Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 18B3 - Studies

Zachariah didn’t stay behind for long after his broken body was restored. David remained, falling back onto his bed as grim thoughts plagued his mind.

Snippets of the fight between the Regressor and the Void Fragment resurfaced in his memory, reminding him exactly where he stood against the truly powerful beings of the Earthen Union.

David wasn’t foolish enough to believe he was the strongest, but knowing he had desperately struggled against a mere Sapling while Zachariah fought a Void Fragment with a Maelstrom containing more than ten times the Sapling’s Void power was anything but comforting.

“I couldn’t even follow their movements at some point,” he muttered, his features twisting in a mix of frustration and anger.

As frustrated as David was, he understood that most Void Saplings wouldn’t be as powerful as the one he had faced. Saplings weren’t supposed to have Maelstroms, after all.

A small crystal materialized in his hands as he recalled what Zachariah had said about Maelstroms and how Saplings evolved into full-fledged Voidlings—by creating and nurturing a Maelstrom.

Regardless of the Void Sapling’s strength, it had still been weaker than the Fragment. And David hated that. No, he hated how helpless he would have been if he had been the one to face the Void Fragment.

I need more strength. The faster, the better, David thought, staring at the Maelstrom that contained an insignificant trace of the Void.

But how am I supposed to grow stronger?

The memory of Zachariah consuming potions to elevate his prowess resurfaced, sparking the idea of doing the same. It was definitely a good idea, yet the consumption of potions meant he’d have to ask Zachariah to concoct them for him. He was the best Alchemist in the Dwarven Sanctuary, and David had no doubt he might very well be the best Alchemist in the entire Earthen Union.

His Unique Secondary Class was most certainly already at Gold Rank, presumably well on its way to Platinum Rank, offering him greater benefits as he progressed. If David hadn’t misunderstood the information provided by [Healing Link], Zachariah also gained additional advantages from consuming potions. His body accepted the viscous concoctions with incredible ease, amplifying their potency significantly.

Even if I ask him and he prepares potions, they won’t enhance my powers permanently. They’ll be useful in emergencies, or sudden encounters with creatures too powerful to handle by normal means, but Zachariah’s potions won’t solve my problems.

David wasn’t an Alchemist, nor was he an Artificer or anything similar. However, he had Herald of Origin. The Unique Secondary Class offered the means to use meditation to push himself further. But… how was that supposed to help him grow stronger quickly? Most of his Secondary Class Skills—including the oldest from Monk and Serene Ego—were undeniably powerful. Yet, as strong as they were, they required time, effort, and a lot of energy.

Meditation is clearly not enough. What about adding [Dao Enlightenment] into the mix? Studying the Laws and deepening my understanding of the Sparks should yield promising results. He glanced at Deryadus’ Arm and squinted as his gaze fell on the Maelstrom.

Studying the Void creatures and learning their strengths and weaknesses would also help. It might not directly improve his combat ability, but it would allow him to make better use of his current power to deal with Saplings more effectively.

Certain bits and pieces of knowledge had already been engraved deep into his mind, thanks to the information he had absorbed through [Healing Link]. David had yet to understand more than a tenth of what he had extracted from the connection with both Zachariah and the Void Fragment, but he could always learn more. He would learn more, as long as they continued fighting creatures of the Void.

Being able to study them in combat via [Healing Link] would be immensely useful. Adding [Dao Enlightenment] afterward to process and comprehend the information would further deepen his understanding of the Voidlings.

At the end of the day, everything he learned about the Void would help him understand the Maelstrom as well.

If I can consume it and make the Void’s power mine… I may be able to turn their powers against them. The power that makes them near-invincible would fail them…

The thought brought a smile to his lips.

But how was he supposed to consume the Void within the Maelstrom? Deryadus’ Arm seemed like the most obvious answer. It had already consumed the Core of a Sacred Beast and would likely survive the integration of a Maelstrom containing only a weak trace of the Void. Or would it?

David was confident, but he had felt the same way about the Sacred Beast Core—and it had nearly consumed him. Studying the Maelstrom would surely help him increase his chances of success, but would that be enough?

Is my foundation strong enough to deal with the Will of the Void? Even if the Maelstrom contains only a trace of the Void… it is still the Void.

A strong Mind, Soul, and Body would surely be needed to survive binding the Void’s power to Deryadus’ Arm. And, sensing the Sacred Beast Core, David would have to make full use of the Beast’s Will to help in the submission of the Void.

Not that it would join the wrong side just because it hates me too much. He snickered inwardly, the heavy weight on his shoulders lifting ever so slightly.

Maybe he hadn’t found the most efficient way to acquire more strength, but David was satisfied with the results. The dark thoughts feasting on his confidence crumbled slowly, making space for the spirit of growth. The thought of successfully binding the Void’s power to Deryadus’ Arm—making it his—fueled David with the power he needed to jump back on his feet.

He wasted no more time and jumped back to work. Tons of research were waiting for him.

***

David would have never considered himself a very patient man. If anything, he was far from patient when it came to things he desired. He would approach everything he desired straightforwardly and make it his.

However, as impatient as he had been in the past—since he could remember—he was just as patient when it came to researching the Maelstrom and digesting the information he had acquired with [Healing Link].

He would have loved to push his Soul stat to Transcendent, reaching the next level of strength to play with the adults, but David decided against it the moment he started researching the Maelstrom and the Void trace it contained. Every bit of information he had absorbed and categorized—adding it to his existing knowledge of the Void—had to be reorganized and studied with [Dao Enlightenment].

However, to ensure he made full use of [Dao Enlightenment], David had to strengthen his Mind. Investing the five Attribute Points he’d acquired in the battle against the Void Saplings, David advanced his Mind to the Superior grade. He would have loved to push it further within the Superior grade, preferably up to Apex, but he did not have enough Attribute Points to do so.

That didn’t stop him from throwing his full weight into research and training. He adjusted his schedule and pushed himself to sleepless days filled with simple workout routines, ample training of the Mind, Soul, and Body, nutrient-dense Sacred Beast meat to provide energy and nutrients, and nights filled with research and the digestion of information, abusing [Dao Enlightenment] to accelerate the process.

However, no matter how much time and effort he put into researching the Maelstrom, David couldn’t make it happen. He understood that the Void’s power was unlike anything the System used. It was unlike Aether, mana, holy power, Blood, and even lifeforce. Not even Origin Essence appeared to have any similar properties with the Void trace within the Maelstrom.

But while the Void was different from anything David knew, he gained insights elsewhere.

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Since he hadn’t touched Aether, Essence, or anything related to the cosmos’ mythical energies, David felt like his sight was broader than the dwarves’, elves’, and even Zachariah’s. While being a native, Zachariah had been exposed to Aether, Essence, and the Divinities of gods for too long to consider the Void as another type of energy. Or so David guessed, as everyone he asked about the energies of the cosmos seemed oblivious to a ‘mythical energy that didn’t use Aether or Essence as its core component.’

Every energy was born from either Aether or Essence. Blood was unique, yet it also required Aether or Essence to create it.

So… what would happen if David were to add another, independent, energy to Blood or his other powers? Would it work? David had no idea, but he was certain the traces of Void inside the Maelstrom were energy.

However, by far the most interesting—and shocking—research result was that the Maelstrom was not innately evil. The Void within may be corrupt, yet David couldn’t feel any animosity from it. The Maelstrom itself felt just like an energy reservoir, with the Void traces being an incredibly potent source of energy.

The problem at hand, however, was that the energy of the Void created Voidlings, which consumed everything in their path to grow. That, in essence, was the main issue.

Enough force is needed to disrupt the potent energy that creates the Void Barrier. That, or it must be countered by energy of equal level. Or an energy, or Skill, that uses the power of the Void against them.

While his research progressed slowly, David learned just enough to know a trick or two. They ought to be helpful against the Void Barriers of Saplings, or against weaker Void Fragments, depending on each one’s power and the strength of its Maelstrom.

And, as it turned out, living a life full of research and the increasingly frequent restoration of battered bodies was enough to trigger [Origin Attribute]!

The Intent had lingered in the back of his mind. Though he was initially interested in it, it quickly became clear how extraordinarily difficult it was to trigger. At last, it triggered—not once, but twice in quick succession—as he unraveled the secrets of the Maelstrom, granting him just enough information to glimpse the Void Barrier’s weakness.

[Origin Attribute has been triggered!]

[+1 Attribute Point.]

[Origin Attribute has been triggered!]

[+1 Attribute Point.]

[Your understanding of the Origin has increased.] freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

[Your Secondary Class ranked up.]

[Silver VIII → Silver IX]

[+2 Attribute Points, +1 Body.]

David reinvested the Attribute Points into Mind without a second thought and redoubled his efforts, hoping to push Herald of Origin to Gold. Unlocking another powerful Class Skill would be exciting.

However, things turned out differently from what he expected when Zachariah arrived at the prehistoric Rift for the next fight.

Maja teleported them to a wide open land that must have once been a place full of life. But now? It was a barren wasteland, devoid of life, nature, or any remaining structure. The land itself had been harmed beyond salvation.

“That doesn’t look good.” David reached out with Blood, his brows furrowing when the dead land repelled his energy. He willed Blood to pierce through the resistance, only to find that his energy was weaker than ever once it infused into the lifeless soil.

“That is what They do. There was a powerful Fragment at work, but I cannot find it. The wasteland is no longer expanding, which means the Fragment has to be somewhere within it, yet it is impossible to sense it. It’s almost like it destroyed this land only to vanish into thin air… which is not exactly how this is supposed to work,” Zachariah explained, displeasure and confusion lingering on his face.

This wasn’t unusual, given how often Zachariah’s predictions proved wrong—but this felt worse than the occasional blunder.

The Regressor didn’t say anything for a good minute, while Maja vanished into golden twinkling sparkles, likely searching or investigating. David didn’t bother consoling Zachariah and studied the lifeless soil instead. He tried applying [Healing Link] to it, hoping to examine it properly, but it failed. The land repelled him even more strongly this time.

“Can you fix this? I don’t know what is happening, but I am not planning to give Them more land than necessary.” Zachariah glanced at him, a deep scowl shrouding his face in darkness. “The Earthen Union can probably fix this mess within a few years, but there has been more of Their spawn than last time. I dealt with some without you, but I don’t think fighting Them directly will be enough. The Earthen Union may collapse long before we reach the strength needed to remove their spawn from the Union.”

David agreed with a shrug. While staying in the prehistoric Rift might have been the best way to accumulate more Origin Essence, the thought of studying the corrupted land was certainly intriguing. It was something he had planned to do sooner or later. In the first place, it was likely to be crucial for his studies of the Void’s power and how something that felt as amiable as the Maelstrom could transform into that.

“What exactly do you want me to do? I can bring some of the soil back and research it. Maybe Melach can help me a little bit—if I can find him. Or, if you want me to stay, I can study everything on-site while using [Purify], [Healing Sphere], [Greater Restoration], and maybe [Weave of Life] to restore the area. But I should warn you: I cannot sense any life in this place. There are traces of life several hundred meters underground, but that will hardly help the restoration of this wasteland.”

Zachariah looked at him and shrugged. “I never focused on the restoration of the Earthen Union. The Fragments and Their scheme were already troublesome enough. Especially when combined with the constant meddling of the gods, the Pantheon’s endless annoyances, and the usual monsters turning my life into a living hell.”

David raised an eyebrow at the last bit. While he hadn’t avoided combat directly, nobody had asked him to join the defense of the Dwarven Sanctuary either. He’d restored hundreds of broken bodies in the last few months, but that was about it. So why did it sound like Zachariah had been struggling so much in the last Cycle?

“How was everything in the past for you?” David asked, curiosity burning in his chest.

“Hmm?” Zachariah cocked an eyebrow, a trace of surprise flickering in his eyes, though his expression remained composed. “I was struggling. Everything was slower—a lot slower—especially since the World Awakening happened much later, giving us barely enough time to get used to everything. But that didn’t make things easier. We gathered forces and fought together. Those willing to risk their lives continued to do so against monsters, whereas others stayed behind in safety, using their Secondary Classes to help out with production and the like.”

He hesitated for a moment and released a heavy sigh before he added, “I was one of them. My team was killed by a Horde of Frenzied Mesobulls, feisty creatures for anyone below the Bronze Rank, and I was the only one who survived. I was too weak to do anything against the Horde… I was the weakest, yet I survived. When I returned to our settlement, I was not the same. I focused on concocting potions and managed to create new potions, allowing me to become a Grandmaster Alchemist—an Epic Secondary Class—relatively fast. However, I did not return to combat until…”

Zachariah shook his head. “Let’s not talk about the past. Things changed… I changed. I fought and survived where stronger comrades succumbed. I grew stronger as the years passed, yet my struggles never ended. And no matter how hard I tried, nothing ever worked out. Just as I thought things would turn out for the better, the Earthen Union fell, and the rest of the cosmos followed.”

David nodded slowly. He could fathom how the Regressor was feeling, but he was most definitely not the right person to console Zachariah.

“Let’s not talk about the past,” he repeated instead, his attention flicking toward the lifeless soil. “I will stay here for a bit to try out a few things. Once my Skills surpass the resistance of the wastelands, I should be able to do… something.”

David was far from confident. If anything, he had no idea what he was supposed to do with the soil drained by the Void. Studying was viable, but fixing the mess the Void had left behind?

He felt Zachariah retreat, his presence vanishing from David’s senses as he pressed his hands against the lifeless soil. Blood spread through his arms and poured from his palms into the lifeless soil, just like before. Unsurprisingly, his energy created the same effect. First, it was repelled by a mysterious force that filled every corner of the wastelands. Second, once the repelling force was pierced with brute mental force, David failed to generate the desired effect. Blood’s potency dropped to less than one-third without warning, offering no metrics or clues as to what was happening.

He cast [Purify] and infused it into the lifeless soil, but there was nothing to purify. In fact, there was nothing in the soil. No life. No nutrients. Nothing at all. It was like the soil was void of anything.

Somehow, that eerily resembles the Void. The sense of nothingness fits the power of the Void.

Sometimes, David sensed so little of the Void within the Maelstrom that it barely felt like anything. He always wondered if it were one of the Void’s attributes, but it was impossible to tell without extracting it from the Maelstrom. And that was not something he could do. Not without endangering his life. Which would have been acceptable if his chance at survival were a tidbit higher than nil.

[Weave of Life] and [Greater Restoration] were also useless. Even infusing pure Origin Essence into the lifeless soil had no effect.

David’s fingers dug into the lifeless soil to retrieve a bit. Once in his hand, he infused Blood, piercing through the repelling force and carrying it to the edge of the wastelands.

Once he found a place with more life, David dropped the lifeless soil and attempted to apply [Healing Link] to the flourishing grass blades.

Specifically, he tried to—only to fail miserably. David spent an hour modifying the Spark of [Healing Link] to be able to connect to all lifeforms, including plants, before he could return to his task.

He watched and waited.

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