Chapter 4
Chapter 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Can't Move from Acupressure
-----------------------------------------------------------------
" You're awake."
"Ah."
I replied with a short grunt. The woman peering at me lantern in hand had striking blue hair. She was a healer.
"You've been out for three straight days since then. We were worried."
"Sleep... what? Three days?"
"Yes."
I recalled my last memory: getting knocked unconscious by Elfriede's vicious slap. I'd thought it was no ordinary smack, but to be out for three whole days?
She really was a terrifying woman beyond common sense.
She must've slapped me with murderous intent. Thinking about it now, my jaw and cheek still throbbed.
"Your nose was gushing blood. Hold on a sec."
The blue-haired woman stepped away briefly and returned with a set of pure white undergarments, like something for soaking in hot springs.
"Give me your dirty clothes. I need to wash them."
She was surprisingly kind—far gentler than I'd expect from someone in this barbaric, superstitious world. Healers tended to be like that.
Then again, only a genuinely good person would think to heal the injured.
Of course, they charged a fortune.
Anyway, after a life of nothing but contempt and beatings, her kindness soaked into me like water into a sponge—soft and disorienting.
"H-here."
"Get some good rest, then. It's bedtime. Oh, and Elfriede said she'd drop by in about five days."
"G-good grief—!"
"Pardon? What's that? Good grief?"
"N-no, nothing. Just... thrilled to see her again. Like a Samaritan exclamation."
"Oh...."
The name of the woman who'd nearly killed me was now pure trauma. Just hearing it from someone else made my body tremble.
My flesh clearly remembered that murderous slap. If her name alone did this, what would facing her be like?
I might piss myself.
Lost in that terror, the blue-haired healer spoke up.
"Elfriede's such a good person. Great track record as an adventurer, and she donates loads to our clinic. Really kind-hearted."
What? Was she describing a different Elfriede?
I couldn't imagine "good" or "kind" sticking to that woman. But whether I thought so or not, the blue-haired healer kept going.
"You're the first slave I've seen her bring here for treatment. Must be nice having someone like that as your owner."
Was she mocking me, or dead serious? Hard to tell.
My gratitude melted away like snow in the sun, leaving a sticky mess.
"Yeah, sure."
"Oh, look at me rambling. Everyone's asleep by now."
She shrank back as if suddenly realizing her mistake. Once she shut her mouth, the air filled with snores and pained groans from all around.
"If anything hurts suddenly or you need something, just say. I don't sleep much, so I patrol nights and dawns every day."
Murmuring softly, the blue-haired healer finally came into focus under the lantern light.
Her claim about light sleep checked out—faint dark circles under her eyes.
I turned to her.
"Well, there is one thing I need...."
"Yes? What?"
"I'm looking for work. Just till Elfriede gets back—anything I can do here? Paid, if possible...."
I needed to scrape together freedom money again, so I had to hustle at any job. Couldn't sit idle for a minute.
"Hmm—."
Humming and hawing, the healer eventually clicked her tongue.
"Handy timing—we're short-staffed. But with your injuries... you sure?"
"I'm fine."
I patted myself down and twisted around.
The splitting headache and nosebleed were gone, along with the throbbing in my other spots. Peak condition—healthy as could be. Times like this, hustle harder for cash.
"You look good."
"I do a lot of heavy work anyway. I'll help out."
*
"Gyaaah—!"
I screamed as my scalp felt torn out. Gripping my head roughly was an injured adventurer writhing in agony.
"It hurts! My body's breaking apart! You bastards, let go! Let go!"
"Mr. Bellos! Hold him still!"
The blue-haired healer, Finley, yelled at me.
Bracing for a bald spot on my crown, I pinned the adventurer's body and shoulders to the bed with all my strength.
"Got him!"
"Hold tight! Cure—!"
Finley's urgent incantation spilled out, and the adventurer unleashed a guttural howl.
"Grraaagh—!"
The massive gash from his gut to chest wrapped in eerie light, knitting shut visibly fast.
Healing magic.
Rare as hell since so few could cast it. First time I'd seen it.
Nothing explained it but "magic"—pure cheat stuff that stirred my gut.
But healing hurt like hell, apparently. The middle-aged adventurer thrashed under me like a fish flopping on dry land, wailing.
"Gaaah, fuuuck! It hurts so bad! I'm dying!"
"You're not dying, Mr. Bellos. It's healing! Stay still, stay still!"
"They're killing me! Let go! Let fucking go! How's this healing? You quack bitches!"
After that chaos, the process wrapped up. No wonder they needed muscle.
"Whew, that was rough."
Finley, having safely treated the same-rank adventurer Bellos, approached me. Sweat poured off her like rain, matting her weird blue locks every which way.
Still looked good, though. She was cute to begin with, and a hardworking, sweaty woman? Right up my alley—vital, full of life.
Her soaked white healer's garb heaved at the chest, wickedly tempting, so I flicked my eyes away before things stirred.
"Heh, I must look a mess, huh? Even my makeup's running—."
"Nah, mine's worse."
And yeah, my face was a disaster, like I'd said.
Glancing in the clinic mirror: hair yanked every which way, beard a wild mess. Total bum.
Which I basically was, still penniless.
"Morning rush is over. Handle the afternoon crowd, and the day's done. It'll fly by even though we're swamped."
Finley sighed. I asked her,
"Is it like this every day?"
"Huh? Every day?"
"Being this busy?"
"Today's actually a pretty light traffic, actually. When the underground ruins first opened? It was practicaly nonstop—almost killed me."
Finley wiped the sweat from her brow with her hand. That's when I spotted blood trickling from her right wrist.
"Whoa, you're bleeding."
"Oh? Yeah. Must've scratched it on a nail earlier. No biggie with all the thrashing patients—happens all the time."
The blue-haired healer Finley casually licked the cut with her tongue.
Healing others while taking hits, but shrugging off her own? Ironic... or the kind of thing that tugs at a guy's heartstrings.
So I reached for her wrist.
"Let me see."
"Huh?"
"It could get infected. I'll wrap it."
"Oh, no need."
Blushing hard, Finley still offered her wrist.
After tag-teaming a dozen patients that morning, we already had that budding camaraderie.
Wish Elfriede was even half like Finley.
Swoosh.
Her pale wrist extended. Frowning at the long scrape, I touched it—
Ding-.
『Name: Finley Lv. 4
Status: Insomnia | Ankle Sprain | Mouth Ulcer』
What the hell.
I squinted at the floating text.
No scream this time—experience bred restraint.
Same with Elfriede, now Finley.
Why was I seeing this?
Elfriede's had stats like stamina, quirks—more details.
Finley's was simpler: name and status.
"Something wrong...?"
Finley asked cautiously, spotting my frown.
"Nah, all good. Does your ankle hurt at all?"
"Oh, yeah. Left one is a bit...."
"Do you have mouth sores too?"
"Spot on. Whoa, how'd you know? Did I mention it?"
I wrapped her wrist in clean bandage, secured it with adhesive. Text vanished when I let go.
What now.
No clue, but reading people like this? It was freaky useful.
Morning passed and the afternoon soon hit: patients flooded in like a tidal wave.
Three healers, Finley included, scrambled—but we were still overwhelmed.
In this lawless, savage world where a funny look meant gutting each other? Fewer injuries would be weirder.
Ding-.
『Name: Veneris Lv. 5
Status: Habitual Dislocation | Back Pain | Rhinitis』
It was great for my new power, though.
Touch a wrist, then I can get the readout.
Felt like an old drama doc diagnosing via pulses.
"Mr. Veneris, lie flat on your stomach. Whoa, your pelvis is way off. You cross your legs a lot, right?"
"Huh, how'd you know?"
"Your left and right legs unequal. Means one's rotated. It's still fixable."
Crack-.
"Fuck! Gaaah!"
Crack-crack.
"Hngh, ugh—."
The guy screamed, but I pressed his pelvis, lower back, upper back with my palms.
Each time, earthquake cracks boomed through the clinic from his back.
Chiropractic—or chuna therapy. These were some alternative medicine stuff.
No certs or real knowledge—I just got scraps of knowledge from watching Dad treat folks.
『Cured Veneris's Back Pain.』
『Karma Value +10』
But it boosted my Karma Value. No downsides.
No idea what higher Karma did, but up was good.
"There. Up."
"Fuck. Back really doesn't hurt! What the hell! Is this magic!"
The middle-aged guy with chronic back pain rose, twisting side to side.
"Stabbed just moving before. How? Even the healers' magic failed."
"I just pressed the misalignment back in place. Watch your posture, though—it could recur."
"Fuck, awesome. That was some magic. My back can move again. Those cracks that hurt then, but now? It's refreshing."
"Don't try it yourself. If you mess up, hit a nerve—it could paralyze you."
Paralysis darkened his face. Not exaggeration—botched treatments killed or crippled plenty.
"So don't do it lightly. Is that a samaritan secret art or something?"
His question brought black-haired nomads to mind. Wandering prophets screaming doomsday across the plains.
"Kinda."
Back home, stuff like hanbang or bonesetting was alternative medicine. Secret art? Close enough.
"Anyway, thanks a ton. Feels great—years of pain gone."
The gaunt middle-aged man fished a coin from his pocket.
Expecting a 1-copper snack tip, I rolled my eyes—then spotted gleaming silver.
1 silver!
My eyes bugged at the shine.