Ethan looked at the system notification and nodded quietly, his face betraying little emotion. Only one disciple had chosen to become a member, and the system was dutifully recording his progress—if only a little. For now, the numbers were small, but they signalled something bigger: movement, opportunity, a step away from solitude.
He glanced over at the bookshelves, where the newly enrolled member was lost in the maze of ancient texts. Jenny, as he had recently learned, was just sixteen years old—a rarity at the Sacred Wind Academy, given her achievement of reaching the 2nd Level of the Elementary Stage at such a young age. Elsewhere, such talent might be unremarkable, but here it set her apart.
Ethan watched her with mild curiosity. Jenny moved slowly and thoughtfully among the shelves, the tip of her finger trailing across battered spines. Her eyes were bright, but tinged with a desperate kind of hope. Her nervous energy reminded Ethan of his former self, fresh at a new school or game server, uncertain about where he belonged.
After several minutes, Jenny returned to Ethan's desk clutching three thin, well-used manuals. Ethan took note, meticulously writing down their titles and subjects on a goatskin ledger assigned for library member records. Each session would be recorded—a silent testimony to the return of life in the library.
He glanced at her selection. Every manual focused on breathing exercises: "Fundamentals of Rhythmic Breathing," "The Subtle Art of Qi Inhalation," and "Safe Pathways for Novices."
Ethan frowned slightly. "Are you having trouble with breathing during your training?" he asked, voice calm but attentive.
Jenny's reply was weighted with worry. "Yes. When I do physical training, I'm fine. But during breathing exercises, I get uncomfortable. My master couldn't help, and I thought maybe a book could help."
Ethan nodded, but inside he was pragmatic: her issue wasn't really his concern, especially since he hadn't even begun his own path of cultivation. What could he offer when he was lost himself? Without the system, he too would be just as helpless. He suppressed the urge to shrug and was about to turn his focus to his own plans when a new, urgent system notification flashed before his eyes.
[Detected a disciple with a cultivation problem]
[System database contains the solution]
[User's side profession as "Doctor" is unactivated]
[Would the user like to activate the professional Doctor side skill to attempt treatment?]
[Warning: User lacks the Skill Points to learn the necessary skills. Option to borrow Skill Points on credit available, but prior credit transaction stands at 100,000 Skill Points. Additional borrowed skills now cost double repayment.]
Ethan felt a rush of opportunity rather than fear. Hope for progress, for tangible rewards, flickered inside him—Skill Points, Attribute Points, reputation. If he could solve Jenny's issue, perhaps he could build a side income, attract more disciples, and accelerate his own quest progress.
"Yes," Ethan decided, unhesitating. The warnings meant little to him now. He needed results.
User accepts professional Doctor side skill through credit
Calculating required points...
Learning package requires 100 Skill Points credit; repayment 200 Skill Points (double as per penalty conditions). Confirm?
"Yes!" he replied quickly.
Side Profession: Doctor Activated
Uploading knowledge and practical skills from the system database...
Process complete. Congratulations, you are now a Doctor.
The sudden influx of knowledge was as intoxicating as it was overwhelming—a rush of experience, procedures, diagnoses, and remedies flooding his mind. It was like the language download from weeks before, but this time richer, filled with technical diagrams, ancient cultivation cures, and even the subtle interactions between qi breathing and physical health. Ethan gripped the desk for balance as the knowledge settled, atomising into perfect clarity.
A rare happiness flooded through him. In the cultivation world, strength was everything, but bottlenecks—impurities, breathing errors, inner organ damage—ruined countless paths. Doctors and healers played essential roles, helping cultivators recover and seize new breakthroughs. Now, Ethan could address those very challenges, gaining progress and profit. A new road had opened.
Jenny looked up, puzzled by the change in his demeanour. She saw Ethan smiling in quiet triumph, and misread the signal. "Eh, Big Brother! What's so funny? Are you laughing at my problem?"
That snapped Ethan out of his reverie. He coughed to cover his excitement and offered a gentle smile. "No, not at all. I'm smiling because I know exactly what the issue is—and I have the solution, too."
Jenny blinked, scepticism battling with hope. Her confusion was understandable; Ethan was a seemingly hopeless man, twenty-three years old, overweight, and not even officially begun on the cultivation path. How could he possibly help where skilled masters had failed?
"You know my problem?" Jenny asked, half-in disbelief. "Do you? Then tell me—if you can."
Ethan looked at her with new, quiet confidence. "You feel a burning sensation near your liver, right? Especially at night, while trying to sleep. At first, it was mild, so you ignored it. But it's grown steadily, making it harder to rest. You probably wake feeling drained, and it's affected your concentration during training, especially with breathing exercises. Haven't you wondered why?"
Jenny's breath caught; she stared at Ethan with shock and creeping awe. "How did you—?"
Ethan cut her off, smoothly and calmly. "Your issue stems from a minor blockage in the second meridian channel, right above the liver. You're practising a breathing technique meant for higher stages, but your body isn't ready yet. You need a gentler exercise to reopen the channel first, then proceed gradually to the more advanced method."
He walked her through the necessary changes: adjusting posture, moderating rhythm, switching manual for technique. Step by step, using the skills newly lodged inside his mind, he described the simple but essential corrections Jenny would need. A combination of a twice-daily breathing cycle and a light herbal regimen, per the manuals, was prescribed.
Jenny's eyes glittered. "Nobody… not even my master—nobody ever explained it so clearly! How can you know all of this?"
Ethan smiled gently. "It's my profession now, apparently. If you follow the new routine, you'll start feeling relief soon."
Jenny nodded with gratitude—her hope renewed, her faith in the library (and its strange new keeper) bolstered. For Ethan, this was more than a minor victory. A side profession, a grateful disciple, and the technical power to heal—his world had expanded with possibility.
And for the first time, Ethan felt like he truly belonged—not only as a librarian, but as a healer whose journey had just begun.