A Hospital in Another World?-Chapter 824: Cirella, The Snake Cannot Be Your Necklace!
Garrett's advancement to a second-level warrior was a natural progression. Advancing to the third, fourth levels, or even leaping to the knight level wouldn't happen so quickly.
Fortunately, Old Morgan wasn't in a hurry. He wasn't in a hurry, and Garrett wasn't in a hurry. Advancing to the second level in half a month, another month should get him to the third level, right?
In the next two months, he could reach the fourth level, and in three months, become a knight. In half a year's time, he could perform surgery on Old Morgan. During this period, using the [Pain Alleviation] spell could suppress his pain.
Of course, besides [Pain Alleviation], a series of examinations were needed. The CT scan was done at the medical branch of the Mage Tower because Garrett's own level wasn't high enough.
Blood tests, electrocardiograms, blood pressure, and oxygen levels were simpler and could be done by Garrett himself.
Checking the extent of nerve compression, whether the nerve roots were swollen, the degree of disc herniation, whether the annulus fibrosus was ruptured, and if any fragments had entered the spinal canal...
"Ah, where can I find an MRI machine..."
Garrett silently lamented. The detailed condition of soft tissues couldn't be seen with a CT scan; an MRI was needed. However, MRI machines didn't exist in this world, so he had to think of a way to make one.
After estimating the strong magnetic field required for MRI and the energy level and precision needed for control, Garrett found, very sadly:
He couldn't make it himself, not even as an eighth-level mage. To make one, he might need to be an eighteenth-level mage or even a legend.
And now, explaining the principles of MRI to his teacher, how magnetic fields penetrate the body and align with water molecules to avoid mutual cancellation?
Then recovering magnetic field signals, analyzing different signals from different human tissues based on water molecule content...
Oh, right, it would also require strong cooling functions since MRI machines in his previous life were submerged in liquid nitrogen. Shutting down once meant releasing all the liquid nitrogen and refilling it.
Garrett thought for a moment and decided against it. He had already given his teacher a lot to think about recently; just explaining electrons and electron transitions would take him years. MRI principles were related to quantum physics...
He didn't want his teacher to go mad from overthinking.
Without MRI, alternative methods had to be used. Previously, Garrett used the contracted spirit snake to directly observe other patients' conditions. However, this time...
"Relax, relax a bit! Otherwise, I can't get in!"
"I'm already relaxed enough!"
"No, it's still not working!"
A 14th-level high-rank knight, even when not in combat and trying to stay calm, had powerful forces flowing through his body. The contracted spirit wanted to enter deeply to observe the state of muscles, internal organs, nerves, and soft tissues...
It was like Garrett trying to swim by jumping into water, no problem. In water's density and viscosity, humans could swim smoothly.
Jumping into a swamp, the swamp would soon teach you what non-Newtonian fluids are. Swimming wasn't possible; floating wasn't possible either. The more you struggled, the deeper you sank.
Jumping into lava, disregarding the temperature, the density alone made it hard to sink. Essentially, except for the initial dive, most of the body would stay on the surface.
Jumping into mercury, sorry, mercury's density was too high, you couldn't jump in.
The situation the spirit snake faced entering Old Morgan's body was somewhere between lava and mercury. It could barely probe the surface of the skin but couldn't get into the muscles. Bones? The inside of the spine?
Dream on!
"So... how did other healers treat you before..."
Garrett withdrew the snake, feeling very frustrated. The snake coiled around the oak staff, crawling from the first pair of leaves to the second, then the third, before curling up in a ball, dejected.
Even after finishing treatment, it didn't slide up and down the staff in excitement as usual, which made Garrett feel very sorry for it.
"Sorry, I'm such a useless master..."
He scratched the snake's chin with his finger. The snake nudged his fingertip with its forehead and then shot into his brow, becoming a stream of light. A large segment of memories then flooded his mind:
The snake following its previous master, a healer above the tenth level, for the tribe's members.
The snake brought various herbs, minerals, and animal innards and magic crystals to its master.
The snake followed its master's orders, acting as the master's eyes to observe the tribe members' conditions...
Summarizing the snake's memories, its probing ability was related to its level—it had once advanced by consuming some poisonous dragon substance—and also to its master's mental power.
At Garrett's current level, the snake could still probe eleventh or twelfth-level warriors, but not higher-level ones like Old Morgan.
As for high-rank mages like Brother Byerbo and Sister Philby, their internal energy was like an abyss. Neither Garrett's mental power nor the snake's eyes could see clearly.
"Other healers? Like the archbishop, they relied on experience to treat," Old Morgan replied matter-of-factly. Garrett sighed: 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
He remembered shortly after arriving in this world, a bald-headed bishop's healing spell set broken bones, stretched muscles, and healed lung injuries. A warrior with a tension pneumothorax from violent rib fractures was instantly cured.
Such healing effects clearly depended on the healer's mental power level, healing spell experience, and understanding of the human body. Without proper knowledge, the treatment could be harmful—Garrett had treated an archer with severed tendons whom the bald-headed bishop had unsuccessfully treated multiple times.
A spinal curvature causing significant disc herniation and nerve compression leading to severe pain was a clear indication for surgery.
Without expert treatment, spinal nerve damage could lead to paralysis, incontinence, and other issues. Otherwise, why would Archbishop Nogla, a 17th-level priest, not treat it?
However, Garrett didn't dare to operate without a thorough understanding of the situation. Each person's spinal curvature and each disc's characteristics were unique.
Without proper investigation, operating blindly would be a disaster...
"Any way to enhance probing ability?"
Garrett was troubled, rubbing his temples and almost pulling his hair out, which Cirella slapped down:
"Don't pull! You'll go bald!"
"But going bald makes you stronger..."
Garrett's voice trailed off. It was best not to challenge Cirella on this topic since he couldn't win...
Though, to be fair, Cirella had never actually hit him, not even in jest...
"Enhancing probing ability is easy!" Cirella started counting on her fingers:
"Either you level up quickly—"
Garrett shook his head vigorously. No way, he had just advanced not long ago, how could he reach the ninth level mage so soon? He hadn't even thought of a research topic—
"Or find some equipment to enhance and amplify your mental power. Let me think..."
She removed the teardrop-shaped forehead ornament and put it on Garrett without a word. Garrett felt a cool sensation on his brow, his vision went black, his legs turned to jelly, and he nearly collapsed:
"Cirella!"
"Is it too strong? Take a rest..."
Garrett indeed felt like he had a transient ischemic attack, hypoxia, or a sudden drop in blood sugar. He closed his eyes, took deep breaths, and drank a bottle of glucose solution.
Ah, thank goodness for the habit from his previous life in the operating room—feeling faint usually meant hypoglycemia, so he'd immediately ask a nurse for glucose...
After a while, feeling better, he tried to connect with the ornament. With the magic equipment's enhancement, his mental power indeed grew stronger, able to penetrate Old Morgan's body deeper. However...
"It's not working... it's like a magnifying glass..."
Such equipment could amplify mental power but not refine it. Garrett, whether observing himself or remotely supporting the snake, saw the same result:
He could see, but the details were blurry, like a pixelated image.
This precision might suffice for general surgery but was reckless for neurosurgery.
Garrett returned the ornament to Cirella with a sigh. The silver dragon girl was momentarily disappointed, then bent down to scratch the snake's chin:
"Hey, what will it take for you to advance? If you advance, Garrett could see better!"
She scratched, the snake dodged, scratched again, dodged again. Finally, she pinned its head on the oak staff, released it, then pinned it again.
The semi-real spirit body felt no different from a real one under her fingers.
"Stop tormenting it..." Garrett sighed, stopping her hand:
"It says it needs higher-level, similar energy to absorb to advance faster... No! Don't give it blood! It can't handle that!"
Cirella gave an "oh," casually picked up the snake, and wound it around her wrist. The snake immediately became shorter and thinner, curling around her wrist like an ancient Egyptian queen's snake-shaped armlet.
Through its eyes, Garrett saw Cirella's fair, delicate skin and the faint dragon scale patterns beneath.
Then he was terrified as he saw Cirella lift the snake and loop it around her neck...
"Cirella! The snake cannot be your necklace!!!"
