Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 554: Healing the Marshal (I)

Chapter 554: Healing the Marshal (I)

"What if I heal the Marshal’s arm?"

Those words echoed across the throne room, plunging the space into a tense, profound silence. All the Legends present turned their gazes toward Vlad, their eyes sharp and tinged with disapproval.

In a Doomsday World, one of the greatest taboos was to overestimate your own capabilities. Such overconfidence could lead not only to your own death but also to the deaths of your comrades. Vlad, however, did not waver beneath their scrutiny. His eyes remained resolute as he held Marshal Maximo’s gaze, silently conveying his determination.

Seated on the massive throne, Marshal Maximo observed Vlad with a thoughtful light in his eyes. On the one hand, part of him believed that this young man was making a baseless claim; after all, even Legends had trouble dealing with the sort of injury he bore. On the other hand, there was something about Vlad that sparked hope—an indescribable aura suggesting he might truly possess a solution to a wound that had resisted all previous attempts at healing.

"This wound carries the origin power of The Darkness—a chaotic force that gave birth to worlds like the Chaovoratities Plane," Maximo explained. His voice was calm yet laced with an undercurrent of grim acceptance. "Normal healing spells accomplish very little against it. Divine spells can actually make the injury worse. Are you certain you have the ability to handle something like this?"

Even while acknowledging that such a chance was remote, Marshal Maximo was not the sort of man to dismiss a possibility outright. In his long life, he had witnessed all kinds of miracles. Better to test a claim, however unlikely, than reject it outright due to preconceived notions. Vlad drew a slow, steady breath, gathering his thoughts. Only when he had carefully organized his mind did he speak again.

"My comrade was wounded by a Sage ability imbued with the same power, though at a much lower potency," Vlad said, his tone measured and unwavering. "I managed to purge that chaotic energy from his body, and I believe I can do the same for you."

Maximo’s brow furrowed slightly, and the coldness in the eyes of the surrounding Legends began to recede. A collective sense of inquiry replaced their initial skepticism. Vlad did not sound like some naïve newcomer proclaiming an empty boast; rather, he spoke with the conviction of someone who had encountered The Darkness firsthand and overcome it, if only on a smaller scale. Though they still doubted whether he could truly heal the Marshal, it seemed at least worth discovering the method he had used.

"How, exactly, did you help your friend?" Maximo’s eyes glimmered with an intense inquisitiveness, a pressure that made it clear he would brook no lies or half-truths. If Vlad truly possessed the ability to combat the chaotic energy of The Darkness, that knowledge could prove invaluable.

Standing off to the side, Jormungandr, Ouroboros, and Fafnir exchanged meaningful looks. Fafnir had indeed suffered from a wound imbued with a fraction of The Darkness, but Vlad had not been the one to cure him. Instead, it was Fafnir’s own Depravita Aura that had cleansed the chaotic energy.

The group worried that revealing too much about their unique powers could invite unwanted attention. In the best-case scenario, the higher-ups of the Golden Sky Fortress might shower them with wealth in exchange for their healing services but also confine them to keep that valuable resource under tight control. Worst-case scenario, more extreme measures could be taken: moral considerations often fell away in times of war, and those with valuable or mysterious abilities risked the threat of being dissected or imprisoned.

Vlad sensed his companions’ unease, but he maintained a confident facade. After all, he had already thought this through.

"I accomplished it through my runes," Vlad said, his voice clear and firm. "If you like, I can show you right now."

A radiant, almost disarming smile crossed his face as he spoke. Marshal Maximo’s eyes narrowed in response. He concentrated on Vlad, though he could not detect any extraordinary power from the young man’s exterior. Runic masters existed in the Graecia Empire, but none so far had managed to dispel The Darkness. Still, Vlad’s willingness to demonstrate his methods immediately spoke volumes, and there was no reason for Maximo to refuse such a direct offer.

"Very well," the Marshal said curtly. "Do it."

He beckoned Vlad forward. Without hesitation, Vlad approached the throne and took a position beside the Marshal’s injured arm. From up close, he could see how the chaotic energy seeped into Maximo’s flesh and blood, eroding his vitality bit by bit. It was like watching dark tendrils expand in slow motion, intent on spreading to the rest of the body.

’If this force got into my body, it would corrode every inch of me in less than ten seconds,’ Vlad thought, a flash of concern in his eyes. The potency of The Darkness was terrifying, and it made him wonder what kind of opponent Marshal Maximo had faced to be left with such a devastating wound. He pushed aside that question, focusing on the task at hand. He drew a careful breath before addressing the Marshal again.

"Could you lower your energy defenses?" Vlad requested politely. "My ’Gift’ relies on performing precise scans to get a complete picture of the wounds. If I can analyze the state of your flesh, I can craft the best possible runic pattern for healing."

Maximo regarded Vlad in silence for a moment, then gave a short nod. Slowly, the perpetual aura of energy that surrounded him receded, weakening the mantle of power that served as his protection.

Vlad wasted no time activating the scanning ability—though it was not truly a "Gift," but rather the assistance of his A.I. Chip. Almost instantly, a clear, detailed image of the Marshal’s injuries formed in his mind. The data highlighted the horrifying level of corruption inflicted by The Darkness, tracing how the chaotic energy burrowed deeper each day.

’This energy is exceptionally pure,’ Vlad noted with a mixture of dread and fascination. He realized that the information the A.I. Chip was gathering might be extremely helpful for certain future projects, especially any that involved unraveling or neutralizing The Darkness.