Kiran arrived at the chamber of the [Healer], only to see a line of patients already waiting to be treated. His racing heart calmed a bit but his hands continued to tremble in fear.

He tried to shake off the trembling before he entered the chamber and took his seat beside 2 women and 3 men, all of whom wearing azure robes of the azure moon. Kiran greeted them with folded hands before his first patient came in with a large gash across his arm.

The man had been working in the kitchen, prepping for the next morning’s breakfast, when the monster had attacked. The resulting tremble had caused the nearby racks to fall on him. ‘He is lucky to survive with just a gash.’ “[Anatomy Vision],” Kiran mumbled and his patient became a translucent mess of azure light. Within the azure light, blood flowed like worms digging through flesh.

However, the image was unclear with the fine capillaries and veins merging into one. Kiran focused his vision on the man’s arm and narrowed his eyes. It was only after he had confirmed that there was nothing stuck into the flesh that the white-clad man cast his Spell. “[Stimulate].”

The patient winced as his flesh pulsed and began to knit itself at a glacial pace; though, the pace of knitting being visible was an achievement in itself. Kiran kept the Spell active long enough for the blood to stop. He had no intention of completely healing the patient and wasting his mana. He then bandaged the young man’s arm and let him go.

His next patient came in delirious and blind. The man had been descending the stairs when the creature had attacked. As a result, he had lost his balance and fell, causing his head to hit the stairs hard. Kiran furrowed his brows and once again mumbled, “[Anatomy Vision].”

The patient’s translucent, azure figure appeared and Kiran focused on his head only to find the movement of blood-worms to be restricted and slow. They didn't move as freely as they did in the rest of his body. Rather, they seemed to form patches and blockades. “Please take him to [Curer] at the last station.” Kiran’s brows straightened and he addressed the guardian of the patient. “He had blood clots in his head, and I do not possess the necessary Skill to deal with it.”

“Is this…” The guardian hesitated, “…he will be alright, won’t he?”

“You do not need to worry.” Kiran nodded at the man. “This just need Tier 2 Skill, [Sever]. It’s nothing serious.” As the guardian opened his mouth to speak, another man came in running, carrying a woman on his back. He placed the woman on Kiran’s table to beg, “Please! Pl-please save her!”

Kiran dismissed his earlier patient and as the stretcher became free, shifted the woman onto it. “What happened?” He furrowed his brows and asked after he activated [Anatomy Vision]. The woman’s body seemed to become translucent but the blood that had always flowed like worms remained still.

“She was bathing when the monster attacked! I don’t know what happened but when I went to get her, he was in lying in the pool! N-not breathi-

The man continued to speak but Kiran stopped listening as he dismissed the Skill.

“-I brought her here as fast as I could. Please save her!”

Kiran sighed and closed the woman’s unblinking eyes.

0.0

It took Kiran a few hours to get over the feeling of doom and death that the monster’s attack had left him with. And by the time he had recovered, there had been an obvious sense of excitement present in the crew. It didn't take much effort to find the cause of the excitement. Though, it did make him roll his eyes.

The excitement wasn't from some major achievement but because the captain had authorised the use of Chambermaids. It seemed that he had felt the need to calm his men after the encounter and had offered Chambermaids as distractions and rewards.

After a bit of thought, the excitement did seem fair enough; these men had been on the sea for quite a few months and the sprawling waters made even the strongest feel lonely and small. Thus, the captain’s decision did seem quite well thought out.

Chambermaids were a curious existence in the world. They were criminals, convicts and political prisoners that had been ordered to suffer continuous humiliation, torture, perversion and punishment.

Or they were people that had offended someone high up the social chain. Though, given the nature of the world that was ruled by [Karma] and [Surplus], the latter was quite a bit rare. However, it did exist.

Chambermaids were more often than not men that had their forms forcibly changed to that of women through curses. For the real women were a priceless commodity and sold directly to the nobles. It was only the men that were cursed such as they were of no other use.

These men, that had been cursed into being women, then had their fertility nullified through even more curses. But curses could not block someone’s access to their Status. Nothing could.

Thus, their mana was bound instead.

These new women were then auctioned off to registered buyers for a lifetime of disgrace, torment and rape.

Though as these people had initially been men, few people bought them for their own use. Rather these condemned were, more often than not, bought by shipping companies for their sailors who, after a few months on sea, were desperate enough to care not for the previous forms of these women. As a result, these cursed women, that had once been men, were also called Sailor’s wives.

Kiran sighed. It was more than likely that he would be called on to heal a few of these Chambermaids after the sailors had their share of fun. Or maybe even before that. He was, after all, one of the few healers on the ship.

Shaking his head, Kiran ignored the topic and instead asked about their escape from the swimming calamity. No sooner had he asked than the answer had been presented to him. It seemed the tale of their survival had become an epic tale of the victory of mortals over monsters.

Kiran had enjoyed the animated retelling of the sailor and if he had not been there himself, he might have believed it too. Though, now that the fear no longer plagued his mind, the contents had been more or less what he had guessed. The [Ship Captain], had used Tier 3 effect of the Skill [Link] along with his Tier 2 Spell [Set Sail] and run away from the creature.

Kiran sighed. Tier 2 and Tier 3.

His heart ached when he thought about higher tiers. Despite being on the ship for more than half a year, he had yet to increase his [Reflection]. If this continued, then the higher Tiers may as well remain a dream.

-X-

Within a desolate desert, inside a dilapidated shop, on a simple chair, a youth seemingly slept.

-X-