The air smelled of wet rock and something metallic, likely the lingering trace of the guardian snake's venom.

Its motionless body lay a few meters away, its white scales barely visible in the dim light.

Charles, sitting on the rocky ground, kept doing push-ups.

His arms moved up and down in a steady rhythm, generating small blue sparks that faintly illuminated the cave.

Each movement made his breathing heavier, but he didn't stop.

He needed to recharge his energy.

Nora sat nearby, her arms wrapped around her knees.

The pain in her back, where the snake's corrosive saliva had burned her skin, was unrelenting.

She didn't complain, but her pale face and occasional grimaces made it clear she was suffering.

She watched Charles with a mix of curiosity and exhaustion, trying to figure out what he was doing.

The system's interface flickered in Charles's vision, displaying a message in blue letters:

[Energy reserves: 12%. Sufficient for basic abilities.]

Charles paused his push-ups for a moment, breathing heavily.

He glanced at the floating screen, then at Nora.

Her back wound didn't look good, even in the faint light of his sparks.

He knew they couldn't stay like this for long—if they didn't act, the burn could get worse.

"System…" he muttered under his breath, ensuring Nora couldn't hear, "can I use my energy to heal Nora's wound?"

The interface flickered again:

[Healing wounds via electric energy is possible. However, the target is not compatible with the lightning element. The process will cause significant pain. Risk of complications: 8%. Proceed?]

Charles frowned, a pang of worry hitting him.

Significant pain didn't sound good, but they couldn't just sit there.

He looked at Nora, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow, clearly puzzled by his silence.

"Hey, Nora," Charles said, trying to sound casual as he sat on the ground, "how… how're you feeling? Is that wound on your back bad?"

Nora huffed, leaning forward slightly.

Her voice carried a hint of sarcasm but also exhaustion.

"I'm managing, Rian," she said. "It hurts like someone poured boiling water on me, but, you know, I'm used to it… though, speaking of that, how long are you gonna keep doing push-ups? You look like a lunatic exercising in a dark cave."

Charles laughed, though it came out more nervous than he intended.

He decided honesty—partial honesty—was the best approach.

He couldn't explain the system, but maybe he could say something convincing.

"These push-ups…" he said, resuming his up-and-down motion, "are one of the ways I… recharge my power. And I'm thinking of using it to heal your back."

Nora blinked, clearly caught off guard.

She leaned toward him, eyes wide.

"Wait, what?" she said, her tone a mix of disbelief and curiosity. "Heal my back? You? Are you a doctor now? Because, in case you didn't notice, this burn isn't something you fix with a rag and water. It's… complicated. I'm not even sure a regular doctor could do anything without tools."

Charles smiled, still focused on his push-ups.

He raised his right hand—the one he'd used to strike the snake.

It was wrecked: knuckles raw with deep cuts, dried blood, and some fingers looking bent.

Parts of the skin were burned, likely from the electric energy he'd channeled.

"Look at this," he said, showing her the hand while continuing with the other arm.

Nora looked at it and, for a moment, her expression shifted.

She grimaced, recoiling slightly.

"By the gods, Rian!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth with one hand. "That's disgusting! How are you still moving with a hand like that? It looks like you shoved it in a meat grinder!"

Charles laughed but didn't stop his push-ups.

As Nora watched, something began to happen.

Tiny blue sparks started coursing over his wounded hand.

The cuts slowly closed, the burned skin regenerated, and the bent fingers seemed to straighten bit by bit.

It wasn't instant, but it was noticeable.

In a few seconds, the hand looked much better, though still marked with faint red scars.

Nora's jaw dropped, her back pain momentarily forgotten.

"What… what the hell was that?" she said, eyes wide.

Then her tone shifted to panic.

"Are you a mage? Tell me the truth, Rian! That's not normal. Nobody heals like that out of nowhere. That's witchcraft!"

Charles burst out laughing, pausing his push-ups to look at her.

"If I tell you I'm not a mage, will you believe me?" he said, his tone teasing.

Nora stared at him, as if trying to decide if he was joking.

Then she started talking fast, gesturing wildly.

"Of course I won't believe you!" she said. "First, you make weird lights with your hands. Second, you electrocute a giant snake like it's nothing. Third, your hand looks like it came out of a nightmare and now it's almost good as new. And all while doing push-ups in a cave! Rian, that's not normal. It's magic, witchcraft, or something worse!"

Nora paused, taking a deep breath, then her expression softened.

She gave a slight smile, though she still looked nervous.

"But, you know what…" she said, shrugging. "I'm fine with playing dumb. You saved my life twice today, so I guess I can keep your secret. It's not like I talk to many people in the clan anyway."

Charles laughed, feeling an unexpected wave of relief.

"I trust you'll keep my secret," he said, his tone more serious but with a smile. "And I promise I'll try to heal that burn on your back. I want it to be good as new, no scars."

Nora raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"No scars?" she repeated, her tone torn between hope and doubt. "Rian, I don't want to get my hopes up, but if you pull that off, I'll owe you more than ice cream. Though, seriously, are you sure you can do something about this? It hurts like hell, and I don't want you making it worse."

Charles stood, shaking out his arms to relax his muscles.

"Leave it to me," he said confidently. "Just trust me."

Nora sighed but nodded.

She crouched carefully, resting her hands on her knees to expose her back.

Her tunic was torn where the snake's saliva had burned it, revealing an ugly wound: red, irritated skin, with patches where the flesh looked melted.

Charles swallowed hard, struck by the wound's severity.

It was a miracle Nora was still talking so calmly.

"This looks bad…" he muttered, more to himself than to her.

Nora turned her head slightly, frowning.

"Thanks for the pep talk," she said sarcastically. "Just do what you need to do, but if you leave me with a giant scar, I'll hunt you down for the rest of your life."

Charles smiled but didn't reply.

He positioned himself behind her, studying the wound closely.

Then, he murmured under his breath, almost as if talking to himself:

"System, start the treatment."

The interface flickered, displaying a new message:

[Initiating healing procedure. Follow the indicated patterns to channel electric energy into the wound.]

A series of blue lines appeared in his vision, tracing a complex pattern over Nora's back—circles and straight lines, like a circuit.

Charles took a deep breath, raising one hand.

His fingers began to glow with blue sparks, and the air around them crackled faintly.

"This is gonna hurt a bit," he said, trying to sound calm.

Nora huffed.

"A bit?" she said. "That doesn't sound very…"

Before she could finish, Charles touched her skin with one finger, following the system's pattern.

ZAP!

A blue flash coursed through the wound, and Nora let out a stifled scream, biting her lip to keep from crying out louder.

Her body trembled, her hands clenching into fists.

"Damn it…!" she grunted, her voice ragged. "That's not 'a bit'! It feels like you're burning me!"

Charles kept moving his finger, carefully tracing the lines.

"Sorry," he said, his tone serious. "Just hold on."

Nora gritted her teeth, letting out small whimpers as the blue sparks traveled across her back.

The pain was intense, like hot needles stabbing her skin.

But slowly, she felt something change.

The burning began to fade, replaced by a sense of relief.

The damaged skin seemed to be closing, though she couldn't see it.

Charles followed the system's pattern with precision, ignoring the fatigue creeping into his arms.

Finally, the interface flickered:

[Healing completed. Tissue regenerated at 95%. No scars detected.]

Charles stepped back, breathing a sigh of relief.

He looked at Nora's back, now smooth and free of the burn.

The skin was flawless, as if it had never been injured.

"Done," Charles said, smiling. "Your back's good as new."

Nora turned slowly, still breathing heavily.

"No need to oversell it…" she said, her tone trying to be sarcastic but sounding weak. "I know a wound like that leaves scars. Just tell me how big it is, Rian. I can handle it."

Charles shook his head, still smiling.

"I'm not overselling," he said. "You toughed it out like a champ, and your back's perfect. Not a single mark."

Nora blinked, clearly skeptical.

Then her eyes widened, and a flicker of excitement crossed her face.

"Wait, really?" she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Don't mess with me, Rian. I was ready to live with an ugly scar forever. If you're lying, I swear…"

"I don't joke about my skills," Charles cut in, his tone proud. "When we get out of here, you can check it in a mirror yourself. Your back's still gorgeous."

Nora fell silent for a moment, then her cheeks flushed red.

She looked down, clearly embarrassed by the compliment.

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