"What? That's it?"
I thought I'd get some kind of memory flood that would make my head explode, or maybe some mind-blowing enlightenment that would let me see the world differently. But nope, I didn't feel anything.
It was just like buying an item in a game. There was no change in my body at all.
"Do I need to activate this ability?"
Maybe I had to trigger it first to feel its effects.
But as soon as I tried activating it, a blue screen popped up in front of me.
[ World History Records ]
[ Please search for the information you desire. ]
It looked like the homepage of a basic website. Just a globe logo and a search bar.
I thought this ability would get uploaded into my brain instantly and all of history would be recorded in my head. So I'd know everything about the future, just like in those reincarnation novels. But nope, that's not how it works.
It's more like accessing Wikipedia or Britannica. I guess I'll need to do some research if I want to know what happens in the future. Kind of annoying, but still better than knowing nothing at all.
You could say World History Records is a digital encyclopedia.
"Ah... I had way too high expectations."
Since I'd already bought it, I might as well give it a shot.
When I tapped on the search bar, a virtual keyboard appeared. I typed in the keyword Viking, and a ton of articles about the Vikings filled the screen.
[ What Was Viking Religion? ]
[ Did Viking Women Fight? ]
[ The Longships: Viking Sea Vessels ]
[ Differences Between Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish Vikings ]
All the articles were connected to the keyword I'd entered.
I clicked on one titled "Vikings (People)." As soon as I did, a bunch of text, along with some illustrations, filled the screen, complete with captions under the images for explanations.
"Wow, this really is like an encyclopedia."
As I read through the article, I learned a few things that shifted my perception of the Vikings a bit.
Turns out, being a Viking was actually a job, not an ethnicity. The word "Viking" comes from Old Norse. Víkingr means "Viking person" and víking means "Viking activity." The word vík in Old Norse means "small bay" or "inlet."
As I was reading, something popped into my head.
"Wait a minute. Can I look up the history of anesthesia?"
I know a little bit about the history of medicine. As far as I remember, the discovery of modern anesthesia was credited to an American dentist. However surgical procedures have been around for ages. There's no way they performed surgeries without some form of anesthesia, right? They must've had something back then.
I started searching with the keyword anesthesia.
[ Horace Wells, Pioneer of Surgical Anesthesia ]
[ History of Anesthesiology ]
[ Medical Milestones: The Discovery of Anesthesia & Timeline ]
[ … ]
There were tons of articles, but most were about the 19th to 20th century, and I'm living in the 9th century. There's a huge gap between their tech and knowledge.
I needed to dig up some records about anesthesia from before the 9th century.
"This is gonna take all night, huh."
So, I started browsing.
From my research, I found mentions of anesthesia being used in surgeries in prehistoric and early historical periods.
The Edwin Smith Papyrus records ancient Egyptians using some kind of salve or herbal drink to relieve pain, but it doesn't specify the ingredients.
Hippocrates and Galen, two legendary doctors from Ancient Greece and Rome, also talked about using substances like mandrake, opium, and wine mixed with various herbs to reduce pain before medical procedures.
There were also records from Medieval Islamic history. Interestingly, their scientific and medical knowledge was incredibly advanced, and some of their discoveries are still used today (modern era).
But none of the articles really helped me.
All the articles I read mentioned using opium for anesthesia. Opium comes from poppy flowers, which grow in warm climates like the Mediterranean, West Asia, and parts of Central Asia.
Meanwhile, I'm stuck in Scandinavia, where it's cold with long winters. Finding opium here would be tough. My only option would be to buy it. According to one of the articles I read, Vikings sailed east for trade.
"This is gonna be such a hassle."
But even getting opium through trade has its issues. First, I have no clue where I am right now. Second, I don't know where to buy it. Third, I have no idea how much it costs.
Finding opium seems harder than finding an alternative anesthetic.
"Looks like I'm pulling an all-nighter."
I decided to dive deeper into my research. There were still hundreds of articles waiting for me.
And it turned out to be a good decision.
While reading through the history of traditional Chinese medicine, I found a biography about a legendary doctor from the 2nd century, during the Three Kingdoms era—Hua Tuo.
The article mentioned that Hua Tuo used a mixture of boiled marijuana and wine to create an anesthetic effect on patients before surgery.
"Marijuana, huh? Interesting."
I remembered reading an article earlier about Viking life. It mentioned that the Vikings used hemp plants to make ropes and fabric.
The Latin name for hemp is Cannabis sativa. It's a type of marijuana.
"Maybe I can use Hua Tuo's method to make an anesthetic."
There's just one small problem.
As far as I know, modern marijuana has a high level of THC, which gives it analgesic and sedative effects, because it's been cultivated that way. I have no idea how much THC is in the local variety here.
"I'm not sure if this will work, but it's worth a shot."
…
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Loud bangings on my door woke me up.
I heard Ingrid shouting from outside, but I was too tired to get up. I'd stayed up all night reading hundreds of articles on how to make an anesthetic. My eyes and body were too exhausted to move.
"Hey, Maikal! I know you're awake! Open the door, or I'll break it down!"
Hearing her getting more pissed off, I dragged myself out of bed and lazily opened the door.
With my eyes half-closed, I could tell she was glaring at me.
"The sun's already high, and you're still in bed," she mocked.
"What do you want?"
Ingrid shoved a large bullhorn into my chest. When I grabbed it, I realized it was filled with liquid.
"What's this?" I asked.
"That's the mead you ordered yesterday. Ranulf, the mead maker we met, had some leftover stock. He told me to bring it to you."
"Ah, got it."
After handing over the mead, Ingrid turned to leave. I called out to her before she got too far.
"Hey. Want to smoke weed with me?" I asked.
Ingrid didn't answer right away. She just stared at me, raising one eyebrow.