Damned Healer-Chapter 145: Work Completed

In front of the Dragon King, there were nearly a hundred Mannaz with Dragon blood. Some were kids, others adults, and a few women were even holding babies in their arms. All of them had completely red skin, covered in strange marks.

Their bodies and eyes were trembling in pure fear. Darian hadn’t noticed those people — he was too focused on sensing the nearby dense black karma. To him, they were just ordinary folks, nothing special.

Niara clenched her fists, her face twisting in hatred.

After being freed, years had gone by. Of course, that King had gone right back to doing what he did before finding her. He’d captured and started experimenting on any mutants and interesting people he came across.

She could feel the distortion in every one of their bodies. Their life force was extremely weak and mixed with something foreign.

Darian’s eyes moved to a corner on the ceiling, right above the scarlet pool. There was a small glowing Ore there — a Stellar Ore, just like the one at the end of that martial arts trial.

That was what kept these people alive for a while, in an attempt to stabilize their bodies after the alterations. In Niara’s case, that hadn’t been so necessary, which was why the Ore had stored up a lot of energy.

After Niara’s escape, the King had wanted to use all of that resource, which was why he’d captured so many people and was draining it to the max.

Niara stepped forward, radiating a killing aura.

"DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!" the King shouted. "The Academy Leader will send reinforcements! If you run now, you can still save yourself!"

"Save myself?" Niara kept walking and let out a dark laugh.

The slug muttered, "I’d love for him to send people. If he dares open the barrier even a little, it’ll be the last stupid choice he ever makes. But... not like he’s going to live much longer even if he doesn’t."

The King was sweating nonstop as she advanced with slow, steady steps.

He tried a different angle. "How can you even think of attacking me? I made you what you are today! Without me, you’d be dead already — you’d have nothing that you have now!"

"Hmm? True enough. Which is why I’ll reward you for everything you did to me... and to all these people. I hope you’ll not be disappointed — my partner prepared this with great care."

She spoke and snorted. Then the whole atmosphere changed. A black aura wrapped around her like a cloak of darkness.

Everything flipped before everyone’s eyes.

From pure white... to abyssal black.

Her eyes, now red, pulsed. Her black scales gleamed. She moved her hand forward.

Darian focused...

A shadowy rune formed.

He wouldn’t have been able to create that with just 30% of his strength. But with Niara’s help, now it was possible — and he confirmed it.

The slug smiled and nodded at Niara. "Hope you enjoy yourself."

*Vupt!*

She vanished.

Then reappeared in front of the King, her hand hitting his chest.

The rune sank into his body, invading his soul...

*AAAAAAAH!!!!*

He instantly roared, as if pouring out every last drop of energy from his body.

That kind of pain was the most intense and terrifying anyone could ever feel. His soul was being burned and refined by his own black karma.

The screams didn’t stop. Everyone there felt their legs give out from sheer terror.

Then... the others felt the Dragoness’s red eyes turn to them.

"Jealous? Well then..."

She moved and struck everyone hiding near the King. Each of them received a shadowy rune as a lovely little gift.

It took several minutes, and the screams went on and on.

Until the slug gave a nod.

*Crack!*

Even if some of those people accepted their sins, Darian wasn’t about to forgive them. So, after the pain ended, he simply severed the connection — no chance at redemption. It heavily damaged their souls, but even so, they were still pulled away by the laws of reincarnation.

The shadowy runes returned to Darian, merging into his black ring. His ring evolved a little from it.

The last one was the Dragon King. He endured five times longer than the rest. But when the end came, Darian had no mercy.

*CRACK!*

The sound was much louder and echoed through the entire place. Darian made sure to completely destroy his soul.

That one wouldn’t be getting any second chances. No way.

"All done," Darian said calmly.

Niara nodded, fully sensing the fate of that King. She took a deep breath, trying to rein in her emotions, which were spiraling with chaos.

She turned and looked at the nearly hundred trembling Mannaz.

The black faded from her scales, returning to her usual green.

"You’re free. Your suffering is over. I once lived through what you were going through... now I’ve had my revenge — for me and for all of you."

Her words were filled with emotion. Her eyes were trembling and she clenched her fists.

Soon, a white aura rose and floated toward those people.

They didn’t feel afraid — the aura was warm and comforting as it touched them.

Niara nodded. Then the Stellar Ore was pulled out and floated toward her. Darian grabbed it — there was still plenty of life energy inside it.

This time, he didn’t need to drain it completely and leave it behind to pretend he hadn’t taken anything. But... he couldn’t just keep it either.

He used his rings and controlled everything. Then, he moved toward those people and channeled the power perfectly into their bodies.

The white power healed their wounds. Then it restored everything that had been taken from them. After that, it purified all the impurities that had been forced into them.

It was a full purification and restoration. Their red, marked skin faded back to normal. Now they could live long lives with no physical aftereffects... though mentally, they’d have to learn to deal with it.

Darian sighed when he finished.

"D-Divine Dragon!"

"T-Thank you so much!"

Two adults there — ordinary people who knew the old legends — knelt and spoke excitedly.

Niara didn’t know what to say. Darian spoke instead: "Take everyone outside. It’s all over now — for good."

Everyone trembled and bowed. They quickly moved, leaving through the tunnel and up to the surface, overjoyed.

They would definitely spread the word about what had happened here — and expose the former King’s vile acts. That way, Niara’s actions would be seen as divine justice, not a massacre.

After everyone had left, Darian pointed to a dirt wall in the back.

Niara moved closer, then punched it.

*Bang!*

The wall cracked apart, revealing a hidden entrance behind it. There was a much thicker door covered in runes, sealing it. Of course, it wasn’t just a door — the entire space inside was completely sealed.

That had to be the link to the galaxy inscription. It was one of the nodes connected to the Academy.

Niara clenched her fists, activating a martial art. Black flames flowed around her fist.

**BOOM!**

She shattered the door like it wasn’t even there and stepped through.

That thing had been built to withstand even a very powerful summoner...

The Academy Leader had known about Niara’s attack on the planet, but hadn’t cared — he’d been sure they couldn’t get inside that place.

Darian snorted. Too bad they’d created a protection system powered by the planet’s own elements. And since the planet was a living thing, the black power could be used — and it was absolute here.

They entered calmly.

Inside was a small cavern, radiating intense golden light.

Everything was covered in golden runes, very similar to the central inscription they had seen before.

"Perfect," Darian muttered and pushed his black power to the max.

All the runes trembled as black lines spread over them.

In seconds, the sound of glass shattering echoed. The runes started to explode — but Darian was only going to break half of them. That way, he’d weaken the Academy. If he broke them all, the galaxy’s protection would be too compromised, and they’d never be able to rebuild it.

When he reached halfway, and many others were already filled with black power, he sighed in relief — job done.

But...

"!"

Niara took a step back, startled.

Suddenly, all the remaining golden runes moved and gathered in the center of the cavern.

A spatial energy could be felt.

"A trap?!"

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