Chapter 12:
The Mossy Healing Cavern
THE NEXT MORNING, AFTER WE FINISHED breakfast and packed up camp, our group set off for our next destination: the Mossy Healing Cavern.
Originally, we had left the capital through the northwest gate and followed a road that continued in the same direction. This time, we changed course and took the road that trailed along the northern mountain range to the east.
It was a route mostly used by miners to move between the various mineshafts scattered along the mountains. We passed by soldiers on patrol and workers traveling from site to site. It was a busy road without many monster attacks, so it almost felt peaceful. Every so often we’d encounter soldiers fighting off monsters and lend them a hand, but for the most part, we just walked along, chatting.
“Hey, Lynn,” I said. “There’s something I want you to make for me. Can I tell you about it?”
“Sure, if I can do it, I’ll help.”
There was something in particular I wanted, and that was a staff—but not the usual kind a Mage would carry.
“I want you to make a staff that can hold two kinds of potions inside, with a switch to spray the potions out.”
“Huh? I’ve never heard of anything like that.” Lynn frowned, trying to picture what I was talking about.
“I’d use water magic to shape the potion spray and disperse it like rain for a wide-area healing effect,” I continued. “I’ve been supporting everyone from the sidelines during this trip, but opening every potion bottle one by one is such a pain. I was thinking maybe the whole process could be automated.”
I pulled a potion bottle from my satchel to demonstrate. Just taking it out and uncorking it took several valuable seconds—I wanted to eliminate that whole step.
“Sure, but what if the staff runs out of potion, Daisy?”
“Then I’d refill it, I guess.” I pictured myself stopping in the middle of a fight to fumble with pouring half a dozen bottles down the staff.
Yeah, that won’t work.
“Plus, think about it,” Lynn said. “The staff would be storing a lot of liquid. Every time you swung it, the weight would be really hard on your wrist.”
My bright idea of operating like a real Healer with a staff was already looking like a dud. I puffed out my cheeks in frustration.
“Daisy, your potion shots are already a huge help,” Lynn said gently. “With that technique, it’s basically the same as having a Healer in the party.”
“You’re already in a league of your own,” Letia added with a faint smile, trying to comfort me.
Mark muttered something under his breath beside her.
“Putting that side for now, has anybody thought of strategies for the drake?” I was determined to clear that Sage’s Tower someday. There had to be grimoires and other equipment in there that could help my father and siblings.
“If the drake breathes fire, then ice is the obvious counter,” Mark said as he rode his horse. “We could enchant our weapons with ice attributes, although that would mean Lynn would have to forge new blades for us.”
“I can’t do much against something resistant to heat,” Ariel said from atop Tyrion, flying low through the sky. “But if I had ice arrows, that might help.”
“We’ll need armor too,” said Lynn enthusiastically. “If we can make gear resistant to heat and fire, everyone would be a lot less vulnerable.”
“Then there’s Daisy’s health,” Mark pointed out. “No matter how much we train, a ten-year-old girl’s body isn’t going to survive a direct impact from drake’s breath. You’d have to focus on healing from the entrance. Staying there is nonnegotiable.” He sounded like he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Ugh, I knew it. It’s unfair to not have much health…
While we were discussing all this, we arrived at our next destination, the Mossy Healing Cavern.
“Ooh, I have a feeling there’s something interesting in here!” Lynn said, disappearing into the cave’s depths.
When we reached the back of the cave, dozens of little earth fairies—the tiny yellow folk—were gathered around Lynn.
“Mineral extraction!” she called, pointing at the cave wall. The yellow fairies all raised their arms in unison, the rock wall shimmering with a golden glow. Countless glittering particles floated free and filled the air like a cloud of stardust.
“Mineral recrystallization!” Lynn shouted, and this time the fairies all pointed their fingers toward a single spot in midair. The shining dust streamed together and fused into several hunks of ore that fell into Lynn’s waiting hands.
By the time I realized what was happening, all the little fairies had already vanished. They always disappeared so fast…
Lynn turned toward us, balancing the ore on her palm so we could see.
“This feels like something gentle in nature,” she said. “Come take a look, Daisy.”
I climbed down from Leaf and hurried over, studying the ore closely.
Healing Stone
Classification: Mineral, Material
Quality: Good
Rarity: B
Status: Naturally promotes gradual recovery of health when forged into equipment. Stacks with other items granting the same effect.
Feeling: With me around, you’ll always be safe and sound!
“If you use it in equipment, it’ll continually restore health, and the effects stack!” I could hardly contain my excitement as I shared the result.
“So that means we could wear it with the guardian rings?” Mark looked down at the ring on his finger.
“If we can smelt enough ingots from this for everyone’s gear, that would be amazing,” Lynn said. “I’ll leave it to you, Daisy.” The first step would be processing the ore, so Lynn handed it to me and I tucked it away in my magic satchel.
Next, it was time to collect what we’d come here for—the healing moss.
The whole cave was covered in moss, with trickles of spring water seeping along the floor. The moisture must’ve been what encouraged all the growth. I looked around, quickly spotting a rock thick with a lush carpet of healing moss.
Healing Moss
Classification: Plant
Quality: High
Rarity: B
Status: Contains mana and is often used as an ingredient in medicines. Fresh and vibrant.
Feeling: Give me lots of water, but no direct sunlight, please!
“I’d love to take some moss from this rock to try cultivating it at the workshop.” I wondered if moss could be transplanted and grown again once peeled off. I hesitated, considering whether I should try to remove it, when…
“I’ll just break off the whole rock!” Lynn swung her hammer down without hesitation and smashed the base of the stone in two. All the moss came with the chunk of rock that fell off.
Just like that, I had both ingredients we’d come on this journey for.
Despite all our detours along the way, our gathering was finally done, so we headed all the way back to the capital. The sun had just begun to set when we passed through the northwest gate.
I explained at the checkpoint that Ariel and her familiar had come into my care while traveling. Since I was willing to vouch for her, they let us in without much fuss.
“Just make sure you get some proper identification soon, okay?” said the guard on duty. I was grateful he knew me well enough to trust my word.
Once we got back inside the capital, I took the healing moss from Lynn. We would need to sell the monster parts we gathered and identify the victims we found in the undead king’s lair so that we could return their belongings. Mark and Letia agreed to take care of all that at the adventurers’ guild.
Our long journey had come to an end, and so we all went our separate ways.