<Healing magic has reached level 3>
The healing process seems to be going well.
Apparently, spells themselves can level up too, because after I used low heal and cure enough, they grew to level two.
The difference isn’t really noticeable, but any improvement is good.
Now, with level three in healing magic, we get low restore. I’m not sure what it does, so I don’t know if it will be useful, but I’m sure it’ll come in handy eventually.
I’ve been monitoring our health, and while it’s getting better, the recovery rate is slower than I’d like. Originally, the health cap was twenty one. Now, it’s gotten to twenty four. Any improvement is good, I suppose, but this is way less than I’d hoped.
If only leveling up gave us a full recovery… But it definitely doesn’t.
<Accelerated health regeneration has reached level 8>
Ah, nice, nice. Passive regen won’t be as good as magic, but any bit helps.
That’ll be good too, I’ve gotten mostly used to the pain by now, but more resistance is always nice.
Gloria’s been using that Mushle’s spores to level our resistances a bit, and whenever she does, I try to use healing magic to fix the cut she makes on it, to increase our levels faster.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t manage to cast two spells at once, so it was either healing the mushroom or healing ourselves. I chose to heal us, obviously.
At this point, I’m looking for more ways to try to fix this wound, before it’s too late. It’s a shame, but I may have to do what Gloria did and use some plants.
But! I won’t just be randomly shoving whatever I can find into our gaping wound, instead, I’ll be using appraisal to try to determine if something is safe. If I can’t be certain something is safe, I won’t use it.
A while ago, appraisal was able to pull up a whole lot of information about that monster that was trying to kill us, so I’m hoping the same is true about some of these plants.
Honestly, I don’t know why Gloria didn’t just do that herself… would’ve saved me most of this trouble. Might have not even needed to waste that SP on healing magic, though it might be better that we got it this early, so we can level it before we ever really need it.
Anyway, we’re running low on food now (that snake didn’t last nearly as long as I expected), and Gloria assured me that our wound is from the very first snake she fought, before she knew it’s tricks, so I’ve begrudgingly allowed her to go out and fight another one.
[Hyah! Nice try!]
I guess she was telling the truth… she’s been dodging every one of that snake’s attacks like she’s fought them thousands of times. I find it hard to believe she was able to fight them this well after just one, honestly.
I have no proof she didn’t though, and the past is the past, so I’ll just let it be.
[An opening!]
With a quick and decisive strike, Gloria slashes the snake’s head clean off.
That’s the power of a level eight slash skill for you. I doubt I could’ve done that though, Gloria’s a natural at fighting.
<Requirements met: Level has increased from 1 to 2>
<Slash has reached level 9>
<Tunneling has reached level 6>
Ah! Finally, a level!
It’s been a long time now since we’ve leveled up. We didn’t have much of an opportunity to fight and gain experience back when we were training with the Stadiea, so our growth stagnated for a while. We’re back on track now that we have to fend for ourselves, for better or for worse.
To be honest, I’d be more than willing to sacrifice this growth for more time with the Stadiea…
I really hope they’re alright…
There’s nothing we can do about it though. With how powerful Rorthal is, it’s better to think of it as an unavoidable force of nature. The best we can do for now is get stronger, so we’re even a bit less helpless if, or more likely when, something happens again.
<hr>
Pwahhh!!! That hit the spot!
{C’mon, it doesn’t taste that good.}
[Oh please, you like it too!]
{Yeah, but not that much. It’s just better than everything else down here has been.}
[Just say you like it!]
{‘Like it’ is an exaggeration.}
[You’re so difficult.]
{Pot, meet kettle. Anyway, I need to go looking for medicinal plants soon, so I’ll be taking control for a while.}
[Oh, alright. But what am I supposed to do while you do that.]
{Up to you. I won’t take long.}
Hmmm…
Fir is working on something with the body right now, so I dunno what to do.
What does Fir do when I control the body?
...I honestly don’t know.
Hmmmmm…
Well, guess I could just take a break…
<hr>
<Morcelops>
<A small brown mushroom, known in certain areas for its rich taste when cooked.>Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Another fail.
I’ve been looking for a while now, and I haven’t found anything overtly medicinal just yet.
On the positive side of things, I haven’t found many poisonous things either, so Gloria probably didn’t put too many bad things in the wound.
We’d probably be dead by now if she did.
I expected to find something that had at least some medicinal properties by now. Was I lied to by all those foraging videos about mushrooms? Surely there’ll be something down here that can at least help with the recovery.
Ah, speaking of, it’s about time to heal it a bit.
I focus, and cast low heal on our wound.
The effect is still minimal, but it’s something.
Now, back to foraging.
Gloria told me where she found all of the stuff she used, but it’s a long way away by this point. However, I think I just found another patch similar to it.
There’s quite a lot of possibilities here, appraising them all will take some time.
Better start now!
<Argobella>
<False Bark>
<Devil’s grass Mushroom>
<Snake weed>
Let’s start with Devil’s grass, since that sounds like it could be something.
<A red mushroom made of a thin plate that grows directly on the ground, with thin, bendable spikes that grow from it. It was once thought by humans to be a sign of demonic infestation when it appeared in towns, and in turn assumed to be dangerous, but it is in fact harmless. Becomes soft and chewy when boiled.>
Hmm, seems like nothing. Oh well, next.
<A mushroom that grows within caves in an upside-down teardrop shape. At some point in it’s growth, the weight of the bulbous top becomes too much for the rest of it to handle, and it begins to droop. Very dense with water, this mushroom has been used as a source of water for humans and monsters alike within caves. Works well in salad.>
Another miss, though it’s still useful to know there’s a good source of water here.
<A fungus resembling the bark of a tree. It grows on the stems of small to medium sized plants, giving them an extra layer of protection in exchange for siphoning some nutrients. Crispy when cooked, but not flavorful on its own.>
...It’s weird how many of these have sections about how good they are as food. I guess there are foragers willing to try any mushroom they see in this world too. Now, how about the Argobella.
<A shiny, tiny silver mushroom that grows in small clusters. Used frequently by humans in an attempt to bring forth healing properties, though there’s no evidence they possess such a thing.>
Ooh? It says there’s no evidence, but… this is the best we’ve got, right?
I guess I’ll check a few more things first, then- hm? What’s that?
In the cluster of silver Argobella mushrooms, I see a more yellow color. Is that something different?
<Aurobella>
<A highly sought after mushroom for its incredible healing properties. It grows rarely in patches of Argobella mushrooms, and can be hard to spot despite its eye catching gold coloration and shine. It’s rarely seen by humans, and thought to be extinct by all but the most desperate.>
Oh… Oh!!!
This… this has gotta be it, right?!
Are there any more than just this one!?
I quickly search through the cluster of Argobella, but there’s only one Aurobella in the whole group.
W-well… I guess… I should… Eat it?
Or maybe I need to prepare it first…?
…
Argh! I don’t know!
The description of it makes me feel like it’ll be hard to find another, so I’m worried to use it recklessly…
No, no, calm down. There’s no way I can know how to correctly use this thing, so if I use it wrong, can you really say it’s my fault?
I’ll try something, if it works, great, if it doesn’t, then whatever. I’m sure I’ll be able to find something more common to try to use… probably… maybe…
Ah, whatever! I’m just gonna do it!
I bite down on the Aurobella, tearing from the ground.
As I chew it, it seems to melt into a gooey liquid form, like molasses. It tastes… vaguely sweet? The taste is hard to pin, because it numbs my senses as it passes over my tongue as I swallow it.
Halfway down my throat, it feels like it disappears, and my whole body begins to tingle.
<Accelerated health regeneration has reached level 9>
<Acquired Health level 1>
<Health has reached level 2>
<Health has reached level 3>
<Acquired Stored power level 1>
<Acquired Immuno-inhancement level 1>
<Immuno-inhancement has reached level 2>
I feel a lurch deep in my stomach as my heart feels as though it stops. A collapse to the ground, and pain surges through my body.
Did I… use it wrong?
As my skin transitions from feeling like it’s burning to feeling like it’s on fire, I pass out on the ground.
<hr>
Hyah! Take… this!
I swing my claws wildly, hoping to make contact with the enemy in front of me.
They impact the great beast’s matted fur, and are stopped before they reach the skin.
H-huh?
Its great head, larger than my entire body, its bare skull piercing through it’s pale skin, turns to look at me.
It opens its large maw, and with a flash of light, I’m incinerated in an instant.
Ah, man!
He got me again!
Rorthal sure is tough! It’s a real good thing we managed to get away from him last time.
Right now, I’m using my memory of past opponents to try to strategize against them.
It’s not a perfect training method, actually physically training is obviously way better, but since Fir’s doing something right now this will have to do.
I mean, it’s gotta be doing something, since the planning skill went up to ten and turned into strategy while I was practicing against what I remember of the wolves!
So, this is what I’m gonna keep doing while Fir looks for plants or whatever.
He asked me why I didn’t use appraisal on the plants I used a while ago, and… honestly, I just forgot.
Oops! My bad!
Well, it looks like it’s gonna all turn out pretty good, so it’s fine! No harm, no foul!
Huh? That’s weird, I have a headache suddenly.