Healing

Somewhere in a cave in southern Norman.

Light streamed in obliquely through the edge of the cave's opening, casting a trapezoid of light onto the ground.

Rosie sat on a flat stone near the mouth of the cave, her gaze fixed on the panel before her.

【Knight Specialization: Defenders who champion direct confrontation and possess indomitable wills. Can advance upon completing the Knight Trial】

【Obtained Knight Traits: Horsemanship Mastery, Mounted Combat, Standard Weapon Proficiency, Shield Proficiency, All Armor Proficiency, Fear Immunity】

【Advanced Knight Trial: Protect the weak, judge the evil. Gain advancement experience whenever performing a "feat" aligned with the Path of the Knight. Current: 0%】

She had hardly hesitated when making her choice.

Just looking at the description of the Hunter Specialization, she could tell it was similar to what Vera was as a vampire hunter—requiring one to track and hunt unique evil creatures across various places.

The problem was, were special evil creatures really that easy to hunt?

Vera had hunted just one vampire elder and nearly got herself killed, losing an arm and remaining unconscious even now.

Besides, Knight sounded much cooler than Hunter.

As the saying goes: being strong is temporary, but looking cool is forever.

Alright, the main reason was that the Path of the Knight aligned better with Rosie's style.

Horsemanship Mastery and Mounted Combat allowed her to charge on horseback like a Norman Knight, though she didn't actually have a horse right now.

Standard Weapon Proficiency allowed her to skillfully wield all standard weapons.

Shield Proficiency allowed her to use all types of shields.

All Armor Proficiency wasn't anything special since she already had Heavy Armor Proficiency and didn't intend to wear other types of armor anyway.

Most importantly, there was Fear Immunity. Having experienced the vampire's charm before, she still felt lingering fear toward mental effects. With this, at least she wouldn't be scared into running wildly through the streets.

All in all, Knight suited her current growth path remarkably well.

A fierce protest erupted from beside her, cutting off her thoughts.

Rosie closed the panel and turned her head.

Balu was leaning against the cave wall not far away, an unreserved look of hunger plastered across his green face, radiating an aura that practically screamed, “I really need to eat right now.”

Noticing Rosie's gaze, he spoke up, “I'm so hungry.”

The moment he said it, Rosie felt her own stomach rumbling.

Yesterday, she had fought several battles back-to-back without eating a single bite, then fled through the night, trekking half the night in the snow before finally finding this cave sheltered from the wind.

Her backpack had been left behind in her room at the Temple of Art, and all her belongings had burned to ash.

As for the horses, the temple staff had led them out before the fire spread, but their escape had been so rushed that they hadn't had time to grab them.

Fortunately, the coin pouch she always kept on her person was still intact, so at least the hard-earned money wasn't lost.

Rosie glanced at Vera, who was lying against the cave wall.

She was still unconscious, her silver-white hair draped over her shoulders, her face pale, and her lips almost drained of color.

Dark, dried stains were still visible around the edge of her severed arm.

She was in bad shape.

Although Rosie hadn't slept for long, she had at least gotten a real rest.

The three charges for Holy Light had fully replenished.

Rosie stood up, stretched her stiff shoulders and neck, and recited the incantation.

“O shining Holy Light! Answer my call and bestow your power upon me!”

“Holy Light!”

Golden light condensed ahead into a warm pillar of radiance, enveloping Vera's body and illuminating the entire cave space.

The green-skinned beastkin's eyes widened.

He remembered this golden light—when the vampire was struck by it, smoke had poured from his entire body as he shrieked in agony.

Balu was thoroughly confused.

“I'm healing her,” Rosie explained.

Half-believing her, Balu stood in place, his eyes still locked onto the golden pillar of light.

Vera's body began to undergo a change beneath the golden light.

A faint, golden network of veins appeared beneath her pale skin, as if light were flowing through her blood vessels.

Immediately after, a layer of dark, foul-smelling black substance seeped from her pores, expelled under the illumination of the Holy Light.

The moment the black substance touched the air, it began to evaporate, turning into wisps of dark smoke that dissolved into the golden radiance.

The muscles in Vera's face began to twitch.

Her brow furrowed, and her lips parted slightly, letting out a soft groan.

More and more black smoke rose from her body, and her expression seemed increasingly pained, as if trapped in an inescapable nightmare.

Watching her expression shift, Rosie's heart sank.

She wanted to cancel Holy Light, but once the beam of light was summoned, there was no way to forcibly recall it before it dissipated on its own.

She could only watch as black smoke continuously billowed from Vera.

Just as Rosie almost thought she had ruined everything, Vera's expression suddenly relaxed.

Her brow uncreased, the lines of her lips softened, and her whole body fell into a completely relaxed, serene state.

The black smoke exuding from her body grew thinner and thinner, finally vanishing completely.

The golden light began to dim before dissipating entirely.

Vera's eyelids twitched.

Then, they slowly opened.

Her gaze first drifted over the rocks at the top of the cave before slowly focusing and turning toward Rosie, who was crouching beside her.

She blinked, her lips moving as she spoke in a raspy voice, “I... feel so much lighter. Rosie, did you do this?”

Rosie nodded. “I tried using Holy Light to heal you. How do you feel?”

Vera tried moving her body.

“I feel much better. Some of my drained vitality has recovered. Thank you, Rosie.”

Rosie waved her hand. “It's nothing. Too bad I couldn't heal your arm.”

Vera followed her gaze down to her severed arm, her tone calm:

“Limb regeneration is a top-tier divine magic that only the High Priests of the Temple of Light can cast.”

Her stomach suddenly let out a series of clear rumbles.

Vera's expression froze for a moment.

Rosie chuckled. “Looks like we're all hungry.”

“But we don't have any food right now.”

Vera scanned the cave, finding nothing besides the three of them.

“It's a pity my crossbow broke during the battle, or else I could hunt,” she said regretfully.

Rosie turned her gaze to the frowning green-skinned beastkin.

“Balu, do you know where to find food?”

Hearing her voice, Balu blinked slowly before shaking his head. “I'm a beastkin, not a wild savage. I don't know where to find food.”

Rosie looked at him, then let out a sigh.

“Come here, let me heal you first.”

Balu hesitated.

Then he shook his head, his tone carrying an unprecedented firmness. “I'm fine. I don't need to be shined on by that light.”

Rosie didn't bother arguing with him. Raising her right hand, she recited the incantation directly.

“Holy Light!”

Golden radiance lit up the cave once more, enveloping Balu's entire body.

“Argh... I'm gonna die!”

Balu's voice boomed inside the cave. He froze in place, eyes squeezed shut, fangs clamped together as his teeth grated loudly against each other.

He braced for the burning pain to hit.

Then he waited a moment.

Not only did it not hurt, but the golden light felt warm and cozy as it washed over him, soothing the swelling and dull ache in his rear.

He opened his eyes, looked down at his body, and reached back to touch his rear.

“Huh? It doesn't hurt anymore. I'm really cured?”

Rosie ignored his pleasantly surprised expression.

She felt for the dagger in the leather sheath at her waist.

Back when leaving the Stratholme military camp, Vera had used her privileges to replenish some crossbow bolts, and Rosie had picked up a few daggers while she was at it.

Since yesterday's battles involved gargoyles, werewolves, or vampires, daggers weren't very effective, so Rosie hadn't used them except when she ambushed Hawk.

Out of the three of them, she was the only one who still had a usable weapon.

“Balu, stay and guard this place. I'll head out and see if I can find anything to eat.”

The moment Balu heard the word “food,” his eyes instantly lit up.

“Alright! I'll guard it! No one gets past me!”

Rosie smiled slightly and crawled out through the cave entrance.

The air outside was crisp and chilly.

The sky had cleared up, cracks appearing in the cloud cover to reveal the pale blue firmament behind.

Sunlight beat down on the snow, reflecting a blinding glare of white.

She narrowed her eyes, waiting for her pupils to adjust to the brightness before surveying her surroundings.

A vast expanse of white snowfields stretched all the way to the distant horizon.

The footsteps they had left behind last night were completely buried under the snow, leaving the ground as smooth as a giant white canvas without a single trace.

This was a good thing.

If the Countess wanted to track them, she would have to put in a considerable amount of effort to find the right direction across this snow-covered wilderness.

But precisely because of the heavy snow, food was also hard to come by.

Animals in weather like this would choose to hide in their burrows rather than run around in the snow.

“Where do you find food in the dead of winter? Need answers ASAP, waiting online...” Rosie couldn't help but complain.

Then, a blur of white flashed past.

Her hand reacted faster than her brain.

Drawing the dagger at her waist, she flicked her wrist, sending the blade darting through the morning light in a brief, chilly flash.

The dagger pinned the shape precisely to the ground.

A plump, white-furred rabbit kicked its hind legs a few times, digging small divots in the snow, before twitching twice and going still.

“Not bad luck...”

Rosie walked over, bent down, and picked up the fat snow rabbit.