred from the duck to Elijah. That sting of mint that usually made his nostrils clear up was obvious, the unhealthy dose of sugar came next, and then… Elijah frowned, not able to place the aftertaste. It didn't fit the picture of what his tongue was meant to capture, as it wasn't something sweet or sour or whatever other overly fancy words were used to describe taste. This was meant to be in another category, yet whatever Dawn's tastebuds were made of still captured this within that spectrum.

Then, as he snatched the last cookie out of Aleksi's hand before the giant could fill his mouth up again and studied the internal structure using his magical senses, he discovered the truth.

They're infused.

"Finally caught on, huh?" Grace asked with a smirk. Elijah just stared at her. "Mila wasn't eating properly, and all those outbursts and attempts to make clouds caused her Core to be drained constantly. Nothing serious for mages who've gone through puberty and have gone through the crystalline stabilization procedures, but she was a little too young to fit that category."

"So Alin has been feeding her snacks made from the dungeon's depths?" Elijah questioned, running through his mental list of what ingredients matched the signature. While he'd never been so deep, he knew that the layers with the greater earthen drakes contained sugarcane. Though normally used for high-end potions used to treat elderly with issues related to the balancing of blood sugar, he supposed it could also be used to… bake cookies. "Going by the market price from the last quarter, that cookie tin's contents would be enough to buy a house."

"Or keep one little rascal healthy and happy," Grace supplied, her lips tight. "Her life hasn't been easy, but this stops it from getting any worse. And Alin isn't using the royal treasury for this. He's been going down there himself while bringing along one of your assistants."

Elijah supposed he needed to have a conversation with those two about regulations before he left for Darim.

"If she's happy, I don't see why there's any problems," Aleksi offered, which made Elijah ease off the irritation. It was true. Mila was laughing, making the black cloud swirl around her and Sasha, and there was no hint of any pain. "What I want to know is how Sasha is dealing with all the lightning."

"That's because it's not hurting her," Elijah muttered, letting his magical sight take over as she studied the reaction between the two affinities. Just like with Grace, the cloud also covered portions of Sasha's skin, the storm lashing out at the surface. Yet it didn't penetrate in the same way. With Grace, it was allowed to roam free through the tissues, making small marks and burns, but Sasha's Core was gathering any residue long before damage could be made.

Even if the ability wasn't the most standard, the benefits in situations like these were obvious.

Maybe she's better off being here a little longer.

The clock on the wall was a warning that leisure time was ending for Elijah, and he had several errands to deal with before he took the trip into the dungeon.

"You two," he called, catching Sasha and Jack's attention. "I'm going into the dungeon in a few hours. It's not far enough down for you to upgrade your abilities, but you're free to join if you wish."

"... Nah, we're fine," Jack replied after a quick side-eye to Mila, who'd quieted down. "You go down and have fun. We've got a special somebody who we need to catch up with."

Going by the grunt that left Sasha's throat, she thought the same. Elijah didn't mind it, wishing them farewell as he and Aleksi stood up to take their leave.

"Since it's a quick tour, I'm not expecting you there either," he told Grace. "In fact, I'd suggest you spend some time with your mother at the inn. We're leaving the city again in the morning, and we're going to be away for more than a week."

"I know. Alin filled me in," Grace assured him, waving away his worries while she downed the remainder of her tea. "I'll tell her you said hi. Maybe even water the plants in my room."

She laughed when he frowned at the words, wishing them good luck with whatever they were leaving to do before going to fulfill her own duties.

"What exactly are we doing?" Aleksi asked as they walked down the stairs to get to the street. "From what I know, you're not expected anywhere."

"Not expected, no, but I have something to deliver," Elijah replied, fishing out a certain ring from his pocket. The giant recognized it instantly.

"Finally solved the dilemma of who should get it?"

"Yes."

"The prince?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"As somebody who has known you for five decades, I'm reading your intentions like an open book," Aleksi replied. "To the others? Probably not."

"How comforting," Elijah muttered, eliciting a laugh from Aleksi. It was a full one, but a little louder than what this moment deserved. "I take it you're not coming with?"

"Wish that I could, but you're not the only one who has an appointment to get to," the giant said, being intentionally vague. "I promised a certain madame I'd pop in to deliver details about our little trip."

Ah, right. The promise to keep her updated had slipped from his mind.

No matter.

The two went their separate ways once they reached the street, Aleksi leaving for the brothel while Elijah made the trek up to the upper district once again. The guards barely blinked as he passed by, though he got a few weird looks when he made an instant left turn inside the castle. Nothing of importance for him was there, after all. The entire section was meant for servants and the old archives, with no hint of his specialties.

Not today, however, as he traced the path he'd been given by Alin earlier that day. A right turn, going straight twice, before making a left turn, and… there.

"So we can't have a constant standard of sizings, but instead several different ones with the amounts following the normal distribution of body types."

A door was left slightly ajar, a familiar voice penetrating through the crack. It was tired but surprisingly patient.

"That is correct, your Royal Highness," a woman's voice replied. Elijah couldn't place the voice, but he could faintly recognize the face as he walked in. The lion's head on the side of her armor allowed him to place her as one of the people he'd treated months ago during the previous Dungeon Break. "We also need to account for different sizings for different roles. Archers will need a wider fit around the chest, the warriors will have larger midsections, and the mages need to have upper body sizings lowered overall."

"Do you have the numbers for all of that?" Louis asked the guard, to which he got an affirmative. "Good. Please get them noted down by those guys, and we can review it all together afterwards."

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Of course, your Royal Highness," the guard said. Elijah noted the mild frown that appeared when hearing the title again, but it wasn't voiced. Instead, as Louis looked over at him, he motioned for them to talk in privacy. Louis didn't object, looking at him curiously as he led Elijah to a side room.

Fade, who had been standing off to the side in silence, followed without comment.

"My sister was very clear about me needing to witness the contract being written up, so this better be important," Louis muttered as he sat down at the table. Elijah did the same. "Did she decide to go back on her orders and let me come with you to Darim so I can do my job?"

"Unfortunately not," Elijah replied. Though the chance that it would've been the case, there was still mild disappointment in the prince's features. "I'm here to give you something."

Eyebrows were raised as he pulled out the ring. Even Fade seemed curious, going by how her eyes followed the golden shine.

"I wouldn't mind some context," Louis requested, as he took the offered ring like it was any other trinket. Which made sense. Without magical senses, he wouldn't even notice the pulses of red and orange mana that were rolling off the ring at his touch.

It recognized his heritage.

"That is an enchanted ring, made to work as a last defence when everything and everybody else has fallen," Elijah explained. "Originally, it was intended for your sister, but your mother decided to make something else for her."

The ring fell onto the table, as Louis froze. By how Fade straightened her back, Elijah could guess what emotions were growing inside the prince.

"Alin gave me this ring when I was able to wake your father from his slumber," he continued, when Louis kept silent. "He'd held onto it since Lissandra's passing. Came with the instruction that I was to give it to somebody who would need it.

"And, well, I think that time has come."

Louis didn't touch the ring, just staring as the red streaks on the metal gave off a subtle glow. It would've been impossible to spot normally, but the dark room allowed the magical nature to be seen by the naked eye.

Maybe I should've insisted that you come along, Aleksi.

"Castilla showed that we're not safe today," Elijah pressed on. "They have the capability to pop out at any moment and make an attempt on our lives. You need something on you that can help you when that time comes."

It wasn't a question of 'if' anymore, after all.

"My sister doesn't have any offensive abilities from her affinity," Louis said. "Why shouldn't she have it?"

"This ring would be among hundreds of trinkets on her person," Elijah countered. He'd seen her collection of pre-made wands and shields, ready to be called up at a moment's notice. And as for what he hadn't been shown… Well, Vera was certainly not a person who went unprotected these days. "She is more prepared than anybody else. You aren't."

"You said the ring was made for her."

"Originally, yes, but your mother saw that she was too mild-mannered to match an artifact capable of summoning a mighty beast made of fire and ice."

That caught the prince's eye. Elijah was getting somewhere.

"While I won't pretend that I knew your mother personally, I can safely say that I know you," he said. "The rumors about her personality, her lack of desire to stay quiet about any and all injustice she spotted, the refusal to be put down by anybody else… Out of her children, I think you're the one who has her heart."

For a moment, Louis looked ready to jump across the table and strangle him, but that fire dulled quickly. Elijah said nothing and neither did the young man, the room staying silent for several minutes until a hand finally reached out and took the ring.

"So, how does it work?" Louis asked, as he put it on his right index finger. It briefly looked like a tight fit before adjusting to the digit. "Just… point and command?"

"With normal artifacts, the user has to channel their mana into them to get the desired result, but the ring doesn't look to be following those rules," Elijah said. The second the prince had put it on, the influence of the ring seemed to spread through the flesh. Even if there was no affinity or Core to attune to, the relic was more than making due. "When the time comes where you need to use it, focus on the ring in your mind, and, well, pointing it at whoever you want to deal with should work fine."

"Seems simple enough then," the prince muttered. "I… Thank you for giving it to me. It means a lot."

"It's no problem, Louis," Elijah said, getting up from his seat. "I think I've taken up enough of your time. Wouldn't want the scribes to mess up somewhere."

"Every scribe out there has been working for the crown for over a decade," Louis fired back. "If anybody here has a chance of making a mistake, it's me."

"I trust you."

"So do I. Doesn't mean I can't mess up."

He left without another word, returning to overseeing the work. Elijah expected Fade to follow suit, but the bodyguard stayed behind.

"He's not seen as a threat," Fade informed him. "You're higher up on their list."

"Really?" Elijah questioned. "They look down on him to such an extent?"

"No," she denied. "Watch your step, when you leave Serenova. If you get distracted, they will get you."

"Any secrets I should be privy to?"

"None that I can tell you."

"... Noted."

Maybe there was another reason Louis was being kept inside the city.

Elijah didn't dwell on it. With the ring delivered, other duties called for him. First came his backlog of cases as a Royal Healer, where he checked in on any critical patients. Most were dealt with easily, some given stronger ointment for the pains, and the rest were put on long-term observation. After that, he had an hour to do some maintenance on the gardens, making sure the plants were staying healthy, before time caught up to Elijah and Aleksi arrived to escort him to the Dungeon.

"How were things going with Cleo?" Elijah asked as he fit everything into the satchel.

"She's happier than ever," Aleksi answered. "Business is apparently booming. Hundreds of new faces."

"Rich folk?"

"Farmers, hunters, and bright-faced fishermen," the giant corrected, which was a surprise to Elijah. "Bonus came out to anybody that enlisted."

"A perfect excuse to try new things."

"For them, yes, but Cleo is calling it Tuesday. 'Uncreative' is the word she used."

Elijah had no further questions.

They reached the secondary dungeon entrance by the time the sun started to fall below the horizon, darkness steadily encroaching. Alin was there before them, leaning a little on his cane.

"Ready to delve into the depths?" the Earth Mage asked.

"Always," Elijah replied, entering first. There was little of note as they went down. Glowing moss had covered the ceiling completely now, stopping them from walking in complete darkness, but the glow still allowed shadows to form and Elijah made sure to watch his step.

'You are here.'

When they reached the end of the stairs, the entity had already gotten its eyes on the group.

"I don't know if it is because I know the dungeon is alive, or because the frequency that it has been focusing on the area we stand in, but I've gained some sense of when it's listening in," Alin commented. The Earth Mage stared upwards, seemingly trying to meet the entity's gaze. "Can it outright hear and understand our words, or does it translate through a medium?"

'I know all tongues,' the Dungeon supplied.

"Apparently, it can speak every language," Elijah repeated for Alin's sake, eliciting great amounts of curiosity from the man.

"Fascinating," Alin muttered. "Someday, I would love to put that to the test. Not now, however. I believe you had some matters you needed to discuss with it?"

"That I did," he confirmed. After confirming that a perimeter was set up to keep out any surprises, and they all found proper seating arrangements, Elijah closed his eyes and delved into his mental connections. 'Have you looked through my memories for the last trip?'

'No. Tried. Your mind is too tired for extra work,' the Dungeon was quick to reply. Elijah didn't refute the claim. In fact, he couldn't be bothered to explain everything once more, so he mentally cataloged everything of note from his recent memories and sent it all over. Starting from the leyline, where he spoke with… somebody, to the Dungeon's ability to communicate through the grass, and, finally, the whisper he swore he'd gotten from the tarrasque. 'You can hear the other pillar because you are a pillar. You are connected to the grass. I can reach the roots. I can connect to you.'

Lengthy replies to the last two questions that had been floating inside his mind, but a clear lack of an explanation for the first and most important one.

'Who did I hear?'

'Don't know.'

'They talked like you did.'

'Can't have.'

'I remember it. You saw my memories.'

'Makes no sense. You can't understand dungeons.'

'I can understand you.'

'I accommodate. Humans can't—'

The dungeon's presence disappeared without a warning. Elijah frowned, feeling it on his skin as the cave they sat in lessened in mana density.

It was enough that he could briefly hear Alin ask something before waves of power slammed through Elijah, and he was forced back into the deep end.

Images of impossible landscapes, with more dimensions than he could count, filled with creatures that all spoke in riddles and predicted his every breath. They could see him, they knew he was there, and that which couldn't exist tried to pull him into the realm of impossibility. They tried to force him to join them, to become other, to be warped and twisted.

Elijah resisted. His hands held onto the grass, held onto the stone, held onto the fabric of reality itself. He held onto his mind, to Dawn, to the eye above that blinked without an eyelid.

'What are you doing?' Elijah shouted at the entity, righting himself as gravity gave up on pulling him into madness. 'Why?'

'I am doing… nothing,' the Dungeon said, denying the attempt at his sanity. 'I made no attempt. I just stopped shielding you.'

'Explain. Now.'

'Humans can't understand dungeons. I transformed my words to make you understand me. Before. Not now. No filter. Simply intent. The words you hear are your mind's machinations.'

It was a revelation Elijah wasn't ready to hear.

'So… I'm no longer human? Just, outright?'

'Still human. Somewhat,' the Dungeon clarified. 'Less than before now. You're still changing. Explains this.'

'Isn't that just wonderful,' Elijah thought bitterly. 'Then what of the others I heard? They're Dungeons?'

'Has to be,' the entity agreed. 'Direct connection is new. Unexpected. I am curious about it.'

'What about what they said? They called me a marked one, and I think dungeons were supposed to be planted seeds.'

A pause.

'I know the titles. They are familiar to me. I have not learned of either, but I know them. Strange.'

'Another bout of information you know you have but can't access?'

'Yes. No. I knew this from the start.'

Elijah grew worried as eye started to collapse, the mental representation of the Dungeon imploding.

'From when you came into being?' he asked, his grip on the grass tightening.

'When I became,' the Dungeon repeated. 'Very strange. Too strange. Not like. Stop. Cease. Unbecome. Be removed.'

Warnings came from the physical realm, as his body shook. Elijah tried to leave his inner world to regain comprehension of his limbs, but he was being kept in place. By how everything turned and pulled, he couldn't be sitting down anymore. Was Aleksi carrying him?

'Get control of yourself,' Elijah ordered, but he was unsure if the Dungeon heard him. The fractured eye was pointing elsewhere, sending orders into the void. 'You're destroying yourself, you idiot!'

'Blinded by the mind. My mind. I refuse. My mind. Own master. I must see.'

He was being shouted at. Elijah tried again and again, but he couldn't escape.

Was this really how it was ending?

No.

Spurred on by desperation or madness, Elijah let go of the grass holding him in place. Gravity pulled him upwards instantly, and the flesh-like pieces of the giant eye hurled towards him.

Grabbing the first, he sent in one command.

'Are you so weak you can't handle this?'

It was his own voice, his own opinion, yet it echoed and resonated in his ears as if it were the dungeon. An impossibility, but a mild one in comparison to what awaited him if this mess didn't sort itself out.

The shaking stilled.

'Is this worth everything else?' he asked. 'Your body is falling apart.'

Something got through, and a yelp left Elijah as the fleshy chunk flew from his hands and joined together with the rest of the eye. Likewise, his floating state was denied a second later, as an invisible force slammed him back into the grass.

'My mistake,' the Dungeon said. 'I apologize.'

'What happened?' Elijah questioned.

'A piece of me is missing,' came the reply. 'I was trying to find it.'

'Well, you nearly lost the rest of you in the process,' Elijah commented.

'... Yes. Not worth it,' the Dungeon said. 'I will find an answer to your question. Will take time. Have to put everything back first.'

'How bad is it outside?'

'Everything is two meters further down than before.'

'So, not good.'

'Yes.'

Elijah wondered how he was going to explain this to the others.