After making a determined decision to prepare for the future, I set off on a round of treatments for the remaining returnees.
First, when I said I would heal the person with the most serious injuries, Wip took me over to a bed in the corner.
There lay a person whose legs had been entirely cut off below the thighs, their upper body wrapped in bandages.
I couldn’t tell their gender, race, ethnicity, or age. Everything was covered up, and the body shape was ambiguous.
“This person fell into a distorted dungeon full of monsters as a plaything for a demon. That’s how they ended up like this,” Wip explained.
Wip’s long ears trembled.
“Therefore, I thought the Pope’s hallucination was a trial imposed on me by the demon. There had been actual precedents, so I couldn’t even doubt it.”
“…I see.”
Honestly, I felt guilty. Although it was a defensive measure against ambush, it had resulted in significant distress.
Even if it wasn’t intentional, one must compensate for causing harm to others. This was the will of the Goddess, not mine.
Thus, even if Wip didn’t join the faith later, I decided to grant various benefits to them.
I briefly pondered what would be the most appropriate recompense for making them a lead actor without consent, while receiving a tablet PC from Hainha.
I wanted to check the information in advance since they might belong to a race that reacts negatively to sacred power.
“This is the fifth individual.”
“Yes.”
I quickly scrolled down with my finger to check the notes written about this returnee.
—–
[NO.7 Jo Ha-jin]
– Reincarnator
└ Returned after living for about 35 years.
– Inherited Creation: [The Abandoned]
└ A survival game in a world hit by a zombie apocalypse.
– Characteristics: Lacks any special abilities, but overall physical abilities are extremely high.
– Caution: Contains a zombie virus in their body. Consuming the blood of this returnee will cause zombification.
—–
It appeared that this returnee had survived in a world full of zombies.
In some ways, it was one of the toughest worlds to survive in, yet they returned safely, suggesting their physical abilities were indeed extraordinary.
But having a zombie virus in their body… isn’t that just… a zombie?
Just as I was pondering this, Wip provided an additional explanation.
“Your Holiness, this individual is preventing zombification with a special item. Fortunately, it hasn’t malfunctioned.”
“If they aren’t fully undead, then I can inject sacred power. That’s a relief.”
If they had completely turned into an undead, I wouldn’t be able to heal them even with sacred spells. I’d just have to send them off peacefully.
However, if they’re using a special item to prevent becoming a zombie, we can see that there’s practically no risk involved.
‘This person is a Holy Knight.’
Although they hadn’t joined yet, I mentally appointed them and began the treatment.
This time, unlike with the returnee named Reeve earlier, it was clear which part needed healing.
The legs.
I had to restore the part that was essentially the core of almost all human activities, which had already disappeared.
Fortunately, restoring a severed body part wasn’t entirely impossible.
If the legs had completely vanished, there would’ve been nothing I could do. The entire limb would be entirely lost.
However, as there was still something left above the thighs, it lay within the range of possible healing.
“Please bear with a little pain.”
First, I removed the bandages surrounding the returnee’s thighs and unleashed my sacred power onto the severed area.
The sacred energy flowed in, causing the gruesome cut to bulge with flesh, as if time was speeding up.
However, if I kept injecting just sacred power like this, it would merely stitch the wound together.
To regenerate the legs completely, I needed to borrow the power of a higher sacred spell.
“O Sun, I’ll spare the rest.”
Since it’s a hassle to pray for each detail, I offered a flexible, succinct prayer.
Then, I abruptly raised the temperature of the sacred power concentrated near the legs to a scorching, intense heat, like a raging flame.
“Ugh…”
As the returnee let out a pained groan, I couldn’t stop here despite the effect it might have on them.
I intensified the sacred power’s heat and continuously injected a large amount of sacred energy, endlessly condensing it.
Then finally.
The vivid pink hue transformed into a deep, intense red.
Now was the perfect timing.
I split the now extremely heated sacred energy into two and carefully inserted it into each severed end, filled with the desire for recovery.
Suddenly, radiant sunlight burst forth from all sides, spreading warmth.
Embracing the gentle energy, I murmured softly.
“O warm sunlight, may you be the support that sustains those who have lost hope in life.”
Sacred spell, Sun Rebirth.
Any sacred spell that includes “Sun” is a top-tier skill. It may not match the miracles of the Goddess, but it could certainly rival them.
What I accomplished just now was right on that edge.
“Uh, huh?”
Yao gasped from behind. Others were also expressing their admiration in hushed tones.
This reaction was only natural.
The sight of two legs regrowing was likely something they had never witnessed before.
“Uh… It’s done.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and took a moment to catch my breath. Then, unable to endure it any longer, I asked Yao for support.
“You look worn out.”
“I’m dying.”
That’s the problem with “Sun Overcoming.”
It exhibited wondrous effects that approached the miracles of the gods; an extreme technique for body healing.
While it could heal most wounds and ailments, the downside was its severe drain on stamina.
I’d barely used it and was nearing fainting. That’s why it couldn’t be utilized in battles against enemies.
Still, the effects were clear, as the returnee’s once-vanished legs quickly regrew into their complete form.
In comparison to the upper thighs, they were slightly thinner and slimmer, but that couldn’t be helped. A brand-new pair of legs had grown.
“Pope! Amazing!”
Yao, still grasping me to stabilize herself, sparkled with excitement. It wasn’t a metaphor; she literally shined.
I wasn’t sure why her eyes physically glinted, but at least it wasn’t an unpleasant gaze.
“Truly impressive.”
“Oh my gosh…”
Hainha and Wip were also looking at me in admiration.
Perhaps, despite being the Pope, they hadn’t expected me to heal this perfectly.
That’s how it always started.
Skepticism, doubt, concern.
Those who didn’t know me would glance suspiciously, unaware of how extraordinary my healing abilities had become.
Then, once they witnessed me flawlessly heal without error, they would begin to regard me as an amazing healer.
It was a very desirable flow. As my reputation grew, so did the trust in the Goddess.
“It wasn’t anything special. All thanks to the Goddess’s grace. If you all pray earnestly to the Goddess and read the scriptures, you too may reach miracles.”
Having finished my brief preaching, I turned to Wip, who had been gazing blankly.
“Who is the next most urgent individual?”
The tour of treatments for the returnees was not yet over.
*
The priestess Reeve from the world of clerics.
The survivor Jo Ha-jin from the zombie world.
The third returnee was not a human but had a very peculiar appearance.
Simply put, they were a female robot with a talisman stuck to her forehead.
Is this person from a cyberpunk setting? But the talisman felt somewhat unbalanced.
At first glance, it was impossible to ascertain her identity, so I checked Hainha’s notes.
However… right from the start, things felt off.
—–
[NO.5 Kim Ji-yeon (Name after possession – Witness)]
– Possessed Individual
└ Returned after living for approximately 2000 years (estimated).
—–
“Two thousand years…?”
While the name “Witness” was peculiar, that wasn’t the problem. The duration of their life was absurdly lengthy.
I couldn’t help but be curious about where she had been all that time.
—–
– The work she was possessed by: [Kill The Belief]
└ A roguelike card game where one must uncover secrets while wandering through an abandoned city.
– Characteristics: Time rewinds every time one dies, leading to endless regression.
– Caution: Currently at risk of function shutdown.
—–
After reading it, I somewhat grasped the situation.
“A reincarnator, huh?”
Even more so, they were someone known for endlessly suffering through the so-called ‘infinite regression.’
She must have gone through immense hardship, and upon returning, immediately fell into another grueling life at the hands of a demon.
How could she have such terrible luck? It was utterly pitiful.
“But where exactly is she injured?”
“Almost the entire body.”
The person who answered my question wasn’t Hainha, but the robot lying in the bed.
The robot, returnee Kim Ji-yeon, continued with a mechanical voice.
“I am in crisis. Mind confused. Functions halting. Worry worry. Help help. Sob sob. Death death. No no.”
“……”
Just listening to her was inducing mental confusion.
I suspected she wasn’t doing this on purpose but had probably lost her marbles after so many long regressions.
I knew someone who went through something similar, and they weren’t in their right mind either.
Anyway, beyond the regression and mental state, I was understandably perplexed as this was a type of patient I had never encountered before.
“But I can’t heal machinery.”
No matter how great a healer I was, I wasn’t omnipotent.
Specifically, even if a robot had a personality, if its body wasn’t living tissue, I wouldn’t be able to treat it.
Wouldn’t it make sense to call a repairman instead of a priest for this?
While contemplating such matters and feeling awkward, Kim Ji-yeon opened her mouth again.
“Worry no no. Power conversion. Function loading.”
“…So you mean if I inject my sacred power, you’ll recover automatically?”
“Exactly that. As expected, Your Holiness. Good good good. Please heal. Real real. Crisis crisis.”
I imagined that continuing to converse would only make things more chaotic, so I generously injected sacred power into her.
Then, the talisman attached to her forehead transformed into an easily recognizable symbol.
[:D]
Soon after, the robot sprang up and bowed.
“Life saved. So thankful. Almost died. Five minutes difference. Whew.”
“……”
Thus, I completed the treatment for this mentally chaotic third patient.
Although I’d consumed far too much sacred power in a short period and was now suffering from a headache, I still couldn’t rest.
“That’s it.”
I approached the last remaining bed to check the information.
Once again, it was a woman.
—–
[NO.2 Cubica Psycheless]
– Reincarnator
└ Returned after living for about 28 years.
– Inherited Creation: [Aigis]
└ An event to investigate a large-scale corruption incident that occurred on an island…
—–
“Huh?”
For some reason, this entry was abruptly cut off.
When I asked why, a usually calm agent whispered to me with a flushed face.
“[Aigis] is a super male-oriented 19+ game.”
“I-Is that so?”
In other words, this returnee was someone who enjoyed adult games regularly.
As someone who had been male before, I could somewhat understand that.
However…
“But in this game, the protagonist’s job is… the Pope?”
“……”
This couldn’t just be overlooked.
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