Miraculous Healing

The abandoned base, now transformed into a sanctuary, bore witness to Dan's thorough completion of one task after another. He surely mapped the once-had-been desolate place and made sure to take notes. He also checked up on the gates and made sure not a single bandit remained.

Anyone who was daring enough either got a bullet to their head or got smashed by his Exo Arm. 

With the immediate threats dwindling, it was time to embark on the initial mission of unlocking more system functions.

Dan acknowledged the safety surrounding the shelter but cautiously remarked on the auspicious beginning they'd had. Despite the progress, a lingering, unresolved issue persisted—the persistent challenges of securing a sustainable food supply and ensuring overall safety. The fishery they had was one avenue, but it was not a guaranteed source.

What if something happened to their fishery?! That would be catastrophic. They had to always have a plan B, a second recourse, and an escape plan.

Again, Dan had been too lucky. He should be thankful about it, but as an active pessimist especially in this difficult world, it was the correct attitude to take.

"I cannot be lucky forever..." Some day, one way or another, Dan would be screwed, and when that happened, he would better be prepared.

And speaking of preparing, Nia could be an opportunity for him.

Integrating Nia into the group also meant increasing their resource consumption, which in turn also bolstered their security measures. It was a fair trade-off.

Nia was once the saintess guard of her tribe, she recounted the stringent requirements of her role—abstaining from consuming human flesh, maintaining holiness, and simultaneously possessing formidable combat skills... which was frankly weird.

That seemed pretty 'advanced' just for the level of qualifications. Dan could see a sign of 'civilization' to it despite the primitiveness that it took. It seemed that the Savages of the wasteland had quite a better source of spiritualism than most wastelanders.

Though barbaric, it appeared to Dan that the Savage kind had it better than most bandits. There was just something so inviting at seeing 'order', and hearing it from Nia had roused his interest.

As the sanctuary's community expanded with the addition of Nia, so did the complexity of their concerns. Dan recognized the importance of addressing ongoing food and safety challenges, all while navigating the intricacies of accommodating a savage like Nia within their midst.

Since Nia was a woman, Dan thought of problems regarding the 'bleeding' unique to women, and then there was Anna. Though she was just a runt now, she would grow someday and hit puberty. That would be rather problematic.

"Did I just dig a rabbit hole?" Dan momentarily forgot about these womanly problems and focussed on interviewing Nia finding keen interest in how a savage of the wastelands would think. He enjoyed talking with Nia and entertaining Anna's antics once in a while, and of course, working.

The reason Nia was able to survive this quite long despite the harsh environment was because of her combat ability in part with her history being a saintess guard of her tribe.

This is the reason Nia managed to survive—her exceptional strength. In a remarkable display, she single-handedly dispatched three bandits.

Dan recalled yesterday and was sincerely thankful to Nia. 

Given Nia's inability to wield a firearm, Dan improvised by crafting bows and arrows from materials found around the base, ensuring she had the tools to defend herself. Despite the constraints on her mobility, Nia adeptly utilized the bows and arrows provided by Dan.

Dan was no craftsman but through trial and error, he managed. Adding Nia's input on how she used bows, it was fairly easy from there once Dan had a basis for what he was working with.

He recalled the different school projects he had to suffer through during high school. Many well-educated people tend to look down on 'just' high school level of education, but it was honestly quite an informative curriculum.

Lots of fiction he had written in his time, the stock knowledge he drew from mostly came from his high school level knowledge.

To enhance the shelter's security, Dan meticulously fashioned numerous arrowheads, teaching Nia to position herself in strategic crenels to surveil the surroundings and neutralize any potential threats.

Having Nia guard the base, helped Dan a lot so that he would have an ease of mind when he needed to venture out in the wastelands.

In the absence of imminent danger, Dan embarked on bold mountain expeditions, discovering abundant food resources. Seven days swiftly passed, culminating in Dan receiving his fourth blind box reward.

[The new blind box is issued; please check it carefully.]

[Open a new blind box?]

Without hesitation, Dan replied, "Open."

[Congratulations on obtaining a novice medicine package, comprising 10 bottles of primary healing medicine, 10 bottles of primary radiation resistance medicine, 10 capsules of primary antibiotics, 10 capsules of primary antiviral medicines, 20 doses of primary painkillers, 3 boxes of cold medicine, and 3 sticks of adrenaline.]

Stunned, Dan pondered why he received a novice medicine gift pack at this juncture. Shouldn't this have been provided earlier? The perplexity lingered, but the contents before him were undeniable—a medical bag brimming with essential medicines.

"Nia? Where are you? Please, kindly come here." Dan called to Nia who just comes from her patrol from the lookout posts.

In the face of rare and invaluable medical supplies, Dan took out a primary healing potion and administered it to Nia, who was unfamiliar with its use.

Anna came too, finding Dan's calling to Nia to be curious. "Dad? What's up?"

Observing anxiously, Anna remained clueless about the unfolding scene.

Post-application, Nia, though still feeling the pain, experienced newfound mobility, liberated from the fear that previously hindered her movement. It was... miraculous.

Nia rose to her feet and tested her returning strength from her legs. "This! Is this the holy medicine?!" She exclaimed, gazing at Dan in genuine astonishment before dropping to her knees in an almost reverent gesture as if encountering a deity. "Oh, god... you..."

Quickly pulling her up, Dan clarified, "I'm not a god. This is a... uuummm... healing potion—very precious. I've used it to heal your injury. We can venture out and gather together."

"I can hunt... I can hunt," Nia struggled to articulate, having only grasped fragments of a vague prophecy from the saintess and the high priest. It had become a distant memory for her at this point already.

Nevertheless, her ability to express herself was an improvement.

To Dan, however, it was burdensome.

With a nod and a smile, Dan tried to steer the topic from Nia's misplaced reverence, "Alright, we'll go hunting once you're fully healed. It'll improve our lives."

Anna's eyes sparkled with excitement. She asked eagerly, "Will there be meat to eat then?"

"Yes, there'll be meat. Okay?" Dan replied, caressing the little girl's face.

Turning to Nia, he suggested, "Rest for three days. Let's see how your body recovers. If possible, I'll scout the nearby area for supplies. Specifically, I'll look for a better-fitting dress for Anna. She needs something tougher than frills and more decent than the mock-up... er.. military dress she is wearing."

"I also think your wound is healed. Take a bath tonight!"

Nia blushed for some reason, nodding and murmuring softly. "Y-yes..."

As Dan went on a quest to find a dress for Nia, he noted she was still clad in animal skins, emitting an odor from a seemingly perpetual lack of bathing.

After Nia finished washing, Dan knocked on the bathroom door and whispered, "I've prepared your clothes. Check if they fit. It'll be more convenient to wear these in the future."

Nia, though not vocalizing a response, seemed to acknowledge it.

In a hasty exit, Dan reflected on the awkwardness of the situation. Even in a post-apocalyptic world, certain norms persisted.

Shortly after, Nia emerged from the bathroom wearing the clothes Dan had prepared for her, a comfortable set of jeans and a white t-shirt. It couldn't be denied that, despite her savage origins, she possessed an impressive figure. The long-term physical exertion had sculpted her muscles and body lines, resulting in a well-proportioned and beautiful physique. 

There was no longer any warpaint in her face, her hair was actually a deep shade of red, not the familiar brown hair Dan thought he saw. Rarely did Dan see her without her warpaint.

"You look pretty," Dan unconsciously muttered, and Nia heard it.

She was shy, as she scratched her ears.

Dan realized his blunder, and instead of being shy, he owed to it. "Yes, you heard that right. You looked pretty." Yes, this was how people should look like.

For Dan, this meant something great, this was another step toward civilization.