Early the next morning, a sleepy-eyed Lorin yawned as he ate his breakfast. He had spent the entire night exploring every corner of the town. Although he was truly a bit exhausted, seeing his harvest instantly banished his fatigue.
[Shallow Beach Town: Exploration Progress 100%]
[All areas of Shallow Beach Town have been explored. Random reward obtained: Charm +1]
[Current Balance: 247 Exploration Experience points]
This was also his first time achieving 100% exploration in an area. Frost Valley City had simply been too massive, with far too many places guarded by sentries.
Lorin figured that even though it was called a random reward, the rewards likely varied depending on the size of the region. Perhaps the upper and lower limits of the randomization were different. He just didn’t know what use the Charm he rolled this time would have. He didn’t feel like he had become much more handsome, nor did he know if it was a good or bad roll.
But this didn’t dampen his cheerful mood. A full 247 Exploration Experience points!!! He could roll two times in a row.
[Using 100 Exploration Experience points, you rolled the dice: 1]
[Points: One]
[Item Obtained: goblin’s Loincloth]
[The wearer of this cloth will gain the Goblin King’s approval.]
"Fuck!" Lorin stared wordlessly at the tattered scrap of linen in his system inventory. "What the hell is the use of this!"
"Again!"
[Using 100 Exploration Experience points, you rolled the dice: 1]
[Fate has smiled upon you.]
[Points: Six]
[Item Obtained: Ring of the Flame Speaker]
[Ring of the Flame Speaker]
Type: Accessory/Ring
Quality: fine (Green)
Effect:
Low-tier Magic memory slot +1 (0/1) Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Currently memorized Magic: None
Equipment Effect:
[Beginner’s Luck: When you use this ring to cast Magic, there is a 5% chance to double the Magic’s effect.]
Note:
"If you don’t know how to use Magic, then you are exactly who I’m looking for."
...
"Holy shit! Magic Accessories?!" Lorin glanced around and, making sure no one was watching, pretended to fish it out of his pocket.
It was a copper-colored ring, its surface tinged with a faded brownish-red. It looked completely Ordinary, no different from the rings bought for a few copper plates at a general store. However, upon closer inspection, faint patterns could be seen on it. These patterns resembled the spreading trails of a Flame, occasionally flashing with a trace of light. This was the first of the Magic Items Lorin had ever obtained, and he couldn’t wait to slip the ring onto his left index finger.
He just didn’t know how to add Magic slots... Completely satisfied, Lorin stuffed the remaining bread on his plate into his mouth. He figured he would head to the town’s Blacksmith shop to get his newly acquired sword properly repaired, and then buy a decent set of armor. He planned to spend most of the money he had on hand, converting it into his own combat strength as quickly as possible. After that desperate battle, he deeply understood one thing: only Power was the Truth, and there was no future in hoarding money.
"Morning..." Pip shuffled down the stairs listlessly.
Lorin’s mind had already drifted off to the town’s Blacksmith shop. He was just about to toss out a couple of words to brush him off when he noticed something was wrong. Pip’s face looked much paler than yesterday. His lips were dry and peeling, and his eyes were completely bloodshot. He appeared incredibly sluggish.
Was he still nursing a hangover? That shouldn’t be the case; they hadn’t even drank that much yesterday... Lorin frowned and focused his gaze intently on Pip’s hair.
[Halfling hair, male, roughly fifteen to twenty years old. Mixed with Dwarf bloodline. Physical condition is poor, showing signs of a fever.]
"You have a fever?" he asked in surprise.
"I’m fine." Pip grinned, but his smile collapsed after just a few seconds. "Okay... I’m just a little tired."
"What about your wound?"
Pip asked blankly, "What about my wound?"
Lorin didn’t waste words; he reached right out and untied the strip of cloth bandaged around Pip’s shoulder. A faint, foul stench wafted out from underneath it. The flesh around the wound was severely swollen, turning a dark red beneath the skin. Some areas had even begun to seep pus. A wound infection? Hiss... Although this world didn’t have antibiotics, a Priest should be able to treat this, right? He just didn’t know if the fees would be expensive.
Pip also noticed his wound and scratched his head. "No wonder I feel a bit unwell."
The tavern owner, who was wiping the bar counter, caught the scent as well. Frowning, he walked over and carefully examined Pip’s wound. "It’s a bit serious... I’m afraid Ordinary herbs won’t be able to cure it. There’s a Divine Hall on the west side of town; you guys can go check it out."
"What are their rates like?"
...
Lorin dragged Pip all the way to the Divine Hall the tavern owner had mentioned. Although called a Divine Hall, it actually looked more like a supersized barn. The main structure of the Divine Hall was built from rectangular stone blocks, with a roof covered in a layer of gray slate. The only thing that suggested this place was related to the divine was the emblem on the roof. It was a rising sun. An old man wearing a Sacrificial Robe stood hunched over, holding a watering can and watering the flowers and plants around the Divine Hall.
He looked up at the two and asked, "Here for healing?"
A few minutes later, inside the Divine Hall’s lounge.
Pip lay on the bed with a contorted expression, biting down on a torn piece of cloth and occasionally letting out muffled whimpers. The Old Priest Alder held a small knife, his expression focused as he picked at the rotting flesh on his shoulder. The thin blade moved along the edges of the wound, slicing away the necrotic tissue piece by piece.
"The wound was left untreated?" he frowned.
Lorin answered honestly, "No..."
"This is absolute nonsense!" Alder scolded. "You young people don’t even know how to treat a wound. All you know is how to recklessly charge forward without caring for your lives."
Lorin gave an awkward smile. Why was this old man so quick-tempered...
"Done." The Old Priest tossed the small knife aside. Lorin leaned in to take a look. The wound had been cleared to reveal a fresh surface, which was continuously seeping blood.
"Uh... doesn’t it need to be treated further?"
The Old Priest glared at him, then extended a hand, hovering it over Pip’s shoulder. "Don’t move." He closed his eyes and softly chanted, "Dawn Lord, may You grant this child Shelter."
A warm yellow light flowed through the gaps of his fingers, gently falling onto Pip’s wound. The wound healed at a visible rate, gradually turning into a pinkish scar. Only the edges remained slightly red and swollen, but it had stopped bleeding.
Lorin’s finger grew hot. He looked down and saw that the Ring of the Flame Speaker he had just put on was emitting a faintly perceptible glow.
[Magic detected: Treating Light Injuries]
[Memory can be sustained for 365 days. Do you wish to memorize this Magic?]
So it was this easy? He had thought he’d need to find a Caster to use it directly on the ring, or use some sort of Scroll. It turned out that as long as someone was casting nearby, it would work. This was quite convenient. Healing Magic was an incredibly versatile choice. Besides, he couldn’t find any other Caster right now anyway, so naturally, he chose to memorize it.
[Memorization complete]
[Treating Light Injuries]
[Place your hand on a living creature and apply Guiding Positive Energy to complete the healing.]
[Daily Uses: 0/1]