Defected Dark Healer’s Rise to Wealth
Mallow, possessing the albino elf as a vessel, swiftly scanned the surroundings.
“<Great Sanctuary>.”
The moment those words were uttered, a pure white light expanded instantly from beneath their feet, enveloping even the trees dozens of meters away.
A sanctuary—within the kingdom, it was known as a divine domain that weakened those of evil alignment. As expected, the holy arts used in the kingdom could also be wielded naturally by Mallow, the Sage of the East.
Well, it was a dud, though.
“What? They’re not here?! What’s going on…?!”
The albino elf’s enraged voice echoed.
“Could they have fled already? Those brainless magic beasts…?!”
The tone was one of disbelief.
Hearing this, Urklow growled low in irritation from behind me.
“Hey, Kiwi, I’m thinking I should go tear that guy apart.”
“That would be a waste.”
Being a rare species, he ought to be handled more carefully.
To do that, we’d need to free the albino elf from Mallow’s possession.
Preferably while keeping him alive.
Though, as expected, that would be a difficult path.
“I’ll flush them out directly!”
The albino elf shouted, and behind him, a golden magic circle spread out like an unfurling fan.
It was massive—so much so that even I could clearly make out its shape.
“Ugh. Don’t tell me…”
Beside me, Anemone spoke with a grimace.
“That might be the original form of the <Great Rain of Light> technique that Mallow bestowed upon us.”
And then it happened.
Countless orbs of light shot forth from the magic circle in rapid succession—Zzzzzzzzt!
In an instant, every tree within the Great Sanctuary conjured by the albino elf was obliterated, leaving behind only barren ground.
“…What absurd power.”
“That’s because it’s an applied technique derived from the divine art <Holy Magic That Pierces All Things>.”
Anemone sighed as she explained.
“The <Great Rain of Light> we use has been significantly diluted—watered down by Mallow until he deemed it weak enough to be handed to us ‘common elves.’”
“Why weaken it?”
“Well, if everyone could use it, it wouldn’t feel special anymore.”
“Hmph…”
I couldn’t begin to understand that logic.
Technology, especially in times of war, should be shared.
But whatever—now wasn’t the time to argue about it.
“If they keep firing like that, they’ll reach us in no time.”
That meant abandoning the possessed vessel and retreating along the escape route we had already secured.
However…
“What a shame…”
I stole a glance.
A rare species was right there, just within reach—and yet, we had to run.
“Damn, this is frustrating…”
A sharp click of the tongue came from behind me.
It was Urklow .
“The enemy’s main force is right within biting distance, but that damn sanctuary is in the way…!”
It seemed he shared my reluctance to retreat.
“Hey, Kiwi. Isn’t there some way to break through that sanctuary?”
“Well, there’s a way…”
“There is?!”
Urklow leaned forward, nearly pressing her nose against mine in excitement.
I nodded.
“The discomfort caused by the sanctuary is like a constant barrage of holy energy attacking one’s insides. In that case, I just have to keep healing it as fast as it’s inflicted.”
In other words, continuous full-body healing via <Dark Heal>.
A grueling task, to say the least.
Even if I were only treating one person, it would require multitasking to an extreme degree.
It was like reading a medical textbook while writing an unrelated research paper, all while mentally balancing a clinic’s financial records.
I did such things often, but it never failed to make my head spin.
Still, just because it was complex didn’t mean it was impossible.
“Alright, then. Kiwi, hop on my back. Let’s go kill that bastard.”
However—
“No, Lord Kiwi! That’s far too dangerous!”
Shes stepped in to stop us.
“The sanctuary isn’t the only obstacle! You saw it, didn’t you? The devastating power of those light projectiles!”
“I’ll just dodge them.”
“I highly doubt that’s possible.”
It was a bold statement—one that could be taken as an insult to a high-ranking officer of the demon nation.
Yet Shes declared it without hesitation.
“There was almost no delay between the activation of the magic circle and the barrage of light. On top of that, the attack covered a full 360 degrees with no blind spots. The only escape route is through the air.”
“Then I’ll just jump and dodge in midair—”
“You’d be hit by the next volley before you landed.”
“…Tch.”
Urklow clicked her tongue again and scratched his head.
“So we really have no choice but to run? Damn it…!”
Ignoring his frustration, Shes turned back to me.
“Let’s return to the forward base. Thanks to your quick decision to retreat, Lord Kiwi, we have suffered zero casualties. Preventing Mallow’s vessel from launching a successful ambush is already a considerable victory.”
“…Hmm.”
“Lord Kiwi?”
I was deep in thought.
Shes had said it.
There was no escape route… “except through the air.”
If the air was an option, then dodging was possible…
“I think I’ve got something.”
“…Wait, Lord Kiwi???”
“It’s not a conventional method, but I’ve found a way through. The rest depends on Urklow .”
Urklow pointed at herself, tilting his head. “Me?”
I nodded firmly.
“This plan will involve excruciating pain for you. Even so, will you do it?”
“Of course. Anything short of death is just a scratch.”
The most resilient magic beast of the demon nation, Urklow , answered without hesitation.
