Skeleton Knocks on the Door

After successfully casting the Healing Spell, Gret returned to the dining table and felt particularly righteous as he ate lunch with the Priest. They chatted while eating and kept an eye on the boy for an hour, ensuring his allergic symptoms didn't recur before Gret felt at ease and went to sleep.

Before sleeping, he repeatedly instructed them to wake him immediately if the child felt unwell for any other reason.

Perhaps because he was a Healer, or perhaps out of gratitude for saving the child, Farmer Uncle Edmond didn't make him share a large dormitory with his comrades. Instead, he arranged a private room for him. With fine linen sheets and a soft, fluffy quilt, Gret sighed comfortably as he lay down.

...The first day of transmigration had finally passed.

From today onwards, I will have to survive alone in this strange foreign world. All I can rely on is the science knowledge in my head, the Healing Spell I just learned to cast, and...

He touched his chest. Around his neck, a fine waxed linen cord held a pendant. In the original body's memories, he had never taken it off since childhood.

It was a translucent, leaf-shaped, pale green pendant. Neither gold nor jade, neither wood nor stone.

"I don't know what it is... Oh well, I'll just wear it..."

Gret muttered softly. He closed his eyes and, in less than half a second, fell into darkness.

Gret slept soundly.

Having just arrived in a new world, traveled an unknown distance in one go, and experienced two emergency rescues, Gret slept exceptionally well. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and slept straight through until morning without waking up once.

The only thing that disturbed his sleep quality was tossing and turning in his dreams, writing a thesis:

Patient, male, 37 years old... treated for trauma. Diagnosed with... Grade III liver rupture, one intestinal rupture, 5cm in length... Underwent intestinal repair surgery without anesthesia, using healing potions and Healing Spells for recovery, and resected the intestine. Patient passed gas six hours after intestinal surgery.

Discussion: After intestinal surgery, the patient's intestinal motility recovered slowly due to anesthesia and surgical shock, typically requiring 48-72 hours. In this case, the patient only needed 6 hours for intestinal recovery, a significant reduction in time.

It can be concluded that the use of Healing Spells for healing post-operatively has a significant effect on the recovery of intestinal function. It is recommended to conduct further clinical research based on this case...

...Damn thesis.

Gret groggily got out of bed and slapped his head with a crisp crack.

I've already transmigrated, I don't need to desperately grind for papers to get a senior title anymore, spare me...

Because of this nightmare, which wasn't exactly a nightmare, Gret felt rather dejected as he got up and washed. He sleepily got dressed, ate breakfast, and was about to line up with his comrades to depart when he received news:

They had been conscripted by the Temple Guards to participate in the upcoming search operation.

"Us?"

Gret was bewildered. The Young Priest beside him immediately grew anxious upon hearing this:

"Gret, you can't go! That Knight, that Knight who disliked you so much yesterday, this conscription must be aimed at you! If you go, who knows how he'll deal with you!"

"Ah, really?" Gret scratched his head. "That Priest was quite reasonable, and his impression of me wasn't bad. But we're the City Guard! We still have patrol duties!"

"But that Knight is the Lord's nephew..." Captain Karen said with a wry smile, full of helplessness.

"The Spring Goddess's Temple is a 'Temple of Nobles,' and most of the Priests and Knights there are of noble birth. For them to conscript the City Guard is as simple as making a phone call.

They said they would vouch for us regarding the patrol duties when we get back. Little Grete, just let it go."

"But Uncle Karen, your injury isn't healed yet! -- I'll go talk to them!"

"Little Grete..."

Ignoring the Captain's attempt to stop him, Gret turned and rushed into the main hall. Roman Knight blocked the entrance and patiently listened to his request, then smiled and said, "As a Healer, you naturally have the privilege of not participating. As for Captain Karen, isn't his injury already healed?"

Gret slightly lowered his gaze. Roman Knight's statement, while seemingly excusing him and giving him ample reason not to participate, was insidious. He could indeed refuse, but if he did, what would happen to his teammates?

Roman Knight's malice was obvious. A small squad of City Guards, isolated and unable to refuse conscription. If he didn't go, the Knight's anger and malice would clearly be directed at them.

The search mission would involve all sorts of dangers, and they would likely be sent ahead of the Temple Guards as cannon fodder, risking their lives!

Not to mention they were comrades, nor the fact that Captain Karen had always taken care of the original body. As a doctor, he couldn't abandon his companions when they might be in danger and flee from the battlefield!

What to do, what to do...

He stopped arguing, lowered his head slightly in a bow, and turned to leave. He circled around, slipped into the row of rooms opposite the granary, and grabbed a Temple Guard.

"Excuse me, where is the Priest? Could you please announce me?!"

"The Priest is still in morning prayer," the Temple Guard said, looking at him with a very strange expression. His eyes held both contempt and a hint of suspicion, as if to say:

Don't you have prayers in the morning?

Gret: "..."

He seemed to recall somewhere that Priests prayed to the gods every morning to restore their Healing Spells for the day... Right, when he was washing his face earlier, Little Freckles was also muttering to the sun. What was he doing?

It's over. This morning, I was so focused on complaining about my thesis that I completely forgot to pray. Besides, even if I prayed, who would I pray to? The Nature God?

He couldn't recall the Nature God's name, doctrines, or prayer words at all...

I really am a fake Divine Revelation User. Gret felt sad.

Even so, giving up was not Gret's style. He calmed himself, turned to find Farmer Uncle Edmond, and asked him to immediately send someone to the city with a letter. He then found Roman Knight again and continued to argue with him.

Gret pleaded and argued logically, and finally, he resorted to a threat:

"Then let me go in Uncle Karen's place! -- I'm a Healer, I have privileges, if you don't agree, I won't go!"

"Fine! It's a deal!"

They clapped their hands together with a snap. As they clapped, Gret clenched his left hand, which hung at his side, without anyone noticing.

-- This guy really has ill intentions. I need to be careful!

With his backpack on and waterskin slung over his shoulder, Gret set off on his journey once more. Just as he was about to depart, the Young Priest rushed out with his own pack, standing resolutely beside Gret without a word.

"Gret, I'm going with you!"

"What are you going to do?"

"You're not sending me home, so of course I'm going with you!" Little John winked at him. His smile was both determined and sly, the freckles on his face shining, dancing with each one:

"Don't think you can shake me off!"

Gret could only sigh and reach out, clasping his hand firmly.

Although he had been drafted into the search party, Gret was completely clueless about what they were actually looking for. He followed the main group, stumbling over uneven terrain and crossing mountains and streams. After traversing three peaks and wading through two brooks, they finally set up camp for the night in an abandoned ancient castle. Half-asleep, he was jolted awake by a scream:

"Ah—Skeletons!"

Clang! A sharp sound of swords being drawn echoed through the air.

This ancient castle, though deep in the mountains, was quite large, complete with a main keep, a great hall, a watchtower, and auxiliary buildings. Unfortunately, most of it had collapsed. Fortunately, the great hall was mostly intact, and a few rooms in the auxiliary buildings still had complete roofs. The only remaining structures that looked habitable were the two towers in the southeast and northeast corners.

The Temple Guard occupied the most intact great hall of the main keep. Priest Donald and the Roman Knights did not stay with them. Instead, they had people clean out two rooms on the upper floor of the great hall and took adjoining rooms. The team's horses were stabled in the auxiliary buildings. Gret's small team didn't want to crowd with them, so the five of them discussed it and decided to set up camp in the southeast tower.

Meanwhile, from the northeast tower, there was already a cacophony of shouts, footsteps, and the sounds of swords clashing against bone.