Ch-54 The Illusion of Blue World

In the public infirmary of Nether Ashes, the healer scrutinized Jasper's severe wounds carefully, taking her time to assess them. Eventually, she declared, "The treatment will cost you 10 nether roots."

As the patient remained unconscious, the question couldn't be directed to him. Instead, the worried woman who had been frantic earlier promptly handed over the money. The healer, for the first time, looked at the woman and recognized her as the same visitor from a few days before. It did seem unusual for one person to be in such a dire condition in just a span of 2 to 3 days, but she chose not to pry further. It wasn't her business, and besides, this worked in her favour. The more extensive the healing required, the more money she could earn.

Yellow light began radiating from her hands and was absorbed by Jasper's injuries, causing him to grimace in pain, even though he remained unconscious. Rhea rose with concern, saying, "I think you should stop; he's in pain."

The healer spared her a brief glance before returning to her work. "Do you want me to continue with the healing, or should I stop?"

"Uh, no, no, I didn't mean it that way. I just don't want him to be in pain."

The healer paused for a moment before she said, "It would be better for you to wait outside during the entire procedure."

"But..."

"Please follow my instructions. I don't want any more distractions during the healing; it might lead to a fatal mistake."

"Oh... Okay."

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The healer emerged from the infirmary room to find Rhea sleeping in one of the visitor's chairs.

She had considered not waking Rhea, but it seemed as if the girl sensed her presence and woke up, her eyes heavy with drowsiness. She stood up immediately upon seeing the healer, her drowsiness vanishing.

"The boy has been completely healed, but it will take some time for him to wake up," the healer informed.

Rhea was instantly relieved to hear the good news and asked, "How long will it take for him to wake up?"

"Hmm, I'd estimate about 3 to 4 days."

"That long?!"

"Well, I'm not certain about what the boy went through, but it was very taxing on his body. I'm being optimistic about his waking up time. For now, he'll remain in the infirmary room until he's ready to be discharged. Young lady, it would be best if someone stays by his side at all times, as I can't predict when he'll wake up. It's preferable for a familiar face to be with him. After being unconscious for nearly a week, a patient can feel disoriented, and in that moment, only a familiar face can comfort them."

Rhea nodded sincerely. She wanted to ensure that Jasper felt no discomfort and immediately decided to stay by his side for as long as it took for him to wake up. In many ways, his current condition was due to her. Her decision to bring him to Nether Ashes had led to his severe injuries. She settled into a neighbouring infirmary bed next to Jasper and began looking after him.

A day passed, which was how long it took for Jasper to regain consciousness. Time had completely defied the healer's prediction, and Rhea was taken aback when she entered the infirmary room to find Jasper awake, his eyes fixed on her. Reacting quickly, she began talking to him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

Jasper's jaw was sore, so he couldn't show his expression. "Of course, I'm in pain, dummy. I was beaten like a rag and inflicted with numerous cuts and serious injuries."

"Oh, then why did you wake up so early? According to the healer, she estimated it would take you at least 3-4 days to wake up."

"Let's just say my body has become accustomed to the state of extreme exhaustion and recovered at a surprisingly fast pace. That's why I could wake up in just a day despite all the injuries."

"Something like this actually exists. The world is truly filled with wonders."

"Well, technically, it's a mechanism I've trained into my body. But anyway, tell me, who is 'Suppressor'?"

"How do you know that term?"

"Uh, the odd pair of Connecter and Contractor mentioned it when we met."

"Tell me all the details of that conversation; it's essential for me to know."

"Okay."

After 30 minutes,

"They offered to help with the formation of a contract. That surprises me. I've known those lovebirds since childhood, and all they want is to be together, not caring about anyone other than themselves."

"Hey, it's rude to speak ill of someone."

"I never spoke ill of them; it's just the way they live, and there's nothing wrong with it. Why would you think like that?"

"Uh, well... never mind." Jasper had wanted to scold Rhea for calling someone else selfish and uncaring, but he recalled the true nature of humanity. He had experienced enough cruelty in his life to know that most people cared only about themselves and their family. Global events like destruction, disasters, or the death of people unrelated to them hardly mattered.

However, in the Blue World, the right way to live was to care for everyone. It was an ideal upheld by people who wanted the world to always be in harmony. They preached it widely and believed in it. But deep down, they understood that when the time came, they could only rely on those who truly mattered. Why should they care about what happened in another part of the world?

Jasper came to this conclusion and was unable to continue the conversation. He had no interest in discussing it further and hoped that Rhea would drop the topic. Luckily, she did just that.

"Do you want to form a contract with Lynx?"

"Yeah, of course. The stronger I become, the better. Otherwise, I'll be devoured by this terrifying world, where humans possess the power of monstrous beings."

Jasper's perception of the Arcane World had become distorted after encountering Jennifer, Arnard, the Masked Person, and Julian. He believed he was so weak that he wouldn't survive even a day in the Arcane World with his current strength. Before entering Beast Land, he had travelled with Jennifer, encountering technologically advanced Vesatlis and other small villages. However, his destination was the Dragon Rainbow Academy, a prestigious institution known for training future heroes of the Arcane World. He was certain that he wouldn't last there with his current feeble strength.