The Healer's Guild

With a single-minded determination and resolve Mark continued to treat many of the patients who came to the Church of Time and Healing. Todd was continually impressed by Mark's almost effortless curing of some of bacterial or fungal infections that were brought to the church's doorstep. The majority of patients were happy as well when they were told that their disease or sickness was not "incurable" as they had been advised before and could be cured by this new doctor for the price of a silver or less depending on the severity.

At the end of the day both Todd and Percy shared a happy smile at the many thankful patients who were able to be easily treated by Mark. Todd was especially impressed by Mark's diagnosing abilities.

Many diseases and sicknesses were able to be quickly identified and even some hidden ailments and problems as well, much to Todd and the other doctor's astonishment. Mark on the other hand, was happy for a different reason. That reason? The increase in experience the treatments and diagnosing gave to Mark's skills in the VR world.

What was previously (15/1000) for his Radiation Control and his All Seeing Vision after his many nights of work became (30/1000) when Mark examined his status.

This led to Mark's conjecture of 'treating patients with my skills or using them on actual people seems to increase the experience gain faster.'

As the day slowly drew to a close Mark finished helping the his few remaining patients as church's medical side was slowly closed for the night. Percy then smiled and led Mark back to a guest room on the upper level of the church which was for critically ill patients or doctors without a place to stay. Mark continued his nightly routine of training his powers as he then slowly drifted off to sleep thinking of all the happy patients and experience gains that were awaiting him tomorrow.

The next day Mark arrived again at the Church of Time and Healing, bright and early much like how he arrived at the hospital in reality. Todd was waiting for him at the entrance with a grin and a cup of black liquid. Todd introduced this world version of coffee, which strangely had to go through a fermentation process, as he explained a problem with Mark continuing to work at the church.

"Its simple really. As good as you are at diagnosing and curing ailments and sickness you cannot continue to work as a doctor without the proper certifications. Or else the city will take action."

Mark's eyebrows rose in question as Todd explained what they would have to do today.

"We will have to visit the Healer's Guild in order to change your occupation to "Doctor" and set your doctor rank as apprentice for now. "

Mark was suspicious of this at first, and asked Todd why they had to go to the Healer's Guild, and they could not change his occupation or doctor rank at the church. Todd's smiling face gradually frowned, and he let out a sigh, making him seem like a much older man.

"We don't have the necessary equipment. Only the Duke, Healer's Guild and the Adventurer's Guild have the equipment to change someone's status card and occupation."

Mark then follows Todd as they leave the church while sipping on the bitter and oddly fruity beverage. After traveling for over an hour through Stone City, Mark and Todd arrive at the Healer's Guild.

The opulent marble columns were contrasted with what seemed to be real gold trim and blood red draping making the guild building seem more like a palace then a rich person's hospital to Mark. The overwhelming grandeur of the guild building was starkly contrasted by the people who seemed to be kneeling outside the building, many of whom seemed to infirm, near death, or with a strange medley of conditions. With the injuries consisting of missing limbs, deformities and mutations, large grotesque tumors and even a case that looked to be similar to leprosy. As Mark and Todd gradually approached the building's front doors Todd sighed while looking at the poor souls.

"They have some of the worse injuries that even we have no answer too, some are just here on the chance a Master or Grandmaster will take pity on them and save them." Todd explains.

Mark grimaces as the poor souls are waiting outside while rich merchants and minor nobility seem to arrive in a normal fashion in carriage after carriage dressed in robes or tunics with noble crests displayed prominently.

No one other than Mark and Todd seemed to even see the poor waiting outside the building much like people in the city taking the cobblestones they walked on for granted. All in all, the circumstances left a foul taste in Mark's mouth and his impression of the Healer's Guild seemed to drop even further than it had after meeting the red robed doctor previously.

As the two men entered the building, the layout of the first room was strangely familiar to Mark. A large opulent reception desk sat in the center of the room shrouded in blood red tablecloths of differing bright burgundy hues and a gold trim on every surface including the chairs. A smaller gold trimmed door was placed to the left as a larger and marginally plainer door stood to the right of the reception desk. Mark's eye widened as he finally recognized why the layout has seemed familiar. Except for the receptionist themselves and the red drapery, it was almost a carbon copy of the Hospital Geneva's layout.

A young man seemed to look down on Mark and Todd over gold rimmed spectacles as he casually smoothed out his receding hair line and slicked back hair. In a nasally voice, he snorted and said, "Do you have an appointment?".