School Transmigration: I, Chosen as the Saint by Dragons at the Start-Chapter 176 --The Healer Visto

Within the asura race, darkcast asuras are considered the lowest of the low, possessing combat abilities inferior even to ordinary militiamen.

However, they are known for their cunning and dark magic.

Darkcast asuras are arguably the most despicable demons; not only are they masters of deceit, willing to do anything to achieve their goals, but they also consider sacrificing their kin and allies as acceptable.

Even the most wicked asuras disdain them, refusing to acknowledge them as true asuras.

"Indeed, I am very despicable..." the contemptible creature barely finished speaking when a flash of light streaked by, and Owen suddenly appeared behind him.

The next second, the darkcast asura’s head rolled to the ground.

The three guards, overjoyed, couldn’t hide their admiration.

Truly worthy of a saint!

"The saint of dragons, truly extraordinary."

A mocking voice materialized behind the trio, and before the guards could turn, they were struck by the fiend’s poisoned darts, losing consciousness and collapsing dead in an instant.

"You darkcast asuras truly stop at nothing, even using your own kind as bait," Owen said, his face turning ashen with fury at the sight of his comrades being slaughtered.

"Hmph, my kin? He was my deputy, always dreaming of surpassing me, of trampling me underfoot. I should thank you for doing me a favor," the fiend said, not with anger but with a laugh.

"You think I went through all this trouble just to kill three swordsmen? Then you underestimate me. Let me tell you, I had already cast a spell on him. The moment he died, the sachet on his body released a deadly poison. By now, you probably won’t last much longer."

"And furthermore... our great marshal has prepared a special gift for you..."

Owen realized the truth. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"So, I was your target all along."

"Such elaborate schemes, you truly flatter me."

"But, all conspiracies and tricks are worthless in the face of absolute power."

Having spoken, Owen’s figure flashed, and to the sorcerer’s astonishment, he effortlessly claimed his life.

Then, a gush of fresh blood spilled out as he collapsed to the ground.

He sensed that his body was afflicted not just with poison but also with a seal he had never encountered before, unsure of when it had been applied.

This seal was suppressing his abilities.

...

Unaware of how long he had been unconscious, Owen struggled to open his eyes, finding himself still lying in the same spot, now with a black hound before him.

The hound stared motionlessly until he sat up, then laid down, no longer paying him any attention.

"You’re awake, I see." A middle-aged man’s voice came from behind, "Seems the medicine I mixed this time was quite effective."

Turning, Owen saw the man, in his thirties, whose features were not particularly striking on their own but together possessed an endless charm.

Clad in a white robe, he appeared almost divine.

"I am Owen, much... much obliged."

The middle-aged man offered a slight smile.

"Just call me Visto."

Struggling to his feet, Owen expressed his thanks with a fist and palm salute.

"Thank you, Brother Visto. May I ask if you’ve seen the Iron Blood Battalion fighting the demons?"

"When I found you, they had already..." Visto looked forward, his expression tinged with a trace of sorrow.

A pang of guilt struck Owen; he had been careless.

Exhausted, Owen slept until the next morning, waking to find his condition vastly improved.

His arcanergy had fully recovered, even surpassing its level before the injury, turning misfortune into a blessing.

However, the seal within his body remained, significantly weakening his overall strength compared to before.

After meeting Visto, Owen had breakfast.

Visto, aware of Owen’s quest for the sacred sword, mentioned he had a lead.

All Owen needed to do was accompany him to the human race empire.

Once there, Visto also offered to help remove the seal on Owen.

Only then did Owen realize that Visto’s rescue had a purpose behind it.

He couldn’t return to the dragons in his current state; if those with malicious intent learned about the seal within him, it would spell trouble.

Thus, he decided to follow Visto, who didn’t seem to harbor any ill intentions.

After all, there had been ample opportunity to harm him directly without resorting to schemes.

The two set off on horses Visto had acquired, heading towards a human city named Zhongdu.

Owen, riding behind, glanced forward at Gael, the name of the black hound.

He noticed the dog’s impressive speed, closely following Visto, and couldn’t help but admire Gael’s loyalty.

Traveling north along the official road with their canine companion, they arrived at Ironblade City, the largest city in the southern part of the human empire and the empire’s first line of defense against the demon army, by midday.

It appeared a long-conspired plot was casting its shadow over the continent.

Most unsettling for Owen was the possibility of the angel race collaborating with demons, though he had no proof, just a strong intuition.

The city guards conducted rigorous inspections on those entering the city, wary of demons infiltrating.

However, upon presenting a token, Visto was respectfully allowed passage, piquing Owen’s curiosity about his identity and the breadth of his knowledge.

Visto even knew Owen had gone to Termination Forest in search of the sacred sword, information Owen had shared with no one except the Iron Blood Battalion’s commander.

Coincidentally, the city’s lord had previous dealings with Owen, and the identity of the saint of dragons could indeed prove useful.

The two made their way directly to the lord’s residence in the inner city, where the lord’s guards did not hinder them but quickly informed the lord of their arrival.

Lord Dawson, in his forties, greeted Owen with a smile, "Saint of dragons, we meet again..."

Unexpectedly, the lord seemed not to recognize Visto, treating him as if he were merely a commoner, with a hint of disdain.

This puzzled Owen.

After exchanging pleasantries with Owen, the lord was asked to keep Owen’s visit confidential, to which he readily agreed, understanding the importance.

...

In the grand hall of the lord’s residence, Visto was examining a map of the continent on the wall.

"Is the map that fascinating, uncle?" a crisp, sweet voice came from behind Visto.

Without turning, Visto continued to gaze at the map before him.

The empire was founded twelve hundred years ago, initially a small state centered around the city of Zhongdu in the middle of the continent.

However, it expanded dramatically during the era of the Martial Emperor a thousand years ago.

According to the imperial chronicles, the young and ambitious Martial Emperor ascended to the throne at twenty and unified the northern countries within a year.

Subsequently, a sorcerer from the South Sea summoned the demon army, which swept through the southern countries and launched an attack on the empire.

The remaining human forces rallied under the empire, launching a counterattack that lasted three years, resulting in millions of casualties on both sides before ending in victory for the empire.

The Martial Emperor personally slew the demon lord in Termination Forest, confining the demon army to the southeastern corner of the continent.

The demon army survived by retreating to the mountains south of Termination Forest, thanks to the natural barrier.

After the war, the Martial Emperor, acting with mercy, did not pursue a policy of extermination.

Instead, he established Termination Forest as the boundary for a truce with the demons.

The demons, severely weakened, retreated beyond the mountains, and over time, Termination Forest came to be regarded as the southernmost boundary of the empire’s territory.

Ignored by Visto, the young woman wasn’t offended but continued speaking, "There’s nothing much to see unless, uncle, you really are a herbalist."

"I am indeed a herbalist," Visto turned around with a slight smile, "How old are you this year, girl?"

"Just turned sixteen." Being called "girl" and asked her age by a man she just met didn’t seem to bother her; she still looked at him with a cheerful smile.

"Do you wish to live past twenty-five?" Visto asked softly.

"What did you say?" The girl was taken aback.

"Do you want to experience what it’s like to grow old?" Visto repeated gently.

The girl remained frozen in place.

Owen and Lord Dawson happened to come out of the study at that moment.

Returning to the hall, they saw the "girl" staring blankly at Visto.

Owen was also momentarily startled, finding the young woman strikingly beautiful, radiating youthful vitality yet possessing a mature allure, like a fresh bloom on an ancient tree.

Noticing them, Dawson smiled at Visto and then gestured towards the girl, "This child is my daughter, Anna."

"The saint of dragons and I go way back. Hearing that you saved him, I regret not having properly thanked you earlier. Please allow me to express my gratitude at tonight’s dinner."

"Lord, you are too kind," Visto responded with a light bow.

"Brother Owen is a distinguished figure among dragons. It was only right for me to offer assistance when he was injured," Visto added.

Dawson laughed heartily.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Visto, Dawson presented him with a token from the apothecary guild, allowing him free access and the ability to requisition medicinal materials at will.

Visto accepted without demur.

Owen realized that Visto was not as simple as he appeared; even without Dawson’s token, Visto likely had his means to freely access the apothecary.

After thanking the lord, he casually tossed the token into his medicine basket.

Dawson asked Anna to lead Visto to the guest room, as he had official matters to discuss with Owen.

The girl quietly guided the herbalist to the accommodations, with Gael, the hound, following behind Visto, seemingly even more silent than Anna.

"We’ll discuss further in the study," Dawson said, glancing at Owen, who was intently watching Anna’s departing figure.

A sense of joy couldn’t help but emerge in his heart.

Forming a connection with the saint of dragons, perhaps even becoming in-laws, would indeed be a stroke of great fortune.

"Who are you?" Once Anna led Visto into the room, she promptly closed the door behind them.

"Visto." Visto responded without even a glance at the girl, casually setting down the medicine basket he carried and began to survey the furnishings of the guest room.