บท 8: Healing
Adam's body was heavier than it has ever been when he awoke.
His arms, his neck, his legs, everything was sore. Everything was hurting.
He remembered how he had won. Now he had to pay the price, a throbbing headache muddling his focus.
But how sweet it was to finally be able to move ahead with his life.
His eyes that he tried to open were sealed shut.
Trying again, but this time easing his eyes open, light bolted into his eyes, forming the shapes which became Areis, Elaina, instructor Areis and the other heroes who were in bad shape, but...
Snarky as the thought was, he had it the worst.
He had finished in first, and it took his all.
With his newly acquired [Unbreakable Will] skill, he had more to give from the get go going forward.
However, with a likely test about to play out, he wouldn't be in peak condition if it could be called that with his unfit, injured self, to start the next test.
Areis seeing Adam start to stir commented, as he scanned the floored out and kneeling heroes: "That was the most interesting endurance test I have proctored."
Motioning to a nearby instructor, Areis requested: "For these go-getters of heroes, lets get them on their feet, go get the mages. Let's heal them up. Don't want them to die in the next test, they are the hope of our kingdom." A mischievous thinly veiled smile on his face.
Adam stuck in place, pain in his muscles keeping him barely operational, was not amused.
He knew the King needed the heroes alive, and he knew that the heroes needed strength to fight the demons. If there weren't mages employed, able to keep people intact, there could be casualties with crazy people like Areis working for the King.
'He must be the sadistic type.' Adam assured himself.
Adam could level up, using his accumulated experience. In one way that was the smart move, but part of him wanted to keep holding off. Just for this day.
It would be like lowering the difficulty of a game you were in the tutorial area of, being in a dangerous situation, if he lived long, it would be rare.
Though, if he played it too risky, he wouldn't live much longer for such arrogance.
If the healing helped him to completely recover, he would be in ok-enough shape to continue with the tests.
If it was a weak healing spell, this day of soreness and pain would be far from over.
Mages in their dark robed garments soon arrived, and started to cast spells, which lit up the surroundings like a horde of fireflies before surrounding each hero one by one in a green misty cocoon.
The mages voices soft, their tone a whisper.
'Spells required a chant?' Adam observed.
Perhaps heroes who had spell skills, would not have a chant, to use their abilities.
Unsure of the efficacy, he watched the heroes get healed until it was his turn. The swelling of muscles for the injured heroes looked like they had gone down.
Inversely, the mages looked worse off. Assuming the Kingdom was powerful, healing spells appeared to be a rare commodity, that couldn't be wastefully casted.
When the mages healed Marcaine and Elaina, the mages took longer to heal them, their physical condition comparably worse than the rest.
An amusing thought ran through Adam's mind, 'I wonder how long it would take for the mages to heal me?'
It took no time at all for the mages to cast healing upon him.
He watched as his body was covered the green light, his body that had been extremely tense and battered after excessive movement began to calm down.
It was refreshing.
Adam no longer felt like he was gonna keel over.
Two minutes of casting later, resulting in the mages having a strenuous expression on their face, Adam had recovered.
Adam felt like he was himself again.
His mood improved, and able to move freely once more, he stood up, no pain in his muscles or joints, no horrid headache.
Pleased, he voiced his gratitude: "Thanks for healing me."
The mages, who were down-spirited by their minimal energy, had their mood lifted at Adam's words, nodding his way, before walking away.
Areis, his hands clasped together, informed the heroes: "The first test was to see your endurance, to see how long you could have yourself hold on when you could give up whenever."
Areis gazed upon Adam, his smile subsiding, saying: "Adam you have shown us the grit needed to be a hero, and not an ordinary one either. Your effort has not been overlooked."
Areis recounted: "As I said before, there was a prize for whoever held on the longest."
Beckoning Adam forward, Areis commended: "The first place prize for the endurance test is a custom-forged weapon. Heroes need to be equipped-well to stand a chance against demons.
Areis paused, before proceeding to speak: "A blacksmith shall visit you soon, in the meantime consider what you want as a weapon."
Adam was not too surprised. A weapon is not out of the ordinary for a reward for tests, in the novels he read at least.
Not wanting to disregard Areis, as he was thinking, he slightly bowed, replying: "Thanks, I shall ponder hard about it."
Areis's nodded, "If you think about it half as hard as you tried in this test, I am sure it will be used well, Hero Adam."
Areis then resumed speaking to the heroes: "With the first test done, and all of the heroes are healed, it is time for the second test. Worry not, it's not exhausting like the first test. Not physically anyway."
Excitement building up in his voice, Areis went on: "For the second test you will have to face a monster."
Some of the heroes gasped and a few started whispering amongst each other.
Adam ascribed the general mood as: 'We are not ready. Are you trying to have us die?'
Marcaine and Elaina were the calmest, only slight sweat appeared on their brow hearing Areis.
Adam noticed a weird smile on Areis. Adam was not so certain the test would play out like the other hero's imaginations.
The likely candidate for a monster was a slime, or a goblin.
If it was more mental, than physical, like Areis stated, then a goblin, as a slime isn't viewed as fearfully as they are. Or Adam could be way off base, he only had his novel knowledge to work with.
Areis searched for the right words, clarifying: "Face is inaccurate, stand before is more apt. Each Hero shall have to stay near a monster, who shall be caged. If you back away, run away, or faint, you won't do well. The bravest hero shall be found."
'Bravery?' Adam thought, he wouldn't lie, he was no lion.
He may have recklessly ran, but facing a monster is a whole other ordeal.
That said, this was just another test that could break him, or redefine his life and he would make sure its the latter.
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