Combat Healer Ch. 01

I'd been out on a Quest when he first came to our guild Remnant, after two other healers had failed to help the cow-woman, and he continued to come back to the guild every day for three days until I returned. Just in time for me to save her life too, right as she had gone into labor, her lungs so full of fluid that she could barely breathe.

The baby was also born with a blue face, and I barely managed to save his life too.

In total, I stayed at their farm for two days.

The man was so thankful, that he actually offered me his eighteen-year-old daughter as compensation, since he had no other way to pay me, but I had to refuse the offer.

One reason was because the half-human, half-Holstaur girl had waited on me day and night while I was there, literally acting like my servant with absolute devotion, but then immediately began avoiding me when her father made the proposal. And the other reason was just because I couldn't afford to settle down right now, and knew it wouldn't be fair to leave the sweetheart alone the vast majority of the time while I was out on quests.

It had been a hard decision though.

I had honestly never met another woman who had such lusty proportions.

A toned waist as narrow as a human, with massive tits bigger than my head, and hips so wide that I felt like she'd swallow me up if she sat on my lap, her thighs toned and juicy. Yet she was shorter than me, and was literally the definition of petite in all other ways, including her delicate shoulders, thin arms, and slim neck. Never mind the sharp contrast of her blonde hair with her curved brown horns and deeply tan skin, along with her gorgeous purple eyes, that were extremely rare.

Yeah, in all my life I'd never met a more seductive female.

Which was saying a lot.

Yet she truly had a heart of gold, probably didn't even know what a grown man's penis looked like, and vanished the moment her father made the offer. Shit, she was so innocent and sweet, that I couldn't even bring myself to consider trying to enjoy her as a one-time thing.

However, I knew it would be extremely rude to outright refuse such a gesture of goodwill, and the girl surprisingly had a Class, a Ranger of all things, so I told him I really needed a woman who could fight with me and would accept his offer if she ever unlocked a Focus.

Kind of harsh terms, considering Holstaur rarely even had a Class to begin with, not to mention I wasn't sure she could effectively wield a bow with such huge tits getting in the way, not unless she unlocked Beast Master instead of Archer, but I figured that making such a decision was best for her, considering her obvious disinterest...

Of course, not all the people I helped were as grateful, and it was hard to say how this Red Oni woman would react to my assistance, but I helped because I wanted to - not for the praise. So it ultimately didn't matter if she appreciated it or not.

Now at the bottom of the stairs, Shel and Dagru both noticed the direction I was heading and chose to head that way as well, curious themselves as to what some stranger would request of me.

The Red Oni beauty spoke before I managed to introduce myself.

"You're the best healer in the capital?" she said, a hint of skepticism in her tone, her thin white eyebrows raised high now. "You're a man."

I cleared my throat, nodding as I moved to her right side to lean against the bar a couple stools away, leaving my teammates behind her. "That'd be me," I admitted, appreciating that she called me a man instead of something less flattering, though obviously that was a source of her disbelief.

She was sitting down still, her leather pants tight on her thighs, but based on the length of her legs, she looked to be about the same height as me. And while she was very muscular, we were probably about the same size in that department too, with me possibly being even a bit larger. Physically, she was my equal, but that was unfortunately a turn-off for most Oni women who preferred cock over pussy.

"A pleasure," I continued, getting to the point. "What can I help you with?"

I thought about asking her name, but she seemed like she was more interested in business than socializing. My eyes darted to a long black staff I just now realized she had with her, leaning against the counter. It looked to be made of solid metal, the whole thing pitch-black, with the bulbous metal at the top having a crystal shape to it.

However, I could sense the residual essence energy emanating from it, knowing right away it was a magical artifact, as was one of my abilities being a Diviner, but I didn't want her to know I was aware, so I tried to keep my quick glance casual. She also had a black leather bag on the floor shaped like a tear, with a thick white cord used to keep it closed at the top.

I tried to ignore her rosy cleavage as I returned my focus to her gold eyes. Her tits were just as large and perky as Shel's, and the black leather was hot as hell against her vibrant red skin. Her top also showed off her muscular torso, including firm abs, though that wasn't nearly as distracting for me as her slim neck and juicy tits.

She continued. "If you're the best healer, then why are you not in the top team?" she asked seriously.

Rubenic, the bartender, automatically answered my questioning look. "She's not from around here. I tried to explain that the top team doesn't have a healer, but didn't get far before she cut me off when you started walking over." He shrugged, as if to finish his statement nonverbally.

Turg was still by the Quest board, but noticed that we were all gathered now, so he decided to come over as well to see what the commotion was about.

"I see," I replied to Rubenic, focusing back on the beauty's gold eyes, framed by red skin and white hair. "Basically, being the best healer means shit in a Dungeon. To the point that our best team doesn't even need a healer, like he said, because they have a specialist who focuses on defense magic."

Her white eyebrows were knitted together again. "And you're really the best healer? In the entire capital?"

"Yep," I agreed, deciding not to clarify that I was probably the best in the entire kingdom, if not also the best on the entire continent, ready to move on already. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for someone," she said hesitantly, glancing up at Turg as he walked up, not seeming bothered by his presence, but only acknowledging that he was there with a glance. She returned her gold gaze to me. "Have you heard of someone called Rigeris Gru'na Tik'shular?"

I frowned, before shaking my head. "No, unfortunately I haven't. I also don't speak Oni very well, so I'm not sure if I would have noticed that name had I heard it somewhere."

Turg unexpectedly chimed in, scratching the black stubble on his blocky green chin. "That's an interesting title," he commented in his deep voice.

I glanced at him, realizing my misunderstanding. "Or title, I guess, if it's not a name." I focused on her. "Why do you ask? And why did you think I'd know?"

She frowned, sincerely looking disappointed. "My business is my own," she said in a casual tone, with it being the human translation of a common phrase in the Oni language - not to be misinterpreted as something rude, because it wasn't.

Despite the fact that few humans existed in the capital, most everyone still used the human language, and had for centuries, due to long past cultural integrations that united the various races under one banner. That, and the Elven Royalty had long ago imposed it on their people in order to facilitate trade between their Scourge wrought lands with the wealth of the human civilizations.

In some ways, things were different now that the Scourge was under control, but the use of the human tongue was extremely widespread due to events that took place long ago.

The busty Red Oni continued. "However, I will share that the person I am searching for is also a healer, which is why I sought out the top healer in hopes of identifying them."

"I see," I replied, trying to rack my brain if I'd heard that title before. Honestly, I hadn't though. "I assume you must be looking for a woman. If you hang out here in the evening, then you can ask around. And if that doesn't turn up results, then you could try asking around the other guilds too. Personally, I'd recommend visiting Raiders and Tempest, but you might try Brotherhood and Guardians too."

She nodded, glancing up at Turg again, before looking over her shoulder at Shel and Dagru. I could see in her eyes that she knew who was in charge just from a glance, because while she turned her attention back to me, she had her head angled toward Turg just slightly - a nonverbal cue that she was showing her fellow Oni respect, even if he wasn't her leader.

"I assume this is the rest of your party?" she commented.

I nodded. "Yeah, we have an elf we work with too, but this is most of us. Why? Are you looking for work as well?"

She focused up at Turg, speaking directly to him, as if he'd asked the question. "I do need to make some coin while I'm here searching. I can offer my skills, if you're team has room for a Battlemage."

Turg scratched his chin again. "A Battlemage, huh?" he commented, glancing at me.

The red beauty seemed confused by the look, shocked by the nonverbal signal for my opinion, prompting her to focus on me as well.

Having been around Oni long enough to be familiar with expectations and body language, I explained what was going on. "Turg here is our leader, officially. But I'm the backbone to the team. In the field, he leads the fight, but my decisions trump his, if it comes down to a disagreement. Otherwise, he risks having his ass eaten by a Moluska'Drsh again," I added with a grin.

Turg barked out a laugh. "You're not wrong."

She seemed even more confused. I was confident she knew what a Moluksa'Drsh was, since it was an Oni term after all, with the more common name being a Scourge Squid, but she seemed shocked by the fact that I was actually the leader too. It was a foreign concept to most Oni. For them, there was only one leader at all times, usually determined first by sheer strength and second by fortitude when strength was equal. The idea that there might be a more passive leader, who only exerted their authority in certain circumstances, wasn't something they really came across in their society.

At the very least, I could actively see her struggle to wrap her head around the idea.

"I...I see," she managed after a moment, seeming hesitant again as she glanced at Turg, who was still focused on me. She then turned toward me in her chair more fully. "Then, do you have room for a Battlemage? If not, I'll have to ask around. I'm broke right now, so I'll need to find a way to make some coin while I'm searching."

Unexpectedly Dagru barked out a laugh from behind her. "With a body like that, you could make plenty of coin in the red district," he said with a grin. "Plenty of elves would love to partake, and I'm sure there are few Oni who would decline the pleasure of a decent pair of tits."

The beauty didn't even react, not shocked by the teasing, while also not bothering to give him any attention, still facing me.

Shel elbowed him in the gut, his visible green stomach flinching underneath his chest armor, which I assumed he must have put on for some morning training.

"What?" he scoffed. "She's got a red body. It's funny. Get it? Red Oni in the red district?"

Shel rolled her gold eyes, a sharp contrast to her black hair and blue skin, likewise not amused. Between the two brothers, Dagru was a bit more on the denser side when it came to socializing, being low in charisma. And only average in wisdom.

A sharp contrast to his older brother.

I was still holding the beauty's gaze, intrigued by her behavior.

Now that she'd determined that the decision was mine to make, she seemed to have no problem with it. The fact that I was a 'puny human' didn't seem to bother her. Possibly it was because she was a Mage, and she understood that strength wasn't always physical, and might not even be based on destructive capacity.

In a sense, I held life and death in my hands, which gave me a different form of power, though the lack of training was a big reason why other Healers didn't earn the same respect. That, and the fact that there were enough of them to be taken for granted, to some extent.

However, before responding to her, I figured I should try to make an assessment using my very rare skill, that I was sure no one else owned or had even heard about. It was a skill I'd certainly never read about, and one I struggled to fully control, which was one of the many reasons why I kept the exact details a safely guarded secret.

Especially due to what it might imply.

That gods and goddesses were real...

I kept my gaze focused on her gold eyes as I silently attempted to assess her.

'Eye of the Goddess.'

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Total: 96

Rank: A Tier

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Perfect.

A total attribute score over 90 was always acceptable for a top tier team.

Of course, it would have been nice to divine the details of what made up that total number, especially since it could be very important, but it would require too much focus to attempt to do so right now.

Instead, I'd just wait to see her skills and assume the numbers were in the most appropriate categories. For a battlemage, it was most important that they have a nice balance of Strength and Intelligence, and a normal everyday assessment of this chick told me she was probably fine in those two categories.

If her total had been under 90 points, and she was thus B Tier or lower, then it was still possible we could use her, so long as she had an appropriate category that was above twenty points.

Which was exactly the case for the younger Oni brother, Dagru.

While Turg was A Tier, based on my own assessment, Dagru was B Tier due to lower Charisma, Intelligence, and Wisdom. However, both brothers had two stats twenty or higher. The exact two stats that mattered for their Class and Focus of Fighter, Warrior.

Strength and Fortitude.

For regular people, who had no Essence Affinity and were not blessed with a Class, I'd never seen someone with a category higher than 20 points. But for those with classes, the highest I'd ever seen was 25 points, along with an overall average that often exceeded the typical 60-point average most people had. And then there was the maximum combined attribute level that one could achieve, being increased by 10 upon unlocking a Focus, which actually made a huge difference in overall potential.

Still, while I had no way of knowing in this moment the exact numbers for this rosy-skinned woman, a rank of A Tier was pretty much always going to be sufficient.

"We could use a Battlemage," I admitted, deciding to 'act' more wary about adding her than I actually was. "But you have to understand that we're a top tier team, which means I'd need to see your skills before making the final decision. As much as I wish I could take your word for it - that you're up to the task - I don't want your blood on my hands in the event we take on a quest that is too much for you." I shrugged. "Can't heal you if you get eaten or decapitated."

She nodded, not at all offended, twisting slightly as she reached back to grab her tall midnight staff leaning against the counter. "That's acceptable. Where can I show you?"

"The guild training grounds are just down the alley, behind the guild hall."

She inclined her delicate chin again. "And who should I spar?"

"You actually don't need to spar anyone," I replied. "I'm not just a normal healer. I have skills related to analyzing things, so if you can just activate your skills, then I'll be able to determine if you're strong enough to cut it."

Her gold eyes widened slightly, her white eyebrows high again, before her expression grew confident. She slid off her stool and stood up, confirming that we were the same height. "Very well. Lead the way."

I grimaced. "Mind if I finish my breakfast first? I also need to return something to my room."

Her expression dropped for barely a second, before she nodded confidently. However, I knew exactly what that look meant, since I was sincerely good at reading people when I bothered to pay attention. I also recalled her mentioning that she was broke.

"Want to eat with me?" I offered. "I'll buy your meal if you'll grace me with your company."

Turg barked out a laugh, turning to leave now that the interesting part was over. He had a one-track mind when it came to coin, and wouldn't offer to pay for someone's food unless he expected to get laid, as was kind of the norm in Oni culture. Thus, he was making his way back over to the Quest board to continue his browsing.

It was very doubtful that he noticed the fact this woman revealed that she was hungry for a brief second. Beyond standard body language, he didn't pick up on much, which was somewhat ironic when he had high wisdom and was so observant in a battle...which made me wonder if maybe he just chose not to notice. Hard to say.

Shel and Dagru likewise diverted their attention, focusing on ordering breakfast from a thin elf barmaid.

It wasn't that they were trying to be rude, but there was really only a few reasons why an Oni would get to know another Oni - either because they intended on establishing some kind of working relationship, or else because they were interested in fucking.

Since the decision on the first possibility rested in my hands, they'd delay socializing and getting to know her until I made an affirmative decision. And since this beauty was only average by Oni standards, there was no way in hell they were interested in pulling her into their bedroom, even despite Dagru's attempt at a joke.

"I prefer to buy my own food," she said hesitantly, which didn't really surprise me too much. Being in debt was kind of a big deal to them.

"You wouldn't owe me anything," I replied. "Assuming you're willing to eat with me. Your company is payment enough."

She pursed her pale lavender lips, her white eyebrows knitted together again. "Very well," she finally agreed. "Maybe I will buy you a meal in exchange, at a future date."

I grinned.

I tried not to, not wanting to seem overly eager since I knew there was no way in hell she'd be interested in me, but the smile slipped. At the very least, I looked forward to possibly making a friend who might not view me any differently just because I was human, at least based on how she was currently interacting with me. Finding Oni who would treat me as an equal was difficult, and there was a very good reason why the three I currently worked with held me in high regards.

"That works too," I agreed, a little surprised that she gave me a stunned look briefly as if she actually found my smile charming. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a silver coin to place on the counter. "Get whatever you want and bring me the change."

Her gold eyes were suddenly as wide as saucers, considering a silver coin would be enough for five meals, minimum. It was only twelve bronze for a full dinner, only seven bronze for my modest breakfast, so a silver was kind of overkill. However, I only had a few bronze in my pocket and wasn't about to make her try to see what she could get with so little.

I focused up at the tall elf barkeep, who was already grabbing it in preparation to make change. "Please add another potato soup and bread to whatever she orders," I instructed, before giving her my attention again. "If you don't mind bringing it with your food. They'll give you a tray."