Cassian slowly opened his eyes, saw he was alone . Every part of his body screamed in pain. Muscles he didn't even know existed were sore, and his limbs felt like they'd been tied to horses and pulled in opposite directions.
"...I'm still alive?" he muttered, blinking at the sky. "I think I saw death waving at me halfway through squats."
He forced himself to sit up with a grunt, noticing how his robe was soaked with sweat and dirt. Before he could even try to move, a familiar voice called out.
"There you are, sleeping beauty," Lia said, walking toward him with her hands behind her back and a teasing smile on her lips.
Cassian gave her a deadpan look. "I saw god during training. He told me to go back. Said it wasn't my time yet."
She chuckled. "Well, since you're back from the dead, it's time to pay for today's training. You owe us some healing work, remember?"
Cassian sighed. "Right, right. Heal first, food later?"
"Exactly. Cafeteria's waiting for you after you're done," she said, helping him stand.
Limping slightly, Cassian followed her into the adventurer guild's medical wing. The air was heavy with the scent of herbs and ointment. Inside, several injured adventurers were resting—some bandaged, some groaning in pain.
Without wasting time, Cassian began healing. A deep green glow shimmered around his hands as he approached the wounded.
He healed three women and two men, using his remaining mana carefully. Their injuries ranged from sword cuts to bruised ribs and sprained ankles.
"Thank you so much… I've never been healed this cheap before," one woman said gratefully.
"You really saved me. My party couldn't afford the regular fee," another added.
Cassian gave a tired smile. "Glad I could help. Just… don't go picking fights with bears, alright?"
After healing his fifth person, he staggered, mana fully depleted.
Lia appeared beside him again and gestured. "Come on. You've earned your food."
Cassian followed her down the corridor into the guild cafeteria, and what greeted him made his jaw drop.
The table was loaded.
Plates of steaming soups, roasted vegetables, thick juicy steaks, grilled fish, golden eggs, buttered breads, and bowls of exotic rice were set across the table. The aroma alone nearly knocked him out.
"Wait… all this?" Cassian asked, stunned.
Lia smiled. "Rock said to prepare a full recovery meal. He insisted. This costs more than most adventurers make in a week."
Cassian's stomach growled loud enough to scare away a small animal.
He dove in without hesitation. With every bite, his eyes lit up.
"This… this is high-end restaurant level… no, better!" he thought while chewing a piece of steak. "And it's free… well, paid in blood and tears, but still free."
He cleaned every dish on the table, licking the last of the soup from the bowl.
Just as he leaned back, Rock appeared behind him like a looming mountain.
Cassian froze. "Oh no…"
"You eat like a rat who found a dragon's hoard," Rock grunted. "Good. You need to eat more. Your body is pathetic. You'll collapse again tomorrow if you don't improve your physique."
Cassian, still chewing, looked up. "...Then can I get more food like this? Every day?"
Rock snorted. "If you heal people twice a day until your mana runs out, I'll allow three meals a day, same as this."
Cassian's eyes lit up. "Deal!"
"But," Rock leaned in closer, eyes gleaming, "I'll train you even harder starting tomorrow."
Cassian stared, fork trembling in his hand.
"He's a devil… an orc devil…"
"…Fine…" he muttered.
Evening – Healer's Guild
By the time Cassian returned, the sun had begun to set. He shuffled through the hallway like a zombie.
"Cassian?! What happened to you?" one of the healers asked.
"You look like you were trampled by a boar!" another said.
Cassian held up a hand weakly. "I'm alive. Barely. Training under a monster named Rock. I need more food if I want to survive."
At dinner, the guild chef doubled his portions. When he questioned it, the other healers simply smiled.
"It's thanks for all the help you're doing. You're saving lives."
"Cassian, you're one of us now. And we look after our own."
The warmth of their words, combined with the food, almost brought tears to his eyes.
"Everything's finally going well… except my body. It feels like it'll break at any moment."
Still, a small smile formed on his lips as he dragged himself to his room, collapsed on the bed without undressing, and fell asleep within seconds.
-To be continued...