Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 51: The Right Price

The tangy scent of blood filled the air of the room as Thorn laid against the wooden floor, his breathing labored, the deep slash in his stomach soaking through the cloth they had pressed against it.

The Ross soldier knelt beside him, doing his best to stem the bleeding, but it was clear Thorn’s condition was worsening.

Ren clenched his fists. He could teleport back to the caravan and get the healer there, but that would mean exposing their mission.

The stakes were too high and they’d worked too hard, taken too many risks to let this slip. But Thorn was more important than maintaining secrecy.

Just as Ren was about to teleport, a memory surfaced from the depths of his mind. A piece of lore from the game.

A silent healer in the city. One who treated anyone for the right price.

Ren’s mind raced. The healer had been an obscure NPC in the game, part of a hidden quest chain.

Most players never encountered him unless they were desperate. He worked outside the laws of Albion, never asking questions, never staying in one place for too long.

If anyone could save Thorn without drawing attention, it was him.

And Ren knew exactly how to pay him.

He turned to the soldier. "Listen carefully. There’s a healer in the city I want you to get. You’ll find him near the western slums, in the old abandoned bell tower."

"Knock three times and wait exactly ten seconds. When the door opens, don’t say anything and don’t touch him. Just show him this." Ren placed the tip of his middle finger and thumb together, forming a circle with the remaining fingers stretched out straight.

"Only after the symbol will you talk. Tell him ’I bring an offer of knowledge for healing.’ He’ll understand. Bring him here immediately. And remember. He’s allowed to touch you but don’t touch him. Or you’ll die."

The soldier hesitated for only a moment before nodding and rushing out of the room.

Ren turned back to Thorn, kneeling beside him. "Help is coming. Just hold on."

Thorn’s lips curled into a weak smirk. "Why… why do I feel you’re… using one of your hidden cards on me?" His voice was strained, but there was a hint of amusement in it.

Ren nodded. "You’re worth it."

Thorn exhaled a shaky breath, staring at the ceiling. "You know why… why I follow you? Why I trust you with my life?"

Ren frowned. "You don’t have to—"

Thorn chuckled weakly, though it turned into a cough, specks of blood flying out. "Let me talk. Might be my last chance."

Ren scowled. "It won’t be."

Thorn’s smile didn’t fade. "When I was a kid, I had nothing. No future. No prospects."

"My father… he was a good man, but then my mother died. And he… he died with her."

"He had no… power," he coughed, "and without my mother, no direction."

"He wasted away… and one day, I realized it." He paused to catch his breath.

"Without power, a man is nothing." Thorn chuckled. "He gets stepped on, ignored. And without… direction, he’s useless."

Ren stayed silent, letting him continue.

"I decided then… that I would follow someone who could give me direction. Someone strong enough to carve a path through this world. I chose you."

Thorn’s breathing was shallower now, but his eyes remained sharp. "And you… you gave me more than direction."

"You gave me friendship. That’s… something I never expected. Something I didn’t think I needed." He paused. "But you made me want to live for more than just power."

Ren swallowed hard. "You’re not dying, Thorn. So save your gratitude for later."

Thorn smirked. "Alright. But you owe me a drink after this."

Before Ren could respond, the door creaked open. With all the pauses Thorn took to speak, he hadn’t realized just how much time had passed.

The Ross soldier stepped in first, followed by a figure in a long dark cloak, hood pulled low to obscure his face.

The silent healer.

He carried no visible equipment, no pack of herbs, no potions. But Ren knew better. This man didn’t need them.

Ren stood. "That will be all." He told the soldier. "Wait downstairs."

The soldier bowed and exited, leaving them alone with the healer. The room was silent, save for Thorn’s ragged breathing.

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Ren turned to the healer. "Ten healings in exchange for knowledge. I have payment."

The healer said nothing.

Ren continued. "You’re looking for something. The gold leaf. An ingredient for your immortality potion."

The healer’s head tilted ever so slightly. Still, he remained silent.

Ren pressed on. "Heal him, and I’ll tell you where to find it."

Still no response. But Ren wasn’t worried. The healer wasn’t the type to speak unnecessarily. He was, however, someone who could tell when a person was lying. And he knew Ren wasn’t lying.

The healer had been searching for the gold leaf for decades and now, the chance was in front of him. Ren knew he could have asked for more healings in exchange but he didn’t care. Thorn was dying.

Without a word, the healer moved, kneeling beside Thorn and placing a single hand over his wound.

A faint golden glow radiated from his palm, spreading over Thorn’s body like rippling water. The bleeding stopped almost instantly. Flesh began to knit itself back together, the deep wound closing as if it had never existed.

Thorn let out a shuddering breath, his skin regaining its color. Within moments, he was breathing steadily again.

Ren exhaled in relief. "One healing used up. That leaves nine."

The healer stood, waiting.

Ren kept his promise. "In seventy three years, a gold leaf will bloom at the peak of Mount Arondale, east of the capital."

"It only appears once every two hundred years. If you want it, you can only get it now. You can’t live long enough for the next one."

The healer gave a single nod before turning and walking toward the door. He paused briefly, as if considering something, before stepping out and vanishing into the dark outside.

He’d made a deal for ten healings from the best healer in the world. It was times like this that made him glad he had the knowledge he did.

He let out a breath, turning to Thorn. "Still alive?"

Thorn groaned. "I feel like I got punched in the gut. But yeah. Alive."

"Fuck." Ren cursed as he sat back, feeling an exhaustion that wasn’t entirely physical. "You scared me, Thorn."

Thorn chuckled, resting his head back. "Yeah… Yeah, I know."