Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 55B1 - Pinch of Madness

David’s eyes snapped open, and his body shot upright. His soulbound weapon materialized in his hand, and he slashed out instinctively, but his blade sliced through empty air.

The Rift Boss!

A groan escaped his lips as he jumped to his feet, his head flicking everywhere to search for the monstrous Rift Boss. However, the demon was nowhere to be seen.

The floor creaked beneath his feet, sending chills down his spine. He glanced down, expecting bones, but saw only a wooden floor.

Huh?

David took several seconds to register where he was and what had happened. He was surrounded by four walls and a ceiling rather than the bloody battlefield. There was even a bed, though it was smeared with blood: probably his.

David examined his body and noticed the blood-drenched bandages covering his upper body. A grunt escaped his lips as he removed the bandages, unraveling more than a dozen claw marks and several burned spots. One of the larger marks burst open as he removed the bandages, but David paid little attention to it. He cast [Restore] on his barely treated wounds.

The wound healed, albeit slower than anticipated. He stopped bleeding within seconds, yet the claw marks didn’t close right away. They mended slowly.

“That’s odd,” David muttered. He closed his eyes to check his Source and tilted his head when he saw two droplets of Blood in it, “There is more than enough to use [Restore] at full power.”

He cast [Restore] a few more times and closed most wounds. However, the potency of his healing abilities didn’t improve over time. To be precise, David felt like his body resisted to [Restore] as he cast it on himself.

“Maybe the Rift Boss inflicted me with something that slows my recovery,” A few theories popped up in his head, “Or it’s because I used too many Serums?”

David shrugged. It might be a temporary issue and nothing to be worried about.

Pushing all worries aside, David focused on his Source again. It was full again and had grown by one droplet. That was a welcome surprise.

Then again, his left arm was still missing. It didn’t regrow suddenly.

That could have gone much better.

David clicked his tongue. He had lost an arm, but strangely devastation didn’t take hold. He considered it a small price for his life. As long as he was alive, he could always search for ways to recover his left arm.

After everything he’d witnessed since the Earthen Union’s collapse, regrowing an arm should be possible.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. Fighting the Rift Boss and its subordinates had been exhilarating, but he sure hoped it had been worth it.

As his body settled, a faint shimmer caught his attention. Notifications blinked insistently, blocking half his view. He waved his hand, dismissing the less urgent ones—level-ups and proficiency increases—and focused on the critical updates.

[You have defeated Behemoth Darkai(Rift Boss).]

[You healed your comrades, shielded them from grave harm, and vanquished powerful foes, all at the cost of your own life. Continue walking the Lifeweaver’s Path to achieve unparalleled greatness!]

[The Behemoth Darkai’s Essence has been absorbed.]

[Warning! Warning! A severe lack of Aether has been detected. A resource to supplant Aether has been located and used.]

[Your Source has grown. +1 Blood.]

David paused, rereading the notifications. They seemed connected, forming a sequence of events. Did the Rift Boss’ death lead to the growth of his Source? If so, it fit well with the Lifeweaver’s Class Description.

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“But what is this about the Rift Boss’ Essence? And the lack of Aether…”

His frown deepened as he reread the warning. Closing his eyes, he focused on his energy pathways. They were shriveled and empty as if drained.

His energy pathways were empty and shriveled as if they’d been sucked dry. Was that what the system used to replace Aether to… nourish his Source?

David put the pieces together slowly and cast [Holy Touch] once he was done inspecting the frail, shriveled energy paths. He spread the Skill Runes power through the energy pathways, which pulsed faintly as the energy seeped into them.

It wasn’t enough to revert them to their original appearance, but it was a start. He could use his Skill Runes more often and more extensively with a second droplet of Blood. Nourishing his energy pathways back to the peak and possibly beyond would be no problem.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he continued reading.

[Demon Horde has been exterminated.]

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[Main Rift(Common): Demon Torrent: has been cleared!

Connection to Subsidiary Rifts has been severed. Subsidiary Rifts collapsed!

Contribution will be calculated. Rewards will be distributed shortly.]

David discarded the remaining notifications, his attention glued to the last few sentences. Even though the clearance rewards had yet to be distributed, he was certain the system would reward him generously. He’d received the Rift Boss’ kill notification after all.

The notifications confirmed what he’d suspected. All threats had been taken care of. It was done.

His ears perked up as a rumbling resounded, and he left the room. David opened the door, his hand lingering on the worn handle as his gaze drifted across the unfamiliar surroundings until his attention landed on a window. He barely recognized the sudden silence filling the room as he approached the window.

The market square.

David recognized it instantly. The massive plaza in the center of the System Sanctuary.

He was still in Arc. It survived, and from its looks, it didn’t sustain much damage either.

David headed to the door but paused as unease prickled at him. He glanced back, sensing the tension in the room. People were staring at him. Some forced a smile on their lips and hinted at a nod, while others stared at him in…vigilance?

He saw respect but also fear in their eyes.

“T-thank you,” a high-pitched voice pierced through the tension in the room. David looked to his left to see an elven child clutching tightly onto her dress. David caught a glimpse of her emerald eyes as she glanced up, but she shuddered and lowered her head before he could say anything.

“Thank you for saving us!” someone else shouted to his right. David’s lips parted, but no word escaped his lips. His chest tightened, and an unfamiliar feeling blossomed in his heart as more residents spoke up to…thank him?

David wasn’t sure how much time had passed. The tension in the room lingered as he finally stepped into the market square. The weight of their gratitude stayed with him, a quiet ache he didn’t know how to process.

That was weird. He smiled wrily, his hand pressed tightly against his chest, But…that doesn’t feel too bad.

How long had it been since someone thanked him for something? David couldn’t recall. It must have been ages since he heard someone thank him sincerely, like the residents in the inn. It was nice and made him feel like he did the right thing by fighting for Arc’s survival. Excitement and selfish thoughts pushed him to face the Demon Rift and its Bosses, but he couldn’t help but feel great about the aftermath of his actions.

He did a great job.

As David roamed the market square, a prickling sensation settled over him. The square was too silent. Something was missing. The Protectors. There were hardly any Protectors in the market square, and those David found looked like they wouldn’t return to the battlefield for a while.

Arc had defeated the Demon Horde, but at what cost? The System Sanctuary was weaker than ever.

He regarded the Panthea for a few seconds and wondered if the Pantheon would help Arc and its residents, but discarded that thought quickly. Memories of his short encounter with Asmodeus and Bereth resurfaced in his mind, and he shuddered involuntarily.

No, the Pantheon wouldn’t help. They would have watched Arc crumble if not for their interest in him.

David’s gaze wandered to the sky, the vibrant hues of sunset clashing with the grim reality in his mind. A chuckle escaped his lips, bitter and amused.

Undead roamed the ruins of the Earthen Union, monsters unleashed death and chaos everywhere, and transcendent powers imposed their faith and dominion, reshaping the world and its inhabitants to their will.

It was as clear as day and night; The Earthen Union had gone mad, and David was part of that madness.

But he didn’t hate it.

Maybe, it took a pinch of madness to survive in a world like this.