Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 40B1 - Horde I

A light touch with [Cleanse] active was enough to remove the corruption. It couldn’t have rooted very deeply in the patients’ Souls. While maintaining [Cleanse] wasn’t expensive, each use cost quite a bit. Energy consumption decreased significantly after [Cleanse] reached Rank V, but the cost was still high, with nearly two-hundred patients needing it.

He had to split his attention, releasing tendrils of holy power into the surroundings to access the ambient Aether. He pulled it into his energy pathways where he could fully annex it. David swiftly annexed the ambient Aether, relying on the Recovery Serum for support.

The first dozen patients drained less than a quarter of his Holy Sea’s reserves, but David soon noticed something troubling: each use of [Cleanse] seemed to drain his reserves more than the last as if his holy power was bleeding away faster with each use. But the escalating drain wasn’t due to a problem with the Skill Rune or his Holy Sea.

David perceived a subtle change in the atmosphere. Everyone around him was more tense as the seconds trickled by, which David mistakenly assumed to be due to the Horde’s emergence.

Initially, he was certain everyone was surprised and tensed up when the Beckoning of Darkai reached them, but the shockwave itself wasn’t the problem. David only realized this when a young dwarven Mage suddenly swung his Mage’s Wand at him.

“I am trying to heal you!” David cursed, lunging at the Mage’s Wand to move it aside. He pushed past the Mage’s Wand and flicked the dwarf’s forehead with [Cleanse].

Something in the Dwarf’s eyes changed. His anger-distorted expression eased up, and the glimmer in his eyes dispersed. It almost felt like a cloud of anger oozed from the dwarven Mage’s eyes.

“S-Sorry…I…what happened?” David heard, but he’d already turned away to cleanse more patients.

Their mind is foggy. The Beckoning of Darkai affects their emotions. It takes root in the Soul and does something to the mind.

He swallowed hard as his eyes drifted across the makeshift camp. The situation wasn’t too bad yet because everyone appeared shocked by the demonic shockwave, but it was only a matter of time before the corruption got to them.

Everyone he’d cleansed seemed confused, as if trying to understand what was going on, whereas the corrupted changed slowly. They were unstable.

David kicked off the ground, accelerating as he unleashed [Cleanse] nearly four dozen times before breaking into a cold sweat. The mental strain of using [Cleanse] this often was a burden, but it didn’t induce a headache. The Mental Fortitude Serum appeared to work wonders. It did exactly what it was supposed to do, granting David enough mental power to keep going.

He was drenched in sweat, but his lips curled into a thin smile. His Holy Sea was screaming at him, just like his energy pathways: both were drained, and it would take some time for the remaining natural Aether to transform into usable holy power.

However, almost one hundred patients remained. The energy needed to cleanse them increased as the corruption spread, but that was not even the worst problem.

David heard a commotion and turned, wiping the sweat from his eyes with a frustrated scowl.

At first, it looked like a wave of darkness was approaching, but David’s eyes adjusted, revealing the true threat.

The wave of darkness was the Demon Horde! The Horde, made up of hundreds of dark creatures, was coming in their direction. It was almost like the Horde knew where Arc was located.

Can they sense us? Ah, fuck it!

David accelerated again, his mind split to check on his Holy Sea and to keep checking the surroundings. The cultivation replica and the Recovery Serum weren’t enough to fuel his Holy Sea. Not when he was tending to this many people.

Faint glimmers of crimson motes came to light near his Holy Sea, but David didn’t reach them immediately.

The crimson motes consume something: but what? Is it a good decision to use the crimson motes to take care of the remaining patients when the real battle has yet to start?

David considered overexerting the Holy Sea, but he couldn’t afford to damage the Holy Sea just yet, either. It was needed against the Demon Horde.

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“It’s not enough. This is not going to work like this!” David grumbled while accessing his status. He glanced at the Attribute Point he’d acquired from the Fang Den’s clearance reward and put it to good use.

[One Attribute Point has been used to enhance the User’s Soul.]

Low(Basic) → Low(+)(Basic)

Holy power surged into David from all directions. He didn’t know where it came from, but it was there, flooding his body. It surged through his energy pathways, altered the natural Aether, and affected the ambient Aether in the surroundings simultaneously. Holy power flooded his Holy Sea as it expanded. The sensation was liberating, exactly what he needed.

He accelerated again, his hands glowing vibrantly.

[Cleanse] remained active, steadily draining David’s recovering holy power, but he didn’t mind. Within a minute, his Holy Sea stopped expanding, and the flood of holy power ceased. Still, David kept tending to the final batch of patients.

Some patients, on the verge of madness, lunged at him, but he easily evaded their attacks. He touched them lightly while escaping their blades and projectiles and kept moving.

His entire body was sweaty, and his Holy Sea was as dry as a desert when he was done. However, his work was done. With his allies freed from corruption, a pair of gratifying notifications appeared.

[Proficiency of Cleanse reached 100%.]

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[Tier-0 V] → [Tier-0 VI]

[Your Rank increased by one.]

[Iron VIII] → [Iron IX]

[One Attribute Point has been added.]

“I wanted to upgrade Body to the next level to squash the Demons…” David grumbled under his breath while checking on his Holy Sea and energy pathways once more.

His energy pathways were already in a sorry state. Pushing them too much wouldn’t do any good, but it wasn’t like David could listen to the voice of reason.

A horde of demons appeared, their grotesque, squishy hides gleaming under faint light. David’s stomach twisted at the sight of their twisted wings and hollow eyes.

David could make out all these details about their enemies—the Darkai—for one simple reason: the first group was fast and already about to pounce on a well-armored man.

Isn’t that Torb?

He kicked off the ground and shot forward, unsheathing the warrior longsword to reach Torb, when another familiar face entered his sight. Melach approached Torb slowly. The ground around him was shaking, the air crackling. David’s hair stood up to its end as Melach raised his wand. The mana within the elf was surging. He had never sensed it before, but now he perceived it instinctively.

A surge of energy—mana, David assumed—crackled from Melach’s wand, forming a formidable projectile of blue light. He could feel its intensity as Melach released the blast.

The surge of mana died down, and a single droplet of sweat trickled down Melach’s temple as the [Arcane Blast] exploded amid the group of Demons. Grotesque screams filled the surroundings, but David’s eyes were trained on Melach and Torb.

Torb remained tense, his stance defensive, but no Darkai emerged from the [Arcane Blast]'s explosion.

David’s heart drummed wildly as he closed the distance to Torb and Melach.“You really did it?” He heard Torb asking.

“Did what?” He asked curiously, stepping closer only to be ignored.

“We needed strength,” Melach commented lightly.

“You won’t make your family proud by dying a stupid death,” Torb snorted, turning away.

That was a low blow, but David didn’t think Melach minded.

Melach turned to him and nodded subtly, “You did a good job there. The other Clerics reacted too slowly.”

“And there is no need to worry. I won’t die. I took a risk but was rewarded for it,” Melach added. He must have seen the confusion on David’s face.

But what did Melach do? He was curious, but the Darkai were thirsting for blood, and they didn’t waste any time trying to quench it. They charged ahead, forcing him to react quickly.

Body is nice, but the Soul is better.

[One Attribute Point has been used to enhance the User’s Soul.]

Low(+)(Basic) → Middle(-)(Basic)

The improvement to the Middle threshold was far more potent than a rank increase of the same threshold. His body was again flooded with holy power, but it seemed more potent. Almost purified.

Power surged through him, his Holy Sea swelling to meet it. David took a steadying breath, feeling the weight of his longsword in his grip, and fixed his gaze on the nearest demon’s hollow, void-like eyes.

His heart thundered like a war drum as he stepped forward to face his first enemy.

It was suitable. Perfect even.

A war was exactly what David needed.

It was what awaited him.

Bloodshed and death.

He dashed forward, facing his first enemy head-on.