Fighting to be Kind in a Cultivation World

Slowly waking, I see the wide eyes of Lin. Quickly, she shuffles backwards in shock. “You! Are… are you a cultivator?” Sitting up slowly, I look to see… a lot of blood and a piece of pottery lying beside me.

“No?

“No. I’m just a normal guy. Did you take this out of me and…?”

As I look down at the wound in my chest, I notice that there is actually no longer a wound there. Nothing, not even a scar. Only the bloody piece of pottery remains.

Oh, that probably would make a normal person worried.

“I-I’m sorry for inconveniencing you Senior! Please spare us!”

Confusedly, I see Lin’s fear filled face and I understand otherworldly abilities seem to be something that usually denote that you are a cultivator. And based on Lin’s own lessons… you really don’t want to mess with cultivators. Looking around, I can see that Lin’s sister is on the ground sleeping, apparently still in discomfort with sweat on her face.

Looking at myself, I attempt to scan to see what’s going on.

James Delinion

5 Rose Man–Spiritual Root

Mana: 17/20

Transferred Gifts:

Passive Scan: Max

Active Scan: Max

Healing Aura: Level 1 Exp: 3/10

Beneficial Taming: Level 1–Exp: 0/10

Healing Constitution

Proficient Languages: Common Speech (English)

Literate Languages: Common Speech

From what I can tell, the ability for Healing Constitution must have triggered. It also looks like my Healing Aura was also active, as I can feel a strange form of energy coursing throughout my body and 3 experience in its slot. Though, why does it have 3 experience instead of just one? Could it be representing a passive area of effect healing for Lin, his sister, and I?

Well. Either way, I’m glad to be alive.

Now slowly getting out of my thoughts, Lin still kowtows on the ground, silent and shaking.

Ah. I quickly rush over to Lin, raising him up.

“Lin, stop! There’s no reason for you to bow to me. I’m still the same person as before, just a guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Is your sister doing okay?” Slowly, I see Lin’s eyes meet mine and seem to relax, finally.

“No. Unfortunately, she was already very sick before…” he trails off, with his eyes drifting over to where the scum’s body is outside.

Regaining his thoughts, he continues, “Her ribs have been broken, this time. Normally, he isn’t…”

He pauses.

“He wasn’t this rough before…” his jaw clenches, taking a labored, deep breath.

“…before fucking us. He usually cared about that more than getting things from us. He must have really wanted that medicine, this time.”

With a hardened look, he sighs, “All I’ve been able to do is to lay her on her side and keep her somewhat comfortable. It seemed she like she was doing a little better a second ago, but then starting going through pain again, just before you had woken up.”

Taking some time to stand up, I notice that Lin also has some caked blood reaching from their shoulder across their back.

I’m already involved in this deeply, I should try to help them however I can.

I hope I can trust these two with my healing ability.

Though, even if I couldn’t… I’m not sure I could just walk away without doing anything. I want to at least try to help.

Looking at Lin, I directly ask, “Would you mind if I tried something? I think that battle may have awakened something in me, as you can probably see” motioning to the now non-existent wound.

“I think I may have gained the ability to heal wounds. While I’d like to help your sister, I want to make sure I can do this right, so I don’t hurt her in her weakened condition.

“Would you be willing to allow me to try the ability on you first?” Blank faced, Lin stands there and stares for a little, before snapping out of it.

With a start he suddenly yells out, “YES! I mean yes, please help us. I’ll do anything to save her. Please. Help us.” His eyes seem desperate.

While this is still a bit of a risk, I can’t deny these eyes begging for some kind of help. Dang it. Why did I have to come to a cultivation world?

Focusing myself on the job at hand, “Alright, before we continue, I need to ask you something very important.” I say seriously.

Lin looks carefully, but with still with some hope.

“I know you and your sister have gone through… a lot. Are you okay if I touch you, to treat your wounds? I’ll need you to turn around and take off your shirt.”

Lin seems wary, but seems to decide quickly, before turning around. As he pulls off the shirt, it is easy to tell the hard life Lin has gone through. Scars and discoloration cover a majority of his small back.

The newest wound is a laceration covered with a hasty bandage, covering the space from the middle of his left back to his right shoulder. From what I can tell, the wound on Lin’s back has shown some signs of infection.

As I lightly touch his back to check under the bandage, he flinches.

This was before I even got close to the wound. A pang of anger flares up in me, reminding me of that scum’s abuse. While I am still sickened by what I had to do to make sure he died, I do not regret that I did it.

Some people have to die, to protect others. This is the hard lesson of this world.

Jumping back into the injury, I can see this is probably the injury from when Lin jumped on the scum’s back. He must have stabbed Lin with that dirty pottery piece and Lin wasn’t able to clean it with anything, only able to bandage it up.

The fucking perils of being dirt poor.

Cautiously, I felt for that power I previously felt coursing through my body.

Running down alongside my veins, streaming through every part of my body, it is easy to visualize the paths it traces within me. Feeling a prickling sensation inside me, I try to channel and direct this energy to my hands, readying myself to begin the healing process.

However, I pause just before beginning.

Wait a second.

Instead of experimenting on Lin, why can’t I just read his body and find out how to heal him from there? Lowering my glowing hands, I quickly peer at Lin’s information. I freeze in shock from the information.

Lin

Female, 25

6 Rose Man - Spiritual Root

Proficient Languages: Common Speech (English)

Literate Languages: Common Speech

Affinity: Life Transference

Conditions:

Spirit Root Damage–Siphoned

Gave life force and potential to keep a family member alive

Mental Instructions on how to reverse

Stunted Growth

Gave life force and potential to keep a family member alive. Body and mind growth stunted to compensate.

Mental Instructions on how to reverse

Major Laceration–Back

Mental Instructions on how to direct healing

20 Additional Entries

Along with the above, there seemed to be further listings of accumulated damage during her life. First, I need to confirm whether what I see is right.

“Lin.” I ask cautiously.

“Yes?” he… she responds, glancing back at me.

“How old are you?”

“I would have to be around 25-26 now. Why do you ask?”

Continuing further, “And are you a woman?” Her back tenses a little.

With an anxious, questioning voice, she says, “Yes?…”

I sigh.

Well. I guess I just shouldn’t worry about it too much and should just do what I can. It shouldn’t really matter.

“Okay. I just needed to know, so I can adjust my treatment for you.”

Relaxing slightly, she responds, “Oh, okay then.” Closing my eyes, it is easier to imagine the areas of her body and where I need to heal. Like a blueprint, her body appears with the affected areas. I feel that as I get better, I could do this from afar and with my eyes open.

Using the conditions list from my scanning, as I follow the instructions, each separate condition costs only 1 mana and is highlighted. While I feel I could still heal the condition without utilizing the scanning, it would definitely take more mana. In fact, I’m basically just going down the list, step by step, and targeting the areas it lists. At some point, the scanned affected areas overlap with my healing model.

My mana regeneration is also insanely quick, so it only takes a few seconds for the mana to regenerate, which compared to the usage rate is amazing. However, in combat I’m sure this would be much more difficult and would use more mana. One of the interesting aspects about the healing is that after healing a section, it brings the portion to its optimal condition, making it even better than before. This differs from the optimal original condition, as it is taking the best version of their body.

One thing to note. As I heal, I definitely vocalize whether I’m okay to go over certain areas, out of courtesy. Regardless of the gender, I feel it is important to ask for consent on these things.

This is especially true for abuse victims. One benefit to coming from a peaceful modern society.

After about 5 minutes of dedicated healing to clear all conditions, I open my eyes to see a tall, shockingly clear skinned, straight-backed, beautiful woman sitting in front of me. Her short, stringy black hair now holds a near-ethereal shine. Her previous shirt ripped and barely covering… I close my eyes quickly.

No.

I refuse to sexualize this woman, not after what she’s gone through. Not only that, but it wouldn’t be fair to anyone to do that while they are trusting me to heal them. When I reopen my eyes, I do quickly notice Lin’s flush cheeks. Quickly checking her sheet, I see the below.

Lin

Female, 25

6 Peony Earth Spiritual Root

Proficient Languages: Common Speech (English)

Literate Languages: Common Speech

Affinity: Life Transference

Conditions:

Healing High

After receiving extensive amounts of magical based healing in a brief period, the brain processes multiple pleasant reactions from nerves endings.

Hmm… it seems the healing of cells isn’t causing pain.

I was concerned that suddenly knitting nerves and such together would cause sizeable amounts of pain, but I’m glad that isn’t the case. It would hurt a little to have these people go through even more pain, especially after what they’ve already gone through.

As I quickly peer over my work, I suddenly realize… I should hurry and take care of her sister!

Rushing over, I realize how little time I have to work before even analyzing her. She seems to be pale and barely breathing. I immediately aim my healing energies at her, to keep her alive and stable, before focusing in on any immediate issues.

Her conditions are visibly more serious and she seems to be falling into an eternal sleep, due to her injuries. It might have been that while I was unconscious, that my ability kept her stable.

However, once I woke up, it turned off.

Fortunately, it seems using the magic as generalized healing (while more costly), allows me to stabilize her and improve her condition gradually. Overall, this method doesn’t overcome my mana regeneration.

As I do this, her breathing seems to become stronger. If I look closely, I can see a slight movement of the bone under her pale skin. Strange, I can see the bone moving into its proper place. Man. This is intense and helpful. While the general healing stabilizes her, I use analyze to target healing:

Ai

Female, 22

2 Peony Earth-Spiritual Root

Proficient Languages: Common Speech (English)

Literate Languages: Common Speech

Conditions:

Spirit Root Damage–Forced Siphon

In receiving life force to stay alive, spirit has been damaged in the transference

Mental Instructions on how to reverse

Stunted Growth

Mental Instructions on how to reverse

Myriad Slime Defect

Birth condition that slowly gets worse with age. Causes progressive weakness to illness (lowered immune system). Bones slowly become more malleable until liquifying completely. Reduces life span in mortals.

Mental Instructions on how to reverse

Internal Bleeding–Ribs

Mental Instructions on how to direct healing

Compound Fracture–Ribs

Mental Instructions on how to direct healing

67 Additional Entries/subentries

For Ai’s conditions, her list is much, much larger than Lin’s was. To keep her stabilized and alive, I have to use one hand for general healing/stabilization, while using the other for correcting the specific changes needed.

Hopefully, I can just use my mind to do stabilization, while target healing from afar.

For the time being, I close my eyes to get a better feel for how the energies are being directed. This seems to work, though I notice that as I heal Ai’s conditions, they are being healed faster than it did with Lin’s injuries and require less energy.

Is this not as bad as I initially thought? No. It’s definitely worse. I can probably assume that my healing ability has increased. I shouldn’t focus on that right now. I can get this done first and go from there.

And so, I continue on until I’ve got every condition cured.