^^ Healers Staff ^^

— Alice —

The dwarf beat a hasty retreat, away from my irritated face, and I shook my head, sending the Staff into The Holding, a section of my Dark Heart that was separate from the others, between the gaps of the 'ventricles', gathering whatever scraps of magic it could safely take and imbuing whatever was in the space with the mana; I intended to use it for the types of enchantment which would take longer to manage, freeing up my own time for other work.

The gong rang, shaking me from my thoughts, so I cleaned myself up, then headed towards the hospital wing, where the Healing Class was located. That an entire section of the academy was dedicated to a Hospital both worried and pleased me, of course; Worried, because clearly people getting hurt was not uncommon at all here, but Pleased, because they apparently had more than enough people here to handle the situation when it inevitably happened, and it was made into a learning experience.

The pragmatism and detached morality of the setup spoke to me of logic and progress unfettered by base emotion, something that irritated me quite a bit. The idea that progress should be stifled for the common man's perception of good and evil was a baseless, stupid theory that had doomed My earth to never progress at the pace of discovery, but rather the pace which we could slowly trick the common man into thinking it was normal. The introduction of pain-killers for childbirth, blocked by Christianity because 'the pain of childbirth was women's' punishment for being born women', was a good example, as it had eventually given way to common practice.

"Still, my knowledge of Common Chemistry and Physics is useful here, as most magic is based in science in some way... I imagine all of it is science, I simply don't understand all of it, which excites me." I chuckled, looking around the main Emergency Room of the Academy, and then almost jumped out of my skin when someone spoke behind me.

"I do enjoy when young people like to learn..." the woman stepped around me and examined my face for a few seconds, then hummed. "You're a Taurus, Yes? Your mother and I-... well, we knew each other, back in the day." She blushed through a grin, and turned to the room, walking to a desk that had previously been empty.

"Yes, I imagine you did; my mother is purportedly quite well-traveled when it comes to the women of this continent." I smirked, examining her. She had the same figure as many of the women who'd expressed affection for my mother, with ample bosoms and a derriere to match, all on a decently-muscled but not quite Amazonian frame, and shorter than my mother by a bit, at only about five and a half feet, (my own height).

"Yes, Lera does like her women, that's true... now! How may I help you? Class doesn't start for another few minutes, so you can't have come early for no reason?" She asked, getting back on track.

"Are you the Head Researcher or Healer of this Hospital Ward? I have a gift, as per my contract with Victor, for whoever has the most medical knowledge in this college, to be used in Healing Magic's. I'm a Grand Artificer, you see." I explained briefly, and watched her response.

Her face exposed a bit of surprise, and then deep thought, and finally a bit of decision. "Well... I am, but I've got all I need, in the way of magical items..."

"I see. Grab this?" I summoned the staff, and tapped it to the ground in front of her. The simple contact spread a soft spiderweb of magical energy, and it was making the air smell of raw power already. "I may have overcharged it, but don't worry, there are safeguards in place to prevent you from pulling too much magic from it and killing yourself. And me."

She blinked slowly, and then waved a hand, opening a communication channel to Victor. "Victor!!!!!" She squeaked, apparently unable to say much else.

A portal appeared instantly, and he rushed through, his staff at the ready, until he saw me, and the staff in my hand. He halted, and sighed deeply. "Yes, Lady Minuet Ganda, that is Lady Alice Taurus, Grand Artificer. Her contract stipulates that she creates magical items for the Academy and Dungeons, as well as commissions, and is reimbursed well for them... but how in all the saints' did you make that in less than seven hours?" He asked me, confused.

"Hour and a half, actually, and most of that was building my Crucible to withstand my Crafting Process. Now, what's this about Dungeons? And you're related to Ganda?" I glanced between them, the cool Sorcerer and the frazzled Doctor, while raising an eyebrow.

He chuckled softly, and seated a hip on her desk, preparing to speak, before a cane and a pale hand cracked into his hip simultaneously.

He glanced at us, offended, and the Doctor frowned, unbowed. "Keep your ass off my desk! You and Adrian both, honestly!" She snapped at him.

I smirked and nodded happily. "So it's not just my family that does that... but you're related to Ganda?"

"Yes, I'm her granddaughter... and what was that about dungeons? I second her question, because that sounds a bit too dangerous for an Apprentice..." she frowned at Victor sternly as he rubbed his hip.

"Hmph... as I was saying, the Dungeon Deliveries will be handled by myself or Besan, or perhaps Adrian, if he's not too busy." He sighed, and sat in a nearby chair.

"I'm still confused. Why would I put weapons in Dungeons? That wasn't part of my contract." I made eye contact and kept it, examining him for any subterfuge.

He blinked, looking confused. "Why did you think we wanted weapons? We don't give them to faculty or students, so... why would we have them?"

"I'm asking you, ya dingus! I've lived in a Natural Dungeon my whole life this time around, so I've no clue at all what you're talking about!!!" I crossed my arms and glared at him, demanding an explanation.

He rubbed his beard slowly, nodding. "Yes, my apologies, I'd forgotten... well, we, -that is, the Academy, encompassing myself, Adrian, and our past apprentices and students,- have created several Dungeons. These Dungeons are varied and plethoric, but all contain magic that siphons the nigh-unlimited energy from a Demon or Ancient Magical Beast of some sort, such as a rogue Ancient Dragon, slowly killing the unkillable by way of momentous Magical Drain; it is therefore not incorrect to call Dungeons 'Vampiric Cells'."

I grinned slowly. "Ooooooh, and to drain them further, you have their magical energy spawn magical beasts, and then you need people to kill them so that more can be made, but without reward there'd be no motivation, so you incentivize them for reaching certain points in the Dungeons with Crystals and Weapons that they can use for magic or to kill more monsters, thus gaining a continuous supply of work and pay for the Hunters, and also a nigh-infinite supply of magical ingredients that are difficult to find in the wild, such as Dragon Bones. Hence why you want me to lure in magical beasts, because you need a Template for the Copying magic to create those monsters in your Dungeons..."

He blinked again, and rubbed his face while Minuet grinned happily. "I love smart students!!!" She giggled, and then gripped the staff.

Instantly, it copied all of her magical and medical knowledge, and she flinched away, releasing it. "Wonderful, it works... it has the unique ability to study all the medical and magical knowledge you possess to optimize your healing capabilities with the least possible drain; it also turns heat and air into proteins and mana, which means there's no drain from you or the patient in the way of Proteins, and the mana is significantly reduced, as the Diamond can hold a large amount of energy, and will drink your latent magic to recharge itself. Have fun!" I handed it to her, and smiled happily.

She gingerly took it again, and hummed. "It certainly feels... unique? The amount of power, however, is..." she shivered as it touched the ground and spread more spiderwebs of magic.

I nodded and retrieved it, examining its structure. "Yes, I underestimated the potency of the Mana I'd poured into it..." I murmured, and then carefully created a pocket dimension, where the majority of the mana would sit, purifying endlessly in the same fashion as my own Heart. A physical connection to the Mana Core of the person holding it would assist in the effort of purifying their Mana. "That should do it." I nodded, finished carving the Sigil into the base of the staff.

Instantly, the oppressive feeling of magic disappeared, and then resurged to a literally terrifying height, as my Mana was doubly purified, and then a drop of it was released into the staff. Even Victor took a step back in a blur of deceptively smooth movement.

"Oh... my apologies. You try." I tossed it to Dr. Minuet, who caught it as the horrifying sensation died down.

A lesser, -but still very impressive,- sensation made the air shiver around her visibly, and she shivered as the diamond turned a deep grey-Silver. "Well... it's certainly Potent... I'm not sure I should be the one to hold such a powerful artifact, though; perhaps Victor?" She held it out to him.

"Actually, it's specifically designed and optimized for Healing Magic, not War Magic, and there's several safeguards in place to stop anyone from using it for War-Magic." I commented, making sure it was understood.

"Interesting... your first creation was one of Healing, not War... sending a message?" He asked, smiling in what seemed to be approval.

"Attempting to, yes." I shrugged as he took the staff from her with a bit of hesitation, and then I'm sure everyone in the entire City felt the moment it connected with his Mana Core, and the diamond shined a deep platinum... for the briefest of moments while they were still conscious.

—

I came to with a warm hand to my forehead, and shivered, looking up at Dr. Minuet. "Please tell me everyone else fainted as well?" I asked immediately.

"Everyone but the faculty, oh yes. But, no one saw you faint, so who knows?" She winked conspiratorially, and sat me up in the white bed surrounded by curtains.

I stretched slowly, and nodded. "I feel fine, if a bit light-headed... did he keep the Staff?"

"No, he agreed either Besan or I would get a better use out of it... they both tried a Fireball, and He barely managed a Spark... you should've seen their faces!!!" She laughed loudly, slapping her thigh, and leaned against the staff, which wasn't emitting any feelings at all, currently. She saw my confused glance, and nodded. "And he figured out how to hide that effect when it's not convenient."

"Ah, Good... I hadn't considered that particular effect of Mana on the human brain..." I rubbed my forehead slowly, reviewing the magical and medical knowledge I'd taken from them. It was a lot, and I'd need several days just to sort it all, -it'd come through in a jumble of senseless facts, not organized knowledge, like I'd intended,- and months or perhaps years more to understand it all.

"Mm... Humans are more perceptive than we think; certain things are brushed off, but Instinct is your subconscious brain building scenarios and them solves for them in the back of your mind, trying to keep you alive. We can sense so much, but we have no way of feeling the subconscious, and must instead find ways to consciously understand those varied stimuli, despite our Subconscious already doing so. It's my current theory that I'm researching." She nodded seriously.

"And a rather simple solution presents itself to me instantly; simply make the Subconscious more capable of communicating with the conscious through Instinct, and give the Subconscious more Access to processing power in your brain. There is proof of concept for this method readily visible in the brains of those who purport to have abnormally quick reflexes, but upon study, their brains simply show a larger adrenal gland, and a slightly greater amount of processing ability from their subconscious brain, as well as a more direct line of communication between the segments of their brain, and a lesser control of involuntary movement, making them Appear more consciously reflexive, but in fact they are not consciously aware of the reaction until it has already happened." I shrugged.

She blinked slowly, staring at me, and then hummed. "Well... thanks for... ruining the fun of discovery? I'll just... go find something else to devote the next ten years of my life to... and this time I will not tell you about it, until after I've solved it." She turned and walked away, looking dazed.

"That would be best, yes." I smiled, and then called after her. "How long was I asleep?"

"No more than an hour." Victor spoke, making me flinch.

"Stop doing that!!!" I snapped at him, irritated.

He shrugged. "I find it gives me the advantage in my conversations, putting people off balance from the beginning."

"Yes, and your voice is also magically altered, I'm not stupid, now either buzz off or grow up!" I growled at him.

He smiled and shrugged, unconcerned. "Perhaps. But only an hour has passed... your next class begins-" a gong sounded on time, and I frowned at the showmanship. "-now."

I stood and gathered my things, checking that they were all there, and then walked away without responding. He was getting on my nerves, and he knew it, from the slight grin on his face.

—

The next class, a class of Geometric Magical Sigils, was abuzz with gossip about the test of a new magical weapon, and others thought it was Victor and Adrian having a lovers' quarrel, and others thought- etc.; it was a ridiculous cycle of theories with no evidence, basic ideas people came up with and ran with. One such theory was that I, Adrian's new Apprentice, was actually Adrian's illegitimate daughter by another woman, and Victor was righteously displeased by my presence.

That one made me laugh quite loudly, and the people who'd been whispering that particular nasty little gossip froze, now aware I could hear them. They were silent for the rest of the class, glancing at me fearfully every time I moved.

—

Zara made herself known, as I was heading to my last class before dinner, appearing and sidling up to me calmly. She was noticeably bigger than before, I realized, almost four feet tall at the shoulder.

"Where were you, lovely?" I asked, petting her head as I sat down in the last class of the day, this one about theoretical physics, and the only one that even remotely taught Spatial Magic, and only as Theory. (Apparently it was something of a very, very special magic, and Extremely Rare.)

"Adrian gave Manticore. Strong and Fast. Yum Food." Zara grinned savagely, showing me her still-bloody teeth.

I smiled and scratched her chin affectionately. "Yes, Good! That does sound yummy! Anything else?"

"No." She shrugged. "Zara felt sleepy, so Zara slept, was good sleep. Then came to Alice."

"You're such a good girl-!" I began, but she spoke again.

"Met Watcher again. Pretty. Nice. Sleepy again." She commented, laying down and closing her eyes.

I blinked slowly, and then realized what she'd meant. The Monitor had said that they would be meeting me in my dreams whenever I gained skills or SubClasses, and I realized that meant Zara as well. Though, why I'd have 'Gained' skills in that short amount of time was... confusing. It'd only been two and a half days, after all. I'd have to ask.

The class couldn't go by fast enough, honestly, and the moment the gong sounded, I was out of my seat and halfway down the hall. Dinner was largely unnecessary, (as I was carrying around my meals,) and I discovered that Zara had placed the bones of her meal into the Stomach portion of the Dark Heart, letting it use them to heal my Meals, so I could draw from them again in the morning.

I laid down in my bed, breathing deeply as Zara laid next to me on the King-Sized mattress, and closed my eyes, sending myself to sleep with a drain of energy to my brain stem to signify extreme tiredness.

—

"Well someone's impatient..." the surprised Angelic Being chuckled as I appeared in the marble library, with that book in front of me again, but now the books on the shelves had titles, where they hadn't before.

'Merchant Class
Paladin Class
Witch Class
Draconic Elemental Paladin Class
SubClasses.'

"Sorry, I was really curious, when I heard Zara had been here... what changed? It's only been two days!" I asked excitedly.

The book on the pedestal flipped open to the Class Section. "Well, you managed to awaken a dormant portion of your available SubClasses, when you made that Staff, first of all. Instead of a Grand Artificer, you're now a 'Craft-Mage', a much higher specialization."

'Herbalist-> Chemist's Apprentice-> Chemist-> True Chemist
Rune User->Rune Mage->Rune Crafter-> Rune Master
Alchemist->Grand Artificer
++^^=Apprentice Craft-Mage-> Craft Mage.' I read the selection that was mildly highlighted, and hummed. "Interesting..."

"Once you get Alchemist up to Metal Mage, you'll be an Elder Craft Mage, considering the others are already leveled up. Do you want to see your dragon's evolution?" They asked, and the pages turned again.

'Elemental Paladin (Forest Knight)-
——Elemental Dragon-
———(Earth+Air+Water+Fire=Nature)
—Draconic Magi-
—Storm Dragon
—Blood Dragon
——Nature Dragon
——Armored Dragon
—Dragon Knight-
——Demon Queen's Companion
——Hero's Companion

Ancient Dragon-
—Spirit Devourer
——Spirit Summoner.'

"They've been separated into two Classes, essentially, and once Ancient Dragon levels up, they'll merge again. It's a very intuitive system." The Monitor nodded calmly.

"And I didn't have access to those... because I didn't use them, despite my knowledge of them?" I clarified.

"That's correct. We don't give out classes just because you know something; plenty of people know about Spatial Magic, but if you don't or can't use it, then the class isn't yours! Remember, we don't give people abilities, we simply give them Help using them, once they've figured it out for themselves." They nodded seriously.

I nodded. "I understand, of course... can I see a list of all the Magic I am currently aware of, then? I'll practice all of it, and hopefully level up my abilities!"

"That's the spirit!" They laughed, and the book opened again.

'Demon Queen Magic:
Alchemical Magic-> Artificer Infusion Magic
Draconic Elemental Magic
Golem Magic
Healing Magic->Blood-Magic-> Necromantic Magic-> Plague Magic
Spirit Magic->Summoning Magic.

Hero Magic:
Clerical Magic
Elemental Swordsman Magic.
War Magic->High War Magic-> Destruction Magic->Weather Magic->Spatial Magic.'

I whistled softly. "Okay... I've got some work to do..."