Chapter 42: The Sunflower Point-sealing Technique

Mrs. Ryan started to help move the clutter aside, but Glen stopped her with a smile.

"Ma'am, you're with child. Please don't strain yourself."

Mrs. Ryan's jaw dropped in astonishment. "How did you know? I only just found out recently myself!"

"I've studied a bit of medicine. I can tell." Glen replied calmly, already busy taking measurements.

With his keen senses and some medical knowledge, discerning a woman's pregnancy wasn't difficult for him.

"That's incredible!"

"Also," Glen continued, "I thought I heard coughing earlier. Is it your husband? Is he ill?"

He had detected a familiar scent upon approaching the house – not Mrs. Ryan's, but someone else's.

Mrs. Ryan's expression clouded with worry. "Yes," she said softly. "My husband works at the constabulary. He was injured during an operation yesterday. He's been terribly weak and bedridden ever since. A doctor came, but couldn't find the cause."

After finishing measuring the doorframe, Glen turned, hesitated slightly, and offered, "May I take a look? I have studied some medicine, after all. It might be helpful."

"Really!?" Mrs. Ryan looked up immediately, her eyes filled with gratitude.

She had spent the entire day desperately seeking help for her husband's strange illness, almost forgetting about the door entirely until she saw Glen. If the town couldn't provide a cure, she was prepared to take him to a major hospital in the capital, a journey certain to cost a small fortune. That Glen was willing to try, regardless of the likelihood of success, touched her deeply.

"I can only try, Mrs. Ryan. Please don't get your hopes up too high," Glen cautioned gently.

"This is more than enough. Thank you, kind young man," she said, leading him into the inner bedroom on the second floor.

There, Glen saw the officer with the distinctive mustache he'd met before. The man lay in bed, coughing intermittently.

Hearing the door open, he initially thought it was his wife. Seeing Glen, he froze in surprise.

"This is the carpenter I hired today to replace our door," Mrs. Ryan explained, moving to help her husband sit up, gently patting his back. "He mentioned he knows some medicine, so I asked him to look at you."

"We meet again, Officer," Glen said with a slight, polite bow.

"You? Cough... cough... Glen, wasn't it? I thought you were a butcher? Now you're a carpenter?" The mustached officer was clearly bewildered.

"You two know each other?" Mrs. Ryan asked, surprised.

The officer gave a brief explanation. "We crossed paths during a case."

Mrs. Ryan nodded in understanding.

Glen scratched his head. "I know how to do... quite a few things. So..." He shrugged.

The officer understood. "Multiple skills make earning a living easier, true. As long as you can manage the workload."

"I manage," Glen confirmed.

After the brief exchange, Glen steered the conversation back.

"Your wife mentioned you're unwell, Officer. I know a little about medicine. Perhaps I could take a quick look?"

"Most call me Sergeant Dogley. My squad uses 'Sergeant'."

"Alright, Sergeant Dogley. May I?" Glen asked carefully.

"Of course," Sergeant Dogley replied. "It's a kind offer. I wouldn't refuse."

Glen stepped forward and gently grasped the Sergeant's wrist, adopting the unmistakable posture of an experienced physician.

The sheer professionalism of the gesture immediately impressed the Dogleys. They both silently assumed Glen must possess remarkable medical skill. They'd never seen a diagnosis performed quite like this!

In truth, Glen's medical knowledge wasn't profound. What he knew was primarily battlefield first aid required during his military service.

He had volunteered purely because he respected the Sergeant and because his enhanced werewolf senses had detected something unusual.

Unnoticed by anyone, a small sliver of claw extended from Glen's index finger, pricking the skin ever so slightly.

Guided by Glen's precise control, a trace of werewolf essence flowed into Dogley's bloodstream, seeking the source of the unsettling feeling he'd sensed.

Sergeant Dogley felt only a slight prickling numbness in the wrist Glen held, completely unaware of the internal investigation.

As the essence neared the heart region, Glen's eyelids flickered.

He'd found it!

An unknown energy mass was concentrated around the heart, actively draining Dogley's life force. Even Glen's essence felt pulled towards it as it approached.

Through careful manipulation, Glen discovered he could use his own essence to envelop the foreign energy and draw it out of the body.

Got it... Relief washed over him. He looked at Sergeant Dogley and smiled. "I've found the cause."

"Truly!?" the couple exclaimed simultaneously.

Glen nodded. Then, suddenly, he formed his fingers into a rigid point. "I'll use a specialized technique I learned to treat you now."

As the last word left his lips, his pointed fingers jabbed rapidly several times across Dogley's chest. Simultaneously, he released the Sergeant's wrist.

A faint wisp of violet mist curled around Glen's fingertips as he subtly moved his hand behind his back.

The moment the jabs landed, Dogley felt a surge of vitality. The debilitating weakness, the chest tightness, the pounding headache – all vanished instantly.

"This... this... it's a miracle!" Sergeant Dogley gasped in awe.

He knew exactly what had been wrong. That strange purple mist he'd encountered yesterday was clearly some form of dark magic. He never imagined Glen could cure it with such a bizarre method!

"Do you wield magic? This shouldn't be possible!" he asked directly.

"He's truly cured!?" Mrs. Ryan clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide.

Glen had anticipated their reactions. He smoothly fabricated an explanation. "The technique I used is called the Sunflower Point-Sealing Technique. It specializes in treating peculiar, stubborn ailments. The Sergeant's condition happened to be suitable."

"Sunflower?" Sergeant Dogley looked utterly baffled.

It sounded strange, yet undeniably powerful!

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! Glen, was it? You wonderful young man!" Mrs. Ryan gushed, her eyes welling up. "What do we owe you? Please, don't worry, we're not wealthy, but we're certainly more comfortable than most..."

"It was a small effort," Glen said modestly. "Hmm... ten copper coins would be appropriate."

"That's far too little!" Mrs. Ryan protested. "A major hospital in the capital would charge a hundred times that, at least! Here, take ten silver coins! Dogley told me just this morning he thought he was beyond help. You can't imagine how desperate I felt! You deserve this, please take it!"

She hurriedly retrieved a small pouch from a drawer, counted out ten gleaming silver coins right in front of Glen, and pressed them firmly into his hands. Her willingness to show their money openly spoke volumes about the trust they now placed in him – a straightforward, honest family.

"Take it, young man," Sergeant Dogley added warmly from the bed. "As a Sergeant in Dudetown, I earn a decent wage."

Glen, however, simply weighed the coins in his hand for a moment. He then took nine of them and held them out to Mrs. Ryan.

"Thank you for your generosity," he said sincerely, "but I understand ten silvers is a significant sum for you. You have a child on the way. Keep this for them. Consider it a small gift from me to your future little one."

Despite their repeated insistence, Glen remained adamant. Finally, the couple reluctantly accepted his decision.

The complex look in their eyes mirrored Glen's insight. He was right; ten silvers was a substantial amount for them. His perceptiveness and selflessness left them deeply moved and profoundly grateful.