The root of endless humiliation in Chongyang's life, his magical deficiency… could it truly be cured?
Chongyang froze in disbelief, staring intently at the face faintly visible within the flames.
"Your so-called magical deficiency isn't a true one. Those with an incurable, genuine deficiency in magic can't even cast spells from the start! In your case, where you've reached the level of a third-tier mage but can't advance further, it's actually a rare condition," the Flame Demon explained.
"A condition…?" Chongyang mumbled, his mouth agape.
"I was able to bring you back to life from the brink of death, with your body pierced through—curing your magical ailment is child's play in comparison! I can lift the heavy shackles that have bound you for so many years!" The Flame Demon spoke with an air of undeniable confidence.
"Healing… does that mean…" Chongyang's eyes widened in realization. "Are you a high-level healer?"
Healers are a specialized branch of alchemists, focusing primarily on diagnosing and treating ailments, with alchemy as a secondary pursuit. They have the ability to wield advanced healing magic, curing even the most severe injuries and illnesses, restoring or maintaining the peak abilities of mages.
However, on the continent of Orol, healers are exceedingly rare, not because of a lack of interest, but because of the incredibly stringent requirements for using high-level healing magic.
To become a healer requires immense power. High-level healing magic demands a minimum mastery at the domain level, immediately excluding the vast majority of mages who fall into the lower ranks.
Moreover, unlike general magic, advanced healing spells work directly on the internal body and even the soul. As such, these spells cannot possess elemental attributes. The five primary elements—lightning, fire, water, earth, and wind—all carry the risk of harming the body when applied internally.
Attribute-less magic is theoretically the foundation of all advanced healing spells. In practice, however, it's impossible for any mage to be completely without an elemental affinity, meaning that truly attribute-less magic does not exist. Nevertheless, a rare few possess the unique ability to reduce their magic's elemental properties to nearly zero.
In addition to this rare gift, healers must also possess an extraordinary level of control over their magic.
If advanced healing magic is like a surgeon's scalpel, then magical control is the hand holding the scalpel. It must remain utterly steady, allowing for no errors or tremors. Any mistake could turn a healing spell into a catastrophic disaster. Thus, the precision required for magical control must be extremely high.
To illustrate, imagine placing ten strands of hair together and using a fire spell so delicately that only one hair is burned. For most mages, such control is an impossible feat.
Power and talent make becoming a healer an almost unreachable goal. For those who meet these criteria, they are as rare as precious gems, valued a hundred times more than pandas. Yet, healers are indispensable to society.
In the aftermath of battles, powerful warriors who don't die on the battlefield often suffer from lingering internal injuries that diminish their strength. For some, losing their power is more devastating than death itself.
This extreme rarity and importance make healers highly revered. Every healer is treated as a treasured figure, highly esteemed by all factions and institutions.
"In other words, something inside my elemental channels is splitting them in half, turning one channel into two?"
"Exactly," the Flame Demon confirmed.
"At the beginning, when you were a Level 1 mage, the number of elemental channels was still small, and the two parallel rivers could work together to transport the elements, so your magic training was no different from others—perhaps even superior. But starting at Level 2, as more channels opened up, things became more complex. The flow of elements became disordered, and often only one river could function, which is why your magical growth slowed down. By the time you reached Level 3, the situation worsened drastically, blocking the channels altogether, and as a result…"
"I couldn't absorb more elements, and my progress came to a halt." Chongyang clenched his teeth.
The heavy shadow over his life was finally being lifted.
"So, to cure your condition, we need to remove the 'sandbar' in your elemental channels and merge the two rivers into one normal-sized channel. Not only will you recover, but your elemental flow will be twice as wide, making your magic training speed skyrocket!" the Flame Demon said with a smile.
Having naturally wider elemental channels than others made one a genius in magical cultivation.
"If I can cure this wretched condition, I'll go from being a magic failure to a magic prodigy," Chongyang thought, overwhelmed with excitement.
"But removing the 'sandbar' is not an easy task. Even with my power, I can't do it directly. We'll need to use certain medicines to dissolve it."
"What kind of medicines?" Chongyang asked.
The Flame Demon paused for a moment before listing over a dozen different herbs and potions. Chongyang committed each one to memory.
With his strong foundation in alchemy, Chongyang recognized the properties and effects of all the ingredients. After calculating in his head, he realized that out of the eighteen ingredients needed, he could source thirteen relatively easily. However, the remaining five would be much harder to obtain.
"Blood-Red Roland, Eagle Head Torra Root, Amethyst Rhino Horn Powder, Century Red Lotus Sap, and Deep Sleep Potion."
Chongyang pondered. These five ingredients were extremely rare and expensive, unlikely to be found on the common market. They could only be obtained through high-end auctions in the imperial capital. And that meant one thing—money, and lots of it.
"I need to contact my family," Chongyang realized. The money he earned from making scrolls would never be enough to buy these five rare ingredients at an imperial auction. There was no choice but to ask his family for financial help.
The thought that it might take a long time to remove the shackles weighed on him, and he couldn't help but feel a bit down.
"Don't be so dejected, kid," the Flame Demon chuckled. "While it will take some effort to cure your condition, that doesn't mean you can't start getting stronger right now."
Chongyang's eyes lit up.
"I might not be able to cure your ailment immediately, but I can start teaching you the new fire magic based on my theory right away! Heh heh heh—after you experience the true power of fire magic, I'm sure you'll be deeply captivated by it," the Flame Demon boasted. "And eventually, you will become the most powerful mage on the continent."
Chongyang looked at the Flame Demon and took a deep breath.
"Becoming the strongest mage is not something I'm dreaming about right now. At the very least, I just want enough power to protect myself and no longer be at the mercy of others," he said firmly. "But you, Flame Demon… You've given me so much. Is it really just about reviving fire magic for you? Don't you have something you desire for yourself?"
The Flame Demon fell silent for a while, his flames floating slowly to the ceiling of the room.
"This isn't part of our contract, because what I want is far more difficult than making you the most powerful mage—it's a hundred, no, a thousand times harder."
Chongyang watched him quietly.
"Once you've revitalized fire magic… if you're willing, try to see if you can help me become human again," the Flame Demon said softly, a hint of longing and melancholy in his voice.