April 27th, 8760 of the Faustian 4th generation calendar.
Darius woke up three days later, after he had been dragged back to the Baratuo outpost by Gunner. The first thing he noticed was that he was currently within a tent that smelled of disinfectant, and he was bandaged up quite lightly as he lay on a soft white bed.
Even more interesting was the fact that this was a VIP medication tent meant for army officers, so that they could receive exclusive and quick treatment without having to share the facilities with other wounded or ill.
Apart from Gunner who lay on another bed nearby, the tent was currently empty. If there were supposed to be nurses or doctors, they had clearly administered whatever healing the duo had needed and left.
Darius checked his body and found that he felt quite normal overall. To be sure, he called up his character sheet as well as Gunner's.
[Name: Darius Stone
Race: Human
Class: Itemancer
Subclass: Magus
HP: 440/440
MP: 1,050/1,050
Level: 21
Experience: 0/2100
Strength: 20
Agility: 30
Endurance: 22
Intellect: 50
Charisma: 15
Luck: 50
Physical Status: Healthy
Mental Status: Curious
AP: 0
SP: 0
Skills: Analyze - Lv.6, Combine - Lv.1, Skinning - Lv.1, Butchery - Lv.1, Cooking - Lv.1, Washing - Lv.1, Basic Lancer Arts - Lv.4
Spells: Sparks - Lv.20, Ember - Lv.4, Blink - Lv.10, Heal - Lv.16, Spawn - Lv.20, Purify - Lv.1, Adjust - Lv.5, Pulse - Lv.1]
[Name: Gunner
Race: Half-Human, Half-Giant (Royal Blood)
Class: Vanguard
Subclass: Anti-mage
HP: 600/600
MP: 735/735
Level: 21
Exp: 0/2100
Strength: 25
Agility: 25
Endurance: 24
Intellect: 35
Charisma: 16
Luck: 20
Physical Status: Healthy
Mental Status: Turbulent.
Affection: Friendly lvl max
AP: 0
SP: 0
Skills: Engage - Lv.4, Energy Ward - Lv.1, Earth's Guardian - Lv.20, Earthen Stomp - Lv. 1, Berserker's Rage - Lv.1, Earthen Punch - Lv.4, Basic Martial Arts - Lv.1, Mageward Barrier - Lv.15
Spells: None.]
While Darius was glad to see that the Quest had been counted as completed since he and Gunner had silently climbed up to the Journeyman stage, he was more worried about his Branded Servant's state.
He himself felt fine and the system seemed to agree, but Gunner's mind was currently in a 'turbulent' state. Darius guessed it had to do with the mental damage the half-giant lad must have sustained while bringing them here.
As for himself, he had Mind Power, so he could easily recover from such things. Gunner though, did not have that quaint luxury as of yet.
Darius rose from his bed slowly and removed the now redundant bandages on his body. He walked over to Gunner's side and saw that the large lad indeed looked to be suffering as his face was locked in a perpetual grimace, even while asleep.
Darius sighed deeply. Had it not been for Gunner's valiant self-sacrifice and fortitude, he would have likely fallen in those bloody plains. As such, he felt uncomfortable seeing the fellow suffer like this.
Luckily, he should have a solution for this!
Darius extended his Mind Power tendrils around the tent and made sure there was no one hiding anywhere nearby. After doing his due diligence, he took out the Bowl of Nuwa.
The sparkling Pure Water he had put inside had now changed to a darker liquid that looked like a lake reflecting moonlight. Darius' face changed after he smelled the aroma of the liquid, for it filled his body with endless vigor and power.
Even Gunner's grimace lessened in intensity after smelling it. Darius curiously Analyzed the liquid to see its exact effects.
[Lunar Dew - Liquid
Durability: MAX
Description: The legendary dew of the heavens, Lunar Dew is the most powerful elixir know to man. It has the ability to revive the dead, cure all ailments, and grant eternal youth to all who drink it. When reviving the dead, it can only do so for those who died within 1 year of drinking this nectar.]
Darius was honestly amazed. This was an elixir greater than all others in Faust, and its effects were simply amazing. If Darius tried to sell this, and assuming he had the requisite power to prevent others from simply killing him then taking it, he would quickly become the richest man in the world.
However, since he didn't have such power, he would have to simply make do with hiding it like his Transmutation ability.
Ah, speaking of that, it should have upgraded by now, right? While Darius was curious and excited to see how Transmutation might have changed, he wanted to resolve Gunner's issue promptly.
As such, he helped the large lad down the Lunar Dew gently, making sure he swallowed it all. Whatever the case, it only took Darius 24 hours to produce a new batch of the dew, so he didn't mind witnessing its direct effects on Gunner.
The moment the Branded Servant ingested the liquid, his body glowed in a wondrous light for a second before subsiding. Right after, the fellow opened his eyes and gazed around uncertainly before rising to his feet.
When he saw Darius smiling beside his bed, and saw the Bowl of Nuwa, the fellow understood. With a deep sigh, he greeted his master with a smile and jumped off the bed.
Immediately, the fellow's stomach grumbled, making the duo laugh. They were still wearing their polymer suits, which the various healers had been unable to remove for they had never seen such materials in their lives.
"Well, we should quickly return to Andrato and withdraw our assets before making our next move. The kingdom won't be very stable for much longer…" Darius stated seriously.
Gunner nodded. "What is our next move?"
Darius rubbed his chin. "After sorting out Andrato, we need to secure the Resurrection Stone somewhere safe and create an environment to cultivate it. I already have everything planned out in that regard."
"As for what we'll do after that, I'm not too sure at the moment. However, I do have some ideas, so let's just wait and see."
Gunner acknowledged Darius' words as the duo exited the tent. They then saw the camp which was bustling, but the air was a bit heavy and stale with despair.
Before the duo could go anywhere, a guard who had been standing outside the tent turned around and addressed them sternly. "Overseer Garm told me to inform you upon your awaking that you are to see him immediately!"
