Chapter Twelve: The Mage-Healer

Komer wasn’t surprised by the Jellyfish People’s demands. A curse that had plagued them for hundreds of years—no one would easily believe it could be solved so simply. Yet facts spoke louder than words. Komer believed that as long as he gave them a satisfactory demonstration, it would be enough to silence them all. Without that confidence, his trip here would be meaningless, aside from provoking the Jellyfish People.

Judging from their faces, the ten Jellyfish People before him had already lost all hope due to this condition. Their vacant eyes filled Komer with pity. In truth, this so-called “God of Water Curse” wasn’t some divine punishment but rather a disease that manifested severely in certain special-blooded races. Unfortunately, the Jellyfish People fell into that category. During his travels with his master, the master had discussed this issue with him. There was indeed a way to treat this disease, but given the Jellyfish People’s unique lifestyle, it was difficult to cure it permanently. They could only rely on constant use of medications for prevention and treatment. The formulas for these medications weren’t complicated; they just required special methods of preparation.

Komer took out a large packet of medicinal powder from his pouch and poured it into water, then unleashed fire magic to make the liquid boil rapidly. Almost everyone was stunned by Komer’s almost apothecary-like skills—Rebri, Sorenberg, and Grace included. They never expected their lord to possess such abilities. A magic apothecary was a rare type among magic practitioners, and it was surprising that Komer also held this title.

As the liquid in the iron pot continued to churn, and with the evaporation of steam, the pot gradually turned into half a pot of sticky, semi-solid substance before Komer stopped his magic.

“Alright, it’s time for the experiment,” Komer said, clapping his hands and shrugging. He turned to the Jellyfish Pharaoh, the Dual Lords, and other important figures from the Jellyfish tribe who had been observing every move of his. Upon learning that an outsider could lift the curse that had plagued their tribe for centuries, almost all the leaders of the Jellyfish tribe wanted to witness this experiment firsthand. Komer was more than happy to oblige. Being able to demonstrate it in person would make it much easier for him to gain acceptance among them. He welcomed such free publicity.

“Is that all?” Hothep stared at Komer in surprise, barely believing it.

“Hehe, it seems He Taifala doesn’t quite believe it. I think time will tell us the answer,” Komer said with a slight smile.
Immediately, someone stepped forward to tear open the clothes on the backs and legs of the top three jellyfish-like beings lying on the ground, who were on the verge of death. What appeared was a horrifying sight: rotten skin covered their entire bodies, with bright red flesh mixed with thick blood, and a foul smell filled the air. Some medicines were applied to their wounds, but clearly they had no effect.
Komer frowned slightly, an expression quickly noticed by Saint Elise. “Mr. Komer, is the condition of our people too severe to be cured?”
“No, no, Saint Elise. You misunderstand. I’m just wondering how they can endure such agony. I must admire the endurance of your people,” Komer said, shaking his head and sighing.
“What else can we do? Should we let them end it themselves?” The leaders of the jellyfish tribe all showed a sad expression. They were helpless in the face of their people’s suffering, which was a shame for leaders. But this situation had persisted for hundreds of years, not starting with them, so they too were at a loss.
“Well, this is truly a tragic situation. Seeing them suffer like this fills me with deep sorrow,” Komer said, his face showing compassion. “Please apply these ointments evenly to their wounds and give them half a bowl of the ointment to swallow.”
The three jellyfish-like women who had been waiting immediately put on special gloves, took out the ointment, and began working. The light gray ointment was applied to the three patients, causing strange squeaking sounds, as if they were being burned by airon iron. The three patients cried out at once, forcing the workers to pause. But seeing Komer’s expressionless face, they resumed work and gave the patients another half a bowl of the ointment.
After these procedures were completed, at Komer’s signal, the three female jellyfish-like beings stepped aside. Three floating flames appeared in the air at his command. The flames were small, with pale silver-colored flames that floated slowly in the air before moving toward the wounds of the three patients, eventually sticking to the ointment-covered wounds and burning.

Perhaps it was the intense burning sensation that made the three patients groan at the same time, but those groans carried an indescribable sense of relief. The whole scene was eerily strange. Aside from the groans and cries of the three patients, everyone else stood motionless, staring at their wounds. The flames gradually dimmed but flared up again under Komer’s magical influence, only to dim once more. This cycle repeated for nearly an hour before the unbearable time finally passed. When the last flame went out, the three patients no longer had the energy to groan; they could only lie or crouch on the ground, gasping for breath. Clearly, this treatment method had exhausted them as well. “Remove the ointment!” As if under hypnosis, the three female jellyfish-like beings standing by instinctively followed Komer’s calm command and removed the dried ointment. A stunning sight appeared—the wounds, which had earlier been covered in blood and with torn flesh, were now completely healed. The new, tender skin had a faint pink hue. Apart from the slightly different skin color, the wounds were completely gone. Everyone present couldn’t help but cheer. After all, these three patients had suffered from this illness for ten years, and their condition was now so severe that death seemed inevitable. Yet now, all of this, like a nightmare, had come to an end. It was only then that Komer truly felt relieved. He had already planned how to explain himself if the treatment failed, but fortunately, the methods and experience taught by his master hadn’t disappointed him—everything had succeeded. Whether it was Hothep, Stari, or other prominent jellyfish-like beings present, they were all utterly impressed by Komer’s feat. Seeing several of their people, who had been given a death sentence, fully recover within an hour—though still very tired—was astonishing. From the brightness in their eyes, it was clear that with a little rest, they would be fully healthy and strong workers again. “It’s incredible, Mr. Komer! Could you explain to our people how you did this? What exactly caused the curse that afflicted our people?” Hothep couldn’t contain his excitement. He stepped forward quickly, grabbed Komer’s arm, and shook it vigorously, completely ignoring his own awkward behavior.

“Hehe, of course. Well, actually, the illnesses these three patients suffer from are not some kind of curse, but rather result from the unique physiology of the jellyfish race and the humid environment of this swamp area. It’s caused by aquatic fungi attaching to the human body, damaging the skin and eventually penetrating deep into the internal organs, leading to death. Of course, symptoms vary depending on an individual’s health condition—some weaker individuals may die after just a year or two of infection, while others might last ten or eight years, but the ultimate outcome is still death.” Komer smiled modestly. “These fungi don’t cause much harm to us ordinary people, but they’re likely fatal to the jellyfish race. No one can explain exactly why yet; it might be related to your race’s way of life.”

“Mr. Komer, I wonder if all those in our race who suffer from this disease need to be treated in this way?” Stari asked promptly, his eyes flickering as he watched Komer use magic to scorch the patients’ wounds.

“That’s not necessary. These fungi are aquatic, and since these patients have been ill for so long, I wanted to cure them quickly, so I used fire magic to accelerate the recovery process from both inside and outside.” Komer seemed unaware of Stari’s intentions. “In fact, with proper internal and external treatment over a slightly longer period, these patients can recover.”

“Then, I wonder if Mr. Komer could share the recipe for this medicine so that we can save our people’s lives as soon as possible. The jellyfish race will forever remember Mr. Komer’s kindness,” Stari pressed eagerly.

“Of course. The recipe isn’t complicated. I can tell you how to prepare this medicinal powder right away. But I’m not sure if your race has qualified elemental magicians. To make this potion, at least one competent magic pharmacist is needed—one who is skilled in fire and wood element magic and has a basic understanding of potion preparation, including knowledge of drug mixing ratios and preparation methods. That requirement isn’t too high.” Komer replied seriously. “Also, collecting the ingredients requires care. Many of the herbs grow on the northwest plateau, so gathering them in large quantities takes time. Additionally, some herbs that are easy to confuse must be identified correctly; using the wrong one can be fatal.”

Behind Komer’s openness and generosity lie many prerequisites. Magi are almost an unattainable luxury for the jellyfish tribe. Aside from their innate ability to cast simple water-based magic without any training, they lack the aptitude to master magic at all. Expecting them to cultivate their own magi is as difficult as turning orcs into magi. As for magic potion makers, such a thing is unheard of and utterly impossible. Moreover, they dare not entrust the fate of their entire tribe to outsiders by relying on external help.