I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 67

With the exception of a few remaining wounded, everyone else stared, transfixed, as if witnessing something unbelievable.

And the source of their astonishment wasn’t hard to find.

In the center stood a man, bathed in an unidentifiable light, eyes closed in deep concentration.

“Who is that?”

“You have to see it to believe it. That’s him.”

The king finally understood.

This was the source of the medical officer’s hopeful expression.

The light around the man faded, and he suddenly collapsed. Even from a distance, it was clear he was in immense pain.

‘What on earth…’

But it didn’t end there.

The moans of the remaining wounded, which had been constant until now, ceased as if they had never occurred.

“Who is that man?”

“I think he’s a messenger.”

“A messenger?”

“A messenger of God…?”

Normally, he would have dismissed such talk as nonsense, but the sight he had just witnessed made it impossible to ignore.

“Is he, by any chance, healing our soldiers?”

“That’s right. However… it seems he feels the pain they feel when healing them.”

“…What? How is that possible?”

If the medical officer’s words were true, it meant the man was experiencing the pain of every soldier he healed.

Not just one or a few, but hundreds of people’s pain.

“…He’s not just a messenger of God.”

“Yes?”

“He must be undertaking [a form of extreme self-discipline or mortification of the flesh].”

“…Ah!”

The medical officer’s face lit up with understanding at the king’s words.

A messenger of God who had descended to Earth to practice asceticism.

It was the only explanation that made sense.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

He was caught up in the joy of welcoming new hope, momentarily forgetting the dire situation, when an urgent voice calling for the king echoed from outside.

“What’s going on?”

“…The monsters have reached the castle walls.”

“…”

But even if he healed the wounded, what difference would it make?

In this situation, he wondered if he was clinging to false hope.

Clearly, the ability to heal the injured, and to heal so many at once, was an extraordinary gift.

But what if there was no one left to fight?

It was a grim thought, but if that happened, the outcome was inevitable.

“How long until the monsters reach the front of the castle?”

“I estimate about 30 minutes.”

However, he was the king.

He couldn’t afford to give up, not now.

The king strode towards the man in the center, his expression resolute.

The only person who offered a glimmer of hope in this seemingly hopeless situation.

“…?”

Seonghyun, still unable to move due to the lingering pain, looked up at the approaching man.

From his attire to his aura and demeanor, he was clearly different from the others, and radiated authority.

“Messenger. The monster assault is imminent.”

“Who…are you?”

“I am Pallean Arreo, the ruler of this land, now a kingdom, the Pallean Empire.”

“Ah…”

At the word “king,” Seonghyun instinctively tried to show respect.

But Arreo waved it off.

“There’s no need for formalities. Since ancient times, messengers of God have held equal standing with kings, even emperors. Speak freely.”

“What’s the current situation?”

Seonghyun had no intention of being informal, and Arreo didn’t press the issue, answering his question directly.

“In about 20 minutes, the monsters will be at the castle gates.”

“How many are there?”

“At least…2,000.”

The number of soldiers remaining was only 1,000.

In fact, without Seonghyun’s intervention, that number would have been closer to 100.

“I also heard there were commanders among them. What’s their condition?”

“They are…in a bad way.”

Arreo’s expression darkened.

Their condition was far worse than that of the ordinary soldiers.

“They’ve been poisoned by an unknown toxin…and are unconscious.”

“Let’s go. Take me to them.”

“Are you sure you’re alright? I heard you feel the pain of others…”

“It’s bearable.”

It was a simple statement, but Arreo sensed that Seonghyun, too, saw a chance for hope in this desperate situation.

“I’ll guide you.”

The medical officer volunteered to lead the way.

As he was about to leave the room with Arreo, he noticed the intense gazes of the soldiers.

“…”

They remained silent.

There was no oath of allegiance, as would normally be expected.

Even though their wounds and vitality had been restored, their spirits were still broken. Yet, all the soldiers who had been healed knelt on one knee, paying their respects.

“The soldiers recognize what you are.”

They were people he would likely never see again.

It was just a door he had entered for a quest and the reward of his ability, but it felt as if he had become a part of their world.

“Now…you must go. Time is short.”

The soldiers maintained their posture until Seonghyun and Arreo left the room.

The location where the commanders were being treated wasn’t far.

“You must avoid touching any area contaminated by the poison. We’ve confirmed it’s contagious.”

“Understood.”

When he entered the room, he saw several unconscious figures being tended to by individual medical personnel.

“Pallean’s…”

“That’s enough. What’s their condition?”

“We’re managing to prevent the poison from spreading further, but that’s all.”

The medical officers’ expressions were grim.

No matter how many ordinary soldiers they had, they were useless without leadership.

“As you can see, the situation is dire.”

“May I examine them?”

The other medical officers eyed Seonghyun with suspicion and apprehension, but since he was accompanied by the king, they couldn’t voice their objections directly.

“There’s no need to be wary.”

Seonghyun approached one of the unconscious men and began to assess his condition.

‘Huh?’

He had expected a severe case, but the poison he detected was surprisingly crude, almost laughable compared to what he had faced when treating Jinseok’s parents.

“I believe I can neutralize this level of poison.”

The medical officers began to murmur in disbelief at his words.

They had been searching for an antidote for over two weeks without finding a single clue.

Now, suddenly, a stranger appeared and claimed he could detoxify it.

“Everyone, put aside your doubts and skepticism. He is a messenger of God.”

“A messenger of God…?”

“All the wounded soldiers have been blessed by the messenger of God, so have faith.”

Despite the king’s assurances, it was difficult to believe.

Until Seonghyun began to purify the poison.

“It’s done.”

With a brief application of purification, the poison was completely neutralized.

‘It’s dozens of times more potent than with ordinary soldiers.’

Seonghyun quickly purified the poison from all the commanders and then used healing.

“…?”

Perhaps because their bodies were already well-trained, everyone regained consciousness as soon as he used healing.

“What…happened…?”

“There’s no time to explain. Everyone is waiting.”

“Your, Your Majesty…!”

“The monsters have reached the castle walls. Are you going to remain idle?”

“…Your Majesty, but there are no soldiers left to fight.”

“There are now.”

Arreo turned his back, ending the conversation.

All eyes were fixed on Arreo as he slowly opened the door.

“For Pallean!”

Outside the door, hundreds – no, the 1,000 soldiers the commanders remembered were kneeling on one knee, waiting.

“Those, those are definitely…!”

“How is this possible…?”

Their last memory was one of utter defeat.

The last battle, in which only 1,000 of the 3,000 soldiers returned, and even those were wounded.

They had faced 3,000 monsters, the same number, but each monster was incredibly powerful. It was a miracle they had managed to defeat them.

They thought they had burned their last flame, but now all those soldiers had returned, unharmed.

As if the battle had never happened.

“There are only 15 minutes before the monsters reach the castle gates. Rise. The time for revenge has come.”

“…Yes! Your Majesty!”

At Arreo’s command, the commanders began to don the equipment they had removed.

The front of the castle gate.

The guards on duty began to shout as they saw the horizon, where the sun was setting, fill with monstrous shapes.

“Monsters! Monsters are approaching!”

The number of monsters visible at a glance seemed to be more than twice the number of soldiers remaining in the castle.

“…They’re here. Prepare for battle.”

Everyone sensed it.

This battle would determine victory or defeat.

It would be their last stand.

Seonghyun, who had been preparing something in advance, joined them later than Arreo.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes, all set.”

Seonghyun had distributed all the potions he had made to the commanders and used the remaining potions to prepare himself.

“If it weren’t for you…I wouldn’t have seen this sight.”

“But you are seeing it, aren’t you?”

“Haha, that’s right. It hasn’t even been a day since I met you, but if this battle ends in victory, I will grant you the title of Founding Contributor.”

“Haha, thank you.”

After speaking, Arreo stared at the monsters rushing towards them like a tidal wave.

Clearly, the number of soldiers was far too small to fight them, but with Seonghyun’s presence, the resurrected commanders, and even the king of the Pallean Kingdom joining the battle, their morale was higher than ever.

For a few minutes, no one spoke.

Before they knew it, the monsters were right in front of the castle.

In other times, they would have shot arrows, but now they had none left.

Arreo, realizing that the battle was about to begin, looked down at the soldiers looking up at him from behind and said.

“You are the proud guardians of Pallean.”

The title of guardian, bestowed directly by the king.

The weight of it was greater and heavier than anything else.

“Today’s battle will end in our victory, and posterity will record and remember you as the guardians who protected Pallean.”

“Waaaaa!!”

The sunset sky was filled with the morale-filled shouts of the soldiers.

However, as if mocking their shouts, a much louder roar drowned them out.

“Kuaaa!”

It was the roar of the monsters.

It echoed with fierce intensity, as if mocking their feeble morale.

In the past, it might have caused them to flinch, but not now.

No one flinched at the roar of the monsters.

Instead, they roared even louder, showing their unwavering resolve.

“I will not order you to go into battle today.”

“…”

Everyone looked at Arreo with slightly puzzled expressions, wondering what he meant.

“I will say, let’s go!”

At the king’s words that he would personally lead them into battle, their morale soared as if victory was already assured.