#when you grow up surrounded by bad influences. your sense of reality is warped

[homeless202]

i just know this hurt Eunyung more than we're led to believe. he was absolutely convinced he was right seeing how quickly he agreed to the bet. him being wrong about a person's true intentions/ulterior motives must've stung bc 1) he's typically good at reading people so this is him basically failing at one of the 'few good skills' he has and 2) bc Haejoon's uncle being a decent upstanding person proves that good people do exist, Eunyung just never had the privilege of meeting them.

[evolutionsvoid]

Healing magic is a type of magic that gets a lot of talk from common folk, but is actually something that is rarely used. You will see it more in works of fiction than you will in the real world, which some may find confusing. Why would healing magic be something that no one uses? Why don't we just use magic to eliminate mortal injuries and grow back lost limbs? Well, there are reasons for that. The first main reason why healing magic is so rare is because it doesn't work at all like how people think it does. Common folk imagine that it lets you just grow flesh back in instant, and that it sews up injuries perfectly each time. This is false. In truth, healing magic does not actually do the "healing" part. Instead, it stimulates the body in a way that it encourages faster growth and quicker wound healing. Injuries that would take weeks to seal themselves will instead take mere days. Nowhere in this field of magic will you find a spell that lets you regrow flesh in seconds, or allows you to pop severed limbs back on. Know why that is? It's because the human body is really complex. There are tons of tiny parts and pieces that work in tandem to make it all function, and the slightest error or miscalculation can cause horrid results. Say you did find a spell that allowed you to warp flesh and make it patch up gaping holes, would it account for everything? Will this new meat act and grow like the surrounding flesh, or will it remain stagnant while the rest of your body cycles and changes? Did you reconnect the nerves and muscle strands right? Can it exist perfectly without the influence of mana? These questions are important, and there are about a dozen more! Human bodies are just too complicated for us to jump in and mess with, so instead it is best to let these systems do what they were designed for. By encouraging them to work faster, then we can be sure that the healed flesh will be functional and that no horrible symptoms are going to arise. With this, though, the art of healing magic is quite pointless, as there are potions that do the exact same thing. Easily brewed concoctions that require no mana or complicated spells, and that can be carried around to be used on a whim. So there is one reason why healing magic is rarely seen, because most of the time it is inferior to all other options. Another reason why healing magic is not commonly used is because it is a dangerous thing. Yes, some would find it hard to believe that healing wounds and curing diseases would be a bad thing, but they have not seen what can come from this art. Those who wish to further the research and abilities of this field dare to delve into a dark place. Magic that controls flesh, blood and bone is quite formidable, and if it is used by the wrong hands or mind, it can create horrid atrocities. In some cases, this type of magic dances perilously close to the art of necromancy, which should be a big warning sign to anyone. One example I will use is the attempt to regrow severed limbs. Surely such a spell would be a godsend to soldiers and unfortunate souls, so that is why many have tried to unlock its secrets. People have witnessed such miracles happen to other species, so surely it is an obtainable thing. It is even more tempting when one realizes that the dryads are capable of regrowing their limbs, and they can use their magic to speed up this process to an astounding degree. If they can do that with magic, then why not us? Well, the answer to that is a rather unfortunate one. The reality is that humans cannot do this because we cannot do this. Yes, the dryads are capable of regrowing limbs, but their bodies are able to do this on their own. Like a plant making a new branch, or sprouting a new bud, they can naturally remake their limbs over the course of weeks without the aid of magic. Much like our own healing magic, the dryads use their own type of magic to speed up the process and make it go more smoothly. Us humans, though, cannot naturally regrow limbs. Our bodies do not have the systems in place to allow such a thing, so if you want to make the human body form a new appendage, you are going to have to force it through your own hand. Remember how I mentioned that human bodies are complicated? It turns out trying to recreate a lost arm is a lot harder than one would believe. Muscle, bone, nerve and skin are all factors in the recreation, and you still need to insure it is living flesh you are making! In the end, all these attempts have ended in failure, some more horrible than others. One mage long ago managed to grow a perfectly functional arm from the stump of a wounded soldier. It worked and moved just like a natural one, but there was one problem. He had figured out how to make the body form a new one, but he couldn't find a way to make it stop. The growth continued at an alarming rate, adding more bone, muscle and mass to the false appendage, eventually creating a swollen, malformed limb that had to be amputated. Other attempts at perfecting this process resulted in arms that kept growing from the initial injury, transforming the poor soul into a seething ball of hands and fingers. Another caused the body to respond to any injury with the growth of a new appendage. Any cut, scratch or bruise resulted in a human arm forming from the surrounding flesh, and this included internal injuries as well. In the end, healing magic is just not worth it. It is a dangerous and frivolous thing that should not be trifled with. Thankfully, many have abandoned this field of magic, but sadly, not before we became witness to what could be born from it. Like how other forms of magic give rise to Mancers, healing magic is not exception. What comes from their foul ways is what we called a Biomancer.

Thankfully, it seems these Mancers are just as rare as the type of magic that spawns them. According to written history, only two Biomancers have ever been encountered (and I got the "honor" of seeing one of them). True, more could have existed that we didn't know about, but due to their horrible abilities, I feel that it is safe to say that we would have noticed them if they did occur. As one should know by now, Mancer Syndrome occurs when the human body casts too much of a certain type of magic without taking the proper precautions. The internal mana that comes from the Splenius magus will become tainted, eventually corrupting the body and mind. Though it is quite difficult to do this with healing magic, it is still possible, and what comes out of it is an absolute abomination. When a healer succumbs to Mancer Syndrome, their mana will turn on them and healing spells they used will ascend to an impossible level. In simple terms, their polluted magic will begin to "heal" everything in their bodies. And I mean everything. Old wounds will vanish, ailments and sickness will fade away, foul memories will turn to dust and the human body will begin to "fix" itself in a way we were never meant to see. The out of control magic will create a better form, one that it sees as "pure" and "perfect." Between the two Biomancers that were ever encountered, there were many differences in their appearance, but a few similarities. It seems that the skin becomes deathly pale, and their hair will fall out. Limbs elongated and eyes are enlarged. These unnatural beings seem to be what the corrupted mana believes to be our true forms, but they are repulsive things to behold. The moment I laid eyes on that Biomancer, I wished to burn it from this plane of existence. Oh, if it were only that easy.... In this new twisted form, the Biomancer will have achieved absolute control over the flesh and body. It's healing abilities will know no bounds, and it applies this to its own body. While they may appear to be weaponless and harmless, Biomancers are almost impossible to destroy. They possess regenerative properties that could rival that of the Gods. Any wound or injury, no matter how bloody or grievous, will heal up in an instant. If one tried to slice these abominations in half with a great sword, they would see the flesh zip itself back up right behind the cutting blade. Waves of fire and acid do nothing, as the skin and meat bubbles back as soon as it is burned. Popped eyes re-inflate and broken bones will snap back into place. The one entity I encountered was once attacked with a hail of poisoned arrows. The sharp missiles hit their target true, but then were spit out of the body as the flesh healed up. It didn't even break its stride during this assault. With this ability, Biomancers are pretty much immune to all attacks, both physical and magical. It's healing is just too powerful to beat, but that is not the worst part. The real issue is that it wishes to share this horrid "gift." While the Biomancer can heal any part of its body rapidly, it can also heal the injuries of others with a simple touch. One prod of its gross finger will cause a snapped arm to miraculously put itself back together. Cuts will seal shut and broken bones will mend, all it takes is the Biomancer's touch. It even seems to radiate an aura of healing, causing the bodies of everyone near it to step up their healing game and fix wounds at a slightly faster rate. Already I imagine there are people wondering how that is a bad thing. To have such a creature that can cure any ailment or fix an injury within mere moments. It does indeed sound like a blessing, except for the fact that such type of healing is extremely unnatural. Their bodies may be able to adapt to it, but ours are not. With each touch, the injuries that are healed will cause their magic to leak further into one's body, slowly causing changes. The nerves will gradually lose the sense of pain, and the flesh will morph with each exposure. The skin will lose its wrinkles and scars, as the damages of time slowly revert. The longer one is exposed to their power, the more they will become controlled by it. The body's clock will gradually turn back, healing the ravages of age and wear. This may still seem good, until one realizes that their magic doesn't just heal physical wounds. With a touch to the head and skull, the Biomancer may reach into one's brain and heal whatever ailments may afflict the mind. Depression, anxiety, past trauma and all the foul things that plague our minds can be evaporated with the Biomancer's blessing. All the woes and fears can be taken away, but that is where the problem lies. If our minds were to be freed of all our despair, anxiety and mistakes, would we still be us? Would you still be the same person? For better and for worse, our trauma and fear are a part of us, it makes us who we are. The person that exists at this moment would not be here if not for what happened in the past. Take that all away, and you may not recognize who comes out, and neither does your own body. Turns out that the brain and mind does not like such level of tampering, and it can quickly cause further damage if one becomes too saturated by the Biomancer's magic. The memories and mind of the old and new you will clash inside your skull, which can either drive one insane, or turn them into a mindless husk. No matter which happens, eventually the old you will simply cease to be. Even if you were to be mentally healed and you escaped the aura of the Biomancer, your mind would still be in trouble. It will desperately try to revert back to the person it was before, which can make the issue even worse when all your terrible memories come flooding back in one horrible moment. Thankfully, those who escape can eventually be nursed back to their old selves (though it may take some extra therapy), and those who limit their exposure to the Biomancer's energy can be purged of its alien influence. Sadly, those who succumb to its physical and mental rewriting will not be so lucky.... As their exposure to Biomancer's healing energy increases, the victims will slowly become younger and younger. If it goes too far, they shall reach a stage that exists before birth. A part of the cycle that was never meant to truly be. What they become is something primordial and pathetic. Their bones will shrink and their cartilage will consume what's left. Their skin shall become thin and stretched with bodily fluids. All orifices will seal shut, creating a seamless sheet of skin. The eyes will swell to engorged, unblinking orbs and they shall patter about webbed hands and feet. These hunched, quivering things are disgusting to behold, as they amble after the Biomancer like ducklings to their mother. As the creature heals and warps the people around it, they shall join this pathetic congregation and blindly follow the beast. Though dozens of these poor things may march alongside the Biomancer, they pose no threat or harm to anyone around them. In fact, they are in more danger than anyone else near them! Their skin is thin as paper and their body is mostly fluid and loose flesh. A dull blade could easily split their skin and cause them to collapse into a wet puddle of organs. Fortunately, the healing energy of the Biomancer keeps them alive, so they will pull themselves back together and then patter back to its leader. They are so dependent on the Biomancer for life, that if they stray too far from its aura for too long, they will literally fall apart from their own weight. These things are truly pathetic, which is horrifying when you realize who they used to be. Once proud men and women, now a mindless sac of water and organs that does nothing but desperately cling to the one thing keeping them alive. As one should see now, the touch of the Biomancer is something to be avoided at all cost, no matter the temptation. It would be simple to say that you should keep your distance from these abominations, but alas, nothing is ever easy. Biomancers are healers by nature, and they strive to cure the suffering around them. They are not things of violence or malice, but of peace and care. Normally that would be a good thing, but in this case, it just makes it worse. So kind and compassionate is the Biomancer, that it will seek out any who are sick or injured and will give them its blessing. It cares not if its treatment is wanted, it will find the feeble and make them whole. As long as the Biomancer exists, it will target those that are wounded (be it physically or mentally) and pursue them. It does not give chase, though, as it does not believe in anger or aggression. Instead it will simply walk to its target in the straightest line possible, not caring if the patient is fleeing in fear. It will just walk, knowing that eventually it will find its patient and give them its healing touch. Obstacles mean little to them, as they will go right through anything that is thrown at them. Even if you were to string up a field of razor wire between it and its target, the Biomancer would stroll right through it, its regenerative powers patching up the shredded skin moments after it is torn. Once it catches its patient, it will grasp them and give its blessing. When the victim has been healed, the Biomancer will move on to the next person, looking for those who are wounded the most. It is advised that if a victim has not received a mutative dose of the Biomancer's magic, that they be rushed to the nearest mage and purged of the energy before it causes any more changes. This will prevent them from becoming enthralled by its power, but it will also reopen certain injuries. This will put them back onto the Biomancer's hit list, but it will at least keep them from becoming one of those things in the mean time. The only hope you truly have is to put an end to this twisted creature. Difficult it may seem, but it has been done before. Thankfully, the two encounters humanity has had with Biomancers have ended in victory (I don't even want to imagine what failure would look like). Neither of these came without difficulties and sacrifice, but such efforts were not in vain. The first instance came many years ago, decades before my time. The creature came to be through ignorance, as many back then did not believe such a "holy" magic could lead to Mancer Syndrome. Unfortunately, corruption rarely cares about humanity's distinctions of good and evil, and an abomination was born. Many attacks came upon the Biomancer, but its regenerative powers kept it alive and well. In time, they found that physically killing it would be impossible, so they went for a different route. A team of highly skilled frost mages were called in, and they were able to trap it in a massive chunk of ice. Its powers prevented it from succumbing to frostbite and hypothermia, but they could do little to help it escape from the frozen prison. The creature did not perish, and instead went into hibernation, waiting for the icy tomb to melt. Thankfully, it would never get that chance. The scrolls say that the ice block was transported to the far north, to a place where fire and warmth would never find it. Where they dumped it appears to be a secret, and that is probably for the best. The second encounter with the Biomancer occurred just a few years back, at the time when the Akristikos were coming into power. While the previous one had been born of ignorance, this one came to be through fear. With the new restrictions and regulations on magic, and the Akristikos enforcing these laws without hesitation, magic users were growing fearful. They were afraid that the Akristikos would eventually lead to a complete ban on magic, and that they would come busting their doors down at any moment. From interviews with folk that were at the epicenter, the Biomancer supposedly came from a healer that worked in their town as a priest. He used his magic to help the poor and unfortunate, healing the sick and giving comfort to those in pain. With this reputation, he was well respected by the community and was seen as a valuable member of the town. When the restrictions came down, nobody really batted an eye. They figured that people like him were exempt from these rules, because why would someone punish those who were only there to help? A few weeks later, though, they heard stories of the Akristikos enforcing these laws with ruthless efficiency, so they became a bit more worried. They warned the priest to stop his healings, as they feared that the enforcers would come to their town and punish him. At first he appeared to agree, but it was only later that they found out that he kept up his work in secret. Desperate to do all he could before the law came down on him, he pushed himself past the limit and went too far. In his effort to heal as many as he could, he became poisoned and wound up transforming into a Biomancer. Sadly, this abomination had his same mindset, as it too sought to heal as many as it could. By the time I showed up at the scene, the unsettling creature had amassed a congregation of dozens. So many people reverted to these wobbling, useless things. It was horrifying to see. Thankfully, the Akristikos were not far behind, and a whole team arrived to end its quest. Their blades and bells did well in disrupting its magic, and for a time I thought they would be able to kill it through physical means. Unfortunately, they could not stop its energy enough to fully negate the regeneration. Instead it only stunted and mutated it, causing the being's flesh to swell and burst into dozens of different appendages, orifices and faces with each blow. It became a malformed and vile thing, but one that was still immune to physical weaponry. To finally put an end to the threat, the team distracted the monstrosity enough to allow one of their members to leap onto its back. As he wrestled atop the writhing mass, he plunged a mana auger into its Splenius magus. With the right manipulations, he overloaded the muscle and caused it to form a mana sink. In a flash, a vortex formed within the neck of the creature, pulling in everything around it. The devastating force threatened to swallow the entire village, but the Akristikos used their song and swords to block its reach. The Biomancer was sucked into oblivion, as did the Akristikos who dealt the blow. The sink sealed itself up behind them, leaving no trace of the two. Despite the destruction caused, this was a victory for both man and the Akristikos. When people witnessed such a sacrifice, they began to form a respect for these enforcers. It certainly did for me. Seeing the lengths they are willing to go to protect the people makes me proud of my decisions and actions. May we pray that they shall continue to guard us with such determination and devotion.           Cavarious Shaid --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My goodness this took a whole lot longer to write than I expected. It is also way longer than i figured too! Congrats to those who chose to slog through it! Sadly this just reminds me that I still have yet to write the description for the Akristikos. Time to work on another essay!