At the police station, Mai stood and waited. When she spotted Liam and three others, she was surprised to see that they all had backpacks, making them look like they were going far away. Had she known, she would have arranged for Kenta to be taken care of.
She furrowed her brows.
"Are we going somewhere?" she asked.
"We're heading to Lund in Sweden. They've suffered a bit." Liam said as he approached her, making a slight hand gesture, and her body was enveloped in a whitish smoke.
*Whoosh*
They lifted off the ground and flew towards Sweden. Mai cast a glance at Liam flying to her right. He was known as the Wind God, renowned for his ability to perfectly control the wind element. She was embarrassed that she hadn't recognized him when he saved her that night, especially when his face was all over the media.
Later, they landed in Lund, a place with dilapidated buildings that resembled ruins. Shelters were scattered everywhere, an odd sight from above. Many people were helping to rebuild the houses, but none were using magic, as it was reserved for fighting Waves. Healers moved around, having taken up the role of medics, the only way they were recognized in the world.
While inspecting the area, Mai suddenly felt a tingling sensation in her right chest and massaged it but found no mark. Her menstruation shouldn't be due.
"There's a Wave coming." Liam said, walking over with Lira glaring at her.
She's staring at me all the time. Mai had a strange feeling in her stomach. As she examined Lira more closely, she suddenly resembled Sophie, except for the large rabbit teeth. She felt a prick in her heart and snorted. One day, she would have her revenge.
*Crack*
Small green goblins crawled out of a crack in the sky, holding spiked clubs. They rolled into a ball and sped towards the residents.
"Protect everyone." commanded Liam, flying quickly towards the goblins.
From the air, he drew a large white longbow with an arrow that he shot. As it approached the goblin horde, it split into countless small needles.
*Puchi*
They embedded themselves in the goblins, turning them into pincushions, a sight that made Mai raise her eyebrows. It looked comical. They all landed on the ground.
*Roar*
A loud roar echoed from the crack, and the ground shook violently, causing panic among the people.
"Is an earthquake coming?"
"We haven't had earthquakes in many years."
"It's definitely an earth creature."
Liam squinted his eyes and flew quickly towards the crack, clenching his right fist, covered in whitish smoke. A massive red orc head emerged from the crack, and he struck it hard.
*Bang*
It was forced back into the crack, and he flew in after it.
Mai felt a pit in her stomach, and her heart pounded rapidly. It was dangerous to "visit" the cracks formed in the sky. People had tried to fly into them, but they never returned, and once, a dog walker found a large pile of bones in the same area where there had been a crack.
Minutes passed, and Liam hadn't come out yet. The crack hadn't closed, which could only mean one thing—the boss hadn't been defeated. More goblins poured out, and Liam's team attacked them. Some residents were hit by clubs, but no one healed them. The medic team was already busy tending to those in the shelters.
Mai looked at Lira, but she didn't react to the situation; instead, she focused on the crack.
She furrowed her brow. "Why aren't you healing them?"
"They mean nothing to me. Why should I waste my energy on them?" Her response was biting.
Mai went to the injured residents and immediately began healing them. She looked up at the crack but still couldn't see Liam coming out. In worry, she shot a strong beam of Essence from her hand, spreading and covering the residents with a whitish smoke that had a golden hue.
"Wow, I feel like I'm full of energy." exclaimed a man looking down at himself.
"My leg has grown back." cried a woman, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Are you an S healer?" asked a man suddenly, looking at Mai.
Mai, who didn't hear them, was still focused on the crack while her heart pounded rapidly. It had been several minutes now. Where is Liam? She regretted that her Spirit Drain was on cooldown, clenched her fists, and bit her lip.
"You must be on par with Elaria. I haven't seen anyone heal like you. You didn't use an orb." said a woman.
Mai heard only Elaria and looked at her, blinking. "Elaria? I don't know her."
"Thank you for helping us." said the woman, giving her a friendly smile.
"You're wasting your energy on them, but you're just a C healer, so it's normal for you to help them." Lira commented sarcastically again.
Mai was about to respond.
*Whoosh*
She suddenly felt a strong gust of wind pass her, and she stood up, looking at the crack in the sky while her heart pounded rapidly.
Liam flew out with his billowing cape, his body emitting an ethereal glow with whitish and bluish hues. He landed in front of her, and as he sat down, his bloody right foot came into view. Mai hurried to kneel, but Lira beat her to it, furrowing her brow as she examined the foot. She immediately placed her hands on it, and a whitish smoke shot out, flowing into the wound.
Liam gritted his teeth, grunting, and his breathing slowed. The wound didn't heal, prompting another frown from Lira. She attempted to heal him again, but there was no change in the wound. She didn't give up and tried repeatedly.
"Holy Heal."
"Instant Heal."
"Purify."
"Cleanse."
"Maximum Heal."
Mai felt the urge to facepalm. She's wasting time with ridiculous fancy words. When Liam grunted again, she noticed his face looked deathly pale, and sweat dripped from his forehead.
She furrowed her brow and looked at Lira. "You're making it worse. Move aside."
She pushed Lira away, who got angry and pushed back.
*Bump*
Mai was forced to the side. She grunted and stared at Lira. Really?
Lira tried to heal Liam again, but her healing abilities still didn't work.
Mai looked at Liam, and as she was about to get up, she heard him say, "Lira, stop. Let Mai try."
Lira was stubborn and still tried.
"I just used the wrong method. I can do it." She bit her lip, and her face now resembled a tomato.
When Liam coughed, Mai had had enough. "His life is more important than your pride. So, for heaven's sake, move."
She pushed Lira away forcefully and sent a warm wave into Liam's leg. However, at the same moment, she felt Lira push her hard, and she fell to the ground. The beam entered the leg, unnoticed by anyone but Liam.
Lira placed her hands on the leg again and attempted to heal. Suddenly, the leg healed at the speed of light, and she raised her eyebrows.
"See, I can do it." she praised herself, looking extremely proud now.
Mai blinked and looked at her hands, grunting.
Liam got up with Lira's help, and he looked deep into Mai's eyes, giving her a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Is he blaming me?
She turned around and walked towards the residents, silently finishing healing them. She had conversations with them, asking about the situation from their perspective. It was different to hear things from the media, as they loved to exaggerate everything. There were rumors that the Spirit Temple would start a tournament where the strongest would be selected for an elite team to defend against Soul Suckers. Healers had no chance since it was all based on offense, and a healer had no offensive skills. Once again, healers were boxed into their own category.
Liam occasionally glanced at Mai, giving her a strange feeling. She knew she should apologize to him later.
They spent the entire day visiting the hardest-hit places in Sweden, ending up in Skåne, which was completely devastated.
Mai furrowed her brow as she looked around the place, resembling a landfill, and couldn't help but comment, "Is there even anything to save here?"
Liam also surveyed the area with a concerned look. "We can only save what we can."
Later at the police station, Mai quickly said goodbye to Liam's group. However, as she was leaving, Liam suddenly walked alongside her, and she looked at him.
"Are you going the same way?"
"Thanks." He gave her a friendly smile.
Mai furrowed her brow. "Thanks for what? For healing the residents?"
"I understand Lira is too fancy for it." she added.
"My leg feels much better now." he replied, looking at the overcast sky.
"Why did we go to Sweden?" she asked, curious.
Liam scratched his ear. "The Spirit Temple near Kattegat has been destroyed, but it hasn't been announced in the media yet. It probably will be soon. When it happens, people will panic."
Mai furrowed her brow. "Why Sweden? What did they do wrong?"
"It was the Mermen people. Do you remember the blue couple you met?" Liam asked with a concerned tone.
She nodded. "But why Sweden?"
He coughed lightly and revealed, "I had stopped by the temple before I ran into you."
Mai's heart raced, and she raised her eyebrows, adopting a serious expression. "So, they came after you!"
She held her left chest and felt guilty.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault." She sighed deeply, feeling a tingling sensation in her stomach.
Liam shook his head. "It's not anyone's fault. If it is, it's the god who gave us Essence. It seems the creatures stealing our souls are not from the same place."
He revealed that there was a Mr. Weisheng with a book containing accurate information about the different creatures that had invaded their world.
"According to the book, there is Hell and Heaven, and the creatures are from both places. The Mermen people are from Heaven, and there were those you met in Marbella who are from Hell."
Mai was reminded of Eucliff's words, "Lord Hell." So, there was indeed a ruler in the Netherworld, Hell. The question was whether Anya's soul resided in Hell or Heaven.
"What are you thinking about?" Liam asked.
Mai looked at her hands. "Whether there's a method to revive my sister and her dog, but it requires finding a way to Hell or Heaven."
She was reminded of when Liam had visited the crack. "Did you see anything inside?"
He shook his head. "Just a purple sky and a green forest. It could be anywhere."
"Damn. Maybe I should explore a crack myself." she commented.
"If you decide to, I'll join you. I'm sure I'll survive as long as we're together," Liam said with a chuckle.
He suddenly stopped. "by the way, have you considered getting your rank reevaluated?"
Mai didn't see the need for it since she didn't expect any change, as she could still only heal.
She shook her head.
"Maybe in the future, and it takes a long time to get an appointment. The Spirit Altar is always crowded." she sighed deeply.
Liam smiled gently. "Just let me know, and I can help you."
"Why do you want me to be reevaluated?" Mai furrowed her brow.
"So, you can get a higher salary. Right now, you're being paid as a C-rank." he reminded her.
"Only rank 10 S-classes and gods get a good salary." Mai commented.
She couldn't see why she should waste time getting reevaluated. It involved measurements, evaluations, and all sorts, like getting a passport, and it was torture for her. She didn't like that her entire future depended on a damn stone, The Spirit Stone.
"I feel strange about a stone judging my future."