The Gate Traveler

The following day, I had seven people I moved from yesterday and an additional patient. All of them had minor issues; I took care of them in less than an hour and earned one gold, two silver, and another small basket of apples. The only difference was that on the third patient, Healing Touch suddenly healed more than before. I checked my profile, and sure enough, it had finally reached level 10.

The innkeeper approached me as I was eating lunch and leaned over my table. "I still have your duck and kikidas. What do you want me to do with them?"

I pushed my plate aside and shook my head. "Keep them. I've no use for them."

For a moment he blinked, then his face split into a grin wide enough to show the gap in his front teeth. "Keep them? I will be happy to." He slapped the table with a meaty palm. "You have two free days here. Room, food, and bath. I will even feed your dog if you want me to. We have some good scraps in the kitchen."

Stretch lifted his head from his paws and wagged his tail. That dog was scary smart.

I laughed, leaning back in my chair. "I was expecting maybe a meal or two, not the royal treatment."

He leaned closer, lowering his voice as though sharing a secret. "Those ducks and kikidas, every one of them is a laying female. Eggs, lad. Steady as the sunrise. You have made me a wealthy man."

I raised my cup in a half-toast. "Glad to make your day."

The innkeeper chuckled and strode back toward the kitchen, no doubt already plotting what to do with his unexpected bounty.

For the rest of the day, I took out my bicycle, rode out of town with Stretch, played with him a little, and let him explore. Then, I sat down to regenerate. I checked my mana and had to do a double-take; it was 1,100/4,500.

When did I get the extra 300? Maybe because I used a lot of it?

No, it made little sense. The previous time it went up, I didn't use it at all, and it jumped up 1,200 points.

I NEED AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL! THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!!

This time, I wasn't "rebuked." Thank God for small mercies.

By nightfall, my mana was 2,860/4,500, and I wasn't tired, so I continued to regenerate. I remembered that before I met Domenica and Aurustine, I was also regenerating and didn't feel tired when I should have.

So, regenerating or breathing in mana staves off tiredness?

I'll need to experiment.

Stretch came back at some point and demanded food and water. I fed us both, and we slept for a few hours until dawn. We returned to town and had breakfast at the inn. I went to the carpenter to collect my operating table and partitions, then asked the innkeeper if he had an empty room without a bed. He did, so I took it for the day and told him to send the first patient in when they arrived.

The boy with the deviated nasal septum was the first to arrive, clutching his mother's hand. His father followed close behind, looking both hopeful and anxious. They approached me, and his mother hesitantly asked, "Is it alright if we stay in the room with him while you heal him?" Her voice quivered slightly, betraying her nerves.

"Of course," I said with a reassuring smile. "You can stay by his side the entire time." I led them into the room, which was clean and brightly lit, and gestured for the boy to lie down on the operating table.

The boy climbed up, his small body trembling a bit, but he put on a brave face. "This won't hurt, right?" he asked, looking up at me with wide eyes.

I gave him a gentle smile. "You won't feel a thing. I'm going to do something that will make you sleep, and when you wake up, your breathing will be much better."

He nodded, and I placed my hands on either side of his head, channeling Anesthesia. His eyes slowly closed, and his body relaxed into a deep sleep. "He's asleep now," I told his parents, who were watching anxiously from the corner of the room.

With steady hands, I made the incisions, carefully cutting and removing the deviated parts of the septum. Then I meticulously reinserted the pieces into their proper positions. As I worked, I explained the process to his parents in a calm, even tone. "I'm just repositioning the septum now. This will help him breathe much more easily."

His father nodded, some of the tension easing from his body. "Will he have any scars?" he asked, his voice tense.

"None that will be visible," I replied. "I'm using magic to heal the cuts as I go." I completed the adjustments and channeled healing energy into the boy, closing the incisions seamlessly. The whole procedure took less than half an hour.

I gently roused him from the anesthesia, and he woke up slowly, blinking in confusion. "It's all done," I said softly, helping him sit up. "How do you feel?"

The boy rubbed his nose and took a deep breath. "Feels strange... but good."

His mother rushed forward, hugging him tightly. "I made sure he slept well and ate extra before we came."

"Good to know that it helped," I said with a nod. They handed me two gold coins, but I shook my head and handed one back. "It was a quick and easy procedure. No need to overcharge."

"Thank you so much," his father said.

I smiled and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, casting Fortify Life Force to give him a little extra boost. "Take care of yourself, young man. You'll be just fine."

As they left, I turned back to the room, meticulously cleaning and purifying everything. The space was ready for the next patient. Mana 3,680/4,500.

By the time I was done, the other two patients had arrived. I took the lady first, as her procedure was quicker.

"Please follow me," I said, leading her to the treatment room. She walked in and glanced around, nervous but determined.

"Alright, I'm going to need you to undress and lie down on the table," I said.

Once she was ready, I channeled Anesthesia. "This will help you sleep," I explained, placing my hands gently on her temples. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her breathing evened out.

I made the initial incision, cutting her abdomen open. "Now comes the tricky part," I muttered to myself, grabbed the blood and began the diagnosis process, searching for the first scar tissue.

"There you are," I whispered, locating the damaged area. With steady hands, I cut off the scar tissue and healed the place with a gentle pulse of magic. "One down, six to go," I murmured, repeating the process. Each time, I carefully removed the scar tissue and healed the incision, ensuring there were no complications.

After removing and healing the seventh scar, I diagnosed her again, and the spell revealed a clean bill of health. I released the Anesthesia, and she slowly woke up.

"It's all done," I said softly, helping her sit up. She looked around, slightly dazed. "How do you feel?"

"A bit tired, but okay."

I nodded. "Did you manage to eat and sleep extra before coming here?"

"Yes, I did," she assured me. "But I still feel tired."

"That's normal."

It seemed the boy's extra energy was because of his youth and resilience, not some magical solution.

She handed me two gold coins. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said, accepting the full payment this time. "Take care of yourself, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to come back."

As she left, I meticulously cleaned and purified everything again, preparing for the next patient. Mana 2,800/4,500.

The gentleman walked in, looking slightly apprehensive. "Hello," I greeted him, offering a comforting smile. "Please, have a seat."

He sat down, fidgeting nervously. "This won't take long, right?" he asked.

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"It will take a bit of time, but you'll be much better after," I assured him. "I need you to take off your pants and lie down on the table."

He complied, lying down with a deep breath. I channeled the Anesthesia, watching as his body relaxed into a deep sleep. "Alright, let's get started," I murmured, making the first incision and beginning the delicate process of re-breaking and healing the bone. I worked meticulously, ensuring that I set the bone correctly and healed it. As I continued, I diagnosed him, noticing some muscle damage and scar tissue. "Let's take care of that too," I said to myself, cutting away the scar tissue and healing the muscles. I cast three Fortify Life Force spells to help his body cope with the demanding procedure. "That should give you a good boost," I noted, finishing up and waking him from the Anesthesia.

He blinked awake, looking around in confusion. "It's done?" he asked, sitting up slowly.

"Yes, it's done," I said, helping him to his feet. "How do you feel?"

"Tired and hungry, but I followed your instructions about food and rest."

"Good," I said. "The tiredness will pass."

He didn't look as exhausted as he should have after such a serious procedure. The food and rest helped, just not as much as with the boy.

He handed me five gold coins. "Thank you. I've been in pain for years after a cart drove over my leg."

"I'm glad I could help," I said, trying to return two gold coins, but he shook his head firmly.

"No, keep it. You've done more than enough."

Mana 1,760/4,500. I finished for the day, and had a strong feeling of satisfaction. Helping people was very rewarding.

After he left, I checked my blinking light.

I thought about it last night and added the three new stats to Constitution, but left the six​ I had from before. I also remembered something about getting new spells.

Oh, right! That's where Fortify Life Force came from, level five.

I checked the healer spell list:

I checked the cleanse description:

Not bad, not bad at all.

The description mentioned an object, so I checked something. Some considered food coloring harmful, so I took out a donut with a pink glaze and cast Cleanse on it.

Ugh, I eat that?

There was an oily, disgusting blob on top of my donut that smelled like burnt oil and some other nasty stuff. At least it looked cheerful; all the pink color from the glaze was in the oily blob. The donut looked shriveled.

I think I'll take a break from donuts for a while.

Taking an extra day in town, I relaxed and regenerated before continuing my journey. To learn how to remove pelts correctly, I still needed to find a hunter or a tanner. I bid the innkeeper and his family goodbye and gave him a silver coin as thanks for serving as the town's clinic. Took out my bike, connected the trailer, Stretch hopped in, and we were on our way.

After riding for about six hours, we stopped for lunch. Once Stretch finished eating, he ran off to explore, and I decided he had the right idea. Moving fast on the bike was nice, but I loved the wilderness. On the Map, the road curved around the mountains in a long arc, stretching to nearly four times its length to get around them, and the next town was on the other side. I stored the bike, called for Stretch, and set out on foot.

We walked the whole day, enjoying the quiet. In the evening, I set up camp in a lovely meadow with tall grass and got an idea. My mana was full, since I had been breathing it in all day. Starting with lying on my back, I placed my hand on my head and channeled the Cleanse spell. Initially, I took it slow just in case, but once I didn't feel any adverse effects, I ramped up the channeling intensity. The mana entered my body and got "absorbed," but I didn't feel anything else. I continued until I got lightheaded, signifying low mana. Mana 80/4,500. I stopped and just lay there, waiting for something to happen.

After a few minutes, my whole body cramped slightly. It wasn't painful, just unpleasant, and I got thirsty. A bottle of water wasn't enough, and the thirst got worse. Only after drinking five bottles of water did I stop feeling parched.

Now what?

Something was happening in my body—all over my body—but when I tried to diagnose myself, there was resistance. The spell couldn't pass through the mana saturating my body, and my body was indeed saturated. After another five minutes, my stomach and intestines started gurgling ominously. I ran to the bushes and expelled A LOT of filth from my body.

Ugh!

The stench hit like rotting eggs and burnt oil mixed together. Stretch bolted, tail tucked, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the smell. I started breaking camp fast to get away from the stench. After we walked away for fifteen minutes, I was parched again. I took out more water and drank it.

The gurgling started again.

Seriously? Again?

I ran to another bush and expelled more yuck.

This is getting ridiculous.

Thirsty again.

More water.

Visit a bush.

Run away from the stench.

Please let this end soon.

Thirsty.

Water.

Visit a bush.

Run away from the stench.

How can it be this bad?

More water.

Not again.

Bush.

Run away.

I hope Stretch hasn't abandoned me.

Thirsty.

Bush.

Running far far away.

Bush.

Bush.

Water.

Why does this keep happening?

Bush.

Water.

Bush.

Water.

Bush

I'm starting to hate bushes.

Run away.

This is never-ending.

Water.

I don't know how much more I can take.

Another bush. My bones hurt, as if I were experiencing growing pains again.

This can't be good.

More water.

Please make it stop.

A poor bush.

I really feel bad for these bushes.

This time, I also threw up.

They say variety is good for you.

I ran far, far away and couldn't find Stretch anywhere; it looked like he'd given up on me.

Can't blame him.

More water.

How much longer can this go on?

Another bush painted from both ends.

This is beyond disgusting.

Run further away.

I hope this is the last time.

Parched again. More water.

Another bush.

Water.

Bush.

This is never going to end.

Run away.

I think Stretch has officially disowned me.

Thirsty.

Please, just let this stop.

More water.

Bush.

Run away.

This is absolute torture.

More water.

Another poor bush.

How much more can my body take?

Run further away.

Bush.

More water.

This has to end.

Another bush.

I'm going to need so much therapy after this.

Run away.

More water.

Another bush.

I'm so over this.

I was parched and feared I would run out of toilet paper if this continued.

Please, no more.

I drank another four bottles of water and waited for the gurgling, but it didn't come. I walked while holding my pants up with one hand; they kept falling off me. I lifted my shirt and looked at myself; I looked like a POW camp survivor, not just emaciated but made of skin and bones with nothing in between.

Another mild gurgle, another poor bush, more water, but now I was also starving and felt like I might faint from hunger.

Just in case the wind changed direction, I walked for another five minutes, but then I couldn't walk anymore. My body demanded food NOW! I felt like my body was stomping its foot and shouting FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!

Once I determined I was far enough, I sat down and began eating. Considering my condition, takeaway was the only option for me, as I couldn't cook. I ate for over an hour, just one takeaway box after another. After eating three to four weeks worth of food, I slowed down with the food, but was thirsty again—seven bottles of water. Ahh, I was feeling human again.

This is so nice.

More gurgling.

Oh, come on! Not again!

Another poor bush.

Run away.

I need to escape this nightmare.

Hungry again.

How can I still be hungry?

More food. My stomach felt like a bottomless pit.

Water.

Another bush.

I can't believe I still have more to expel.

Run away.

Just keep moving.

More water.

Please let this be the end.

More food and water. Waiting. So far, so good.

Maybe it's finally over.

No gurgling.

Thank heavens.

I ate another week's supply of food and drank more water. No gurgling. My body was filling out, as if it were building its flesh layers. I fell on my back and just lay there, exhausted. That was a nasty and smelly experience. I lay on my back, looking at the big moon, breathing in mana, and recuperating. An intense cramp in my abdomen.

Not again!

But it subsided, and a refreshing and invigorating wave pass through my body.

Does it mean that the nightmare is over?

I woke up from the "tongue alarm," pushed Stretch away, and saw it was sunset.

Did I sleep the whole day?

I didn't remember falling asleep.

How did I sleep with the sun high in the sky in my face?

My body felt great. I diagnosed it, and it was even better. I thought I was healthy before, but I was wrong; NOW I was healthy. Mana 1,390/6,300.

What the hell?

I shouted at the sky, "You can be angry with me as much as you like; I don't care. How does any of this make sense? I healed a ton of people, and nothing. But I had the shits for half a night, lost all my body weight, collected a serious trauma, and I got mana? Where is the logic? Or are you just enjoying seeing us flounder, and it's all arbitrary? THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!"

I didn't get a reply or any kind of reaction.

Figures.

During the last day, I seriously depleted my ready food supplies. I set up camp, lit a fire, pulled out pots and pans, and began cooking, grumbling under my breath and shaking my head in dismay and exasperation the whole time.

Stretch finally came back, giving me reproachful looks. "Sorry, buddy, rough night," I said, patting his head. He seemed to forgive me once I handed him some food.