After satisfying his hunger, he cleaned up his makeshift camp and decided to follow the trail today. He kept his eyes peeled for herbs and anything unusual. In every movie he'd ever watched, this was when someone would always be attacked. However, the only things he had seen for hours while walking the trail were a few small animals.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Creature Identified: Rainbow Squirrel
- Description: Small, Tree-dwelling, Herbivore.
- Passive behavior
- Hunted for its eyes, they change color depending on temperature.
The squirrel paused momentarily and looked at me, as if it could sense that I had been observing it. Its fluffy tail twitched as we made eye contact for an instant. Then it dashed away, disappearing into the nearby foliage.
Adam sighed and continued along the trail, hoping it would lead him somewhere. Around midday, he stopped to rest for a brief hour. He noticed that the trees were becoming less dense, the trail was widening, and the ground was becoming flatter. While he was eating a magical root, he caught the scent of smoke. Smoke usually indicated the presence of people, and people meant a bed. He quickly finished the root and decided to jog toward the smell.The smell of food carried with the smoke, even with the effects of the root, he was craving an actual meal. As he continued on the trail, he started to hear voices. He was about to encounter people; instinctively, he reached for his harvesting tool, hoping he wouldn't need it. Adam took a deep, calming breath, stepping into the clearing. He didn't want to scare anyone. His gaze swept over the camp; they didn't seem overly concerned by his arrival. No one had drawn a weapon or shouted at him. One person, a man with short-cropped dark hair, looked up from the fire and caught sight of him. The man's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, he thought the old man would make him leave, but his eyes softened. “Well, well,” the man said, his voice rough from the road. “Didn't expect anyone else to be out here.”
Adam took another step closer to the fire, his heart racing. “ I Didn't mean to intrude. I smelt the smoke and thought I might get some help or directions." He found his voice horse with disuse.
The man gave a small, understanding nod "We've got food and a place to rest if you got some coin." Coin? Adam's Mind whirled. He didn’t give any coin, Maybe he could offer trade. “I don’t have any coins but i have herbs and can offer some healing what ever you might need.
The man raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Herbs, huh? Well, you've got my attention. We have one woman who can’t keep food down. We've tried everything we can, but we have to be on the road. We will give you food and a place to sit if you help tend to her. If you can make her better by morning, you can travel with us to the next Village. Sound good?”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Adam didn't even need to think about it. “It sounds amazing, thank you. Could you please show me to her?”
She looked pale, her face gaunt, her hair tangled and matted with sweat. Her breathing was shallow. Her eyes tried to stay open when they entered the room, but it was a lost cause as she drifted back off. “She hasn't been able to keep anything down for days,” a man sitting next to her said while dabbing her forehead. Please help her.”
“It's the wasting disease,” The man who brought him in said. “He will try his best, but we all know how it ends,” He said and walked away. Adam stepped close to the girl, studying her carefully. He tried to use inspect, but that didn’t add any information that might help him. His Mind raced through the herbs he had in his inventory. The girl needed something immediately to help her, Something that could stave off the effects of her condition long enough to help her keep something down and get to the village. He scanned his inventory, landing on the bitter leaf, a herb that increased the resistance to nausea. Maybe that with a healing herb may help. Then a feeling in the back of his Mind said to grab dullroot too.
He asked around to see if anyone had a Mortar, but no one did, so he grabbed a nearby rock and used some water to clean it just like last time. He quickly began grinding the herbs, his hands steady despite the urgency he felt for the girl. Biterleafe has a sharp bitter taste in it. He crushed it until it turned into a paste, then added the dullroot. It was more earthy, but he did the same, adding in the basic healing herb. He added water and put it in a pot to boil it together; hopefully, it better infuse all the helping properties in the plants. He removed it from the fire and let it cool; when the paste was cool enough, Adam approached the cot where the girl lay. “This should help her”
The girl grimaced at the bitter taste, but she swallowed. A few minutes later, Adam saw her body relax and her breathing become more stable, the color of her skin getting more flushed as time went on. “Is she going to be okay?” Adam nodded. “The worst should be over now, but make sure she drinks only water the rest of the night, and we will know by morning.”
He walked away and sat by the fire, checking the messages that appeared.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Alchemy Level 2:
- You have created a potion to cure wasting disease. Using Bitterleafe, dull root, and a basic healing herb, grind together and bring to a boil. Serve with care.
- Can now feel what herbs can help a Creation grow stronger
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
For using herbalism to help heal someone who would have died, you are rewarded. 50 XP
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
LEVEL UP
Remember Herbs are used to heal, kill when needed, and continue to grow.
Adam was excited. Not only did he help save someone's life, he leveled up. He could have done without the reminder at the end, but he wouldn’t complain. He checked out his updated states
Name: Adam
Class: Herbalist (Level 2) 10/500
Subclass: Race: Human
Patron: Airmed
Titles: Master of a Legendary Class
Current Status:
- HP: 150/150 (2.1/min)
- MP: 110/110 (2.4/min)
- Stamina: 60/60 (2.7/min)
Abilities:
- Herb Identification (Passive) – You can identify and analyze any plant or herb nearby.
- Alchemy (Active) level 2 – Craft a basic salve from herbs.
Skills:
- Inspect (Active) Level 1
Attributes:
- Strength: 6
- Intelligence: 11
- Dexterity: 6
- Wisdom: 13
- Vitality: 15
- Attribute points: 2
He was growing, and he loved it.