Chapter 25c: Aftermath

"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

*skryraahhkk*

I'm crying. Bawling. While ripping these church bastard's souls out. Those disappointing girls deserved better than this. A second chance. Much more than me. Instead? They're dead. Spirits blasted away before I could channel the blast from that nuke. Only Red, Avi, and Guide Girl, survive.

"[Touch of Menerva]"

Dame Edelys and Princess Avalina lived because they happened to be behind me when the nuke went off. Ernesta the Quiet because she was hiding down a side tunnel. Red was the furthest in my shadow so she's just badly burned. Half-breed wasn't so lucky, half her body is gone. Somehow though? She's still alive.

"[Embrace of Hygieia]"

The ex-oracle is too far gone for me to save on my own so I've got the raised priests and oracles working on her too. While their skills are no where near my [Recovery Magic]? They are impressive. These were the elites of the church. Trained for the battlefield and the injuries you find there. Combat medics. Fighting doctors.

"[Gift of Hepius]"

However, they can no longer use 'light school' spells. I don't know how, but their mental grimoires were rewritten in the dark school's language. Spells changed. So while I focus on keeping her alive? The new shadow oracles and shadow priests work on putting her back together.

"[Healing Touch: Cooling]"

"Frankenstein's bride."

Is all I can say when I can finally stop casting long enough to look over their handiwork.

"[Airmed's Hands]"

Healing magic can't regrow missing parts, so the shadows went shopping among the corpses. The transplants are mostly the same size. Mostly. At least they are all from women. The skin colors vary somewhat. With really noticeable scars where the parts connect.

Now that her life is not in immediate danger? I switch to fantasy plastic surgeon mode so she doesn't spend the rest of her life looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame's sister.

"[Imhotep's Guidance]"

I adjust her limbs so they match up. Mold her tits and ass almost back to size. Restore her face, it ends up looking sharper, more mature, but the ears are the same. She has white hair and purple eyes now. I even match the carpet to the drapes. Darken all of her skin to a deep grey to better hide the scars.

My half elf looks more like a dark elf now.

"[Aceso's Spirit]"

Compared to her? Healing Red and Shorty is a snap. Exhausted, I have my shadows gather any surviving gear, loot, and carry us deep into the side tunnels. We go all the way to the least traveled edge of the floor. Only one tent remains but its the enemy commander's so its quite comfortable.

Shadows prove their value again as they retain some of the skills they had in life. Easily handle setting up the camp, guarding it, and hunting for food.

"[Kiss of Grannus]"

Why leave it to shadows? Because I'm in almost as bad a shape as Avi. I took a nuke to the face after all. A lot of fat and muscle, and flesh, had burned away before I tapped the mana stones. Even then I couldn't stop the power of that spell. Only redirect it upwards where it carved a path across the ceiling. At least I didn't lose any limbs.

Everything hurts though. Everything's bleeding. I'm a hunk of bacon. Burnt bacon. If I still had a nose? Bet I would smell delicious.

Of course the shadow oracles and priests are working on me too. See myself thru their, eyes. God what a mess. Way overcooked. Some parts burnt. Others split open. Can feel them deciding I need new parts too. They start harvesting 'replacements.'

My new hair is black but my eyes are still grey. My skin is fair, raw, and I'm thinner. Almost look normal. I'm even shorter? Wow. How much did they replace? Not sure. Blacked out a few times.

Course even though the body is technically healed? The trauma its gone thru remains. My [Recovery Magic] helps, but the only real treatment for injuries this bad is rest.

Days spent passing in and out of consciousness. Whenever I come too? Red is there. She feeds me. Washes me. Even helps me go to the bathroom. Its pretty humiliating but I'm grateful. I can barely manage to check up on the shadows before I'm too dizzy to stand. My mana gulf is full and even bigger now. Freaking ocean.

My body and mind just need more time.