Tecnomagic Engineer

- "...Sigh... alright, Dravyn... this is the only option we have... tsk..." I thought, not wanting to do it, but knowing it was the only way to save the girl.

So, I took a deep breath, suppressed all the wave of thoughts and feelings flooding my brain, and continued with my plans.

- "...Sigh... okay... it'll work..." I murmured to myself.

- "...Alright... listen carefully, girl... your situation is not at all good, and you know that..." I said, looking into her eyes, which seemed to be getting deeper and deeper with every passing second, as if her life was slowly slipping away while her blood dripped drop by drop through the thorns of Thalbûren.

- "...Even if I do nothing... tsk... you'll end up dying in a few minutes. Not even the best healer in the world could do anything to save you right now..." I said, with a serious look.

- "Then... I can give you two options, here and now..." I continued.

- "...Sigh... Either you decide you want to die, and I'll relieve you from the pain you're feeling... or you accept trying something that, although risky, can save you, and restore you to how you were before falling into this trap..." I said, in the most serious tone I could muster.

She, listening attentively, with her eyes growing more and more tired, gathered the remaining strength she had and, with a voice that sounded like a whisper, began to speak:

- "...M-my name... is Kaelith... y-you can call me... that..." She said, as a tear slid from the corner of her face.

- "...W-why... are you... helping me?" She asked.

- "...What do you mean, 'why'?" I said, trying to keep control.

- "...Humans... never liked us... and... they... always hunted us... hurt us... and... sold us..." She said, with great difficulty.

- "...So... why do you... seem so concerned... that I'm about to die? Why?" She asked, with an emotional and calm voice.

- "...After all... for you... we're just... objects... aren't we?" She concluded.

When I heard that, it felt like I had been punched in the stomach, taking away all the air in my lungs. My throat went dry, and I felt as if a knot was tightening around it. What had this girl... no, what had these people gone through? No one deserved to be treated like that, anywhere. Seeing and knowing what humans, probably, had done to her – to this girl in front of me, in such a horrible situation – the anger that was already immense only grew, and the thirst for revenge that I felt became almost unbearable. It was something I knew I couldn't control anymore.

- "...I-I..." I said, unable to finish or continue my reasoning.

What could I say to make things better? What could I do to redeem myself for something I didn't even do? The answer, though not clear at that moment, was actually quite simple: NOTHING. So, I took a deep breath and thought of the best response I could give at that moment.

- "...Sigh... The truth... is that just like the humans mistreated you, they did the same to me..." I said, with a sincerity she might not have expected.

- "...I don't know how bad they were to you, and I can't do anything to redeem myself, since I'm also human, and you must hate me, just like you hate those who hurt you..." I continued.

- "...Sigh... but... you know who hates those same humans even more than you, or any other being in existence?" I asked, looking up at the sky and smiling, with a sad air.

- "...I do..." I answered, now seriously.

- "...Haha... and why? Because... my family died at their hands..." I began, feeling the pain in my words, while looking at her with a calm, true, and teary-eyed gaze.

- "...Because the most incredible being I've ever met... died because of them..." I continued, trying to hold back the tears.

- "...Because... I lost all my friends... I lost... everything I ever had... and everything I once was... because of them... unable to do anything to stop it from happening..." I finished.

- "...But you? Or rather, you all?... I refuse to lose you..." I said, looking into her eyes, letting a tear slip down my face.

- "...So... even if after you get out of here you hate me... I don't care... I'll understand... but... let me at least give you the chance to get out of here, and live with your friends... to be able to hate all of humanity... including myself, if necessary..." I said, with a heart full of pain, and my voice firm.

At that moment, while looking into her tearful eyes, I could see a glimmer of light emerging in the middle of the sea of darkness and despair.

- "...I... can't guarantee that I'll save you for real... but... I also can't stay here, watching you die slowly, doing nothing... and... tsk... I can't end your suffering by taking your life... so... let me at least try to help you survive, PLEASE!" I pleaded, looking directly into her eyes, with sincerity that left no room for doubt.

For a moment, she just stared at me, as if deciding what to do, and then, after a few short seconds, she replied.

- "...You... are funny... haha..." She began, with a weak laugh.

- "...For... some reason... that I still... don't... understand... coff... coff... I... believe in you..." She said, with difficulty, coughing between words.

- "...Maybe... it's because I'm... coff... coff... very silly... and I like to believe that... there are still good people out there... but... I'll give you... a vote... of confidence..." She continued, fighting against the pain.

- "...I... don't want to die... still... I'm too young... and... my friends... they... need me..." She said, letting the tears she had tried to hold back flow freely down her face.

- "...So... please... help me..." She finally asked, with a thread of hope in her voice.

- "...I'll do my best to make sure you survive... even if it costs part of my life..." I said, almost promising, with the conviction of someone who knew there was no other way.

- "...You'll see your friends again..." I finished, with unwavering determination.

Then, without further ado, I began the preparations to remove the thorns from her skin as quickly as possible, since the more time passed, the closer she came to death.

As I had planned, the first step was to find a way to anesthetize her, since, as I had said, I didn't want her to suffer. With the knowledge I had acquired, I came up with a way to anesthetize her using the Vothrial crystal I had with me, and this was also the only viable option at that moment.

It is common knowledge in chemistry and medicine that simple compounds, such as nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂), can react to form a compound called nitrous oxide (N₂O). This compound, also known as laughing gas, is widely used in medicine, often as an adjunct anesthetic gas in combination with other main anesthetics, such as sevoflurane, which is just one of several anesthetics used in surgical procedures. When inhaled, nitrous oxide mainly acts as an analgesic and mild sedative, reducing the perception of pain, providing feelings of euphoria and relaxation. For these properties, it could be used in light anesthesia and pain relief, especially in dentistry and in quick, less invasive medical procedures.

However, in that moment of extreme need, and needing something to, first and foremost, relieve the pain Kaelith was feeling, and would certainly feel once I began removing the thorns, this light anesthetic and easy-to-produce gas was the perfect choice. Therefore, and considering the rules of using the Vothrial that I had discovered so far, I only needed to focus on the process of joining the nitrogen atoms, present in the air, with the oxygen atoms, also present in the atmosphere, so that I could obtain the nitrous oxide. Then, I would just need to direct it, with the most accurate dose possible, into Kaelith's airways. This would undoubtedly cause me unimaginable mental and energetic fatigue, but that didn't matter, because, even if I had to give part of my life for her to survive, I would do it.

- "First, I will mentally visualize the process of combining these atoms to form nitrous oxide in the correct amount for her," I thought, already fully focused on producing the nitrous oxide with the Vothrial.

In Kaelith's case, I would have to rely on the knowledge I had acquired and, to some extent, on luck, hoping everything would go well during the administration of the anesthetic, as I didn't have the necessary equipment at hand. Nitrous oxide should be administered in concentrations ranging from 20% to 50%, depending on the level of sedation needed at that moment. Once administered, the gas would act quickly, making Kaelith relax and feel more comfortable, and its effects would disappear as soon as the administration was interrupted. The dose of the anesthetic would be based on Kaelith's reaction, whose vital signs I watched closely and constantly, even if rudimentarily, by placing my hand on the internal jugular vein in her throat to get a sense of how her heart was behaving, ensuring greater safety for her.

After a few seconds, I had completed the mental visualization of the chemical processes involved in producing the nitrous oxide. However, since nitrous oxide cannot be seen with the naked eye, has no smell or color, and because I didn't have any container available to store it — as there was nothing there that could serve that purpose —, the only possible way to do this would be by staying as close as possible to Kaelith and performing the process right there, so she could breathe in the nitrous oxide being generated. With this in mind, I moved even closer to her head while monitoring her heart rate. However, before starting the production of the gas, I decided to talk to her.

- "Alright… Kaelith… listen to me. I'm going to do something now that will reduce your pain and put you in a better state, okay?" I said, trying to convey confidence, even though I felt the gravity of the situation.

- "Unfortunately, I don't have more sophisticated products to create an anesthetic that could take away 100% of the pain... So, you'll have to bear with me a bit while I remove these thorns from your body, alright?" I asked, trying to give her some hope, even knowing the relief would be partial.

- "A-anesthetics?... W-what is that?" She asked, struggling, her voice getting weaker with each word.

- "As I said… it's something that will reduce the pain you're feeling and probably will feel when I start removing the thorns embedded in your body, understood?" I replied, trying to be as clear as possible with her, as each word seemed to cost her effort.

- "Understood…" She answered, her voice tired but still holding a glimmer of understanding in her eyes.

- "Once I start removing the thorns, you may still feel pain because this anesthetic isn't as effective as I'd like it to be. So, hold on, and remember, I'm here. You can call me at any moment, alright?" I said, trying to convey a sense of security, even knowing that, at that moment, words were all I could offer that were concrete.

- "O-Okay." She replied, weakly, but with the trust she could muster in that moment.

And then, without further delay, I began to put my plan into action. I knew every second counted, and that, despite not having a perfect solution for her pain, I needed to act quickly to try to save the life that was about to slip away.

--Message from the Author (IMPORTANT)--

Dear readers,

As I mentioned before, I'm here today to announce that from now on, I will release 3 chapters per week for both of my novels. This change is to ensure a more consistent pace and allow you to follow the stories more regularly.

I'm deeply grateful for the support and patience you always show. Please know that it's thanks to you that I remain inspired to give my best in every chapter.

Stay tuned, as the new chapters are on their way!

Also, I am pleased to announce that this novel has just been contracted by Webnovel, and starting from the next chapter, it will be updated in Premium format. This means that to access the new chapters, you will need to acquire the tickets available on the platform.

If you can support me, your contribution will be greatly appreciated and will help maintain the story and quality content for everyone! However, if you're unable to, don't worry! On the Webnovel app, you can easily obtain tickets for free, which will unlock the chapters as usual.

I truly appreciate all the support you've given so far, and I look forward to continuing the journey with you all!

Sincerely,

SilentWalker