Chapter 1094: The Good Doctor
Abyss Tyrant and the Owl monster, carrying Erikson on his back, finally emerged. They surfaced at the entrance of the underground—a dried-up fountain that once sat in the heart of the city.
Well, it still existed in the center of the city. The only problem was that the entire layout had gone haywire since the buildings were now used to form mazes, trapping monsters within to easily defeat them.
As they climbed out of the fountain basin, figures were already approaching from the distance.
Behind Abyss Tyrant, the Owl monster glanced around, mumbling to himself.
"Doesn’t look like last time... hmm."
Abyss Tyrant walked forward casually, his pace steady despite the fact that they might be walking into a nightmare.
The people approaching—now standing before them—were Helena, Ellis, and two other guys from Tharion Citadel.
"Night Terror!"
Ellis shouted and sprinted forward.
"Oh, thank the stars! You’re alright!"
From behind Abyss Tyrant, the Owl monster leaned sideways, grinned wickedly with his beaked mouth, and waved a hand.
"Hello there... I’m alright too—thank the stars on my behalf."
"Ahhh!!"
Ellis staggered backward in shock.
"A talking monster!"
His face nearly shattered as he stared, pointing at the creature as if he were witnessing all the world’s wrongness fused into one being.
The Owl creature spoke humbly in his own defense.
"Listen, boy, I’m not really a monster. What you see is the result of a curse—I’ve simply learned to live with it. Calling me a monster is quite rude. And these feathers are magnificent. What about me looks monstrous?!"
Ellis stared in disbelief.
"Everything!"
The Owl man’s eyes narrowed.
"Boy... I could take offense."
Helena looked at Abyss Tyrant.
At that moment, he turned, prompting the Owl man to fall silent. He spun around and gently laid Erikson on the ground.
Ellis’s face darkened.
"Shit! I warned him."
He immediately glared at the Owl man.
"You did this!"
"Hey! Wait now! I didn’t! I’m just trying to help save him. Any medical facility around here?"
He looked down at Erik’s ghostly pale face.
"You’d better move fast—the boy doesn’t look like he can hold on much longer."
Helena, her expression stone-cold, said:
"Follow me... there’s somewhere."
She immediately led them down the left alleyway. Although the buildings were scattered like broken teeth, she was a huntress who didn’t need her eyes to navigate—her other senses carved the path.
Helena had a razor-sharp sense of smell too. As an Ascendant, she could separate scents and trace them like invisible threads.
The smell of a medical facility cuts through everything else, no matter where you go or how many odors tangle together.
Following that scent, they soon reached a towering building, scarred and bleeding light through shattered windows.
Most windows in the city—except those in the citadel—had been destroyed anyway, so it was nothing unusual.
The Owl man shot into the building and bounded up the stairs. After reaching the second floor, he spotted a platform with an enormous dead lamp arching over it like a metal vulture.
With one sweep, he smashed the lamp away and laid the boy gently on the table.
He tore Erik’s clothes around his chest and stomach, then stared at his own razor-sharp claws.
Abyss Tyrant stood beside him, silent as a shadow.
"Look, don’t get the wrong idea—I’ve done this countless times, okay? So just stay quiet and watch me work my magic."
Abyss Tyrant stepped back after the man spoke.
The next moment, the Owl man dug his talons into his own palm and pulled out a thin, gleaming thread.
And began to mend Erik.
***
After about twenty-five minutes, the Owl man emerged with Abyss Tyrant.
Ellis was crouched beside the door, the other two guys stood opposite, leaning against the wall. As the door opened, they straightened, and Ellis rose to his feet.
The Owl man, like a seasoned physician who had just finished hours of grueling surgery, addressed them.
"Don’t worry—your friend pulled through. He would have been dead, but I have very skilled hands. Even though I haven’t mended someone in ages, these things never leave the muscle memory. He also has a fierce spirit—held on with iron determination and refused to let go. I’d say while my skill did seventy percent of the work, his will to live carried the other thirty."
He actually sounded professional. The only irritating thing was that he seemed more focused on praising himself than updating them on the patient’s condition.
Ellis looked at Abyss Tyrant, who nodded in response to his questioning gaze.
The other two observed them with strange expressions and cautiously entered the room behind Ellis.
When they stepped inside, they froze at what they saw.
Erik lay on the table, unconscious. His chest rose and fell gently as he rested in peaceful slumber.
The miraculous thing about the Erik before them was this: all his wounds had vanished.
No scars, no cuts, no blood. Everything had disappeared without a trace.
It was as if Erikson had never been hurt at all.
A subtle frown creased Ellis’s brow.
"How...?"
Just as he wondered, footsteps echoed from the depths of the hallway and finally stopped.
He stepped out to find Annette and Helena standing before the strange creature.
Annette glanced at Abyss Tyrant and the others before fixing her gaze on the Owl man.
"What are you?"
The Owl man swallowed hard.
"Quite an intriguing question, judging by your directness. I can tell you have a curious nature—always digging deeper than what appears on the surface. It’s a valuable quality, really. As for what I am... I cannot say. The day I share that truth with any human is the day my curse breaks."
Annette’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Abyss Tyrant also studied him from above.
"Lord Commander, nothing I say here is a lie. I will truly die if I reveal my purpose to a human. However, it’s perfectly safe to discuss it with a monster. While I don’t fear death, there are a few things I’d like to experience in your world before I decide whether I want to die or not."
Annette grimaced.
"Listen. This is a matter of continental destruction. I will not have you take this lightly. That underground tunnel was supposed to serve as our lifeline to reach the rest of the continent—there’s a communication blockade, transportation systems are down, and each nation is dying, unaware of the calamity engulfing the continent, thinking they’re alone in this nightmare."
Her gaze hardened further.
"That tunnel is our way to save the nations... we need it. If there’s something prowling down there that could sabotage our plan, you need to tell us... please."
Annette’s voice softened.
The Owl man studied her for a few heartbeats. Then he sighed.
"I like the way you weave your words. Much better than the Lord Commander, who doesn’t seem to have any words to articulate at all."
He paused and looked deeply into Annette’s eyes.
"So, I can only give you information, not the reason they’re there. As much as I’m moved to help you, I still don’t want to stop living—not especially now."
He folded his arms.
"If you’re trying to reach other parts of the continent, it’s actually quite simple. The underground rail system was created specifically for that purpose, and we are its guides. Most of us have scattered, but the ones I know—the ones I glimpse from time to time—are the black snake, the wolf, probably the one who mauled your friend, and the bird. Not a bird like me—he’s a more powerful and monstrous creature, and he’s definitely not rational. Doesn’t even like to see me."
He paused, drawing in a breath before continuing,
"He’s also the most ancient of us."
He shrugged, closing his eyes briefly.
"I don’t know exactly how you all plan to make this work... but they’re not creatures that can be reasoned with. You must prepare for battle if you want to use the underground rail system. But I can guarantee you’ll reach your destination swiftly—as long as you don’t get killed, of course."
Annette looked down for a moment, absorbing and mulling over everything the Owl had said.
The Owl, meanwhile, whistled idly, studying the walls and ceiling with casual interest.
Annette finally sighed.
"It seems you’re right—we indeed must be ready for battle if we’re going through that tunnel. That much is settled."
The Owl looked at her and nodded.
"Good thing you came to terms with that quickly..."
Annette’s expression darkened.
"I’m sorry, but we also have no intention of letting you roam free. We’ll be moving through that tunnel together."
Just as she spoke, Abyss Tyrant’s hand shot out and seized the Owl man’s throat as he tried to leap away from their group.
"Damn it! Damn it! I can accept humans! I hate monsters! I hate all of you!!"
Abyss Tyrant hoisted him off the ground.
Annette walked back inside and emerged with Erik cradled in her arms. Then they abandoned the ruined medical facility.