Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

546. Dr. Ignis

I’ve heard nerves were transparent. Then again, I’ve never actually seen one in person.

“I’m starting. I think there’s a blockage somewhere. Were you injured before?” Ignis asked as her tentacles entered the femoral artery found in the woman’s inner thigh. Blood gushed for only a split second before it was completely sealed.

“My leg was messed up badly when I squared up with an Aspiring Moon. They didn’t mean it because it was my fault in the end. I got all fussy and walked into their training grounds like an idiot. Next thing I know I’ve fallen over. Crazy thing is that I didn’t even bleed. Part of my leg just vanished. I didn’t even know I was hurt until someone told me to look.”

Ignis turned to Frost with a confused look.

“Meaning it was cauterized. Its why people are left in chunks rather than a pool of blood in extremely traumatic events. Like a car crash for example.” She explained in layman’s terms.

The two blankly blinked. Even the Healers didn’t know what she was talking about.

“… a car…?” Ignis sort of understood what one was, since she had heard the term being thrown around by the likes of Jury, Nav and Anna.

The Black Wing on the other hand groaned out: “Is that some kind of steed…?”

“Sort of. A good thing to remember is that energy equals heat. Doing anything is going to produce heat. So naturally, the more violent it is, the more heat it’s going to produce.”

They seemed to understand now. Or at least they pretended to.

Finally, Ignis seemed to have found the issue as her ears perked up.

“Obstruction in the pulmonary artery. It’s a blood clot. An embolism!” Upon stating this Ignis rapidly removed the obstruction, dragging it free from her body as she held the tiny, goopy ball that caused the woman so much pain.

Her breathing instantly returned to normal as she wheezed with: “I… Can breathe so much better now… That thing… it was inside of my heart?”

“At the top right side of your heart.” Frost provided her with some patient education as she illustrated on her own chest. “Sounds like to me you had a DVT after getting your leg healed before it got dislodged and turned into an embolism.”

Spirals turned in the eyes of all Healers, but Ignis’ ones widened with awe.

“That makes sense! Deep vein thrombosis! If it was cauterized, then the blood must have also dried up! I think a Healer healed you before you were cleansed!” A lightbulb appeared over her head, leaving Frost beaming like a proud mother.

“Is it supposed to be that dangerous?”

“No!” One of the Healers answered the Black Wing immediately, handing over her clothes. “I’ve never heard of this happening before.”

“It has to be rare! It has to! Please don’t punish that Healer! She did nothing wrong!” The other assured Frost, only to have a warm hand plop onto her head.

“Hey. It’s ok. It’s not like she did it on purpose. Besides, this is the kind of field where complications are bound to crop up. I’ll never blame a Healer. Got it?”

“Y-Yes!” The Healer nodded.

“Alright. Please help her back home. Congratulations on your recovery and discharge~!” Frost hummed, causing the Black Wing to wryly smile.

“You’re not seriously going to shoot me now? After all that?”

Does she think I mean shoot by discharge?

“Mn. Do you want to get shot?” Ignis didn’t mean anything by it. But the Black Wing interpreted it as a threat. It didn’t help that Ignis glared at her like she was about to do it herself.

And so, after a quick thanks, the Healers wrapped their arms around the Black Wing’s waist and helped her of a door connecting directly to the outside. Once free, Frost’s shoulders collapsed as she approached Ignis with an extended hand.

“Haaaaaaaah. Ignis~ You’re so cool.” She patted her head, the girl melting instantly to her touch as she purred lightly. “I give you a nine out of ten.”

“Eh? Where’s my one extra star?”

“Use your voice more. If you can do that then you’ll be perfect. You were right about your deduction. [Cleanse] is a superficial Healing magic that requires direct application, and [Cure Disease] won’t stop foreign material from causing said illness in the first place.”

“Mhm. Praise me more.”

“You passed the evaluation with flying colors. I’m so proud of you. I can tell you’ve been busy while I was gone.”

“Very.” Ignis firmly nodded as she stood on her toes, wanting to bury her head deeper in her palm.

“Were you lonely without me~?”

“No, not really.” Ignis’ nonchalant words caused something to shatter inside of Frost. “Because I have Nav and Anna and everyone else here. But I also missed you too!” She beamed with an earnest smile.

Ahh. My broken heart’s healing~ Just look at that smile.

“Hmph. I’ve seen that smile a thousand times already. That means she’s one thousand times closer to me than you.”

Something broke inside of Frost again.

I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.

* * *

Various organs were placed onto the sterile tabletops. Wood was not a good material for a surface but with [Cleanse] anything was viable. Ignis began from the far left of the increasingly complex line of organs she created thanks to [Gene Expression].

“[Gene Expression] in its first ten levels was limiting.” Ignis began, poking at near pile of bones and cartilage, as well as capillaries and small strands of pulsating muscle. “I couldn’t make anything very good. Most of my [Manifest System] consists of these basic ‘organs’. Even the items I made were limited.”

< ACTIVE: (E) Gene Expression >

< Machinery of life >

< EFFECT: Create basic organic items using your Biomass. Simple organs may be created >

< COST: 30,000 MP per 1cm3 >

“I see.” Frost loomed over her as she refused to look further ahead. She wanted Ignis to properly introduce them as a surprise. “So those backpacks you made – those are from [Manifest System], right?”

“Mn. [Manifest System] is more complex but it’s different because that is more like me.” She said, holding out her hand.

Something scuttled from behind a raised curtain.

Suddenly, a creature resembling a boney spider appeared. It was purely legs and was easily larger than Frost’s head.

The tapping of its legs caused chills to run down Frost’s spine before it crawled over Ignis’ body and sat atop the palm of her hand.

“What’s this? It’s cute~”

That is nightmare fuel.

“This isn’t a good example. This is an item using my cells so it’s not compatible with people unless it’s used like prosthetics.” Ignis explained. “Making organs like this is easy but they have a mind of their own.”

She rubbed the center of it, causing it to melt as if it was a Demi-human being pet.

“I’m guessing they inherit your instincts.” Frost deducted, making Ignis smile warmly again.

“Yes! That’s what I think too. I can’t make a brain or anything that complex, so it was weird that they naturally went to protect the Healers immediately. They carry my intentions.”

“And that’s incompatible with people because that’s ‘you’ in a way, huh. But [Gene Expression] …” Frost followed Ignis as she moved on to the next organs. She plucked a bundle of thick arteries, ducts, and slabs of meat with specialized linings. “… makes it universally compatible since it doesn’t inherit your will. I’m impressed with these. This is stomach lining.”

[Appraise Object]

Stomach Lining

< Biological tissue highly favored in high-corrosive environments >

The reason why she was able to create this was because her [Gene Expression] Skill was not level 10. It was beyond that. What was demonstrated here was merely what she was able to achieve at level 20.

< ACTIVE: (E) Gene Expression II >

< Machinery of life >

< EFFECT: Create moderate organic items using your Biomass. Lesser organs may be created >

< COST: 25,000 MP per 2cm3 >

But she did not have 20 levels in [Gene Expression]. With the number of items remaining, it was clear that she was higher than level 30.