Chapter 17
For a moment, there was silence.
And then–the board pulsed with a soft, steady glow, the light wasn’t violent or overwhelming, but it was there. Strong. Stable and Pure.
At that moment the official’s lips curled in disbelief.
He had to fight the urge to smack Tyler’s hand away in disgust.
He couldn’t believe what had just happened, how could a dirty, common boy like this have healing energy?
It was insulting, he glared at Tyler like he was something that needed to be swept off the street, disgusted by the fact that the rules forced him to accept this.
The board had judged, the board had spoken.
And no matter how much he despised it, he couldn’t deny Tyler entry without breaking the sacred rules that even he, a palace official, was bound to obey.
With a sneer twisting his mouth, the official waved his hand lazily, signaling Tyler to move along.
“Pass “he muttered through his gritted tooth as if the word itself poisoned him.
Chapter 16
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The ancient board glowed faintly under the sunlight, its surface pulsing like a living thing.
One by one, the proud young men and women from great clans and sects placed their hands on it. Some failed. Some passed. But either way, the process moved smoothly, the crowd buzzing with excitement and tension.
And then came Tyler’s turn, As he stepped forward, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Whispers. Mocking glances. Wrinkled noses, he didn’t belong here, and everyone thought it.
The man in charge of overseeing the test–a tall, richly dressed official with a proud face- looked Tyler up and down with barely disguised disgust. His nose wrinkled as if Tyler’s mere presence offended him.
‘Filthy, Poor, Smelling of dirt and hardship, what right did someone like this have to stand among the chosen?‘
The official didn’t bother hiding the disdain in his eyes as he motioned for Tyler to place his hand on the board.
Tyler calmly stepped forward and placed his hand against the cool surface.
Chapter 17
For a moment, there was silence.
And then–the board pulsed with a soft, steady glow, the light wasn’t violent or overwhelming, but it was there. Strong. Stable and Pure.
At that moment the official’s lips curled in disbelief.
He had to fight the urge to smack Tyler’s hand away in disgust.
He couldn’t believe what had just happened, how could a dirty, common boy like this have healing energy?
It was insulting, he glared at Tyler like he was something that needed to be swept off the street, disgusted by the fact that the rules forced him to accept this.
The board had judged, the board had spoken.
And no matter how much he despised it, he couldn’t deny Tyler entry without breaking the sacred rules that even he, a palace official, was bound to obey.
With a sneer twisting his mouth, the official waved his hand lazily, signaling Tyler to move along.
“Pass “he muttered through bie quitted booth so if the word itself noisoned him
Chapter 17
However Tyler said nothing.
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He simply nodded and walked forward, joining the line of those who had passed the first test, behind him, the crowd whispered even louder.
Some laughed quietly. Others scoffed openly. A few sneered in disbelief that a smelly, ragged beggar had made it through.
But Tyler ignored all of it, he stood straight, his back firm, his eyes forward.
His mother watched from a distance as they carried her away, her hands clasped tightly over her heart, a silent prayer trembling on her lips.
The line moved slowly, One by one, the qualified healers were led into the great hall where the king rested.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was suffocating.
At the far end, the king lay on a massive golden bed, his face ashen, his body unnaturally still. His breath came in shallow rasps, and his skin was clammy and pale.
The moment the young healers saw the king’s condition with their own eyes, their confidence began to crumble.
Fear gripped their hearts, no one dared to step forward easily.
They all knew the unspoken truth if anyone touched the king and his situation got worsened, if they made even the slightest mistake, they would not just fail, they would be held responsible.
Severely, Maybe even fatally, because in the kingdom, offending the royal family was a death
sentence.
And so, one after another, the brave and arrogant young healers hesitated, their hands trembling, their faces pale, too afraid to even lay a finger on the dying king.
Inside the great hall, a thick, choking silence pressed down on everyone.
The closer they got to the king, the grimmer the faces of the healers became.
Lying on the massive bed, the once–mighty king looked like a withered shadow of himself. His skin had lost all color, his breathing was shallow and strained, and strange dark veins pulsed across his arms and neck.
This wasn’t an ordinary illness, It wasn’t something a simple pill or herb could fix.
One by one, the proud young healers–the so–called apprentices of great masters, the self- proclaimed prodigies of famous sects–approached the bed, took one terrified look at the king, and quickly backed away, Some barely lasted a few seconds before coming out from the
room.
“This sickness…” one of them stammered, his face pale, “it’s… it’s incurable.”
Chapter 17
“I can’t do anything,” another muttered, bowing and stumbling backward.
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More and more of them gave the same excuse, their heads bowed low, their voices filled with
fear.
At first, they had all believed it was just some minor illness–a chance to show off, to gain glory.
But now that they saw the true horror of the king’s condition, the bravado evaporated.
This was no simple sickness. Some of them had never even heard of symptoms like this before. Strange patterns, deathly aura, a decaying life force… It wasn’t just about healing anymore–it was about survival.
They understood clearly: even touching the king without permission, even making the slightest mistake, could mean their heads rolling across the palace floor.
And so all of them chose the safer path, cowards in fine robes, running away under the excuse of the others
The line grew shorter and shorter, Until finally, it was Tyler’s turn.
The whispers grew louder the moment Tyler stepped forward.
He moved steadily, his steps calm and sure, walking straight toward the inner chamber where the king lay.
The atmosphere crackled with tension.
Some of the apprentices who had already given up began to whisper fiercely among themselves, their eyes wide with recognition.
“Isn’t that him?” one of them hissed, pointing with disbelief.
“That’s… that’s the Miraculous Doctor’s apprentice–the one who got kicked out of the Supreme Forest five years ago!”
Another leaned closer, whispering sharply. “Yeah, that’s him. Tyler something. He was supposed to be the chosen one. But he got thrown out like garbage.”
“I heard he couldn’t even survive the first day of training,” someone else added mockingly.
“What’s he doing here? How did he even pass the trial at the gates?” another sneered, his voice low but filled with scorn.
They all turned their heads, whispering and pointing at Tyler as he walked, their words filled the hall like a low, poisonous hum, but Tyler didn’t look at them.
He didn’t break his stride, His focus stayed fixed on the dying king lying ahead in the other room, his mind calm despite the noise around him.
He heard them, of course. Every whisper. Every insult. Every doubt,
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But Tyler had long since learned that words were powerless unless you gave them strength.
As Tyler walked toward the king’s chamber, the whispers behind him grew sharper, louder, no longer bothering to hide their scorn.
“What is he even doing here?” one of the young healers scoffed, loud enough for half the hall to hear.
“He shouldn’t even be allowed to step past the palace gates, let alone enter this sacred hall,” another sneered, arms crossed arrogantly.
“I heard the only reason he passed the gate’s trial was because he had a tiny fragment–a single drop–of medicinal energy left from his time in the Supreme Forest,” someone said with a mocking laugh. “A leftover blessing, nothing more.”
“Exactly,” another chimed in, his voice dripping with contempt. “It’s not because he’s talented. It’s not because he’s special. That crystal ball at the gate just picked up a trace of energy on him. That’s it.”
“And now look at him,” a young girl said with a cruel smirk, shaking her head. “Thinking he can come here… thinking he can marry one of the princesses.”
At that moment laughter echoed around the hall, a wave of scorn crashed down on Tyler.
They pointed at him openly, mocking him like he was some delusional fool chasing an impossible dream.
“He probably thinks he can just try his luck,” someone snorted. “Pathetic.”
“Foolish,” another muttered. “Utterly foolish.”
Each word was like a dagger aimed at Tyler’s back.
Each sneer was meant to humiliate him, to drive him away in shame.
But Tyler kept walking, his face remained calm, unbothered, as if the insults didn’t even touch
him.
Inside, though, a cold fire burned brighter.
He had heard worse. He had lived through worse, and he had no intention of explaining himself to anyone.
He knew what he was capable of, he knew why he was here.
And no amount of laughter would change that.
But just as the mocking reached its peak–a loud voice suddenly rang out, silencing the entire hall.
“Enough.”
Chan
Chapter 18