The Thunderborn Chronicles: Rise of a Healer

Ranav sat silently on his bed, holding the ring in his hand. After a long time, he sighed and said, "I need to sleep. Thank you, too."

"Okay, you sleep. I'll be here with you," Jessica replied.

Ranav slipped the ring back onto his finger and lay down, his thoughts drifting to his past life on Earth before sleep finally claimed him.

The next morning, he woke to the sound of birds chirping on the balcony. It took him a moment to reconcile his memories with his current reality. The bonding experience with Jessica the previous night had brought his old memories sharply into focus, even those he had nearly forgotten. The vividness left him momentarily disoriented.

Sensing his tension, Jessica reassured him, "Don't overthink it. These memories will fade into the background as you make new ones. Take it easy."

Ranav shifted his focus and asked, "Do you sleep, Jessica?"

"When I awoke from my long slumber, I was afraid to go back to sleep. Then, when I tried, I found that I couldn't. The only time I slept was when the ring was upgrading. I think in my soul form, sleep isn't necessary. That forced sleep must have been because of the changes to the ring," she explained.

"Interesting," Ranav replied. "Well, I need to freshen up and do my morning meditation. I've found a great spot here. Wait for a bit."

He hurried to the attached bathroom before heading out.

In the back garden of the count's estate, the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. Ranav started his advanced aikido breathing technique, drawing in the fresh world energy into his dantian. When his dantian felt full and the fatigue of the previous day had faded, he stopped.

Jessica's voice entered his mind. "Did you ever give your breathing technique a name?"

"No, I never thought of one."

"I suggest 'Lifebreath.' How does that sound?"

"'Lifebreath,' huh? Alright, that works."

"What about your body-enhancement breathing technique?"

Ranav chuckled. "Spill it. I know you've got something in mind."

"I was thinking 'Regenesis.' What do you think?"

"Perfect. I accept unconditionally," he replied with a grin.

Jessica then asked, "Do you want to practice magic now?"

"I was planning to meditate on the darkness star circle. I just awakened darkness magic, and if I want to become a healer quickly, I need to form that circle."

"What about your other stars? Will you wait until you finish with darkness?"

Ranav groaned. "I don't even know what the other elemental stars are."

Jessica giggled. "The silver star is for the summoning element. You haven't read the book on rare elements yet. Let me share what I know."

As she spoke, a flood of information about summoning magic entered Ranav's mind. He quickly realized how rare and impressive the summoning element was.

"I really hit the jackpot this time!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, you're incredibly lucky," Jessica agreed. "To enhance your combat abilities, you should focus on summoning as well."

"I couldn't agree more. If we encounter a powerful enemy, it could be our trump card."

"Exactly. But for now, I suggest holding off on meditation. The ring has a meditation room where time runs ten times slower. You'll get ten hours of meditation for every one hour spent inside."

"That's amazing!" Ranav exclaimed. "This upgrade is far more convenient than I imagined."

"Alright. For now, show me your progress with light magic."

For the next half hour, Ranav practiced various light and healing spells under Jessica's guidance. She was pleased with his progress.

"You've mastered the basic checking and healing spells that everyone learns," Jessica noted. "But specialized healers have their own unique spells. From your memories, I've found some knowledge that could help us excel in healing."

"Jessica, I was a chemical engineer, not a doctor. I only studied basic human anatomy and physiology in school."

"That's more advanced than anything here in Vishvam," Jessica countered. "People here rely so much on magic that they've neglected studying the human body. If we could create a diagnostic spell based on your knowledge of anatomy and physiology, we could identify issues that other healers would miss."

"Alright, suppose we manage that. What's the next step?"

"We'll need books… lots of them. The more, the better. Try to gain access to the magic school's library. We could find valuable resources there."

"Okay. Nanima isn't here right now; she's gone to the capital. When she returns, I'll ask for her help."

Jessica agreed with his plan, but Ranav suddenly recalled that Paramita had mentioned a library in their estate. As a count's family, it was likely well-stocked.

"After breakfast, I'll ask the countess about accessing their library," he decided.

"Good idea. For now, let's wrap this up. You can meditate in the ring's meditation room when you're free later."

Ranav returned to the house and found Paramita at the breakfast table. He joined her.

"Did you go to the back garden to meditate again?" she asked.

"Yes. I enjoy meditating outdoors. Back in my village, I'd meditate in the Doon Valley where no one could disturb me. Over time, I've felt a deeper connection to world energy when I'm in nature," he explained.

"I always meditate in my room. I still haven't leveled up my light magic star circle. How did you manage it so quickly? Can you give me some pointers?"

Before Ranav could respond, the countess entered the dining room.

"Yes, Paramita," she said. "Learn from Ranav while he's here. He'll be returning to his village in a few days, so you two should practice together. Ranav, teaching Paramita will benefit you as well."

"I'm happy to help," Ranav replied. "But, Aunt Vedika, I'd also like to read some books on light and darkness magic. Could you lend me some?"

"We have several in our library," the countess said. "Paramita, take Ranav to the library after breakfast. Also, both of you will stay home today. I've hired an etiquette teacher for you. He'll arrive this afternoon to teach basic etiquette and dance."

Ranav froze. "Etiquette lessons? Do I really have to? I have so much to do… mastering light and healing spells, forming my darkness star circle, reading about healing... Can't I skip this for now?"

The countess remained firm. "No. You may not realize it now, but once you return to your village, you won't have another opportunity to learn noble etiquette. These lessons will benefit you in the future, especially when you join an academy. And the dance lessons are for Paramita, but you'll learn alongside her since dancing requires a partner."

After a pause, she added, "Ranav, you come from a humble background. But without the ability to navigate high society and its social gatherings, you'll be left behind by your peers. Talent without connections means little in this world."

Ranav suddenly understood that the countess was doing him a great favor. He immediately thanked her.

"Thank you, Aunt Vedika, for thinking about my future and for everything."

The countess smiled. "No need to thank me. Just do your best in all your training. If you succeed, that will be thanks enough."