Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death

David knew Clerics grew by using their abilities, primarily by healing others. Yet, there were other ways to rank up. [Holy Touch] was the best example. It showed David how he could rank up without relying on others. The only downside was that focusing on [Holy Touch] wasn't an efficient way to rank up. It didn't meet some of the criteria that other Skill Runes did.

To grow stronger quickly, he would have to work with others, healing them and himself as often as possible. But that wasn't an option, not now, at least.

David was alone, but that didn't deter him. He was determined to grow stronger, even if it meant hurting himself.

He trained himself to sense the subtle flow of Aether around him and coax it into his body, feeling it settle into his energy pathways like a gentle stream filling a reservoir. Once nestled there, the Aether could be used to replenish his Holy Sea. To smooth the process, David first had to gain a deeper understanding of [Holy Touch]. After all, the Skill Rune was his best means of quickly and easily replenishing his used-up power.

Most of his time was spent practicing how to apply [Holy Touch] in various situations, hoping it would allow him to replenish his Holy Sea even during fiery battles. Casting [Holy Touch]—preferably all Skill Runes—had to come to him as easily as breathing.

It worked out. Somewhat.

Over the next few days, David learned to cover several body parts with an incredibly thin layer of pristine light, making it easier to perceive and absorb the surrounding Aether. But therein lay the issue. While his plan worked, it required far more time and effort than he wanted to spend.

He didn't realize this at first, his full attention lingering on attaining a deeper understanding of [Holy Touch]. But his rapidly dwindling food supply reminded him of the bitter truth: he had been holed up in the abandoned house for several days and had barely ventured outside.

That wouldn't have happened if the system's boon hadn't ruined his plan. David had been confident in his progress, only to realize that his replication of a cultivation technique wasn't as effective as it seemed. When the boon disappeared, he stagnated, forcing him to experiment and practice relentlessly just to return to his former progress. Everything worked out somehow, but it took blood, sweat, and a few heavy headaches.

Finally, David reached the state he had aimed to achieve days ago. He was done experimenting and had made significant progress. Most importantly, he still had some food left, albeit less than expected.

He reached for a can of peaches, opened it, and started snacking while skimming through his interface.

Name – David Stears

Class – Cleric

Rank – Iron VI

Body –Middle(-)(Basic)

Mind – Middle(-)(Basic)

Soul – Low(-)(Basic)

[Skill Runes]

[Cure Wounds] – [Tier-0 IV]

[Cleanse] – [Tier-0 II]

[Holy Touch] – [Tier-1 IV]

[Bless] - [Tier-0 I]

Attribute Points – 0

David skimmed the familiar display, his eyes lingering on [Bless]. His rank-up and [Holy Touch]'s improvement were the result of his tireless efforts. Upon advancing to Iron V, he had learned [Bless]. The Skill Rune wasn't an attack rune, but that didn't mean it was useless. It allowed him to bless multiple targets at once, momentarily increasing their speed, strength, and natural recovery. At least, that's what he'd learned after some experimentation.

David exhaled, eyeing [Bless]'s low rank. It needed improvement, but it would have to do for now.

On another note, he had learned how to sustain his Skill Runes for longer durations. That was probably the most crucial benefit of staying in the abandoned house for several days. While his Mind stat hadn't improved, something about it had subtly shifted—getting better despite the lack of a rank up.

That left only his Soul stat, which hadn't undergone any positive changes.

David shrugged, brushing the thought aside. Even with his Soul stat lagging behind Body and Mind, it felt like his greatest advantage. After all, he held the key to rapidly recovering holy power.

After days of grueling training, David decided it was time to move on. He packed his belongings, double-checked his dwindling supplies, and prepared to face the unknown.

Two, maybe three days. That should be more than enough.

He put on some clothes, swung his backpack over his shoulder, and left his temporary home through the backyard. David leaped across the fence to enter the neighbor's backyard and climbed a small wall. He took a deep breath and looked around, only to freeze in his tracks as he made eye contact with a towering giant—an Infected who loomed over him even from the ground.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

His eyes widened, and he swallowed hard as he saw a blur. The Infected's massive hand shot upward. David's body moved on its own—hands darting to his weapons as his heart thundered in his chest. He cast [Bless] on himself. Power surged through him, but he couldn't unsheathe his weapons before another blur entered his field of vision.

A burly man slammed into the Infected with a shield nearly as large as himself. The Infected froze, but only for a moment. The man roared, retrieved a massive mace from behind his shield, and struck the Infected's leg. A loud crunch rang out, stirring David's heart.

His feet remained rooted atop the wall, but they might have moved if not for the fist-sized ball of searing flames crackling through the air. The fireball left behind a brilliant trail before striking the Infected square in the chest.

The Infected reacted in a way David hadn't expected. It moved away, retreating a step, and clutched its burning chest as if in pain. David's stomach twisted with unease. The Infected weren't supposed to feel pain—at least, that's what he'd always believed. Had he misunderstood, or was this something far worse?

David stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him. The Infected's claws dug into its own flesh and twisted, ripping a large chunk of rotten tissue out of its body. There was no change in the undead's expression as it hurled the burning chunk at the small, shield-wielding man.

The man's eyes widened, his movements turning frantic as he jumped back. David instinctively knew the man had moved too late. He gritted his teeth when the rotten flesh slammed into the man's chest. Dark blood sprayed across the ground, splashing onto the man's face.

"Fuck!!" he roared. "I got infected!"

Since when does the infection spread this easily? And more importantly, since when are there Infected like this? This is a fucking giant!

David's eyes narrowed to tiny slits at the sound of a sharp voice from his left.

"Don't panic, Torb! We will defeat this shitty mutant and bring you back…" The other man's voice died off as David, coated in a faint glow from [Bless], appeared beside the small man.

Torb, the shield-wielding dwarf, didn't seem surprised by David's presence. That was probably for the best. They had 'bigger' problems to solve. David noticed the man's tense stance, his shield slightly raised as though expecting an attack.

"Calm down," David muttered, reaching out with his glowing hand. He cast [Cleanse] at the lowest level to remove Torb's infection, then followed it with [Bless], targeting Torb and the long-eared man maintaining some distance.

Wait… Long ears?

David's eyes lingered on the young man with flawless skin, pointed ears, and silky, golden hair. Goosebumps rose on his skin as he processed what he was seeing.

"An elf," David murmured, his mind racing.

"So what if Melach is an Elf? I am a Dwarf, and you are a Human. Are you one of those disgusting racists?" Torb snapped, his tiny nose twitching.

"No?" David responded, spinning around to face the towering Infected again. The creature hadn't attacked them, which struck him as odd. The missing chunk of flesh in its chest was rippling, bubbling, and regrowing at an unnatural pace.

"What the hell is that?" David cursed, unease tightening in his chest.

Uncommon Infected had been a problem before, but this one was on a completely different level. The giant was huge, fast, and strong—and its regeneration was terrifying. But the worst part was its intelligence. The undead weren't supposed to retain any intelligence, yet its reaction to the Mage's fire had been calculated. David could only assume the worst.

"A mutant, obviously," Melach said, not unkindly. "That thing merged dozens of corpses and triggered a mutation. How about you help us a bit?"

David shrugged. The thing would go after him once Torb and Melach were dead either way.

He unsheathed his longsword and followed Torb as the dwarf charged at the Infected again. This time, the Infected was ready. Its massive arms came crashing down on Torb, forcing him to lift his shield. A crack echoed from the impact, drawing a groan from Torb. Still, he stood firm.

A fireball sizzled past Torb, slamming into the Infected's shoulder, while David appeared on the other side. He lifted his sword and brought it down in a smooth, powerful arc. The blade cut deep into the Infected's arm, hitting bone and slicing partway through. But it wasn't enough to sever the limb in one go.

The Infected reacted much faster than expected. Its upper body creaked as it twisted, slamming a backhand into David's chest.

Several of his ribs broke on impact, shattering like twigs.

David gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Instead of crying out, he activated his Skill Runes to heal himself.

First, he cast [Cure Wounds] to target his chest, immediately following it with [Holy Touch]. Pristine light coursed through several energy pathways connected to his upper torso, altering the natural Aether there. This accelerated his recovery while replenishing the holy power he'd just used up.

[Holy Touch] wasn't as focused on mending wounds as a dedicated healing Skill Rune, but its potency made it an excellent complement to [Cure Wounds]. Together, the two skills worked seamlessly to repair his shattered ribs. Though the bones weren't fully set after one use, the pain permeating his chest was gone.

David rolled on the ground but didn't stay down for long. He sprang to his feet just in time to hear Torb shouting.

"Aren't you a Cleric?! Use [Purification] when you fight the undead, you idiot!!"

"I don't have [Purification]," David shouted back, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. He might not have [Purification], but he was certain that the Skill Rune at his disposal was even better than that.

"You don't have [Purification]?" Melach exclaimed, disbelief thick in his voice. "What kind of weird Human Cleric are you?"

"Who's the racist now?" David chuckled, his grip on the longsword tightening.

He kicked off the ground, surging forward. Simultaneously, he cast [Bless] on everyone and accelerated. Within moments, his entire body shimmered with pristine light. Warmth and vigor filled him to the brim as [Holy Touch] radiated across his skin, resonating with the Aether around him.

The pristine light surged toward his hands, but it didn't stop there. David poured holy power into his longsword, draining his Holy Sea rapidly.

His Holy Sea churned under the strain, depleting faster than anticipated. Still, the longsword glowed brilliantly, sheathed in radiant energy.

"You have this but not [Purification]?" Melach asked incredulously as Torb dashed toward the Infected with a grin. "I'm collecting weird-ass people!"

You're the weirdest one here, dude!

David thought, his lips curling into a smirk.