Atniel's speculation makes Irvine look dumber than a rock in a sock drawer. Forget about the possibility of him dating that elf girl; the mere thought of a popular student being interested in him sends dopamine flooding his brain.
But the joy lasts only until a certain nurse enters the room, bringing bad news like a rain cloud on a sunny day.
"You've torn your left hamstring, and it's pretty bad!"
Irvine's face suddenly goes pale, like he just saw a ghost. The nurse gives him a light smile, trying to be comforting.
"Don't worry! We have someone who can heal your injuries and restore them to their original condition—as if you'd never been injured at all!"
That's what she says, but it's not enough to dispel the anxiety plastered across Irvine's face.
"How long will it take to heal my leg?" he asks, panic creeping in.
"After 15 minutes of surgery, you'll be able to attend classes with a crutch. And it'll only take two weeks of recovery before you can walk normally."
"Two weeks? That's too long!" he exclaims, sounding like a kid who just found out dessert is delayed.
"Look, kid! That kind of injury normally takes four months to heal. You should be grateful we have a great doctor at this academy! Just wait; she'll be here soon!"
The nurse leaves Irvine in a state of despair, and he has every reason to be worried. Talk about bad timing, his next mission to Flemur is only two days away.
About half an hour later, a stunning woman in glasses and a white coat, with light brown hair styled in a cute bun, enters the room, studying the MRI results like she's deciphering ancient hieroglyphics. Knowing who she is, Irvine's face lights up with hope.
"Prof. Greene! You're here?"
Despite looking fresh as a daisy, she's already a professor in clinical medicine and is renowned as the best witch doctor in the country. That's Prof. Emily Greene, the vice principal of Ezlenmir Academy. It's rare for Irvine to meet her due to her busy schedule in the Royal City of Pragon.
She stands there, scanning the MRI results, before glancing at Irvine with a look colder than a snowman's heart.
"Irvine Donovan, a Seed E student from the second grade. I've heard quite a lot about you!"
Irvine can only muster an awkward smile. Who would've thought someone as great as her would know about him? But then she continues…
"The least talented recruit in the academy's history—almost useless, yet they still let you study here. I'm not trying to insult you, but you need to understand something. When the academy judged you as a Seed E recruit, we did so after careful consideration. No matter how hard you push your body in training, you will never surpass your limited potential."
"No, I—"
Prof. Greene cuts him off by dropping the MRI papers on the treatment bed like they're a hot potato.
"Some tendons connecting your biceps femoris to your lower knee have been torn. And it's pretty serious. This kind of injury is rare for a skinny person like you, who doesn't have enough body weight to put too much strain on your leg muscles when moving."
"Unless you're using mana to make those muscles work beyond their capacity. And as far as I know, you don't have the ability to do this, nor have we taught you for a reason. So, which teacher told you to do this kind of training, using mana to activate muscle cells to this extent?"
Knowing he can't possibly mention Atniel, Irvine rubs the back of his head, grinning awkwardly while avoiding eye contact like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"I don't even understand what you just said!"
"Don't hide it from me, kid! This kind of curriculum shouldn't be taught to Seed E recruits like you because it'll only harm your body. That teacher needs to be punished."
"No, wait! I only took a test given by Elea Adlen to join the next mission. And I pushed myself to pass! Please, Prof. Greene! The mission is in two days, and I can't fail this one!"
Prof. Greene squints, doubt written all over her face. She finds it hard to believe that he unknowingly used mana for body activation in a test without anyone teaching him first. But she knows enough about the test since the elf girl talked about it with her and Head Master Rugal earlier this morning.
After a sigh, she tells Irvine to lie down on his stomach so she can check his injured thigh.
"Forget about that mission! There's no way we're letting you go in this condition!"
"But they will—"
"Yes! They'll kick you out of the academy! You should be grateful I'm taking the time to treat your injury before they boot you out. Out there, you won't have enough money to fix this injury, and you'll definitely be disabled for life!"
However, as she gently rubs the back of Irvine's thigh to re-examine his condition, confusion suddenly flashes across her face. She pulls her hand back and glances at the MRI scan results again.
Without a word, she storms out of the room, leaving Irvine in a daze. Moments later, the previous nurse returns, accompanied by a male medical officer. They whisk Irvine away for a re-examination.
Professor Greene supervises from the monitor, and to her surprise, the new MRI scan results show that Irvine's thigh muscle injury is no longer as severe as when she examined him earlier.
"What's going on here?" she mumbles in puzzled. "Is there something wrong with the device?"
"I'm going to check it," says the male operator, darting off to investigate.
Prof. Greene remains silent, trying to make sense of this oddity. Then her attention is diverted by Irvine, who is currently stretching his left back thigh like it's a yoga class.
"That stupid, useless kid!" she snaps, annoyed. "What the hell are you doing? Are you not aware of your current condition?!"
"Ah, no! I no longer feel any pain! I think my leg has been—"
"You fool! Get back on the table and lie down!"
She pulls out some mana in her palm and uses it to grip Irvine's left thigh.
"I'm the one who will cut your thigh open and reattach your severed tendons! Don't you understand how complicated that procedure is? And I don't want you to make my job any more complicated than it already is!"