Phoenix Healer - A Meaner Azarinth Healer

Ted was a weird guy—that was Monica’s impression.

“Yeah, dude, that’s probably how you unlocked the Class,” Ted nodded wisely. “But I’ve never heard of a Phoenix Healer, honestly.”

The young man shrugged as they stood in a large empty storeroom that Ted had described as his ‘Nap Room.’

It was a place where no one came, and Monica needed to think of their next moves and gather more information about where she was, who she was, and how things worked, both around here and in terms of Classes.

Apparently, despite his naive looks, Ted knew a lot about Classes.

He had explained to her that the reason she might have unlocked the Class after being burned alive was that her death had somehow triggered the acquisition of the Phoenix Healer class by fulfilling its requirements.

That had honestly left Monica curious about how classes worked.

Fortunately, Ted had provided several explanations.

“See,” Ted had said, “you get a class after fulfilling its acquisition requirements. There are very basic classes: something like Brawler, for example, has a requirement of, well, getting into a brawl. And that’s it.

“Brawler is a Common Class, by the way. That’s why everyone knows about its requirements. However, the rarer a Class is, the fewer people know its requirements. It’s not uncommon that Classes kept a secret within a family go lost for entire generations because the family might be wiped out by their enemies or monsters.”

Ted had then explained that the knowledge of the requirements of Uncommon Classes was valued in gold.

“And Rare Classes’ requirements are impossible to buy on the market. They’re family secrets that get passed down from father to son. Blood feuds have spawned by sons whose fathers refused to pass their Class upon them, believing them unfit.”

“So, me telling you about how I got Phoenix Healer is very valuable?” Monica frowned.

“I don’t know that many people can survive being burned alive,” Ted shrugged. “So, it might be a hard sell for some noble to roast their children alive, but you never know with those guys.”

Monica had explained to Ted that she had come from death twice already, and Ted had confirmed that she was the only person he knew who was capable of that.

“I hope you don’t take offense,” Ted said with a grimace, taking a step back from her, “but usually, Healer Classes are very weak if the Healer Herself does not get ordained.”

“Weak?” Monica raised an eyebrow.

She didn’t feel weak at all, and she wasn’t ‘ordained,’ whatever that meant.

“Healers who are not ordained can’t heal more than scraps and small bruises,” Ted said. “That’s why Healer Classes are not sought after unless you want to join the Church of the Healer.”

Monica looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Explain to me what ‘ordained’ means.”

“Affiliated with the Healer God. The Healer God allows Healers to heal thanks to his superior knowledge of healing magic. But they have to pay offers, some tributes, a part of their experience, and other stuff like that.”

“Hm,” Monica frowned. “I don’t think I need that to heal someone.”

A Skill-empowered spear had pierced her, and her Golden Flame had managed to heal it without her breaking a sweat.

Maybe it’s me, she thought, stepping up to Ted.

“Take out the dagger,” she told him.

“Huh,” Ted looked at the intense look in the redhead’s eyes and cringed. “Are you going to kill me? Please, I really don’t want to die a virgin.”

“No,” Monica sighed, grabbing Ted’s belt and pulling him closer.

“Oh my, am I not going to die a virgin?” Ted said, stunned.

Monica ignored him and simply unsheathed the dagger at its side, taking his left hand next and gently slashing the blade on his skin.

A moderately deep cut appeared on its palm, making him wince.

“Hey, if this is foreplay, I’m not that into it,” he whimpered.

“Shut up, or I’ll burn you,” Monica said, drawing from her Golden Flame.

A few licks of bright, golden flames appeared over Ted’s palm and, a second later, disappeared.

Ted closed his eyes, ready to feel the excruciating pain of his flesh sizzling under the blazing heat of the fire.

However, by the time he opened his eyes, Monica had left his hand and stepped away from him. He looked at the palm and found that there was no sign of the wound she had just inflicted on him.

“How?” He frowned.

“I told you,” she said, “I have no memories. But we just proved that I can heal injuries. Now, give me a moment to distribute my Attributes.”

* * *

Name: Monica Monroe

Race: Earther

Title: Avatar of the Twin Phoenix (Unique)

1st Class: Phoenix Healer (Rare) - Lv. 3

2nd Class: None

Talent Class: None

Attributes

…

*Ding!*

Your Tutorial Ability activates. Attributes have been granted a brief explanation. You can still ask for more in-depth information if you’d like to.

You can also deactivate the Tutorial at any time!

Vitality - 15 (Life Energy Total)

Endurance - 15 (Life Energy Density)

Strength - 15 (Maximum Output of Life Energy)

Dexterity - 15 (Granularity of Life Energy Control)

Wisdom - 15 (Mana Energy Total)

Spirit - 15 (Mana Energy Density)

Intelligence - 15 (Maximum Output of Mana Energy)

Charisma - 15 (Granularity of Mana Energy Control)

Free Attributes: 18

Skills:

Golden Flame (Healing Skill) - Lv. 2

Obsidian Flame (Offensive Skill) - Lv. 3

Phoenix Feathers (Constitution Skill) - Lv. 2

Racial Abilities (Earther)

Tutorial

Quest System

Inventory

Map

Myriad Tongues

Monica’s biggest concern was the Level 25 Cultist with the sword—Elder Sandoval, Ted had said his name was.

When she had faced him, his attack had been so fast that she had barely had any time to react.

Ted had said it wasn’t uncommon for Cultists to put all their Attributes into Dexterity since they primarily wielded short blades.

Elder Sandoval wasn’t an exception since he wielded a short sword and was very fast.

Ted had also said that Cultists also received buffs to their Skills and Attributes whenever they consumed the meat of someone with a Class.

Disgusting, Monica thought to herself.

However, this all made her choice extremely simple.

While she would have loved to pour her Attributes into either Spirit or Intelligence to make her Obsidian Flame burn even more powerfully, her current problem wasn’t how much damage she could deliver but speed.

Healing herself was nothing if she couldn’t kill the man before he took her head like he had already done.

So, she was about to dump all eighteen Free Attributes into Dexterity.

Then, however, she turned to Ted, sitting on the ground munching on some stale biscuits he had taken out of his robe.

“If I want to become faster, do I just dump Attributes into Dexterity?”

Ted looked up with his mouth full and shook his head.

“Now, who wheed twoo—”

“Swallow first,” Monica sighed.

Ted finished chewing and drank some water from a small canteen.

“Your Dynamic Attributes are only as effective as their Reserve Attribute,” he said. “The Dynamic Attributes are Endurance, Strength, and Dexterity for the physical ones. Spirit, Intelligence, and Charisma for the magical ones.

“Dexterity’s gains are exponentially less effective after you cross their equivalent number in Vitality. That means that if you have 10 Dexterity and 10 Vitality, you’ve got the maximum Dexterity you can get out of your Life Energy. My pa’ explained that every point of Dexterity is taking control of one point of Vitality, making sure they do their job, which makes every additional point of Dexterity above the Vitality total sort of useless. It’s like splitting a wagon’s load into two wagons. There are still some gains, but… they’re not great.”

“So,” Monica frowned, “I would need as much Dexterity as I have Vitality to be faster?”

“Heh,” Ted grimaced. “Maximum Speed is actually controlled by Strength. But for each Strength point, you need three Dexterity to be faster. It’s a bit convoluted.”

“Ted,” Monica sighed. “I have eighteen Free Attributes, and all my Attributes are currently at fifteen points. Just how do I divide them if I want to kill Sandoval?”

* * *

Vitality - 22 (Life Energy Total)

Endurance - 15 (Life Energy Density)

Strength - 15 (Maximum Output of Life Energy)

Dexterity - 26 (Granularity of Life Energy Control)

Monica looked at the distributed Attributes.

Ted had said that having slightly more Dexterity would still be useful because her Strength was currently quite high, meaning that even like this, she wouldn’t be able to fully utilize all her Strength for speed.

But she couldn’t let Vitality be too far off.

In his opinion, twenty-two, four points above her Dexterity, which rested at twenty-six, was a good place.

Soon after she had distributed her Attributes, they arrived at the temple entrance without strangely meeting anyone, and Monica saw three people slouching there.

They had their hoods down and were chatting with each other, unconcerned with actually guarding their post.

Amateurs, she found herself thinking as she scanned their faces.

[Apprentice Cultist – Level 13]

[Apprentice Cultist – Level 11]

[Apprentice Cultist – Level 12]

She studied the three Apprentice Cultists before her, analyzing their stance, their unguarded postures, and the casual way they held their weapons.

It was clear they were not prepared for a fight.

Ted followed shortly after her, trembling in his boots.

Monica didn’t know why she herself wasn’t afraid of death.

It wasn’t just because she could seemingly come back every time from it.

There was something more to it.

It seemed to be engraved in her very core how to fight fearlessly.

“Stay back,” Monica whispered to Ted.

Without another thought, she sprinted forward.

The Cultists noticed her too late, their relaxed chatter cut short by the sudden realization of danger.

Her first target, the Level 13 Apprentice Cultist, the strongest among them, barely had time to raise his weapon before Monica, powered by her newly enhanced speed, closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.

Her first strike was all Obsidian Flames, covering her right hand, which clawed at the Cultist’s throat.

The black fire spread quickly, immediately consuming flesh and bone.

The Cultist screamed a horrifying, guttural sound that was cut abruptly short as he collapsed.

He had died in instants.

*Ding*

You have slain [Apprentice Cultist – Level 13]

You receive extra experience and skill proficiency for killing a creature ten levels above you.

You receive extra experience and skill proficiency for killing a creature with higher sentience.

The other two Cultists were still in shock, and that sealed their fate.

The second Cultist, a Level 11, swung a dagger at Monica.

But, considering how little that could be to her, she let the blade bite deep into her abdomen. However, she used the momentum of the man to pull it forward and wrap both her Obsidian-Flame-covered hands over his head.

The Cultist died almost immediately, his scream muffled by the flames.

*Ding*

You have slain [Apprentice Cultist – Level 11]

You receive extra experience and skill proficiency for killing a creature five levels above you.

You receive extra experience and skill proficiency for killing a creature with higher sentience.

The last Cultist, Level 12, attempted to flee.

Monica sidestepped, spinning on herself and plunging her elbow into the man’s temple, temporarily knocking him out.

She swiftly bent down, reaching for his throat.

This time, however, she waited for the man to come back to his senses.

“Try to scream, and you die,” she said.

They had made quite the commotion, but it had been quiet enough that they might not have been heard by the rest of the Cultists.

The Level 12 Cultist nodded frantically, hoping to have his life spared.

“Ted,” Monica cleared her voice. “Come out.”

Ted timidly stepped forward, with the Cultist barely recognizing him.

“So, question number one,” Monica said, “where’s the nearest city?”

Ted had been blindfolded when he had been carried here, meaning that Monica would need directions to get to the closest town.

“There’s a road two hours South of here,” the man said with a thin voice. “If you follow it South, there’s a small village two days from here. That’s where he comes from.” The man’s eyes trailed to Ted.

“Good,” Monica nodded. “Question number two, then.

“Why’s no one around?”

“It’s the Novices’ initiation,” the man said, tears streaming down his cheeks. “We just got a bunch of kids, and they need to kill them and eat them to get the Class.”

Monica felt a sudden pang of fury that she had not felt until now.

So far, she had kept her cool.

However, hearing about the kids made her tremble.

“Please, spare my life! I told you everything!”

“Sure,” she smiled.

The Cultist sighed in relief, but the next moment, Monica enveloped his throat in Obsidian Flame.

The dark fire devoured his flesh, cutting the supply of blood and oxygen to his brain.

*Ding*

You have slain [Apprentice Cultist – Level 12]

You receive extra experience and skill proficiency for killing a creature five levels above you.

You receive extra experience and skill proficiency for killing a creature with higher sentience.

*Ding*

Offensive Skill – Obsidian Flame reaches Level 4

*Ding*

Class – Phoenix Healer (Rare, Enhanced) reaches Level 4

+5 VIT, +5 END, +5 STR, +5 DEX, +5 WIS, +5 SPI, +5 INT, +5 CHA and 6 Free Attributes

*Ding*

Auto-loot is on.

You obtain:

Apprentice Cultist Robe x3

Apprentice Cultist Boots x3

Silver Coins x34

*Ding*

A Fortunate Encounter!

You receive a Loot Chest (Uncommon)!

Monica saw the three bodies turn into smoke, and a wooden chest appeared in place of the last one she had just killed.

“What’s happening?” Ted frowned, green in his face because of the grisly spectacle he had assisted. “Why are they disappearing?”

But before he could say anything else, he gasped.

“I can’t believe it! You got a Loot Chest! Do you know how rare they are?!”

Monica looked over at Ted and the Loot Chest.

“Ted, I’m going back in.”

“What?” Ted said, tearing his eyes away from the chest.

“They have kids in there,” Monica said. “I’m going in to save them.”

“Oh,” Ted frowned, seemingly conflicted.

“If you want to go,” Monica cocked her head, “go.”

Ted looked at the freedom that the killing of the three Apprentice Cultists had opened for him, but then he sighed, bending down to reach for another dagger, which he fastened to his belt, and then reaching for a spear they kept there.

“Whatever,” Ted shrugged. “I’ll come. Hopefully, this will impress some of the ladies back home, and you know—”

“Yes, I know,” Monica shook her head. “Now, about the Loot Chest.”

“Open it!” Ted said excitedly. “They can contain just about anything! The System usually only awards them in very rare cases! This could be worth thousands of Gold Coins!”

Monica went up to the chest and touched it.

*Ding*

Would you like to open Loot Chest (Uncommon)?

Yes | No