Fairy Tale Survival with Ability Copying

A First-Ring Spell-level Healing was roughly comparable to the effect of Rapunzel's tears. It might have been somewhat better, but only by a limited margin.

At that level, Healing could do little more than close superficial wounds, stop bleeding, and provide a small amount of pain relief.

At the absolute most, it could achieve something like what happened in the fairy tale itself—restoring sight to the prince after his eyes had been pierced and blinded.

But healing injuries as severe as those suffered by the Sky Knight Rune was completely impossible.

To put it bluntly, if it had been an ordinary person—even a Great Knight-level warrior—suffering wounds of Rune's severity, they would have died long ago.

The only reason Rune was still alive was because he was a Sky Knight, possessing extraordinary vitality. In addition, he had once bathed in a diluted Dragonblood Potion, which had strengthened his physique. That was why he was still barely clinging to life—or rather, barely still breathing.

Expecting a First-Ring Spell-level Healing to cure wounds like Rune's was nothing short of a fantasy.

But once Healing reached the Third-Ring level, everything changed dramatically.

Not only could it treat minor injuries and illnesses, but it could also heal far more serious wounds and diseases. It could even regenerate severed limbs.

That was something even the modern technology of Levi's previous life could not accomplish.

Yet with Third-Ring Healing, Levi could do exactly that.

A flash of light passed through his eyes as a layer of gentle yet vast pale-golden life radiance blossomed from his hands.

This was no longer simple healing magic.

It was a supreme regenerative power that touched the very source of life itself and reversed physical destruction. Even severed limbs, mangled bodies, and shattered organs could be rebuilt beneath its influence.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

Lying on the bed, Rune's breathing was weak and faint as he remained unconscious. The horrific wound that pierced straight through his body presented a ghastly sight.

Nothing remained of the heroic bearing expected of a Sky Knight.

Only the stillness of a man on the brink of death remained. His breathing was so weak that it was almost impossible to detect, and his life could extinguish at any moment.

Without the slightest hesitation, Levi pressed the Third-Ring healing spell he had gathered into the wound.

In an instant, life energy so dense it was nearly tangible surged into Rune's body like a flood, violently washing through his ruined form.

Healing an injury of this magnitude was no easy task.

The power contained in a standard Third-Ring Healing was still not enough.

Levi was pushing himself to his absolute limit.

The grotesque, charred edges of the wound suddenly twitched.

Then countless fresh, pink strands of living flesh burst forth at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Layer upon layer, they converged toward the center of the wound, intertwining and growing, rapidly filling the missing flesh like living vines.

The damaged organs gradually returned to their original shapes under the nourishment of the life energy.

Torn tissues repaired themselves at astonishing speed.

Necrotic flesh was completely replaced by newly born vitality.

The weak and chaotic signs of life within his body steadily became stable and powerful.

Even the surrounding air grew warm and gentle beneath the influence of the overwhelming life force.

In only a few breaths, the fatal wound in Rune's chest had been completely filled with newly grown flesh.

His skin slowly healed over it, leaving behind only a faint scar.

The paper-white pallor of his face gradually gave way to a trace of color.

The aura of death that had lingered around him vanished entirely.

Not long afterward, Rune's eyelashes trembled lightly.

Then his exhausted yet incredulous eyes slowly opened.

The cloudiness in his gaze gradually faded, replaced by renewed vitality.

He had been completely pulled back from the brink of death.

The first thing he saw was Levi's pale face.

"Lord Levi, you... I... what happened?"

"Where's the man in black?"

"Lord Levi, don't let him get away!"

Rune's memories were still stuck several days in the past.

Levi rolled his eyes at him.

He had nearly drained himself dry of Magic Power to save the man, and the first thing Rune did after waking up was urge him to go fight someone.

Before Levi could speak, Odelle and Little Red Riding Hood had already rushed over.

"Mr. Rune!"

"Lord Rune!"

Rapunzel did not move closer.

Instead, she watched Levi with her large eyes, surprise and admiration evident in her gaze.

"Lord Levi," she said, "hasn't your Healing already surpassed the standards of ordinary spells?"

"Yes." Levi nodded. "According to standard classifications, it should be considered Third-Ring Healing."

"Third Ring?"

Although she had already suspected as much, hearing the answer directly from Levi still shocked Rapunzel.

She could not help but ask, "Lord Levi, how did you manage to raise Healing to such a level in such a short amount of time?"

It completely contradicted everything she knew.

Levi simply nodded and replied, "Yes. I can do that."

Rapunzel pursed her lips and frowned slightly.

She felt as though Levi had answered an entirely different question.

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask more, but at that moment Rune's voice suddenly rang out.

"Lord Levi, how is the situation now?"

Rapunzel closed her mouth.

Levi turned his head and said, "The situation isn't bad. They're about to turn on each other."

"Rune, the time has come for you."

"Just give the order, Lord Levi. I'm going to teach them a lesson they'll never forget," the Sky Knight Rune said through gritted teeth.

"Good."

A slight smile appeared at the corner of Levi's mouth as he explained the situation at Frostfang Pass and told Rune exactly when their internal conflict would erupt.

Levi was an unfathomable wizard. Rune felt no surprise whatsoever that he knew such information.

What occupied Rune's thoughts now was how to deliver a truly brutal lesson.

Especially after Levi informed him that the black-robed man who had nearly killed him was one of the wizards secretly supported by the King of the Kingdom of Valeria, the fury burning inside him reached its limit.

Naturally, Levi also informed him that the King of the Kingdom of Valeria possessed the ability to hear the thoughts of animals and warned him to remain cautious.

Rune nodded heavily.

...

The first glimmer of dawn had only just begun tearing through the heavy night hanging over Frostfang Pass.

Pale bluish light filtered through a broken window lattice and slanted into the cramped room, falling across the wreckage scattered on the floor and the cold frost coating the stone.

The Silverclaw Viscount leaned against a weathered stone wall, his fingers clenched tightly around the bloodstained hilt of his sword.

His knuckles had turned pale from exertion.

The sharp, hawk-like eyes that had always defined him now contained only the gloom and savagery of a man cornered by despair.

The black cloak draped over his shoulders had long since been torn apart by blades and stained with patches of blood, forming a stark contrast against the steadily brightening sky outside.

His trusted private soldiers surrounded him.

Every one of them bore wounds and bloodstains.

Despair lurked deep within their eyes.

Not far away, corpses lay strewn across the ground.

Among them was the body of his most trusted subordinate and intelligence chief—Grey Crow.

Grey Crow's heart had been pierced through.

That strike had originally been aimed at the Silverclaw Viscount.

Grey Crow had used his own life to block it.

But all it had accomplished was delaying the viscount's death for a little longer.

The elite forces of the Kingdom of Valeria, clad in black armor and wearing indifferent expressions, had already surrounded them from every direction.

The Kingdom of Valeria's commander, a man with sinister eyes, stood in the center of the formation surrounded by soldiers, expressionlessly watching the Silverclaw Viscount and his men.

"Murdering your allies—is this the Kingdom of Valeria's idea of honor?" the Silverclaw Viscount demanded.

Blood continued flowing from his wounds.

Looking at the man's expressionless face filled him with a suffocating mixture of humiliation and rage.

The commander calmly glanced at him.

"Silverclaw Viscount, those who intend to betray the Kingdom of Valeria are not considered allies of our kingdom."

"We already know about your plan to make peace with Hornreach and stab the Kingdom of Valeria in the back."

"Hahahahaha!"

The Silverclaw Viscount burst into laughter.

"Weren't you secretly negotiating with them as well? You wanted to hand over the entirety of Silverclaw Territory as compensation. They simply refused your offer."

The commander fell silent for a moment before replying, "And precisely because Hornreach refused, you are even less permitted to betray us."

The Silverclaw Viscount's face darkened.

He made no attempt to accuse the man of arrogance.

There was no point.

Instead, he asked, "What does your king intend?"

"The king believes that Silverclaw Territory has a duty to ensure the safe withdrawal of Valeria's soldiers back to our homeland. As compensation, Silverclaw Viscount, you will be properly settled within the Kingdom of Valeria."

The commander answered as calmly as ever.

The Silverclaw Viscount's expression changed immediately.

"You want the soldiers of Silverclaw Territory to stay behind and block Hornreach's attack?"

"His Majesty the King will be grateful for your contribution, Viscount."

The commander remained utterly composed.

"Heh..."

The Silverclaw Viscount laughed out of sheer fury.

"I will never allow it."

"Viscount, His Majesty asked me to tell you this."

"Silverclaw Territory may be lost, but the Silverclaw Family can be reborn within the Kingdom of Valeria."

"Time holds endless possibilities."

"How can you know that the Silverclaw Family will never return to this land in the future?"

"Perhaps when that day comes, you will no longer be Silverclaw Viscount."

"Perhaps you will be Silverclaw Count."

"Or even Silverclaw Marquis."

His voice carried the seductive allure of a devil whispering temptation into a man's ear.

For a moment, the Silverclaw Viscount fell into hesitation.

He looked at his fallen confidant.

He looked at the bloodied retainers surrounding him.

His gaze grew complicated.

The Valerian forces made no move to attack.

For them, having the Silverclaw Viscount's army remain behind as a rearguard would be ideal.

It would allow the kingdom's main force to withdraw safely without remaining trapped here.

More importantly, they could no longer afford to stay.

Within the Duchy of Silverbrook, other nobles—especially the Silverbrook Grand Duke's forces—had seen them trapped at Frostfang Pass and were steadily closing in from all directions.

If they delayed any longer, they would become the ones trapped.

There was even a real possibility that their entire army would be annihilated.

Losing an army of nearly ten thousand men would be a devastating blow to the Kingdom of Valeria.

Just then—

A sharp whistling sound echoed from outside Frostfang Pass.

The shriek of incoming artillery shells.

The entire fortress trembled violently.

For the first time, the commander of the Kingdom of Valeria showed a change in expression.

The situation appeared to be developing in a way he had not anticipated.