Becoming Legend

It was almost noon when the trio left McGreedy's little chamber of secret.

After McGreedy gave them the scroll, he informed Ned and Toni about a gathering that will be held the day after tomorrow. The gathering was about the recognition of all the participants that passed the Selection. They will have the chance to meet all the participants that joined and passed the Selection.

Ned and Toni went to the storage room to gather their sword and dagger. There, they found out that only participants who passed are eligible to stay inside the town square. With the Selection Token in possession, they are free to roam the central plaza and market.

Handing them the list of all the participants who passed, they were surprised that Xi wasn't on the list. It was only twenty who passed, twenty-two with the addition of Ned and Toni.

"Toni, you said, Xi" - Ned crumpled the piece of paper that was handed to him. - "passed?"

Ned was worried about what had happened to Xi, although meeting him for a short time, Xi was able to be useful to the group. Without Xi's mechanical knowledge, they might not have the chance to leave the Goblin infested cave.

"Uh," Toni nodded. "The Handler informed me that the three of us passed, and was given the Selection Token as a proof."

After Ned went unconscious, Toni stayed beside him, barely sleeping and eating. And since Toni was timid to talk to others, she rarely went outside the room. With that, the two do not have any knowledge of where Xi was.

"We can't leave until we knew what happened to Xi." Ned handed the paper back to the Handler.

In order to enter the town hall, anyone - aside from the guards, must leave their weapons inside the storage room. The Handler who was stationed there must keep a list of who stored their weapons, in and out. And Xi was one of them.

"Kids, by Xi you mean Xi of Chinok Island?" An old-looking man intervened. An attendant who supervised the storage room. "Dark hair, medium built, slightly bigger than you?" - The old man pointed to Ned. - "the one with broken bow and arrow?"

"Yes old man sir, that's him," Ned answered. Ever since he knew that he was once a clone and lived more than a hundred. Ned tried to act according to his current age. And properly addressing someone older than him is a matter of choice, to avoid suspicion. Ned must act and speak like a thirteen-year-old kid.

"According to our information, Xi of Chinok voluntarily revoked his Selection Token." The Handler said. "As to why he wouldn't tell."

A moment of pause was ended by a knocking outside.

Ned and Toni decided to wait for the gathering to ask Mage Park regarding the situation of Xi since they were nowhere to be found.

The three then left the room and went outside the hall.

Outside, the town was back to the way it was. The market was now bustling with traders, high-classed citizens walked the street, and outsiders filled the plaza.

Exiting the gate, they saw that nothing had changed, whether there was a Selection or not, the outside market was always dark, it was filled with different individuals, not merchants or the rich, but runaways, and criminals, as usual.

Ned decided to leave Coco with Toni, and moved on their separate ways and will meet again at the gathering.

Toni went back to the orphanage where Lady Zoeena was eagerly waiting for the good news.

O'rriadt Island existed between the borders of Cassan and the Ekan Continent. And since O'rriadt was far situated from the Griffith Kingdom and Zolin Empire, everything here wasn't strict. Criminals, outlaws, and runaways filled O'rriadt Island. With a limited number of town guards—who weren't properly trained, stationed outside the gate, a fight always broke out.

In town, there was someone who was excited enough when a fight broke out. None other than the only Healer in town, Granny Lola. With all the fighting. Injuries and wounded are coming in and out her ramshackle one-stop healing cabin.

After Ned left Toni and Coco, he went to where his Master was, to Granny Lola's sanitarium. The only medical infrastructure outside the gate of O'rriadt.

Although exhausted, Ned wasn't going to Granny's to ask to be rejuvenated, but it was to hand over the Scroll to his master and learn a bit about Mana Burn.

According to his Master, Granny Lola was once a Hunter able to cast tier two and three healing spells. But due to technological and alchemical advancement, healers were slowly brushed off a hunting team. Potions replaced the tier-one healing spell 'Heal', Healing scrolls replaced the tier two healing spell 'Group Heal', and Trinket of Protection replaced tier-three Healing Spell 'Dispell Curse'.

Granny Lola decided to settle to a remote island where technology had less influence. And O'rriadt Island didn't let her down.

For one copper coin per tier-one healing spell, which is equal to ten Pica Coins, her life on the island was made prosperous.

Ned saw people we're lining up going to Granny Lola's healing cabin. Some obvious wounds we're caused by magical creatures, stab wounds in the neck, dislocated shoulder and arms, cut off ears, and wounds that made the people grind their teeth.

The cabin was enough for two to four people to fit inside. Made of wood and based with stone, ornamented by seashells, the cabin was fit to be called the only healing place in town. The cabin was divided into two with a wooden wall. The first room was where Granny heal her patients, the second was where she kept all her belongings.

Ned entered the cabin using the back door, where he and his Master used to pass when they visit Granny Lola.

"Kid, you're here, " Lola said. Her old wheezy voice welcomed Ned. Her messy gray hair stood to where the sun shined. According to earth's data, she must be in her sixties. Her old sagging skin danced when she raised her arms. "Let me finish this," she raised her arms and muttered some words as low as she could. "This dimwit has here been coming in and out lately." Lola paused and recited her spell. "Heal!"

White and green light formed on Lola's hands, then the light slowly sipped inside the man's wound. The man, whose left eye was made into a waterway, instead of water, blood flowed on his eye, slowly the wound closed. It wasn't fast, but the healing was fast enough to be noticed by the naked eyes. Seconds later the wound was now completely healed, but blood was still on the man's face.

ICE, you got that? Ned resounded his system through his thoughts. Analyze, he muttered.

[Affirmative Ned.]

[Analyze complete.]

[Judging by the data the Host gathered. The healing process was aided by Magic.]

[Given time. Wounds inflicted on human bodies will heal naturally. But with the aide of Healing Magic, it helped the cells heal at two times the speed.]

Back at the Empire of Sskat, Mages who were able to master tier nine or ten spells are able to re-attach sliced off limbs.

But here. Ned relaxed his finger on his chin. With their knowledge about human anatomy, if they have knowledge at all, all they can do was to accelerate the healing process. Not cure the root of the problem. Ned pondered for a moment, not realizing that Granny Lola was giving him a cup of tea.

Receiving the cup of tea, Ned asked. "Granny, have you seen my Master?"

Ned could hear crying outside the cabin. The commotion was getting louder and louder. Loud that it was enough to be heard inside the second room.

"Oh, Will." Granny sipped a cup of tea. "I asked him to fetch me a bundle of healing grass. I'm sure he'll be back any minute by now."

"How was he, Granny?" Checking the surrounding, Ned could hear the commotion getting louder.

"Well, Will is always Will," She lifted her chin with her eyebrows met at the center. Granny then peeked outside and shouted. "Shut up! You dimwits! Let me take a rest! If you want to die, go somewhere else! But not here!" And back to where she sat. "Where were we? Ah yes, Will, he's fine, don't worry about him." She smiled.

"Also, Granny what do you know about Mana Burn?"

"Mana Burn you say. Why did you ask?" This time, Granny coughed in between her voice. Sipping another cup of tea.

"Well, my friend, I wanted to help him. But, I don't know anything about Mana Burn, so maybe, you could help me, Granny." Ned said. "He used too much of his Mana, so, now the Healers inside the town said he was Mana Burned."

"Well, Mana Burn," Granny lean his hands on her forehead, trying to remember something. "At first, Mana Burn wasn't so serious. Until you get Mana Burned the second, then the third until there's no Mana to burn." She paused. "Then it will be your Life Force next, remember, once your Magic uses your Life Force. It will be your last. After that, you won't be able to cast Magic Spells anymore. For the rest of your living life."

Ned looked at the cup of tea he was holding. Looking deep inside the cup, the same as he looked at his thoughts. "Life Force," Ned muttered. "What is Life -"

Then Ned and Granny heard a thud outside the healing room.

"What is it this time! You dimwits!" Granny stood and paced the outside. Ready to scold whoever made the thud.

Outside, Granny saw a young kid lying on the ground, bathing of blood.

" I said. If you want to die. Go outside! But not here!" Granny cried. "Hey, kid! Stand up, I have no time now, be back later, try to hold the remaining blood you have."

Ned heard Granny, and can't stop himself from checking what had happened outside.

Going out, Ned saw a familiar face lying on the ground, full of blood. He ran.

"Xi!"