Chapter 148: Sinister Scheme [GOLDEN TICKET BONUS]

Alex thought about his words for a moment. If Roan had been strong enough to deal with three Wild Orcs, then his senses should have been considerably better than those of a normal Level 10 Ascendant, and he might have sensed Alex’s strength even while barely conscious.

After fighting the Wild Orcs and becoming so badly injured, Roan could have simply mistaken another powerful presence for an enemy. Considering his condition, that explanation made sense.

"Alright. Heal him," Alex finally said.

The mana sword disappeared from Alex’s hand, and he stepped away from Roan before returning to the group. He also dismissed the fire bullet he had prepared, because it was so powerful that using it at such close range would be dangerous enough to kill everyone nearby, including enemies, allies, and possibly Alex himself.

Of course, Noah and Eve did not know that, so Alex’s fire bullet was more than enough to intimidate them earlier. Additionally, the fire-element mana had become so concentrated that even with his Advanced Battle Instinct Spell, Alex could barely keep it stable, and if he had not dispersed it soon, it would have exploded in his face.

"Helen!" Noah shouted.

A chocolate-skinned woman rushed out of the nearby building, wearing blue jeans and a blue top as she hurried toward Roan. She knelt beside him and immediately began healing his injuries, and from the way she acted, Alex guessed that she was probably a Priest.

Her brows soon creased with worry as she looked at Roan before turning toward Noah and Eve.

"I can’t heal him. My Faith isn’t entering his body properly," Helen said.

Alex could hear her even from where he stood, and he immediately wondered whether Roan was still circulating Aura while unconscious. That did not seem possible, so he wondered why Faith was having trouble entering his body.

"We should help him," Tina said, standing beside Alex.

Alex looked at her for a few seconds before nodding. "All of you stay alert in case something happens. Sophia, come with me. You will heal him."

Sophia nodded as though she had been waiting for him to make that decision and immediately approached Roan with Alex. Robert followed them while explaining to Noah and Eve that Sophia could help heal Roan, and although they agreed, their bodies remained tense with Alex nearby.

Alex kept his eyes on Roan while Sophia began treating him, making sure that the injured man did not suddenly wake up and attack her. He had not called Charlotta because the little girl would not be able to do much if Roan attacked again, while Sophia could at least retreat and buy Alex a few seconds to intervene.

"I can barely heal him. My Faith isn’t entering his body properly," Sophia said after trying for some time, turning toward Alex with a frown.

"Aura?" Alex asked.

"No, he isn’t using Aura. I would know if I sensed it, but there is nothing like that happening. I don’t understand what is going on," Sophia replied.

"Then it must be Will," Alex said.

He had no idea how someone like Roan already possessed such a strong Will, but considering that the man had killed three Wild Orcs while suffering serious injuries, it was obvious that he had some kind of trump card. Alex would have to learn more before deciding exactly how strong Roan was.

At that moment, Roan suddenly coughed, and blood leaked from his mouth as his eyes slowly opened. His body tensed immediately, as though he expected enemies to be waiting for him, and his eyes quickly moved around the area before relaxing after he realized there were no monsters nearby.

His eyes eventually met Alex’s, but this time his body did not prepare to fight. Instead, he simply stared at Alex for a moment before taking several slow breaths.

"H-Huh? His injuries are healing?" Sophia muttered in surprise as she watched Roan’s wounds begin to close.

"That’s because I put some stats into Constitution," Roan said while coughing. He took a few deep breaths before continuing, "I always kept some stats available for that purpose, because increasing Constitution improves the body’s durability, natural regeneration, and immunity."

He paused briefly before explaining further. "When Constitution is increased, the body is first restored to its normal condition, at least partially, before the additional Constitution takes effect. I don’t know whether it works the same way with diseases, but injuries are healed because the Constitution is restored first and then increased."

Alex listened carefully, finding the explanation useful. He had already understood that stats could strengthen the body, but Roan’s explanation showed that Constitution had a direct effect on recovering from emergency injuries as well.

Roan continued looking at Alex before speaking again. "Sorry about that, Alex. I must have been out of my mind when I attacked you. I just sensed danger and immediately thought you were a monster, so I attacked without thinking."

Alex nodded, although he was inwardly surprised that Roan knew his name. He guessed it must be because Roan was the type to know everyone in the college.

"Let’s get you inside. You need to rest," Noah said as he moved closer and offered Roan his shoulder.

"No, I still need to rescue the people. There are still two Wild Orcs left," Roan replied, shaking his head.

He tried to move without Noah’s support and nearly stumbled, forcing him to stop and regain his balance. It seemed that increasing Constitution could repair his injuries, but it did not completely restore his stamina.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"The Wild Orcs were taking a group of survivors somewhere. I baited two of them away and killed them, but the last two are still there, and I don’t know if they will harm the people before coming after me or simply continue ahead. Either way, I need to go after them," Roan said.

"I will help. But first, explain everything properly," Alex said.

Roan seemed to be in a hurry, but after likely remembering Alex’s strength, he decided to explain what he knew.

"Soon after I returned from the Land of Origin, I found that Wild Orcs were capturing people and taking them somewhere. These groups usually have three or four Wild Orcs together, although there are also individual Wild Orcs searching for people," Roan said.

"Taking people? Where are they taking them, and why?" Alex asked.

..

Author’s Note: If you’re enjoying the novel, consider leaving a vote. It helps the novel a lot. Thank you!