Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 317 High

"Where's Kat?"

"The Doc's in her room right now — she helped with the decorations for your party even when we told her she didn't need to."

"She did…? Why?"

Rhys did not really mingle too much at the party, walking away just a few minutes after it started as he approached Ayesha and Talia, who were idling next to the bar while Agatha was serving them drinks. Ayesha wasn't drinking, however, and was just talking to the two with a glass of soda in her hand.

"What about Dr. Dhani? Did he—"

"The other Doc said he wanted to smoke," Ayesha shrugged before pointing up, "I saw him going to the roof."

"...He smokes?" Rhys blinked a couple of times, "I'll go and find. And Ayesha—"

"I know," Ayesha nodded while pointing at Rhys, "I'll be there on my best behavior, don't worry. The Doc's gonna be fine, I bet my old man's balls on it."

"...Thank you," Rhys sighed and nodded before walking to find Dr. Dhani — and Ayesha was right, he was on the roof. But he wasn't smoking, however, not entirely.

Dr. Dhani was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed; the roof was filled with smoke, but it wasn't from any tobacco or cigarettes—no. It was from large ornamental pot that Dr. Dhani had in front of him; it was almost a cloud, and Dr. Dhani was a mountain that was surrounded by it.

Rhys did not approach Dr. Dhani just yet, however, as it was obvious that he wanted peace. Fortunately for Dr. Dhani, no one was reporting that there was a fire in the building just yet.

Several minutes had passed, and Dr. Dhani still had not moved from his spot at all — and so, Rhys just opted to also sit on the ground with his legs crossed; closing his eyes and imitating the doctor.

He didn't really have anything in mind, he was just there to wait — but for some reason, not even a minute later, he felt himself floating in the air. Of course, he wasn't really floating as he could still feel the hard floor beneath him, but it felt like he truly was in the air. Almost as if the smoke was trying to lift him.

And all of a sudden, the only thing that Rhys could really feel was the beating of his chest. His body was gone and he was one with the smoke; just trailing without purpose. He felt so light, it was as if everything that he was, everything that he is…

…none of them mattered anymore.

He could stay like this forever, just floating along the endless abyss filled with comfort and peace. And perhaps, he is and he was.

A second. A minute. An hour — Rhys doesn't even know whether time was moving too fast, or it wasn't moving at all.

But very soon, however, he felt himself fall; his entire body, flinching in shock. He opened his eyes, only to see Dr. Dhani standing right in front of him.

"The weight you carry on your shoulders, Mr. Wilder…" Dr. Dhani shook his head before offering his hand to Rhys, "...It's not right for a man to carry all on his own."

"What… was that?" Rhys took Dr. Dhani's hand as he stood up, "How long… how long was I out?"

"Out…?" Dr. Dhani blinked a couple of times, "As far as I am aware, Mr. Wilder, you just got here."

"I felt… like I was floating," Rhys looked at his hands, "Like my body disappeared."

"You were floating, spiritually," Dr. Dhani breathed in the smoke through his mouth, "Charas."

"Charas…?"

"Marijuana."

"You—" Rhys quickly used his abilities to control wind to get rid of all the smoke from the roof before coughing several times.

"I am impressed, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani let out a small but very deep chuckle as he patted Rhys's shoulder several times, "Most who absorb highly condensed charas in their body for the first time usually just fall from its effects, even Nobles…

…and yet you just shrugged it off."

"You're… high?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at Dr. Dhani, "But… you are supposed to be treating Katarina, Doctor. How are you going to—"

"That is my secret, Mr. Wilder…" Dr. Dhani walked away from Rhys to cover the still-smoking ornamental pot, "...I am always high."

"What…?"

"It helps me concentrate," Dr. Dhani closed his eyes and breathed out, "Now…

…shall we see to your wife?"

***

"I did not know that we would be having an audience, Mr. Wilder."

"You don't need to mind me, Doc. I just want to be here so that as soon as the Doc recovers her sight, I want to show her how disappointed I am by her stupidity."

"...You know I'm blind, right? Not deaf?"

Rhys, Dr. Dhani, and Ayesha were now in Katarina's room, with Katarina standing up from her bed as soon as she heard them arrive. And of course, Rhys quickly rushed to help and assist her.

"Thank you, Rhys…" Katarina gently touched Rhys's face, "...How was the party?"

"It's still going on," Rhys breathed out, "They were hoping you would join them after you're healed. My sister's also down there."

"Your sister…?" A smile started to crawl on Katarina's face, "Then—"

"Dr. Dhani helped in curing her mind," Rhys nodded, "And he told me that he could heal your eyes, as well as fully regenerate your severed arm."

"That's right," Dr. Dhani nodded before walking around the room, "Child, can you help remove this table so we can have more space?"

"Gotcha," Ayesha quickly removed the table Dr. Dhani was pointing to, and she also removed the sofa surrounding it and placed them all to the side of the room.

"Put her on the floor right here, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani then sat on the floor, "I am sure you are already aware of the procedure, Doctor — but I am still obligated to tell you…

…this is going to be incredibly painful."

"...Yes," Katarina nodded several times as Rhys helped her sit in front of Dr. Dhani.

"Now, let me check," Dr. Dhani then first removed the bandages on Katarina's severed right arm, "Hm, brilliant. You healed your arm in a very unique way — were you perhaps anticipating a bionic arm?"

"Yes," Katarina nodded.

"Brilliant," Dr. Dhani smiled and nodded, "It is almost a shame that we will have to scrape the flesh and bones in order for the new arm to grow."

"Zeus…" Ayesha breathed out while shaking her head, "...That's not a pretty image."

"She is used to it," Dr. Dhani then grabbed Katarina's other arm and started examining it, "You have blades inside your flesh."

"..." Katarina did not answer and just turned her head away.

"I suppose I do not really need to ask why you do that," Dr. Dhani shook his head, "Are you left-handed, or right-handed?"

"I'm right-handed," Katarina raised her severed arm.

"Huh…"

"Are you… also going to scrape my eyes, Doctor?" Katarina's eyebrows slightly lowered as she asked.

"That would depend on the damage," Dr. Dhani let out a small hum as he then started to remove the bandages covering Katarina's eyes.

Rhys, who was watching everything from the side, could not help but roll his hand into a fist as this was the very first time he was seeing Katarina's eyes.

"You were able to heal the surrounding areas," Dr. Dhani gently touched the areas around Katarina's eyes, slightly pulling her eyelids to look at her eyes, "But yes — we will need to scrape your eyes in order to heal it, Doctor."

"Dr. Dhani," Katarina let out a very long and deep sigh, "Can I ask you a question before we start?"

"Sure," Dr. Dhani continued to check on Katarina's eyes.

"Did you also want to be a doctor…?" Katarina whispered, "Or were you also just like the rest of us? Please don't misunderstand, I like helping people… but the role was just kind of forced on me when I was born with the blood of Asclepius."

"There is nothing special about me, Doctor," Dr. Dhani let out a small chuckle as he leaned away from Katarina and gently held her hand, "As you said, I am just like the rest of you — I never wanted to be a doctor. But fate… sometimes fate decides for us."

"Fate…" Katarina sighed.

"Does… she need to be awake?" Rhys asked.

"She'll wake up even if you put her to sleep."

"It's okay, Rhys," Katarina nodded, "Remember all the times I was treating you, Rhys?"

"Yes…" Rhys let out a short but very deep sigh.

"Let the doctor do his thing," Katarina smiled and nodded.

"I am going to start with your eyes," Dr. Dhani kneeled and leaned closer to Katarina before grabbing her head with both hands; his thumbs, on top of her eyes, "Can I ask you a question, Doctor?"

"Of course," Katarina breathed out.

"Did she suffer?"

"What…?"

"My wife. Did she suffer when you killed her?"