"May I heal you?"
"Yes, by the God-Emperor, please."
"Here you are; good as new. Now go and serve the Imperium of Man in the best way you deem fit. And may the God-Emperor be with you always."
"Praise be to the Master of Mankind!"
"Next!"
[Flesh Shaping] Level up!
[Flesh Shaping] is now at Level 2!
As it turned out, using my power to fix people was a good way to gain experience and increase my levels in [Flesh Shaping] as, after the twentieth or so person I healed, a man who'd lost nearly all his skin in an incendiary explosion, I gained a single level; half an hour had passed by then. At level 2, [Flesh Shaping] allowed me to begin incorporating other traits into other people. Level 1 limited me to merely fixing them or, if I wished, turning them into a puddle of biomass for my personal usage; level 2 now allowed me to modify people. Though, I didn't make any use of it, however, as there was no need to do so. Additionally, healing so many gave me a better understanding of DNA and genetic diversity – how each person was minutely different from each other in so many ways, both tiny and great, small mutations that would eventually result in new traits after a few generations.
It was fascinating. And definitely helped to pass the monotony of the passage of time. Truly, doing the God-Emperor's work was my duty as an Imperial Citizen, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't terribly dull. I'd honestly be out there fighting traitors and heretics. However, seeing the faces of those I healed, their eyes glimmering with joy, zeal, and relief... it made it all truly worth it. Many of them, after all, likely couldn't afford bionic prosthetics to replace their missing limbs or damaged organs; but, through the God-Emperor, who worked through me, they were given a second chance to live their lives properly, without having to endure the humiliation of living as a burden to their families and themselves, infirm and incapable.
"Thank you!" The latest man, whose injuries I just mended, bowed at my feet, his head planted firmly on the ground as he all but repeated his words of gratitude as he laid upon the dirt. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! God Emperor bless you!"
And then, he looked at me with the sort of gaze I only ever saw in the most fervent and fanatical of priests. "My lord... I care not what whispers they spread of your power. I believe, with all of my heart and soul, that you are a herald of the God-Emperor. And I swear, here and now, to serve you with all that I have and all that I am, even after death – if you deem me worthy of such an honor. I am your servant forever."
My mouth hung open, briefly.
What?
That was... not something I've heard before and it definitely wasn't something I'd even considered happening.
I would've questioned him – questioned his sanity. But then I saw the sincerity in his eyes, the burning zeal, the unbreakable and unshakable faith that was present in all those who wholeheartedly believed and placed their faith upon the God-Emperor, the one and only Master of Mankind. To deny him was to deny his honor and his resolve. Instead, I could only nod. I guess, I had a follower now. That was nice. I guess.
Still, the man held to a belief that I needed to correct immediately.
"What's your name, brother?" I asked, first and foremost.
"My name's Duncan, my lord." He answered. "Duncan Thorpe."
Duncan was not a particularly impressive specimen of a human being, hardly a candidate for a great warrior. He was fairly average in height and build, with light-brown skin and a bald head. Black eyes and an old scar that ran down his right cheek. The symbol on his right shoulder marked him as being a member or, rather, a former member of the 107th, one of the legions that had been with my brothers and sisters of the 104thduring that suicidal charge that'd led to... well... all of this. They died with us, though – as they had been at our flanks – I was pretty sure some of them had survived to retreat. And one of those survivors stood before me, offering his service. In blood and in death, they were our kin. And Duncan was my brother.
I nodded. "Very well, Duncan Thorpe. My name is Perry Anatinus and I welcome you to join me on my quest to serve the God-Emperor, to destroy his enemies, the foes of mankind. But, let me make something clear, Duncan; I am not your superior and I am not greater than you. Like you, I am just another servant, here to do my part with what I have. Do you understand?"
Oh well, I'll be taking him, alongside Katarinya, to whatever adventures the God-Emperor saw fit to send me on, which meant I'd have to enhance him at some point, provided that he granted me his consent. After all, with [Flesh Shaping], I was more than capable of granting him a much stronger, faster, and more durable physical form, one to rival even the Astartes themselves. But if Duncan wished to preserve his glorious human form as it was, then who was I to tell him otherwise?
Eh, I'd ask him later. There was no rushing these sorts of things, anyway. Actually, if I got myself a good weapon from a Gacha Token, I suppose I could give it to him, but that depended entirely on Duncan's overall proficiency in, well, combat.
Duncan nodded, but bowed his head, regardless. Emperor damn it. Did he not listen to anything I just said about us being equals? "I understand, my lord."
Sighed, I asked, "What do they whisper of me, anyway, Duncan?"
I asked mostly to quench my curiosity, since Duncan mentioned something to that effect. I was honestly surprised by the fact that I still hadn't been branded a heretic-witch and shot. Though, given the situation and the desperation of those who required healing and medication, it likely wasn't something that could easily be forced. I was safe and I'd be even safer soon once the Aquilon Shields arrived and took me off-world. I suppose I also had friends among the Carcharodons, but they weren't exactly here.
"A few fools seem to think that you're a witch, my lord." Duncan seethed. And I genuinely felt his anger leaking out of him, like a fire that threatened to burn out of control. The concept wasn't difficult to perceive. I'd have noticed it, even without [Concept Shaping], an ability I still didn't fully understand. "They've not seen your blessed work. They believe you're a heretic, a traitor. But no traitor would heal so many people for no reward; only one who is blessed by the God-Emperor himself would have the strength, will, and power to do so. And the fools will remain fools. There are very few who take their words seriously; everyone else is happy to be healed of their ailments, especially those who... cannot afford to replace their lost limbs, those who would've otherwise been forced to live on as a cripple."
"I have no interest in changing their perception of me," I said, truthfully. "As long as they do not endanger the lives of others, then they are free to believe what they will."
After all, a suspicious mind was a healthy mind; and they were, in fact, right to suspect my actions. But, they were simply lucky that, in this case, their suspicions were unwarranted.
Shrugging, I gestured for Duncan to sit by my left, because my right was already occupied by someone else. The man nodded, but he did not sit down, standing, instead, at attention, like a bodyguard. I had no need for one, really, and it felt really strange to have one at all, but I appreciated the gesture for what it was. And, besides, Duncan seemed competent and disciplined enough, holding a simple Laspistol in his grasp, its safety mechanism flicked off.
"Next!"
Katarinya sat by my right as more and more injured, civilian and guardsmen alike, lined up for the chance to be healed before they ever entered the refugee camps to be reunited with their families or, at the very least, to find some food and water, and... something like a bed to spend the night within a fairly enclosed shelter. I did not fail to notice the fact that Katarinya seemed to almost be studying me intently, her eyes narrowed in silence as I performed my healing. I felt a great and honest curiosity from her; more than that, [Concept Shaping] told me that, through the act of studying and observing, the shape of power within her soul was changing.
I did not know what that meant or how such a thing affected her. I could only pray to the God-Emperor that whatever changes were happening to her were for the better.
A woman stepped forward this time, gold of hair and blue eyed; she was also on a wheelchair, missing every single one of her limbs and, I assumed, a few of her non-essential organs. I honestly wasn't sure how she was even still alive. But, I had to give credit where it was due; this woman was hard. Her clothes had clearly been replaced by something more sanitary, but it was clear, from the ID tag she still wore around her neck, that she'd been a part of the Guard – one of the Artillery Regiments if I recalled correctly.
She looked at me with tired, but hopeful eyes. To be certain, unless she had a rather sizable amount of savings, then it was likely that she'd only ever be stabilized at best, but never truly restored to full functionality; she'd never again have her limbs. What a waste.
"May I heal you?" I asked. I also took note of the fact that I'd eventually run out of [Biomass]. I'd been rather conservative with my expenditure, thus far, which was further aided by [Elesscor], halving the costs as long as I used my power for healing. By my rough estimate, I used up an average of fifteen kilograms worth of [Biomass] on every person I've healed, thus far. I still had about 9,510 kilograms of [Biomass] left, which was honestly a lot. However, unless I found a way to gain more, then I wouldn't be able to heal everyone here. But, at the very least, by the time I lost all my [Biomass], I would've, at least, done my part to help.
After all, one man, not even one with my abilities, can help everyone.
"Please..." The golden-haired woman rasped. "Help me."
I smiled and reached out to touch her forehead. And there, I felt her faith. Strong and solid. A true believer. It hadn't wavered – not in the slightest. [Concept Shaping] was weird, but it was certainly... useful. More than that, however, [Flesh Shaping] told me that I was right; aside from her limbs, the woman was currently experiencing gradual organ failure. It was only through her unwavering faith in the God-Emperor that she was even conscious and alive. Forty kilograms of [Biomass] was required to restore all that she'd lost, a paltry amount that I spent immediately. The God-Emperor's faithful deserved as much. She deserved as much.
It took no less than five seconds for me to fix all her damaged organs and give her new limbs. She stood up from her wheelchair, bright and hearty, brimming with newfound vitality. She closed her eyes for a moment. And, through [Concept Shaping] I felt her happiness, her relief, and, most importantly, I felt her faith in the God-Emperor soaring to even greater heights. In fact, her faith was now so strong that it created a faint, golden aura around her, a manifestation of her belief in the Master of Mankind, a protective shield that would defend her from the taint of the Dark Powers. It was beautiful.
"Go now and do not waste this second chance that has been granted to you by the God-Emperor, sister." I said, smiling.
The woman turned to look at me, briefly, tears streaming from her eyes, before she fell to knee and bowed her head. "I cannot thank you enough."
"Do not thank me," I shook my head. "Thank the God-Emperor for healing you, through me. I am merely a tool to enact his great will."
As I spoke those words, a great and thunderous boom echoed from the clouds. And, when I looked up, my eyes widened as the most beautiful ship I've ever seen appeared in the sky, golden and magnificent, lined with shining statues of winged saints; carved upon the surface of its hulls were the images of mighty beasts and scenes of great battles, of spear-wielding warriors fighting at the side of the God-Emperor.
My mouth widened. Custodes...
AN: (Pat)reon is now up to Chapter 34!