Chapter 2

Early the next morning, Susan was jolted awake by a frantic pounding on her door.

Wendy burst in, her face pale with panic. "Your Highness, something's wrong. Lord Adam's powers are out of control again."

Susan's heart skipped a beat. Adam's unstable powers were a well-known issue from Suzanna's memories. When a fire-type beastfolk's powers went haywire, it could range from minor injuries to life-threatening danger.

Without even stopping to wash up, she grabbed the basic medical kit she'd exchanged for last night with the system and dashed out the door.

Adam's place was set in a forest of blazing red maples. Right now, a wild fire raged at the center, the flames an eerie dark purple, crackling and burning the trees all around. Adam was huddled at the center of the blaze, his messy red hair stuck to his face, his skin ghostly pale as he moaned in pain.

"Get back!" Adam roared, and the flames surged even higher, driving back anyone who dared approach.

Susan burst through the crowd, shouting, "Don't use water. It'll only make it worse."

When a fire-type beastfolk lost control, using water simply made the energy backlash worse. Susan quickly ran through the system's info in her mind. Fire-type beastfolk lose control when their energy channels get blocked. They need outside help to clear the blockage.

She rushed to Adam's side, ignoring the burning sting of the flames against her skin, and pressed her fingers firmly on a point at his chest. It was a key spot in beastfolk healer acupuncture, famous for channeling energy and breaking blockages.

Adam shuddered in pain, trying to push her away, but suddenly his power surged out through the floodgate point, finally finding release.

Susan gritted her teeth. Her fingertips burned so fiercely she nearly cried. As she pressed the point, she whispered softly to him, "Relax and breathe with me. Inhale... Exhale..."

Adam gradually calmed down. The dark purple flames faded, turning back to a warm orange-red. He opened his eyes and saw sweat dripping from Susan's forehead onto his chest. Her dark eyes, so full of focus and worry, made his heart jolt unexpectedly.

As soon as Adam's power finally calmed down, Susan couldn't hold out any longer. She slumped to the ground, her hands painfully red-hot.

Adam sat up, glancing at her hands and noticing how red they were. After a brief pause, he conjured a tiny flame and let it settle gently in her palm. Instead of burning, it radiated a soothing warmth, melting away the pain in her hand.

"You..." Susan stared at him in surprise.

Adam turned away, his ears turning red as he spoke with obvious embarrassment. "I... I guess I owe you one."

The system announced, [You calmed Adam Yates's power rampage, earning 200 points and boosting beast mate trust by 20. Total trust now: -25.

[Your total points are now 230. Just 270 more points to reach second-tier healer.]

Susan let out a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed Leonard approaching from nearby, holding a small bottle in his hand.

"This is a salve made from cooline herb. Apply it to your hands. It'll ease the pain and reduce the swelling," Leonard said, his voice gentle and warm, a stark contrast to Wolfe's usual coldness.

Susan took the bottle and thanked him. Leonard's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he quickly looked away, speaking softly, "Thank you for saving Adam."

It was the first time Leonard had ever spoken to her directly.

*****

Over the next few days, Susan had her hands full. She was busy tending to Wolfe's leg injury, learning about beastfolk herbs, and along the way, she uncovered a secret about Leonard.

Leonard loved reading, but he always brought the books right up to his face, and even sometimes got the words wrong. Susan suspected his eyesight was bad, so while he was absorbed in a book, she secretly ran a system scan on him.

The system declared, [Chronic toxins detected in Leonard's system. The toxins are eating away at his optic nerves, making his eyesight worse.]

Susan's heart sank. This kind of poisoning was definitely no accident. According to the memories she inherited, Leonard used to be a lion prince, but his brothers set him up, took away his claim to the throne, and sent him packing to the Peacock clan.

Susan found Leonard and got straight to the point. "Do your eyes often feel dry? Is your vision blurry sometimes?"

Leonard's hand paused mid-page. He looked up, his golden lashes lowered, hiding the emotion in his eyes. "It's just a small problem. Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" Susan frowned, her tone sharp. "If you keep dragging it out, you'll end up blind."

She took out the detox medicine she'd prepared and handed them to him. "This will help clear the toxins. Take the medicine once every day. I'll find a way to get rid of the poison completely."

Leonard glanced at the medicine in her hand, then met her serious gaze. He stayed silent for a long moment, then finally took the medicine and said softly, "Thanks."

The system declared, [You prepared a detox medicine for Leonard, earning 100 points and boosting beast mate trust by 15. Total trust now: -10.

[Your total points are now 330. You've leveled up to second-tier healer. Intermediate diagnostic skills unlocked, and basic medicine inventory is now available.]

The system notification had Susan over the moon. As a second-tier healer, she could tackle tougher medical problems.

*****

One day, while Susan was out gathering medicinal herbs in the hills behind the settlement, she unknowingly wandered to the edge of the territory. The area was overgrown and deserted.

As she bent down to pick some herbs, she suddenly caught the sound of someone stifling a groan.

She followed the noise and found Simon curled up beneath a big tree, his face ghostly pale, black blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. A deep gash on his arm was oozing black mist. The poison inside him was flaring up.

Simon was a half-beastfolk, with a snake for a father and a bird for a mother, rejected by both clans. He'd taught himself poisoncraft, but because of his mixed blood, the toxins would sometimes turn against him.

Susan's heart twisted with worry. She rushed over and knelt beside him, reaching out to examine his injury.

Simon's eyes snapped open, his green eyes flashing with suspicion and self-loathing. "Don't touch me. I'm a monster. I'm contagious."

"Don't be ridiculous." Susan frowned, her voice firm. "The poison's turning against you. I can help you. Trust me."

Ignoring Simon's protests, Susan grabbed his arm and activated her newly unlocked intermediate diagnostic skill.

The system announced, [The toxins in Simon's body are running rampant. The conflict between his bloodlines has left his immunity dangerously low.]

Susan sighed, took out an antidote, and carefully administered it to him. Then she settled down beside him and spoke softly, "Back where I come from, snakes and birds can coexist.

"There's a bird called the secretary bird. It hunts venomous snakes but never gets poisoned. And some snakes even protect bird nests from predators."

Simon froze, his green eyes filled with bewilderment.

"You're not a monster," Susan said, looking him straight in the eye, her voice earnest. "Your heritage is something truly special."

Simon's body trembled a little. He looked up at the woman in front of him, her eyes were so clear and bright, like they held a sky full of stars. For the first time, a bit of the cold inside him began to thaw.

The system announced, [You calmed Simon down, earning 170 points and raising beast mate trust by 15. Total trust now: +5.

[Your total points hit 500. You've advanced to third-tier healer. Surgical abilities unlocked.]