Chapter 291 (1/2)

Dragging the man back to his cabin was more difficult than he anticipated. Truly, though Simon had the strength in his gangly, 14 year old body that a grown man would have, he still didn’t have the size to heft him over his shoulder, and could only drag him.

Which wasn’t good for his wounds, so Simon stopped periodically, checking him, before continuing his journey. Once back at the cabin, Simon stripped the man as best he could, cutting away the ripped leathers, revealing the wounds. Simon winced. Jagged, but healing on his side and shoulder.

The real problem was that head pain, Simon guessed. Maybe some internal bleeding or something. Far beyond his skill in conventional means, but…

Simon brought out some of his Mending Fluid. He had three types. The basic, the concentrated, and his masterpiece, a highly concentrated mixture that Simon believed would revive the dead. He looked at all three, torn.

It took a lot to make any of these. He had 10 regular vials, which was enough to make a single concentrated. He had three of those, but it would take 10 of those vials to make his strongest concentration. That pain though…

Feeling like he wanted to play it safe, Simon gave the man all three of his concentrated potions, then settled to wait. In the meantime, he created more Mending Fluid and Meditated, slowly wondering who this man was.

It was clear from his hard, muscled body, that he was extremely active. Perhaps a Classer from one of the nearby villages then? But he wasn’t someone that Simon recognized. Not that so many people came here these days, mostly the same faces of the traders…

What cemented this man’s status as a Classer in Simon’s mind were the dozens of crisscrossing scars on the man’s body. In fact, there were so many that Simon began to wonder whether the man hadn’t fought even BEFORE the System came. It just seemed… too complete, for about 6 months. His body had grown up receiving scars as if it was natural.

A day passed, Simon barely sleeping, the man’s breathing easing somewhat, but still remaining unconscious. Surreptitiously, Simon tried Sense Ailment, already flinching.

Which he was right to. Once more, Simon was sent to the ground, barely sensible. Only after a few seconds of twitching, could he stand again.

“Fine.” Simon growled. “You’ve forced me to use my big guns.”

Both the extra concentrated mixture, and another concentrated mixture that Simon had made these past few days, went into the man.

So it went, for three weeks, Simon putting off his travels to treat this man, each day making a concentrated mixture, refusing to use Sense Ailments again. It was… scary. But Simon had to admit that if there was real brain damage, then honestly, there was nothing that he could really do to help the man….

But after 21 days, the man stirred. Simon moved closer, curious, just in time to see the man’s eyes spring open, wild and vicious, glowing a strange, unnatural, mint green color. The wave of bloodlust that seemed to radiate off the man sent Simon stumbling backwards, scooting along the ground to get farther away.

The man’s eyes were strangely confused, but that slowly cleared as he winced, raising a hand to his head. He held that posture for several minutes, seemingly content to just concentrate and let himself sit.

“Here,” Simon said aloud, careful not to startle him. Most of the bloodlust had left the air, but still… Simon held up a bowl of vegetable stew and another vial of his concentrated potion.

Without blinking, the man’s eyes turned to Simon, seeming to take the boy in, who shifted awkwardly. A lot of people were confused how his arms and legs were so skinny, but he had plenty of pudge on his torso. It was something that had haunted Simon through all of middle school, and high school had been looking pretty similar before the System hit.

He had even lost some weight, and put on some muscle too. Not that you could really tell… Not muscle like this guy had, either, of which Simon was slightly envious.

After about 30 seconds of careful study, the man seemed to relax and took both the food and the vial, but set the food to the side. Simon made a mental note of that. Only when your Vitality was about 30 could you go for a while without eating, and this man had gone 3 weeks without any food but the fluid and some water Simon gave him. How much Vitality did he have…? Maybe upwards of 50…?

Then Simon’s eyes widened with shock, because the man flicked the vial, then concentrated, and a single vial of the concentrated liquid focused further, becoming a glowing golden drop of liquid. This did, however, set off a chain reaction in the man, where he leaned back, grimacing, seemingly wracked by pain. Still, he maintained a grip on the vial, and lifted it to his mouth, drinking the single drop of the stuff.

Within 10 seconds, his face eased, and the man sighed, rubbing his brow. He nodded gratefully then picked up the bowl of food and devoured it within a minute. Then he leaned back in his bed, sighing.