Chapter 27: The Diagnosis

"Tissue necrosis can be caused by a wide variety of things," Ghaz said, pacing the room. "Since Gorrock was poisoned through his weed stash, we can assume the source is either plant-based or fungal."

Nila listened intently, her small hands gripping the edge of the table.

Ghaz stopped pacing and turned toward her. "Now, what are the symptoms?"

Nila hesitated. "R-rotting gums?"

"Good," Ghaz nodded. "But remember, he's also a heavy smoker and drinker. Given that, what else can we assume?"

Nila thought for a moment. "Hallucinations?"

"Exactly." Ghaz folded his arms. "That means we're dealing with something that causes both necrosis and hallucinations. Since the rot developed slowly, the poison must be slow-acting, which means…"

"It's a fungus," Nila finished.

Ghaz gave her an approving nod. "That's right. Most fast-acting poisons would have killed him already. Fungal toxins, however, can linger—especially when mixed with other substances."

He rubbed his chin, recalling Zaer's words. The rot didn't spread immediately… but it got worse over time.

A poison alone wouldn't explain that. But if it was combined with a mildly corrosive substance…

He narrowed his eyes. That's it.

Jimsonweed on its own would act too quickly. But if it was mixed with Ironweed, a strain of marijuana grown in Ferrous Mana, the reaction could accelerate necrosis while delaying the hallucinogenic effects.

No human healer would know about the Greenfire Tribe's cultivation methods, and Gorrock had likely just told them "I was poisoned," without explaining further.

Ghaz picked up the petri dish. "We diagnose it first."

Nila tilted her head. "How?"

"By burning a small sample."

Her eyes widened. "Burning it?"

"If it gives off a faintly sweet smell, then it's Jimsonweed."

He extended his right hand and whispered, "Fireball."

Mana pulsed through his veins, forming a small flame in his palm. The flickering light danced across the clinic walls.

Using tweezers, he held a piece of necrotic flesh over the flame.

A faintly sweet scent filled the air.

Ghaz smirked. Confirmed.

He was still the top surgeon, Dr. Adrian Voss. Even in this primitive world, science would always prevail.

A voice hummed in the back of his mind.

[Stop showing off your magic to your student.]

Ghaz sighed. "What?" he muttered.

[She's normal. She can't use magic.]

"I know," he replied mentally. "I'll teach her the earth-based method, too."

With a flick of his fingers, he extinguished the fireball.

Nila's gaze lingered where the flame had been. "So… what's the treatment?"

Ghaz exhaled and sat down. "First, we use maggots to eat the dead flesh."

Nila immediately recoiled. "Maggots? Like… the worm things that grow on corpses?"

Ghaz chuckled. "Yes. But they only eat dead tissue, not healthy flesh. We use them to treat necrosis, infected wounds, and ulcers."

She still looked uneasy. "And they won't… stay inside?"

"They will," Ghaz admitted, "which is why we have to clean the wound properly after removing them. If they excrete inside the wound, it could lead to a whole new problem."

Nila nodded, though her face was still scrunched in disgust.

Ghaz leaned back, staring at the necrotic sample.

The real problem wasn't just the infection—it was Gorrock's teeth.

Without gums, his teeth had nothing to anchor them in place. They'd eventually fall out.

A full prosthetic jaw was impossible with their current materials. Sutures wouldn't hold. Bone grafts weren't necessary since the teeth were still healthy.

Then, an idea struck him.

Animal sinew.

He could drill tiny holes into each tooth and the jawbone, then thread treated animal sinew through them to secure the teeth in place.

But that wasn't all.

The sinew itself could act as a substitute for gums.

Since treated sinew remains flexible, it could cushion the teeth, preventing them from shifting or falling out. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would function well enough—at least until a better solution could be found.

Ghaz sat up, now fully confident in the plan.

"We'll remove the necrotic flesh with maggots," he explained while writing down the procedure. "Once the wound is clear, we'll clean it with salt water and alcohol."

Nila nodded as she tried to memorize everything that Ghaz was saying.

"Then, we drill holes in the teeth and jawbone, thread treated animal sinew through them, and secure the teeth in place. The sinew itself will act as a substitute for his gums."

Nila paused . "…We're drilling holes into his teeth?"

Ghaz smirked. "Yes."

"…Won't that hurt?"

"Immensely."

Nila gulped.

Ghaz glanced at his notes, reviewing everything one last time. This would be one of the most complicated procedures he had ever attempted in this world.

But he wasn't worried.

If there was one thing he knew for sure, it was this—

Gorrock would walk out of this clinic with his jaw intact.

"Why did you decide to become a healer, Teacher?" Nila suddenly asked.

Ghaz glanced at her, momentarily caught off guard. "Why?" He leaned back, staring at the ceiling as if searching for the right words. "Well… initially, my father wanted me to be one. He thought it was a noble path, something our family needed at that time."

Nila listened intently, her small hands gripping the table's edge.

"But after my first patient…" Ghaz paused, his gaze distant. "There's a feeling you get—it's addictive. A life in your hands, that moment of pure pressure, knowing that if you fail, they die. It's terrifying."

Nila swallowed. "That sounds awful."

He smirked. "It is. But then you cure them. And that pressure—the weight of life and death—it gets replaced by something else." He tapped his chest. "A kind of boundless confidence. Joy, even. Because you won."

Nila tilted her head. "Won?"

"Yes," Ghaz said firmly. "You beat death, even if just for a moment. And once you've felt that, you can't stop chasing it."

She thought about that for a moment, then asked, "So… do you still feel that way now?"

Ghaz chuckled. "Every single time and guess what I win everytime."

"I want to be like you" Nila said

"Nah,Nila there is only one Adri-Ghaz Roc" Ghaz said with pride