I Reincarnated as the World's Worst Healer-Chapter 66: Caught in the Frost Goblins’ Fury (1)

Ebony, upon hearing that the old man already knew her secret of being a Visitor, could only widen her eyes before taking a direct blow to the throat.

"I’m sorry, little one... You helped me very well. Without you, I don’t think I could’ve defeated my brother... But even so, I’m afraid I can’t let you live."

Marcus said calmly while, in front of him, the blonde girl began to stagger, struggling to breathe.

Seeing the imminent danger, Ebony tried to run, but the lack of air kept her mind from controlling her legs.

In an instant, the old man stepped in and, with a precise, calculated strike to the back of her neck, knocked her unconscious.

Clinging to her fading awareness as her body hit the frozen ground, Ebony saw blood-stained leather boots before everything went dark.

.

.

.

Hours passed, and Ebony woke up with her hands bound inside an iron cage, marked by crude craftsmanship.

"What the hell... Where...?" The blonde cut herself off as she felt the chains around her legs and her hands tied behind her back.

Looking outside the cage, Ebony realized she was in the middle of the plaza where the Frost Ape’s bone throne had once stood.

But where there had once been an imposing throne devoted to brutality, now only a pile of bones remained, upon which the old man sat with a bored expression.

"You piece of shit old man, how dare you chain me up while enjoying the throne I won for you?" the blonde shouted, straining her body as she tried to break the chains with brute force.

"I deeply regret this situation, it wasn’t my intention... Originally, I planned to kill you the moment your help was no longer needed, but I didn’t expect you to be a Visitor, that changed things," Marcus replied, resting his chin on his left hand.

"How kind of you... I went from being a victim of your lack of manhood to what? A weapon? A toy? What the hell do you think you’re going to do with a Visitor?"

Concerned about the strength of the chains, Ebony tried to stand. Despite the shackles around her legs, she failed and fell sideways onto the floor.

"Lack of manhood?... What does a woman know about something like that? And what does a Visitor know about our world?... I’ve heard from my lord that Visitors were outlawed by the Demon King because they saw everyone as nothing more than pieces in their own story."

The old man rose from the pile of bones and approached the iron cage. His right arm was missing half the forearm and hand, replaced by poorly wrapped bandages.

"If that were true, then why the hell did I help you? I could’ve let you die in the avalanche when you fell from the top of this mountain..." The blonde watched the old man’s stump closely; now that he was missing a limb, he was more vulnerable.

With a cynical, mocking smile, Ebony looked at him and spoke loudly, as if trying to draw the attention of the goblins still going about their duties in the citadel.

"In the end, your damn victory cost you more than just my help, didn’t it? You just ended up weaker."

"I see what you’re trying to do, woman... But don’t think it’ll be that easy to provoke my anger, because my lord will benefit from your life... He wishes to build a nation right here, and for that he’ll need the Demon King’s permission, something that will be simple with you as a gift."

Hearing that, Ebony understood immediately. The tower had been conquered with the clear intention of founding a country, something possible with enough military strength; that explained the large number of goblins.

"Even if they hand me over and get their country, how long do you think you’ll last in your position? Look at yourself, idiot... From what I can tell, hierarchy in this so-called utopian society is determined by strength, and you just lost too much... You’re nothing but another disposable pawn to your lord."

Ebony spoke, seeking to anger him enough to get out of the cage, whether through a beating or execution. Either would do, the chains were slowly giving way under her strength; she just needed an opportunity.

"I suppose you’re not entirely wrong about that... But it doesn’t matter, as long as my lord gets what he wants, I don’t mind dying at the hands of a beast or a man..." Marcus said, turning his gaze away and giving her his back.

"Brother... So that dumb ape was your brother. Your mother owes you some serious explanations, don’t you think? Ha, ha, ha." Ebony mocked.

He stopped mid-step and turned back with a furious glare.

"Listen, you piece of shit... You don’t know anything, so shut up... That dumb ape’s name was Theon... And no, we didn’t share blood, for your information, loudmouthed idiot... We’re brothers because we grew up together..."

The old man said indignantly as he grabbed one of the cage’s bars.

"What a shitty childhood that ape must’ve had, growing up with his future executioner... And even after killing him, you still call him brother, what nerve."

At her words, the old man began bending the iron bar with brute force.

"Yes... It was a harsh childhood... The North isn’t for just anyone... That’s why I’m afraid I can’t kill you yet... My lord ordered your life intact, and that’s exactly what I’ll deliver."

Despite her mission to provoke him, Ebony felt genuine curiosity. Coming from the North sounded mysterious, and sooner or later she would visit that place because of the promise she had made to the half-elf.

"The North? Then how the hell did you end up wearing that uniform? As far as I know, anyone from the North wasn’t welcomed anywhere; people thought you were tongue-less savages." The blonde pressed for more information.

"I suppose you really want to speed up your death..." the old man said with a deadly glare.

"Maybe I just want to visit your brother; at least he was honest with his life and didn’t deceive me to win an empty victory..." Ebony replied mockingly.

"...I suppose the Demon King won’t mind if I deliver your body a little bruised and lifeless, after all, what matters is following the rules..."

With those words, Marcus opened the door of the massive cage. Entering, he crouched slightly before punching the blonde in the face.

Over and over, Ebony endured the beating without healing herself even once; if he realized she needed to speak to activate her spell, he might cut out her tongue, and that would make everything worse.

Instead, after the tenth blow, having spat out blood and a couple of teeth, the blonde suddenly snapped her chains apart and, dodging his next strike, decided to return the favor from earlier.

A sharp palm strike, rigid like an improvised blade, hit Marcus in the throat. He couldn’t even call for reinforcements. Struggling to breathe, a kick to his groin sent him crashing to the floor.

The blonde stepped out of the cage, winking at her adversary before moving away. But as she made her escape, she noticed a pair of goblins watching her.

"Umm... Working hard or hardly working? Heh." she said with a grin, trying to ease the tension with the two onlookers.

However, both of them, smiling as if they had been waiting for that exact moment, uttered a single word in their archaic language as magic circles lit up beneath their feet.

{{Frost Magic: Transformation: Yeti}}