Ouch.
Ouchouchouchouchouch—
It appears that I am still alive.
Which is, not exactly the most optimal state that I wish to be in right now.
Aside from feeling lots of pain, I felt itchy all around.
Finally deciding to open my eyes, I am greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling.
A vaulted ceiling of wood.
The aroma of calming, scented candles and medicinal herbs filled the air.
The room itself was brightened by dozens of lamps, well-cleaned, and overall looked comfy.
…Keyword: looked.
But I felt a lot more uncomfortable.
With all the itchy bandages wrapped around me, I probably looked like a mummy.
Yes, this isn't the forest or my cave or that horrific chasm of darkness and despair; it was the humie camp.
They had saved me.
I didn't know if they would, or even if they could, but they did.
And for that, I owe them a large debt of gratitude.
Suddenly, I heard the door quietly creak open.
I turned to see a small person wearing white clothes and a bird mask enter; upon noticing my gaze, they flinched and started stuttering.
Ignoring that they were acting like a broken recorder, I was guessing that this one was a nurse or a doctor.
Maybe both.
I don't really know how this game dealt with doctors, being high fantasy and all, with holy magic and normal magic being able to heal.
And even as I played, I never really visited hospices and clinics in the game because…well, I didn't really need to; I had mods that allowed me to eat unholy amounts of cheese in a single nanosecond that healed me up to full instantly.
After thinking about a funny situation involving one mod and another, the nurse/doctor person calmed themselves and slowly walked to me.
They did some checkups on me and gave me a diagnosis.
I would be stuck in this bed for two years.
Two years of idling by, watching the world go by.
Being the very impatient person that I am, did not like that idea.
Seeing me frown, the doctor/nurse concluded their check-up of me and hurriedly left.
Didn't even get to say thank you…
Well, it's whatever.
I'll probably see them later.
Soon after, Silver Vane entered.
"Grul, I'm very glad you're still alive."
Ah, right, because of the token.
"…Not just because of the token. You have proven yourself to be a great partner; after our deal, animal presence decreased by a wide margin, thus increasing our profits."
I still feel embarrassed to be complimented for that; seriously, I haven't done that much.
"And from what I heard from Kael, you were…quite considerate to us. Which was completely unnecessary, but you still acted upon it. So as a person—someone who understood debts—how could I watch as you die?"
I don't quite get what he meant by that, but I'll take it as a compliment.
Abruptly, the atmosphere in the room turned heavy as Silver's face and voice turned serious.
"So…have you heard what the physician told you?"
Trying my hardest to nod, I manage to inch my head down and up.
"Ah, you don't have to nod or shake, just blink once for no and twice for yes."
Blink, blink.
"Good. Did the physician tell you about how long you'll have to recover?"
Blink, blink.
"Did they tell you the condition your body is in?"
Did they…?
…I don't think so.
Blink.
"Umhmm, I guess it can't be helped, ahaha…"
Silver awkwardly chuckled, clearly aware of how fearful the physician was when I frowned.
"Well, they told me if they weren't able to fully disclose to you your conditions, that I'd tell you myself."
Oh, boy.
Something tells me I'm going to be afflicted with a curse or disease of some sorts, aren't I?
"You've contracted a—an absurd disease that the physician couldn't exactly diagnose, but it had something to do with the attribute of 'darkness'"
I knew it, damn it.
Damn that stag, I got cursed by it.
"It's not something the physician had any knowledge of, and they're quite an experienced physician, so, to be blunt, chances that you'll recover from that are…low."
Double damn it.
"But, there may be a chance—priests from the Theocracy are currently on their way here. They're planning to create a church. They're renowned for their holy magic, and might be able to cure or at least diagnose your disease."
Finally, good news for once.
"That's all the news I have for you. Unfortunately, I can't continue our talks because of my busy schedule, but I'll come back now and then to inform you of anything you need to know. Then, if you'll excuse me."
The door clicked shut as my last visitor left.
Now I'm just Grul on the bed.
Alone with my thoughts.
Well, what else can I possibly think of except for what happened back then?
My fight with the Void-Stag.
I realized while reviewing my fight with it that I had a massive flaw; one major weakness.
It was that I was a meathead.
A dumb-dumb that couldn't think strategically.
If I stayed far from the Void-Stag and did what I did at the end of the fight in the beginning; just throwing stuff at it, I might actually have won instead of being like this.
I used my muscles when I should have used my brain.
…Since I'm still alive, at least I was able to learn from this.
Knowing what I know now, I really need to improve my Wisdom and Intelligence stats.
Or at least acquire skills relating to them.
If I remember right, there was a merged skill that combines the mind of a scholar with the mind of a warrior.
I have to get that skill.
Asap.
But first, I had to focus on what I have right now; and what I had was being able to request from Silver.
I decided my next request would be simple.
Forget tools and equipment.
I needed books.
Lots of them.
And also, I'd like to check my status screen right now.
See if I could get any hints as to what exactly my ailment is, and if I actually gained anything from everything I did.
But whenever I try to move my hand, I face unbearable pain.
Perhaps, just maybe, resting a few more days without constantly worrying about the game or my character's stats wouldn't hurt.