The courtyard was quiet, bathed in the fading gold of evening. Wu Lan sat cross-legged on the worn wooden platform outside his house, the Sacred Orchid blooming faintly in his hand.
He was calm now.
No more giddy laughter. No more wild inner monologues about having a "built-in system."
Time to test.
He glanced toward the edge of the yard, where a few birds hopped near the underbrush, and a rabbit nibbled quietly on some weeds. His eyes settled on the rabbit. Convenient target.
"Sorry, little guy," he murmured, rising to his feet. "This is for science."
Moments later, the rabbit sported a minor scratch on its leg. Nothing serious. Wu Lan extended his hand, summoning the Sacred Orchid. The pure white petals shimmered softly, releasing a glow that bathed the wound in light.
The scratch vanished within seconds.
"...Whoa."
He tried again. Another tiny cut. Another clean recovery.
Minor injuries? No problem.
But that wasn't enough.
The rabbit, now rubbing its head affectionately against his leg, looked up at him with wide eyes. Wu Lan sighed.
He couldn't bring himself to hurt it again.
"Too cute," he muttered. He picked it up gently and released it back toward the underbrush.
So much for science.
"I guess... I'm not cut out to be a fighter," he said with a faint smile. "Just be a good healer, stay behind the frontline, and let your teammates protect you. That's good enough, right?"
He paused.
Having grown up in a peaceful world where hurting others was crime, his mind had softened. He lived too calmly. Honestly. Without violence.
But Wu Lan have to adjust. Quickly. This world wouldn't wait for gentle hearts.
Still, curiosity tugged at him. He ventured deeper into the woods, searching for an animal already injured. Something more serious. Eventually, he found a wild dog with a shallow but bloody gash along its side. Wu Lan knelt beside it.
"Okay. Let's start healing."
He activated his Martial Spirit.
This time, the orchid's glow flared brighter. The drain was immediate. Spirit power poured out of him like water from a cracked bowl. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
The wound began to close, then slowed, then stopped altogether.
Wu Lan gasped, stumbling back.
"Too much," he muttered. "Takes too much vitality to fully regenerate. I can't supply that with just level four soul power."
Still, it wasn't a failure.
If anything, it was proof.
His Martial Spirit didn't just speed up recovery. It rebuilt tissue. But the cost scaled with the damage.
Back in the courtyard, he meditated and continued experimenting, refining his control. Bit by bit, he learned to guide the orchid's healing glow a few inches beyond his hand. But it required absolute focus. The moment his concentration slipped, the effect broke.
The sun had long since dipped below the horizon. Stars blinked into view. Crickets chirped in the grass.
And Wu Lan's soul power finally ran dry.
He dragged himself inside, collapsed onto his bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.
"I need more strength," he whispered. "More soul power. Better control. And a stronger body."
But exhaustion pulled at every cell. The deep kind. The kind that seeps into your bones.
Sleep claimed him in seconds.
Morning light crept through the window. Wu Lan sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes. The Sacred Orchid appeared at his call, floating silently in front of him.
He stared at it.
Strength.
How does a healer grow stronger in a world built for warriors?
The image of the wild dog surfaced. Muscle knitting back together under white light.
Then a phrase echoed from his past life.
"Destroy to evolve."
He didn't remember where it came from. A novel? A fighter's quote? Maybe some weird gym slogan. Didn't matter. The idea was solid.
Every broken bone that heals grows back stronger.
Every torn muscle rebuilt is tougher than before.
Healing isn't just restoration. It's transformation.
He clenched his fists.
No weapon?
Fine.
His body would become one.
Wu Lan dropped into a stance and started training.
Push-ups. Squats. Sprints across the yard. Jump drills. Over and over.
When his arms shook, he kept going. When his chest burned, he pushed harder. Sweat soaked through his clothes. Pain lanced through his joints.
Still, he didn't stop.
Only when his legs buckled and his vision blurred did he finally collapse to the ground, gasping for air.
Now.
With trembling fingers, he summoned the Sacred Orchid once more.
Light flowed into him. Gentle. Warm. Threads of vitality spread through shredded muscle and frayed tendons. His soul power dwindled fast, but when the light faded, he sat up.
Not fully healed. Maybe sixty percent.
He frowned.
"Not enough soul power to fully recover."
He sat down to meditate.
Eyes closed. Breathing slow. He reached for the rhythm of his soul.
Soul power trickled in.
Too slow.
Like water dripping from a leaky roof.
Eventually, he reached his limit. The flow stopped. Still not enough for full recovery of soul power.
"So once a day... that's my limit."
Trying to force more would risk damaging his meridians. And sure, in theory, he could heal those too. But not at his current level.
That would take days.
A complete waste of time.
Once per day. That was the line.
He sighed but activated the orchid again. The last bits of damage vanished.
Then he stood.
His body felt... different.
Lighter. Tighter. Stronger.
He tested it. Light punches, stretches, a short jog.
His flexibility had improved slightly. His pain tolerance was higher. His muscles felt denser. Firmer.
Wu Lan exhaled.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"It works."
Crude? Absolutely.
Inefficient? Definitely.
But effective?
No doubt.
He'd need to push further every time. Break past his limits again and again. But that kind of growth took time.
Too much time.
He needed something more.
Still, this was a path forward.
A bit of clever biology abuse.
No cheat codes. No systems. No shortcuts.
Just effort.
…Okay, maybe a tiny cheat. But it still takes effort to use it right.
Wu Lan glanced at the Sacred Orchid floating near his palm.
His body would grow stronger, piece by piece. And with that, his soul power would grow too. His control. His vitality.
One day, he'd be able to heal even from the brink of death.
Maybe even beyond that.
Not bad for a so-called "support-type."
Not bad at all.