Max woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. Emi landed heavily on his chest, her breathing kept pace with his. He was alive and he groveled in the revelation. His mind slowed, the bliss of sleep calling back to him. But as if he fell back to sleep, he shot up awake. He remembered. His heart started beating, faster and faster. He held his stomach as nausea overcame him. His breath was becoming more erratic and uneven. He eventually couldn’t breathe, his hyperventilated breaths doing little for him. Emi was trying to calm him down, but he was unable to even acknowledge her. An unknown old Elven man turned; his eyes narrowed on to Max. With quick and precise movements, he poked Max 3 times in his chest and twice on either side of his neck.

“It’s okay son, you are well. Calm down, you are having a panic attack.” He reached forward and slowly lowered Max back into a prone position.

Max was breathing hard, but it was noticeably calmer than a few moments ago. He was finally able to hear Emi. Her concerned panic only made him feel guilt. He reached his right arm out to scratch her, but he missed. He tried again. And again.

Oh right. My arm is gone…

Max closed his eyes, forcing himself not to cry. The old man gave him a pat on his trap-should area. It was a small and insignificant gesture, but one made of kindness and reassurance. Max breathed deep, long breaths, the memories came back to him. His meeting with Tiodepth, seeing Bishop in a pool of blood. And finally activating his racial and healing them both.

“Bishop?” Max asked, his voice cracking from the dryness of his mouth.

“Here son, let me get you some wat-” The man watched in fascination as Max seemingly created water and proceeded to drink it without the use of his hands.

“Is Bishop alright?” Max spoke again, with more confidence.

“The Drake fellow? He’s better than alright. He said that he didn’t have an ache in his body. I was told that was because of you…”

Max nodded and turned his focus to Emi. She was still scared, still shaking. Max felt even more guilty. They had to split up before, and Emi didn’t handle it well. Max could feel her fear. Fear that Max would die, fear that Max wouldn’t wake, and fear that she would never be strong enough to protect him.

Max smiled. Thank you, Emi. I was hurt, but it worked out right?

Arm. She replied.

Yeah… That sucks… Like it really sucks… But I’m alive, and Bishop is too. Besides, there were a lot of heroes from my world with one arm. Just look at Luke or Naruto, they were both badasses and they only had one arm.

Max sent her a few memories of the two. She perked up especially at the animation of Naruto. It was something she hadn't seen before. But after the memory ended, her mood went back to being sour.

It will be okay, Emi. After we finish here and get back to Lesterwood, I don’t think we will be accepting quests for a while. Maybe we can even stop by a real beach on the way back. Sort of like a vacation?

Yes. Emi said. Swim fast! Race!

Yeah yeah, we can race. Max smiled. Emi was so cute.

“That’s some bond you got there. Wouldn’t leave your side, even after the others left.” The old man said.

“I know.” Max scratched her head and sent his feeling of love and companionship to the small monster. She purred in response.

“Speaking of which, where is here?” Max asked.

“Oh this?” He gestured around the room. “This was [Arbor] Salvia’s personal clinic. He was the [Arbor] in charge of all of the healers in Esmel, after all. But now I seem to be the leader… Not sure how I feel about it to be honest.”

“Just to make sure, but the others know I am here, right? I mean in Salvia’s clinic?”

“They were the ones who brought you here, so I would hope so!” He gave Max an uncertain look.

Max sighed. “What I mean is, Saliva is a traitor. What’s stopping him from coming in here and killing me or worse.”

“Well. I suppose he would have been able to do that. If he were alive.”

“What?”

It was the old man’s turn to sigh. “[Arbor] Salvia was burned down. I guess you were in a magical coma, so it's understandable that you didn’t know.”

Max stared at the man.

“Fine, fine.” He spoke. “After what happened with you and that lizard, [Arbor] Honeygreen took action. He started with the roots and then the trunk and well… He warmed the whole city while he burned.” The old man laughed. Max let out a nervous chuckle.

“What about the city? Any attacks?”

“...Yes.”

“Oh, for the love of god, spit it out!” Max yelled.

“There have been some attacks on the perimeter.” He pointed to a bed in the corner, one of the few that was occupied. “That’s a soldier from the first rotation when the attacks started. Ambushed and most of her squad was cut down. The survivors finished off the wave and were able to bring word back. She got it the worst, out of the survivors.”

“Just attacks on the walls? Nothing in the city?”

“Son, do you think you and a few others would be the only ones in this clinic if there were attacks in the city?”

“I guess not…” Max thought for a moment. “What about her?” Max tried to point with his right arm before realizing… He couldn’t.

“What about her?”

“Why is she still here?”

“Because she’s being healed?”

“But should that have already happened?”

“Son, I know some call me a miracle worker, but magic has its limits. It takes time.”

Max blinked a few times. He looked back and forth between the bedridden woman and the old man. He shook his head and stood up. A sudden wave of vertigo attacked. He stumbled around, finding support on the bedside. He calmed himself and took a step. It was weird walking with one arm. He felt like he had to protect it. Like he was broken.

After a few moments of finding his balance, Max made his way over to the woman, slowly. She was pale and had bandages covering most of her face and torso. Fresh scars were present across her forearms and wrists. Her breathing was uneven and poor.

“What happened to her, exactly?” Max asked the old man, who followed him over.

“Abomination blindsided her with a hit to the back. Her spine was broken in multiple places, and she had a punctured lung. I honestly didn’t think she was going to make it. Spine injuries are tricky and involved.”

Max didn’t understand why she wasn’t healed yet. As far as Max understood, magic that uses life force to heal is quick. Vel was healing an open hole through his stomach while he was bleeding out from holes in other places. This woman had a few broken bones. Granted they were her spine, but Max could see why they wouldn’t heal like any other.

“When you say involved, do you mean it’s harder to heal than other bones?”

“No, they just take longer.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what healing affinity do you use?”

“Nature of course!” He laughed. “I wanted to be a [Druid] as a kid, but I had to settle with [Natural Restorationist].” Max understood now. Lester had told him that, while rare, nature healing was the slowest of the life force affinities.

“Do you mind if I try?”

“To heal her?” The old man’s brow raised. “Be my guest. I’m waiting on my mana to refill anyways.”

Max decided to go through his notifications first. He could feel something different.

Congratulations you have assisted in killing Buzluc, a level 54 Blight Wight!

1,5189,90 Experience gained!

A culmination of 5 levels in [Tidal Mage] and 7 from [Astral Dimensionist] detonated from Max. Golden and white light surged around the room, dancing. Max breathed the sweet blissful air the level up brought. He shuttered with the feeling of absolute delight, like relaxing after a stressful day. Emi followed suit, stretching into a blissful position, where she could watch Max.

Buzluc was tier three, level four. Max said to Emi.

Max glanced around, every conscious eye in the room was watching him. Granted it wasn’t that many, but the message was understood. Who is this kid, and why did he jump in levels?

While not uncommon, jumps in levels typically only happened in the lower bracket. Levels 1 through 6 could be leveled in a day with the right resources.

“Did you think the golden light was going to heal her? Cause that doesn’t work. Trust me.” The old man said.

Max shook his head. He summoned his gourd. He had already slipped, summoning water in front of the old man. Max thought it was better to not press his luck, however. Especially since he was going to heal using water. The less he showed, the better.

Water flowed from the container and was supplemented with water from the air. A water curtain raised around the bed, giving them privacy. A bubble latched on to the woman, saturating her wrappings and clothes. Max activated his newly evolved healing spell.

Congratulations through knowledge, dedication, or Divine Intervention, Soothing Mist has evolved into Divine Waters of Life. (Mythic Evolved).

Channeled.

Your healing water now uses the power of the Divine to bolster the original spell. (Source Max Fowler)

The water made quick work of her broken bones. Snaps and pops could be heard as bones aligned themselves. Her scars regrew with new and smooth skin. Scar tissue was removed around her lung and across her chest and back. At the end of it, the Elf was healed, and her breathing leveled out. She even wiggled around in her sleep, something she hadn't been doing previous.

The old man’s eyes were wide. He stuttered at the miracle. He stuttered at Max, only for Max to collapse. Max was sweating, bad. His head was pounding, and he felt unnaturally cold. Colder than when he had the flu, and colder than when he was bleeding out in the street. This coldness was something else. Something Divine.Max held onto his consciousness out of sheer willpower. He didn’t want to fall back asleep; he had slept enough. He pulled up the last part of his newest evolved spell.

(Source Max Fowler)

It suddenly made sense to him. When he used his Divine Powered racial on his healing spell, it evolved. It should have only been able to evolve like it did through Divine Intervention, but he was technically a Divine when he cast the spell. The spell was now fueled by using the power of the Divine. For Max, since he evolved his own spell, it used his Divine power but since he had very little, this was the result.

“I’m okay, I’m okay.” Max said to calm the good doctor and Emi. He sent Emi an explanation and as soon as she confirmed that he was fine, she scolded him. Words like reckless and fool, crazy and dipshit were thrown around by the little monster. Max laughed, which only caused more words to be used. Max found his footing after a few minutes and decided it was time to leave. He had places to be, and people to see.

“Please don’t talk about what you just saw. It would only end badly for the both of us.” Max added a bit of his Divine Aura to the end of the sentence.

When the doctor nodded enthusiastically and promised his silence, Max removed the privacy screen and walked out. The clinic was in an unfamiliar part of town for him. It took him a few minutes, but he found the main row that led through the layers of the city. He walked down into the city proper. Eventually he came into view of a burnt, withered large plot of land. The remains of [Arbor] Salvia. An immortal.

Guards and soldiers stood around directing curious citizens to get a move on. Max didn’t stay long. The impolite stares he received by the citizens and guards was enough reason to move. Max continued down the street. They were quiet, solemn even. Max found himself in a market.

While the markets in Lesterwood were filled shoulder to shoulder at times the markets in Esmel were desolate. Max had been to the markets in Esmel before he fell unconscious, and they were nothing like this. They had life, they had spirit. Now, with the potential for death on the horizon, they were empty.

“Why aren't you staying home like the others?” Max asked one of the few vendors.

The man had a small cart with a griddle and grill on top. Sweet smelling skewers of meat quietly sizzled against the hot charcoal. The man looked weak, malnourished, and sickly. His clothing was ripped and torn, showing pale skin beneath. His hair and beard were overgrown and paired with his calloused hands; the man reminded Max of a lumberjack.

“Have no home to go to…” He spit. “My village was destroyed by the undead. All of my people had to migrate here.”

“You're a refugee then.”

“Indeed.”

“Where are the others? Your people?”

“Some moved in with family or friends. Others like me” He gestured around. “Are on the streets.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Max looked at the skewers. “How much for your whole stock?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly before returning to their tired and glazed state.

“A few silver… Why?”

Max smiled and removed a bundle of gold. He dropped it directly into the man's hands and with one smooth swipe, placed all of the skewers into his inventory. Apples, other fruit, dried meat, and some fish appeared on the cart.

“I hope you find your way back home.” Max said before turning to leave.

Max listened to the man yelling words of thanks as quietly chomped down on his fresh skewers. Emi sat happily on his shoulder, enjoying her own skewer. They walked through a small residential district next. It was out of place. Normally this close to the center was filled with government buildings or churches. These buildings were different, however.

They had flat land connected to them, something rather rare in the dense forest of Esmel. As Max got closer, he understood why. It wasn’t a residential district; it was a school district. The flat land was a place for the children to play. There was small climbing equipment and even slides. It reminded Max very much of life back home. A playground.

Max smiled as he walked by. There were no kids around, they were probably with their families. The threat of terrorism seemed to be a running theme as Max walked through the city. Suddenly his arm didn’t seem to be that big of a deal. People's lives were at stake. People’s homes and schools. People’s jobs and their hope. Esmel couldn’t fall, Max wouldn't allow it.

Max quickened his step through the city. Now, he was able to see Honeygreen’s trunk through the dense foliage. Honeygreen still stood higher than the clouds, like he was reaching to the heavens. Maybe it was a near death experience. Maybe it was a renewed life. Maybe it was that Max was simply maturing. But Max saw things differently. He saw things for what they were, beautiful, inspiring, nurturing, even lonesome.

Max wanted to live, he decided. He thought back on his last meeting with Tiodepth. His feeling of utter acceptance. He was going to die, and he was fine with it. How stupid could he had been. Max didn’t want to die. He wanted to live, to help people, to see this world, and to eventually make it back to his. He wanted to live, not roll over and die.

He wiped away a few tears. I want to live. He thought.

The words echoed in his mind, carrying the hopes and dreams of a boy. Carrying the hopes and dreams of the city. As he walked, whether it was subconscious or not, Max projected his aura. It was different from his normal Divine aura, however. It was more raw, more emotional.

As he walked, flowers seemed to perk up. People looked through their windows with a smile. The sky seemed to open up, letting in the sun’s rays. Max walked to Honeygreen, but where he stepped, he left a lasting impression. One of hope, one of sincerity, one of pride. Those who saw him would remember the Human walking through the streets of their city when the threat of a terrorist grew heavy. They wouldn’t remember what he wore, or who he was, but they would remember what he stood for, what he was.

Their Savior.