Am I a Healer? You'd Better Think So!-Chapter 11: Hard As Steel

It was the end of the day, and there was barely any sunlight left on the horizon. In the sky, a female figure gently flapped her wings, gliding through the air as if she faced no resistance at all.

Darian was on her shoulder, and just like when Rhea carried him to the test back on earth, he felt no turbulence. According to Niara, when she flapped her wings, the laws of the wind bent slightly around her—that was what allowed her to fly, not the physical strength of her wings.

They were moving toward a secluded area, still within the same continent but far from the commercial center. Darian couldn't sense anything around them, but in the end, he was just a young human who had lived in a "peaceful" Earth.

Niara, on the other hand, was sure something was wrong, even without seeing anything with her eyes. She said this was an instinctual sense—a subtle perception that alerted her when someone nearby had hostile intentions. And when the danger was deadly, that feeling became almost tangible.

Darian knew about this from the book, but he had always thought it was a weird cheat. It was almost like a danger-sensing ability straight out of a popular superhero from Earth's past. But hey, having someone like her around was definitely reassuring.

This kind of perception could only be developed after surviving and escaping death countless times. Niara was incredibly powerful on her own, but if she were surrounded by several people with her same powerful bloodline, she'd be in serious danger.

They landed in a quiet forest, where a river flowed peacefully. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Darian felt her body subtly vibrate.

A fierce warrior's aura surged. Green scales began appearing all over. Niara's exposed white skin was covered by a natural armor. Then, she clenched her fists, and a sound like cracking metal echoed.

"You fight with your fists?" Darian couldn't help but ask.

She nodded. Her light, tight-fitting clothes already hinted that she was a close-combat fighter. Even though she was slim and Darian could describe her as having a beautiful and delicate physique, her entire body was incredibly powerful. You couldn't apply Earth's logic in this place.

She explained it to him mentally. With her bloodline activated for battle, it was just like how her wings distorted the winds—except in her case, she could even distort the space around her, causing absurd damage.

Her offensive and defensive power was perfect... but he could tell she wasn't exactly proud of it. Her past was probably the reason she had become this strong.

Suddenly, she moved her hand toward Darian and grabbed him, shifting his position.

"You can't get hurt."

Then, without hesitation, she moved her other hand and opened a small gap at the top of her outfit. Before he could react, she shoved him in there, right between two raised mounds.

Darian was stunned by the sudden movement and the unexpected turn of events. But as soon as he regained his senses, he realized he wasn't feeling anything soft. It was just scales—hard as steel.

It was as if she were wearing thick armor over her skin. He was simply between her scales and the white fabric, but still, his position between the two raised mounds made him feel strangely uncomfortable.

They were big enough for him to be completely hidden between them. This way, she could fight without exposing him directly, and just by looking at her, no one would see him beneath her clothes.

*Slash!*

*BOOM!*

Before Darian could properly process the situation, battle sounds erupted.

The two of them were fighting together for the first time, and Niara was taking the opportunity to show him their potential in practice. Focusing on their connection, Darian managed to see everything she saw.

Niara fought with a cold expression, moving swiftly. Her wings flapped, letting her propel herself as if she were leaping several meters at once.

She was facing six figures shrouded in a dark aura—they were identical to the assassin from before.

That King, the one she had serious issues with, hadn't taken his eyes off her. The moment he saw an opportunity, far from Celestia Academy, he ordered the attack.

It was now or never.

After all, she had just become a Summoner. Until her Spiritual Guardian formed his first ring, it was still possible to kill her. After that, not even all those with dragon bloodlines combined would be able to defeat her.

The assassins were prepared to win. The six of them moved in perfect sync, trained to survive her overwhelming power.

Indeed, Niara couldn't kill them quickly. As the fight dragged on, eventually, one of them managed to land a grazing blow on her scales.

The weapon he used was coated in a special poison, designed to slowly corrode her defenses. Over time, this could become fatal.

But, unlucky for them, they didn't have time for a war of attrition.

Niara intentionally created an opening.

An assassin wouldn't let such an opportunity slip—he went all in.

He might've suspected something, but it didn't matter. If his weapon hit the scales directly, there was a real chance of breaking them in one go. And if that happened, it would be the end for her.

So, he moved.

*CRACK!*

He grinned.

His dagger pierced her shoulder perfectly, shattering the scales.

It was over...

Until a white aura flowed through the wound.

*Squelch!*

In an instant, he exploded into a rain of blood.

Niara had landed a full-force punch.

With one of the six dead, the assassins' formation was thrown into chaos.

She didn't waste the opportunity.

In just two seconds, the second one fell.

Five more seconds, and all six were gone from this world. None of them even had the chance to dream of escaping—Niara was way too experienced in dealing with their kind.

She took a deep breath, and then, her scales started to fade. Immediately, a slug crawled out from where it had been hiding, almost in a panic, before that part of her body returned to normal, leaving it exposed.

She looked at it excitedly—this Blessing of his suited her perfectly. The problem was, her strength had a limit. Eventually, she wouldn't be strong enough, and that thought gnawed at her.

"Good job." He praised, settling back onto her shoulder. "Don't think about the future. You don't seem like that type. Leave the problems for me to handle when the time comes."

She nodded, emotionless but thoughtful. If she had been alone, she would've been forced to flee in desperation. This victory was only possible because she didn't have to fear anything—as long as he had the power to heal her.

Darian focused and devoured the karma of the six. Unfortunately, all of them combined still gave him less power than that first assassin. According to Niara, the one they killed in the dungeon was someone truly exceptional, a well-known friend of the King.

These guys, on the other hand, were well-trained, but they hadn't even killed a tenth of what the other had. That explained the meager gains.

But defeating them wasn't the real goal.

Niara moved and found something small among their remains. Each of them had a single golden coin-like object, hidden inside their bodies.

She showed the six coins and spoke softly, "This is the emblem of their assassin group. Whoever kills them has the right to take and sell them. This metal is extremely rare and expensive. Whenever I needed money in the past, I hunted one of them alone. Just one was enough to live comfortably for twenty years."

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Darian nodded excitedly. Then, they returned to the city, which was already completely engulfed by the night.

The black market operated day and night, so they spent hours going from shop to shop, each one more hidden than the last.

Around thirty corrupted weapons were bought—every single one available in the city. But soon, all the shops would restock. Even so, they only spent the equivalent of two assassin emblems.

As dawn approached, Darian headed to the largest pill shop that was already open.

He had read about magical and unbelievable pills in that book, but stepping inside, reality hit differently. Pills in this world had very limited effects, mostly used for healing wounds and curing diseases rather than anything truly useful in battle.

Still, some were worth buying. One, in particular, caught his attention—it was the best-selling pill among Summoners. Its name: Devouring Corruption Pill.

Its effects and uses were simple: just toss it into an area during a fight against a Risen. It absorbs all the corrupt energy from the surroundings, slightly weakening the Risen in there for less than a minute.

After that, the pill turned completely black and dense—anyone who dared touch it would be corrupted instantly. It was a single-use item, with a somewhat useful effect, but ridiculously expensive.

Darian lit up with excitement, but Niara didn't understand his interest.

'Throw it away? This pill is actually an invaluable treasure that only reveals its true worth after being used. Buy them all! Every single one they have!'

She didn't hesitate. They spent the equivalent of three emblems, acquiring over fifty of them.

Finally, they made one last stop: the inscription shop.

Inscriptions were created using beast blood and various powerful natural materials found on different planets. Combining these materials with other components generated effects on the environment.

There were infinite types and uses, making life easier for people. To the inhabitants of this universe, inscriptions were like Earth's technology.

For example, interplanetary travel in this galaxy was done through a specific type of inscription. It worked just like Niara's wings in the sky—they distorted space, allowing for rapid movement, but at a high cost.

Darian carefully examined everything until a specific inscription caught his eye. It was made from a unique plant and radiated a natural energy.

"This inscription greatly boosts the body's natural regeneration. If combined with healing pills, it can save your life in emergencies," the vendor explained.

Darian grew curious and asked about the plant's origins. He discovered that this inscription was so expensive because the plant was nearly extinct—it corrupted easily and was incredibly hard to cultivate or find in the wild.

He felt that the energy from this plant was similar to his white powers. This could help him enhance his healing abilities. Plus, he could use this inscription in battle in front of others if necessary, masking his real abilities.

They bought the entire stock, spending their remaining emblem. They were broke again, but with the corrupted weapons, they could multiply this money a hundredfold in the future—money would no longer be a problem.

After that, they made their way back to Celestia Academy.

On the surface, Niara looked calm, but her eyes gleamed more than usual, reflecting her inner excitement. She had no idea what Darian planned to do with the weapons, but she had a feeling that soon, she'd be completely speechless.

But...

She suddenly stopped and pulled out her silver Summoner emblem from her clothes.

At its center, a red mark pulsed.

She turned to Darian with a serious look.

"It's an emergency signal. Something really bad just happened."