CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 456: AWAKENING AND THE KNIGHT’S PATH

Ssssssss——

On the gleaming needle tip, a sparkling trail of water expelled the air from the syringe.

"Young man, you’re quite lucky."

After conducting a strict skin test, Aiven confirmed that this young soldier, who had fallen into a coma due to a high fever, was a lucky one and showed no signs of penicillin allergy.

Penicillin can be administered through intramuscular injection or intravenous injection. Aiven opted for the most commonly used median cubital vein injection, although in reality, "most commonly used" was his own invention here.

Once again, he inadvertently set a new precedent.

The proximal end had already been secured with a tourniquet made from animal hide. After disinfecting the skin with a homemade cotton swab and alcohol, the needle approached the pale blue vein.

Having conducted several clinical trials in the New Continent, Aiven performed this series of actions with an effortless grace.

"Um... General..."

However, as the needle was about to pierce the vein, the cavalry captain standing nearby swallowed hard and called out in confusion.

In this era, due to the existence of alchemy, the prototype of the syringe had already appeared. For a wizard, even one not from the Alchemy School, crafting a delicate hollow needle wasn’t too difficult.

Connecting it to a brass or glass syringe allowed it to perform most functions of a modern syringe.

But currently, the clinical practice of such instruments was very narrow, more rare than surgical suturing techniques. Though it had the advantage of fast-acting medication, it still wasn’t entirely reassuring.

Especially for someone like the cavalry captain, who could come into contact with the world of the Extraordinary but wasn’t well-versed in it — to him, the priests’ Healing Arts might be the "norm."

It’s like when a modern person wants a doctor to operate, but the doctor suddenly starts invoking spirits, making one instinctively feel it’s unreliable.

"Shut up! If you don’t understand anything, stay out of the way.

General Aiven, who consecutively proposed the Practical Therapy for Scurvy, earned the Royal Medical Society’s Hippocrates Level 2 Medal, and incidentally solved the widespread supernatural epidemics in the New Continent, is a pioneering doctor.

He’s a representative of cutting-edge medical techniques in Tulip. Don’t interfere with His Excellency saving lives here!"

Before Aiven could speak, a group of accompanying military doctors surrounding him pushed the cavalry captain aside, clearly having transformed into Aiven’s loyal supporters.

Whether or not they shared Dr. Taylor’s genuine passion for medicine, the enormous benefits hidden behind a new treatment method were hard to part with.

Aiven’s reputation and accomplishments made it so that until he truly faced a setback, no one would doubt the efficacy of his "new drug," only eager to learn a trick or two.

The cavalry captain, who was only good at fighting and killing, didn’t understand, but how could this group not see the significance in it?

As long as this drug, claimed to be producible on a large scale using conventional methods, received good clinical feedback, even ordinary doctors who weren’t Extraordinary could significantly expand their prospects.

At the bedside, the doctor was king, and though the cavalry captain’s lips twitched twice, he could only step aside helplessly.

As Aiven pushed the medication into the young soldier’s vein, he explained the usage and dosage of "penicillin" to the doctors around him:

"Dissolve these white powders appropriately with sterile water. The daily injection dosage for adults is 2.5-5g. The tourniquet should be tied 6 cm proximal to the puncture site...

If you’re unsure of the vein’s location, intramuscular injections in the upper arm or buttock can also be used, but the skin test and disinfection work must be thorough to prevent fatal incidents...."

"Yes, yes, sir, we’ve noted it all."

Then, Aiven nodded to the two priests, who were also watching his actions with mixed expressions: "You won’t have to wait until tomorrow to see if the medication is effective; tonight will reveal the results."

Aiven’s intention was naturally good, to save the lives of comrades while helping the alliance solve the age-old headache of high casualty rates among soldiers.

But the noble intentions and aspirations didn’t stop him from taking this opportunity to... discuss a business deal with the alliance’s upper echelons.

Before leaving the Wounded Soldier Camp, he left behind a bottle of white powdered penicillin G potassium salt with the accompanying military doctors, instructing them to use it temporarily only on soldiers who were almost certain to die, and to gradually expand its use once its effects were clear.

When the remaining soldiers, doctors, priests, wizards, and the two bigshots at the base witnessed the effects, they’d naturally come looking for him again.

At that time...

All the output from the initial biochemical factory was currently in Kaka’s [Shadow Secret Vault: Modified]. With the powerful production capacity boosted by biochemical engineering, even what he carried on him was more than sufficient in the short term.

...

Later that day.

Tap tap... tap tap... tap tap...

Aiven, with Olivia, sprinted swiftly along the corridor of the fortress’s upper levels.

He had just been discussing various speculations about the Eye of Inti with wizards from the "Alchemy Tools and Enchantment Branch" of the "Violet Eye," and the significant meaning if the "reversal of uncontrollable" could be replicated.

But suddenly, a priest found him and informed him of some long-awaited good news.

Bam——

Returning to the generals’ quarters, he pushed open the exquisite mahogany door with a forceful thrust.

In an instant, he saw a gray-haired middle-aged man sitting on the bed, sipping slowly from a bowl of beef soup.

Aiven’s eyes lit up as he blurted out:

"Uncle, you’re awake!"

The words overflowed with uncontrollable joy.

The man, exuding a cliff-like aura, paused and lifted his head. The rock-hard lines on his face seemed to soften like cotton, leaving only a warm gentleness:

"Aiven, it really is you."

Bang—

Aiven had already reached the bedside and gave him a big hug, their broad chests colliding with the weight and strength akin to mountains.

Neither man was particularly articulate, so a hug conveyed all their emotional release.

The old priest with graying hair and a monocle nodded in their direction and led the others out, leaving the room for the uncle and nephew.

Click—

The door closed again.

Already seated at Gel’s bedside, Aiven spoke before the middle-aged man could, with the same tone of adoration from when he joined the military under Gel’s command and cheered for his uncle’s might:

"Uncle, you’re now a hero who saved the Kingdom from peril! I heard from two base commanders that your promotion order to Brigadier General is on its way!"

Not sure if Gel realized his Knight’s Path had ended, Aiven shared some good news in advance, remembering Gel once said his lifelong wish was to become an imposing general.

Hopefully, this promotion order to General could slightly compensate for his loss on the Extraordinary Path.

Looking at Aiven, who he hadn’t seen for almost a year and was already taller than him, Gel was full of emotions:

"No need to comfort me. Your uncle isn’t that fragile; Priest Ouen has already told me.

In truth, when I drank that potion, I wasn’t expecting to survive.

Being able to sit here and chat with you is already incredibly satisfying."

He paused, recalling the grand ambitions he declared when accepting Aiven’s gift a year ago, feeling a bit of embarrassment for his boastfulness, finding it hard to maintain his dignity as an elder:

"Uncle has failed. It seems ’Breath of the Giant Beast’ is something I can’t get for you. But I never expected that you’d already be ahead of me, paving your own path."

Holding Aiven’s hand, feeling the immense, thunderous power within, the faint embarrassment had turned into genuine pride.

Perhaps this is the main reason Gel wasn’t too distraught about his own future being cut off. His lifelong pursuits and ideals were all realized by his own kin, leaving him with no regrets.

Recalling what Priest Ouen said to him just now.

His recovery was majorly thanks to Aiven using a powerful Divine Power Talisman from a Demigod, not only healing his physical injuries but miraculously reversing his lost control status.

Among family, there’s no need for thanks, yet Gel brought up another matter to Aiven:

"Aiven, during those hazy days, I had a dream that remains very vivid even now.

I seemed to see you standing with a girl who looked like a spring fairy.

Because of the golden flames, I gradually regained feeling in my body, and because of the water-like moonlight, my reason was restored bit by bit."

Aiven, deeply aware of the value of the Moonstone, understood the immense risk Olivia took to help him.

He had long decided to keep this secret buried in his heart and wouldn’t tell anyone, not even his closest Uncle Gel.

So he casually replied:

"Oh, that might have been an illusion. The base wizards are speculating that the talisman might involve the domain of the Moon."

"It’s not impossible, but at the time, the only feeling was that you both matched perfectly, like the sun and the moon in the sky.

If you really could marry such a wife, your uncle would have no regrets in this lifetime."

Due to the "side effect" of Spiritual Purification, Gel was over the moon about Olivia, whom he’d seen in his spiritual vision.

Hearing this unexpected comment, Aiven’s heart skipped a beat.

"Uncle, you’re really giving me a hand here... my dear uncle!"

Aiven silently gave 32 thumbs-ups in his heart!

He glanced back subtly at Olivia, who seemed expressionless as if she hadn’t heard a word.

But her tightly intertwined fingers and slightly reddened ears deeply betrayed her.

Afraid the girl would eventually get angry from embarrassment, Aiven decided not to push his luck and swiftly changed the topic.

After testing the waters and confirming his uncle’s attitude, he decided to bring up a question he’d been pondering since the healing ended last night, ready to seek Gel’s opinion.

He extended a hand, with brilliant blue lightning flickering in his palm.

Crackle...

One Golden Lion after another leaped from the shadows beneath him into the electrified palm, continuously melting and merging. In a short minute, the Golden Lion had transformed into a gleaming golden longsword.

Placing the longsword into Gel’s hand, amidst his astonished gaze, Aiven looked him in the eye and solemnly asked:

"Uncle, are you interested in choosing a different Extraordinary Path?"