Am I a Healer? You'd Better Think So!-Chapter 10: Cruel And Beautiful

"Hm? That stuff's useless. Once a battle's over, everything gets completely destroyed with inscriptions. Anything from the Risen has the power to corrupt the living. Some people die within seconds of being infected, but others turn into one of them and lose their sanity." Niara answered calmly.

"Seriously? In every battle, everything just gets wiped out all the time?" Darian felt overwhelmed by the sheer waste.

She remembered something. "... There's a hidden black market. Some people sneak into battlefields and steal Risen weapons. With a lot of effort, they seal them and keep them stored away."

After a painful sigh, she added, "No one knows exactly when or where the Risen will attack. Most of the time, people have to fight on their own until the Celestia Academy sends reinforcements. But usually, by the time help arrives, everything and everyone is already gone."

"That's why these weapons end up becoming a last-resort suicide tool for the weaker ones to defend themselves. Like I said, some people don't die instantly and turn into a Risen instead. The process isn't fast, but there's no coming back from it. While they're still in the corruption phase, they get a power boost and keep a bit of their sanity. So, they use that to sacrifice themselves and buy time to save their families."

Darian let out a heavy sigh. He used to think life on Earth was rough, but at least there, you could survive if you were smart enough. Here, death could come at any random moment.

"Can we find those in the market here?" he asked.

Niara nodded. A sudden excitement took over him, leaving her completely confused.

"Perfect. Let's go look for one. I need to confirm something."

***

The commercial city stretched as far as the eye could see, covering an entire continent.

It was a sea of vibrant buildings made of unique materials that reflected light in a magical way. A blend of medieval Western and Eastern architecture from Earth, mixed with elements unique to this universe. Towering spires reached for the sky, connected by suspended bridges and streets that pulsed with a constant flow of light and people.

The movement never stopped. Everyone who lived at Celestia Academy came here, and this was also the trade center of the entire universe.

Currently, the universe's entire population consisted of humanoids with beastly traits, inherited from two divine bloodlines: the Divine Dragon and Elfield. They couldn't really call themselves pure humans, so they referred to themselves as Mannaz.

The situation was dire, to say the least. Across the entire Divine Protection Universe, only one galaxy remained that the Risen hadn't completely taken over yet. Almost every race had been wiped out, and all the survivors were gathered here, fighting to hold this last stronghold.

In the city, each person's physical traits varied greatly depending on how much of their bloodline they had.

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Those with draconic blood stood out for their raw physical power and endurance, but their greatest asset was their lifespan. They could live for centuries without aging. Physically, some had hardened scales like armor, others displayed wings or sharp claws—sometimes, more than one of these features.

Meanwhile, Elfield's descendants were divided into three tribes: Avians, Felines, and Canines.

Elfield itself was a primordial chimera blending all three, but its descendants only inherited one aspect, making them look like hybrids of humanoids and a single animal type.

In terms of raw strength, those with draconic lineage were superior in every way. However, the Elfield descendants produced nearly all of the universe's strongest Summoners.

And since Summoners were the universe's greatest force, the Dragons were constantly pushed into a corner, internally seething as they sought more power.

Dragon blood mixed with humanity made them naturally proud, and this situation only fueled their frustration. Their Summoners rarely managed to form a true connection with a Spiritual Guardian, and that wasn't about to change anytime soon.

That day, a striking woman with dragon blood walked through the commercial city. Wherever she passed, heads turned, drawn by her beauty. But... the moment people recognized her, they trembled and quickly looked away, almost fleeing.

She was very, very famous—for all the wrong reasons.

On her shoulder, a small, almost ridiculous-looking creature curiously observed everything around them. Darian had already studied the layout of this universe in the library, and now he was seeing with his own eyes the physical differences between everyone.

Fortunately, ever since Niara summoned him, his 'curse' seemed more controlled according to his will. He could deactivate it and avoid seeing that sinister aura on people all the time. He could still sense it, though, and if he came across someone particularly powerful, he could focus on them.

Before long, Niara stepped into a quieter alley. Then, into an unremarkable, inconspicuous building.

It was clearly a shop that didn't want attention—made for selling unusual and, at times, taboo items. A true black market.

A fur-covered man from the Feline Tribe approached, looking tense. He knew exactly who Niara was and didn't dare act disrespectfully.

She said what she wanted, and he quickly brought out a black chest. When he lifted the lid, a simple saber was revealed.

It was covered in inscriptions that sealed it, yet it still radiated a terrifying purple aura.

The atmosphere turned cold and eerie—it was a weapon once wielded by a Risen.

Niara looked at Darian. He nodded, then jumped from her shoulder onto the saber. The vendor and Niara widened their eyes.

But... nothing happened. It was as if the weapon's corruption didn't exist for him.

The vendor was confused at first but quickly assumed it was some kind of superpower from a Spiritual Guardian. People didn't know much about them, only that they could kill the Risen. So, it made sense.

Within seconds... Darian turned to Niara and locked eyes with her.

'We hit the jackpot!' he spoke into her mind, making her eyes widen.

Darian was certain now—he could easily use his white power to completely purify the weapon's corruption. He hadn't tested this before in battle since he never needed this power to win, but now he had proof.

These weapons were originally just regular weapons. Even after full purification, they wouldn't change much. However, Darian realized he was about to get rich because, on the way there, he had seen plenty of weapons displayed in shop windows.

All of them—even the most expensive ones—lacked a core.

When he asked Niara about it, she explained that this type of weapon only existed in Celestia Academy and was extremely limited, available only at an absurd price.

But Risen weapons... all of them had cores. He had fought plenty of them and knew that for a fact. The exact reason was impossible to confirm, but it made sense to assume that the Risen's corruption somehow facilitated the creation of these cores.

In other words, Darian could buy all the Risen weapons available on the black market, purify them, and resell them for thousands of times their price. Even better, every time he went to the battlefield, he could collect more of them and create an almost infinite source of money.

That's when he realized a problem. They needed an initial investment to buy the weapon before they could profit.

This corrupted weapon wasn't cheap since it had to be sealed, and keeping it was a huge risk. They could only bring weapons back from the battlefield after actually participating in one—there was a rule that no Summoner could leave the planet without authorization.

Without money, nothing could be done. But they had to find a way to prepare for battle; relying on luck alone was a pointless risk.

'Shit...'

Niara didn't know exactly what he was thinking, but from the tone of his question and the emotions she picked up from him, she quickly figured out his intent.

Then, a smile appeared on her face.

Against all expectations, the vendor almost fell to his knees, begging for mercy at the sight of that expression.

Darian focused on her—that smile exuded a cruel, dark aura, the kind only a ruthless killer would have. And yet, now that he knew a bit more about her, he found it incredibly beautiful.

'You want money? Don't worry, we can get it quickly. They brought it right to us, after all,' she said in his mind as her eyes shifted toward the window.

Darian understood.

Being bad had its perks sometimes.