Ball of Nothing - Chapter 107
Chapter 107
"And that's two hundred!" Zero announced happily . Hua Tuo let him sleep in today so Zero wasn't cranky in the morning .
Zero's first task as a doctor's apprentice was to prepare pills for the villagers who were still mostly sleeping . According to Hua Tuo, many of them would be suffering from something called hangover – a side effect of drinking too much alcohol . Zero nodded and followed the instructions carefully . They made two hundred pills to hand out to anyone who might need them later .
"Good . Now get washed up, we will visit Cleo for breakfast and pass the pills to her for distribution . We'll be having a busy morning so do your best to keep up . "
Zero beamed and swiftly followed after Hua Tuo who disappeared down the trapdoor .
"We're following the dark blue crystals this time," Hua Tuo told his student . "Cleo lives in a tree apartment near the farms . She's the village's herbalist and shares the apartment with Lovina, the village witch and healer . Lovina makes the tastiest pancakes so we're heading over for breakfast . "
Zero blinked . He didn't know what pancakes were but if Hua Tuo said that it was good, Zero can't wait to try some .
The dark blue crystal underground tunnel came to an end and Zero found them walking up a slope . He could see some light at the end of the road and wondered if that was how the exits looked like . Zero was amazed by how well hidden the exit was when they emerged from beneath some tree roots .
Zero tottered along the slightly damp grass behind Hua Tuo . He didn't know where the farm was located but he didn't think there would be one in such a dense forest . Hua Tuo proved Zero wrong when they entered a small clearing with a small clear stream running through it . Zero blinked at the dazzling sight . The farm looked similar to what Hua Tuo had in his fields outside the hut . However, Zero was interested in how such a farm did not get noticed . Half Moon Village was a very mysterious place .
"Cleo and a few others live over there, let's visit them first . You can check out the farm on another day . Harvest happens in tomorrow so there is no hurry . "
The brunet agreed and skipped along the stones to cross the small stream . They reached the tree apartment and Zero looked up . The apartments were very well concealed in the tree and from the bottom, he couldn't exactly tell where they were unless he tried to sense their presence .
"Who else lives here?"
Hua Tuo stroked his beard and frowned . It had been some time since he last visited . "If I recall correctly, Cleo and Lovina are on the third floor . Wiser is on the topmost floor . Qin Yun is on the second, Moona and Latitia are on the first . "
Zero blinked . He was expecting to see something when Hua Tuo mentioned that there were people living on the first level . However, he couldn't see anything except for a sturdy tree trunk . Could it be . . . ?
The physician grinned . His student was learning fast . "You're right . That's Lovina's illusion . "
Zero grinned . "Are we going to climb again?"
Hua Tuo mocked horror . "Are you asking this old bag of bones to climb such a horrifyingly tall tree? Of course not! Why climb when we can use this conveniently located teleporting circle?"
Zero blinked . He looked at the ring of flowers and raised a brow . That was a teleporting circle? Zero thought teleporting circles were far more complicated than some neatly grown flowers . Hua Tuo noticed the look of doubt on Zero's face and smirked . His student had much to learn, bringing him on a trip was a good idea . Normally, fairy rings were avoided as they can teleport a person to a random location that often proves dangerous . Some say that stepping into a fairy ring can bring a year's worth of bad luck . However, the truth was that fairy rings were created by fairies as a form of friendship .
Only those the fairy who created the circle consider a friend or ally may step through it safely and arrive at their homes . The circle was made by Latitia and it brought them to the 'lobby' of the tree inside . From there, they would take one of the modes of transport up to the respective occupant's apartment . For Wiser, there was the pulley . For Lovina and Cleo, there was the magic circle . For Qin Yun, they had to step into a foxfire platform which could prove to be a little scary the first few times . As for Latitia and Moona, all they had to do was knock on the door .
Without telling Zero anything, Hua Tuo walked into the fairy ring and disappeared . Zero was quick to follow, not wanting to be left behind . The brunet blinked as the surroundings changed as soon as he stepped into the fairy ring . He saw Hua Tuo standing by a magic circle and grinned . Now he understood why Hua Tuo was so sure . Two cheeky looking ladies were waiting by the circle with Hua Tuo .
The lady with copper hair, freckles on her cheeks and green eyes beckoned to him . Using Mind's Eye, Zero knew that she was Latitia . The semi-transparent lady with silver hair and silver eyes who looked more spirit than nymph was Moona . Hua Tuo waited patiently as Zero walked over and greeted the ladies . Moona smiled politely and Latitia giggled as Hua Tuo placed his hand on the magic circle .
The platform below started to bring them upwards and Zero blinked . He didn't know flying magic could be used on objects without active control . Perhaps, it was the power of the magic circle?
They arrived fairly quickly and Cleo greeted them at the door .
"Good morning everyone! Wiser is still sleeping but Lovina is already up . She's flipping pancakes as we speak . "
Hua Tuo nodded in greeting and Zero examined the half Dryad . Cleo had hair similar to Gaia with vines, twigs and leaves making the majority of it . Her eyes were hazel brown and under the light sometimes appeared yellow . She had barks covering her skin at some places and Zero blinked when she made a flower bloom in her hand .
"This is for you, welcome to our tiny village, Zero!"
The brunet accepted the flower and thanked her brightly . The small crowd entered and made themselves comfortable while the smell of pancakes wafted through the air . Zero's stomach growled as if acting as a cue for Lovina to bring a stack of delicious fluffy pancakes from the kitchen . Cleo came back with plates and utensils but most importantly, she came back with honey .
"Enjoy breakfast everyone!" Lovina smiled . The side of her eyes crinkled and Zero blinked . The witch didn't look a day over twenty-five with her short stature despite her high heeled boots . She had loose curly black hair, green eyes and wore a long black robe . The only indication that she was a magician was that classic oversized pointy hat that drooped to a side .
Ignoring that, Zero dug in and was surprised to find how good they were . He cleaned the first plate quickly and so did everyone else . Lovina was already dishing out seconds and Zero wondered how anything could taste so divine .
Breakfast was a quick affair and there were no leftovers, unsurprisingly . Cleo served some herbal tea while Hua Tuo passed the herbalist the hangover pills .
"Make sure to distribute them to anyone who needs it . Lady Zenobia should need it badly . She finished an entire barrel of wine by herself last night . "
Cleo chuckled . "I'll be sure to do that . Also, thank you for dropping by for breakfast . We really did want to spend some time with Zero here . Did he help to make these pills?"
Hua Tuo nodded, pride swelled up in his chest . Zero was slightly embarrassed at how everyone seemed impressed with his contribution but the warm feeling in his chest wouldn't fade away .
"As much as I would love to stay for a chat, Zero and I have to check on Karris and Grandma Moppo today . Perhaps we could stay for a little longer another time . We're staying in this village for two weeks, I'm sure there will be plenty of future opportunities to do so . "
Lovina saw them out and the ladies decided that they should get going to tend to the fields . Zero waved goodbye and followed Hua Tuo back to the underground passageway .
"Let's follow the turquoise path now . I have a clinic there so we should drop by after checking on Karris and Grandma Moppo . It's been a while since I last visited so we might have to do some cleaning before we can officially say that the doctor is in," Hua Tuo warned .
Zero didn't look deterred . "What do we do at the clinic after cleaning?"
Hua Tuo grinned . "We wait for patients . You may get to witness how an actual assessment is done but not today . Everyone is too badly hung-over for any check-ups . There will be a health screening tomorrow so be ready for it . "
"Yes, sir!"
Hua Tuo put on his sternest face and Zero suddenly felt nervous . "Zero, I need you to help me with healing magic when we meet Karris and Grandma Moppo . Karris is heavily pregnant and Grandma Moppo is experiencing very bad pains . Do you still remember how to cast calming and numbing buffs?"
The brunet nodded .
"I'll need you to hold up a calming buff while I examine Karris and pain-numbing buffs when I examine Grandma Moppo . At this point, medicine is useless for either of them and we can only rely on healing magic to ease their suffering . "
Zero swallowed nervously . He had faith in his skills but practising it on a patient for the very first time felt a lot more stressful than practising it on fishes and animals that they caught . For the first time, Zero doubted himself . What if he did something wrong?
"Zero, listen to me . Even if you doubt yourself, do not doubt the training . As a future doctor, you must keep calm at all times . Your patient is as good as dead if you lose control over your rationality . Their lives are in your hands and as a doctor, you must do whatever you can to save them . Failure is not an option . "
Nervous and slightly frightened but determined, Zero followed after Hua Tuo . This was his first trial and Zero made the decision to become a doctor when he finished his training . He was going to travel the world, maybe even between worlds . He was going to visit many foreign places, meet many new people and encounter many new phenomena .
Zero wasn't going to fail here . His journey had yet to begin .