Rules of Biomancy: A LitRPG Healer Fantasy

Testing out an enhanced version of Breaths of Serenity was the ultimate recipe for sleeping longer than intended. That Elijah had first allowed his head to reach a pillow at four made it even worse, Aleksi having to outright shake him awake when calling his name hadn’t worked.

“We’re old men, Elijah,” Aleksi reminded him, as the two packed away some of the more often-used burners, mortars, crucibles, and various other tools that he was more comfortable using than ones that the castle would likely provide him. “Having several nights in a row where you skip the duty of sleeping will not help your senses. You might’ve survived these acts years ago, but the lack of sleep is going to catch up on you.”

“I promise you that I’m already feeling it,” Elijah promised him, having already added two drops of Phoenix Fire to his tea. With how much caffeine was in a single drop, he wasn’t worried about being tired while going through the introductions at the castle. “Be careful with that, please. It’s—”

Something in the wooden box shattered as Aleksi dropped it to the ground in front of the laboratory, the giant flinching as small bits of glass fell out from the sides.

“... The other boxes didn’t have anything that broke when I did that?” Aleksi tried to use as a defense, making Elijah groan in frustration as he went into the storage room to figure out if he had any spare retort flasks. They were terribly expensive, and he dreaded the chance that he would need to acquire a new one. “At the very least, the castle might have some you can use?”

The words didn’t lighten the load on Elijah’s heart, as he realized that the two now-broken pieces of glassware were the only ones he had, the others acquired years ago had decayed naturally and were now unusable as well.

An order would have to be put in, along with an assortment of other pieces of glassware, but that would take weeks to get. For now, though he wasn’t happy about it, he would have to depend more on the castle’s equipment and tools.

At least the common ones are still unbroken.

Most of them, at least, the giant dropping a set of boiling tubes before Elijah took over moving around the more fragile items. At least those he had 100s of.

“So, like, do we need to feed the creepy plants, or should we just ignore them?” Jack asked when most of the things were done being taken out of the laboratory, the man eying the Snarethorn which sat idly under the window in the kitchen. “Because if we need to feed them, somebody else is going to have to do it.”

“Snarethorns of this size can go up to six months without eating, so you have nothing to worry about,” Elijah assured the man, who seemed very relieved by not having to go near the plants. “And, regardless, I will send them Mana whenever they require it, which is not very often. If you believe they would appreciate a snack, however… throw a mouse at the center.”

Never before had he seen a grown adult shudder so heavily in disgust. It was captivating, in its own way.

‘When are we going outside?’ Dawn asked, flying from the table inside the laboratory and over to his shoulder as he stood at the door. The plant had been able to somewhat improve its balance when standing on him independently, but Elijah could still feel it being slightly wobbly. ‘Is it soon?’

‘Give it another hour,’ he replied, the duck ruffling its feathers in frustration. At the mention of being able to go outside, and see the sun, it had become ecstatic. Even Elijah reiterated that the plant would be put in Storage to not rouse suspicion from the public, Dawn hadn’t lost the slightest bit of enthusiasm.

“She is just such a cutie,” Jack commented, trying to scratch the duck still on his shoulder. Only a quick promise for more food stopped the man from losing the finger, though Elijah had to stop it within a few seconds. “Such a shame she’s not staying.”

“She…” Elijah began before considering what he was about to say. He hadn’t put any gender on the former flower, though the others had already started using feminine terms for the duck once its name had been revealed. It didn’t strictly fit, since Sundrop Flowers were self-pollinating, but the others didn’t seem to care, and the name already pushed for it so he decided not to bother fighting the usage. “She has already fought to come with me, as she will be more useful when I need to brew.”

And because Dawn wanted to go outside, but that's another matter entirely. The idea of seeing the sun just struck the plant duck like a drug, Dawn barely able to wait in place.

“Still, it’s going to hurt saying goodbye.”

“I’ll likely be back every day without fail, and she is coming along every time,” Elijah dryly reminded the man, but the theatrics suffered no weakness from the information. “Don’t you have better things to do, than standing around and staring at a duck? Those fangs weren’t brought back from the Dungeon to sit on a table unused.”

“I’m doing as much as I can with those, I’ll have you know!” Jack instantly defended himself, pulling out two glasses from his pockets. Each was half full, though one contained white powder and the other the gunpowder that it was meant to turn into. “It’s powerful stuff, but I’m still running out of Mana pretty quickly. Have to recover properly between sessions, you know? I don’t want to cripple myself too fast.”

Not an attitude that Elijah had expected to see, though the recent maturity and restraint could’ve been due to the massive amounts of progress made in such a small amount of time. Those bottles weren’t small in the slightest, and the total weight of just what had been transmuted this morning equaled everything that had been done in the previous days and then some. Having the proper materials to transmute from the start was truly a game-changer for the young man, and that could be seen with how hard he’d worked on improving that ‘pistol’ of his.

“Sitting down and focusing on your Core increases its regeneration and allows it to rest easier,” Elijah advised, partly so the man could get back to his work quicker and so that he would leave him alone while he got the final parts out of the laboratory. “Not being starved helps as well, so you and Sasha can go fetch something from the kitchen.”

“Way ahead of you,” Sasha muttered, having already started leaving for the other room before he could finish his reasoning. The bag of dried fruits that left his cupboard made him narrow his eyes. Hadn’t he had several of those bags from last month’s trading with the vendors down the Season Street? He’d been hoping to savor those, yet it seemed the appetite of the young was as unending as it was frustrating.

‘Can we go outside and avoid the frustration?’ Dawn asked, Elijah wondering if she even knew what he meant to begin with. She was saying more and more complex words, not always in the right context but otherwise still an improvement. Having her on his shoulder, or just interacting with her more than a few rare times a day to see what changes were happening had accelerated her learning rate to the heavens.

There was a chance that all the different herbs and plants he’d been feeding her were doing something as well, but he couldn’t say. Whatever the reason behind it was, he hoped it wouldn’t slow down just yet. With more wisdom came the ability to be more efficient with her ways, along with bringing out whatever flowers of general herbs he wished to see at that moment. While she wasn’t able to conjure up everything that he’d possessed in his laboratory just yet, she was getting very close.

“Hey, Elijah,” Aleksi said, the giant bringing him back into the laboratory. “Do you hope to bring along one of these, or are they staying here with the rest of the fragile flowers?”

The giant had put a thumb pointing towards the door into the smaller room beside the laboratory, the growing area for a certain Luna Nightshade. With the recent regaining of his abilities, Elijah had been busy reinvigorating them, stopping the withering that had happened in recent months as the temperature during the night increased, and he had to admit that it had been going very well for them. A few more seeds had even started being produced, making it possible for him to grow several more if he wished. Even if one flower usually needed more than a decade to blossom, his ability to accelerate the growth allowed him the chance to witness another blooming within his lifespan if he so wished.

… And the new gift would stop the sun from killing it instantly.

“Keeping one safe wouldn’t hurt,” Elijah supposed. Closing the door into the laboratory, to hopefully stop any indirect rays from the sun from hitting the fragile purple flowers, he opened the side room up and stepped inside.

Several of the Nightshades leaned in his direction as he did, sensing the Mana within him and hungering for it. They had such an extreme sensitivity to the energy they could take, a byproduct of their usual living up in the mountains where such energy was sparse for the taking.

One would’ve hoped that made them more resistant to chance, but that wasn’t the case.

‘Can I have one?’ Dawn asked, as he knelt down in front of the smallest of the flowers, one that had only started to blossom seven years ago. It was the youngest of all the ones still alive, though Elijah knew it likely wouldn’t have survived much longer if not for the Mana he could now provide. ‘They look useful.’

‘I hope we never have to use them, honestly,’ Elijah replied, that reasoning why he didn’t allow the duck on his shoulder to store the information about their making inside. They were too dangerous for that. ‘They’re for letting me remember a piece of the past and little else.’

With a careful hand, he gently put his fingers on the stalk of the Luna Nightshade. There was an immediate reaction, the digits numb as a poison traveled up his bloodline. For anybody else, it would’ve been a promise of death then and there.

For Elijah, it was the promise that he would get cold shivers for the next hour or so.

[Plant Storage] has been activated! Cost of activation: 89MP

It was surprisingly expensive to insert such a small flower into himself, but Elijah didn’t care about that too much. He could feel his Core drain for another 50MP within a few seconds, as the small damages were removed and the Nightshade was purified to its fullest. Whenever he would allow it to leave once more, it would likely be the healthiest and most well-off of all the ones he still had left.

“The Dungeon is a strange thing, making you get that gift as well,” Aleksi commented, keeping a distance while Elijah washed off the small pieces of purple residue on his fingers. They were very minor, barely seen by the naked eye, but even these amounts could likely kill the giant if they weren’t careful. “Do you think it was intentional or it was just a byproduct of it wanting to order you around?”

“Maybe a mix of both?” Elijah replied, unsure of the reasoning himself. “I did think about the Animal Bond spell that I got after the first interaction, so some influence might've happened. I can’t say for sure. I’m just happy I didn’t get such a terrible headache this second time.”

The only true side-effect of the conversation had been a temporary loss of time perception, but even that had been put alongside the Dungeon passively keeping up the growth of his Core. Even if Elijah heavily preferred never speaking to that primal entity ever again, he couldn’t deny the boons gained from them.

‘Can I eat the dungeon?’ Dawn asked.

It took a lot of will not to bark out a chunk of laughter at that, to the point where he felt his lungs ache. Aleksi questioned the action, but he just waved the giant off. There was no explanation for the humor that had started to settle in when talking with the duck.

An hour was able to pass before there were some knocks at the door. At that point, everybody who he had already made agreements with for medical provisions for the next week had already been by to collect them, which meant that the time for leaving had arrived. The two young adults were hidden on the second floor, the prepared boxes were lifted from the ground, and the two could venture out to the front and see a finely dressed man waiting for them next to a sizable wagon.

“Mr. Elijah Caede?” the man asked, bowing once Elijah confirmed his identity. The finely trimmed beard and hair that didn’t move in the slightest bit during the bow was a little distracting. “I have been given orders to assist you in moving various personal items and tools from your establishment to the castle. Have you already prepared what to bring, or do you need further assistance?”

“We’ve already got it all packed,” Elijah assured the man, getting another bow in response. From the servant’s looks, he guessed them to be no older than thirty, still within the realm where they could lift a few boxes if needed. “Though we won’t mind getting some of the lighter boxes with clothing into the wagon.”

“Of course, sir.”

Within five minutes of diligent work, they were able to load up everything needed, including the heavier tools that Aleksi was required to lift to have a chance at bringing them along. When asking the servant the chance of having anybody on the giant’s level of strength help with setting it up in the castle, however, he was met with disappointment.

“The guards could perhaps help, but that would have to wait until their scheduled duties are complete in the late afternoon,” the man explained, the professional version of apologetic heard in the tone of his voice.

“Then I guess you’re riding with, Aleksi,” Elijah said, the giant nodding as he locked the shop with the prepared key, making sure it was all ready to be left behind before climbing up into the wagon himself.

“I’m… not sure that would be allowed, sir,” the servant said. Elijah didn’t have trouble spotting the beginning of a bead of sweat on their forehead, as neither of the old men seemed perturbed by his words. “My orders were for you and your things to be brought to the castle. Nothing was said about bringing along others.”

“I’m relatively sure that my position within the castle allows me to bend the rules just a little now,” Elijah fired back in quick order. “And, if I’m to have any chance of completing my duties of the day, I will need this man with me. If it goes wrong, I’ll take the blame.”

Not having consequences for doing whatever he was asked of, the servant seemed to calm down considerably. With a small tug on the reins, they were off, the larger horse pulling along the wagon at a good pace.

The coloring of the wagon, with its fiery red and golden colors, made people stop and stare at them passing by. Whispering started up, some recognizing Elijah and Aleksi from their shop, but the only thing he could think about was the amount of questions he would have to answer once the old ladies figured out what he was doing at the moment.

It was only the thought of Aleksi hopefully taking the brunt of the questioning that allowed him to not gulp in fear at the prospect of returning to his shop during the night.

‘The sun!’ Dawn screamed at him, distracting him as he looked up at the fiery ball in the sky. There were few clouds around, letting the golden rays shine down on them and heating the place quite a bit. ‘It’s so shiny!’

‘That is what the sun is known for, yes,’ Elijah replied, holding himself back for cracking a smile as the duck continued to scream and shout and fly around inside the magical storage as it excitedly looked up at the flaming ball. He didn’t personally understand the plant’s love for the light, his body personally showing off how too much of it was bad by making his skin turn red, but perhaps it was simply a difference in instincts. The sun was what made the plant prosper out in the wild, while for Elijah it was simply an indirect help more often than not.

Some of the mutterings he could hear, as they rode past the city center made him turn his head to see the Dungeon Guards staring his way. Some shouted from the distance, waving when realizing who was sitting on top of the wagon. He refrained from replying in kind, though Aleksi had no such reservations, the giant’s right arm swinging as high as it possibly could.

But while the people in the middle district seemed shocked and excited about the castle wagon’s presence, the people in the upper-class district had the usual response to their presence. Mild chattering, a side-eye before ignoring their presence, and then some criticism under their breath that Elijah could very much hear.

‘Is this food?’ Dawn asked as he glanced at the colorful outfits that sprung out. His eyes stayed on some of the golden furs for longer than he realized, Elijah wondering if that was because of his own thoughts or because of another presence influencing his ideals.

‘Not food normally, no,’ Elijah replied. He saw another pair look over at the wagon, the expensively dressed people grimacing at the sight of them. ‘But exceptions can be made. The gods know that the world would be better without these people around.’

‘So… food in the future?’

‘Don’t get your hopes up.’

He felt disappointment run through his body as the duck digested the news, to the point where even Elijah’s own emotions matched the negative feelings. That realization made him frown, wondering if the addition of more semi-sapient plants within him would worsen the influence or not. He’d been hoping for an arsenal of sorts to be built up in the following weeks, but if something like this were to happen more frequently he wasn’t sure he would go through with it.

‘You don’t need other plants!’ Dawn assured him. ‘I can do it all!’

A mildly possessive disposition to have.

“Halt!” came the shout, pulling Elijah out of his internal mutterings with the plant. “Identify yourselves and what cargo you are bringing with you into the castle walls.”

“Servant Isaac Ulthor following the orders of Princess Vera Newell on the transfer of the new Royal Healer, Elijah Caede, into the castle,” the servant next to him rattled off with practiced ease. “Alongside this, we are bringing various personal items and additional tools and items to be used during the various tasks that the Royal Healer will be expected to perform daily. And, as an aide in bringing all the heavier items to the proper location within the castle, we have brought along one… Aleksi Grey.”

The name had to be whispered by the giant himself before the servant could give it, Isaac having seemingly forgotten. And the pause didn’t seem to go well in front of the guards, a set of barked orders making paperwork be brought out from the small guard’s house on the other side.

“We have only received orders to let in one servant, the Royal Healer, and the various items he has brought along,” the guard said. “No mentions of aides.”

Rather strict on what was allowed, weren’t they? They’d seemed rather strict the day before as well, but at least then they had been somewhat polite about it. Now they were… much less so.

“Some of the tools I need for my work are heavier than I am,” Elijah replied, the guard looking at him unimpressed. “While I have not been given the precise location of where I will be working, it has been mentioned as being on the third floor. Unless you have a half dozen guards ready to assist me in bringing my gear up the stairs, I am afraid that the man you call my aide must be brought along with me.”

“No mention of an aide on our orders. If you refuse to comply, there’s nothing we can do but—”

“The Princess specified that any special circumstances were to be brought to the attention of her direct servants, to avoid any larger conflict,” came the voice of a certain servant that Elijah hadn’t expected to hear from again so soon. Harper, as Vera called her, had appeared at the entrance close by the angry guard, looking rather unimpressed by their work. “If you had taken the time to read more than the first paragraph of the very detailed instructions, you would have known this.”

“I— Of course, ma'am. My apologies,” the guard said, shoulders sinking as they bowed to the woman. When Harper offered no retorts to their words, already walking towards the wagon herself, the orders started flying. “Let them through! Don’t just sit around staring into the empty air, you fools!”