"Welcome, welcome!" Chen Fan said with a grin to the man sitting before him. He guided the man to a seat, his expression leaning toward the distinctly sleazy.
After a meticulous inspection of the man's injury, Chen Fan spoke with a flair for the dramatic. "Hmm, let's see... Wow, this wound is incredibly deep. It might actually interfere with your ability to cast magic in the future."
Suddenly, his face shifted into a mask of grave seriousness, his voice dropping into a fear-mongering tone. "Worse still, it could stunt your future mana progression. After all, the body is the conduit for magic. Without a sturdy physical vessel, how can you expect to support such a... wretched soul?"
Realizing he had slipped up, he cleared his throat and corrected himself. "Ahem, I mean... without a strong physique, one cannot support powerful magic."
But the man didn't catch the slip. His mind was entirely fixated on the words 'stunt progression.' He looked dazed and lost, failing to hear anything Chen Fan said afterward.
"Then, Chen Fan..." the man began, only to be cut off by Chen Fan's raised hand.
"Do not call me Chen Fan. While I am treating patients, you shall address me as 'Doctor.'"
"Then, Doctor, can this wound truly be healed?" the man asked nervously. He stared at Chen Fan, terrified that he might hear the word 'no.'
"It is no problem at all. A minor matter," Chen Fan said magnanimously. "Considering today is my grand opening, I'll only charge you 10 Jewels."
"Ten gold? That's incredibly cheap!" The man was nearly jumping for joy at the prospect of being cured for such a low price.
"Don't celebrate just yet," Chen Fan sighed. "Lately, have you felt that your mana progression has been slowing down?"
That somber tone brought the man crashing back to reality. "Yes," he replied, nodding. It was a redundant question mana was never easy to increase.
Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and rested his hand on his forehead as if suffering from a massive headache. The man's heart pounded so loudly it could practically be heard in the quiet room.
After about a minute, Chen Fan opened his eyes. "Based on my years of medical experience, you have 'Cancer'!"
"What is 'Cancer'?" the man asked, trembling at the severity of the word.
"Cancer is a persistent ailment. It lurks within the body, showing no symptoms under normal circumstances, but it strikes at the most critical moments. Your 'Cancer' likely stems from long-term injuries that never received proper systematic treatment.
It causes muscle necrosis, destroys bodily functions, and leads to a decline in coordination... In severe cases, it can even lead to the loss of sexual function."
Chen Fan rattled off a string of professional-sounding jargon that left the man's head spinning in confusion.
"What do I have to do?" Seeing the man on the verge of tears, Chen Fan knew the bait was taken. It was time to pull in the net.
"Do not worry. I can heal you," Chen Fan said, his face radiating the glow of self-sacrifice. "However, a procedure of this magnitude will consume a portion of my own life force. Sigh... I suppose I must sacrifice myself for the sake of others."
Deeply moved, the man reached into his pockets. In a daze of gratitude, he handed over 100,000 Jewels and stumbled out of the room, his heart racing with emotion.
Of course, Chen Fan had already used his ability to knit the physical wounds shut. No matter how black his heart was, he always made sure the job was actually done.
As soon as the man emerged, a crowd swarmed him with questions. Most were just onlookers, but some were genuinely curious to see if Chen Fan's medical skills were the real deal.
The man spared no praise, telling everyone how brilliant the Doctor was and how cheap his fees were. He only had good things to say.
Inside, Chen Fan's voice rang out, "Next!"
A mob rushed toward the door, their expressions almost feral. After a struggle to calm everyone down, Chen Fan accelerated his pace. He didn't need the elaborate theatrics anymore; his brand was established.
To every person who walked in, he asked the same question: "Do you want the big one or the small one?"
Since everyone outside now understood what he meant, they all emphatically declared they wanted the "big" treatment. Before long, Chen Fan found himself exhausted. Perhaps his earlier words were true his current physique really couldn't support his wretched soul. Or rather, his "pure" soul.
Though he was tired, the work had its benefits. He could feel his consciousness fusing more deeply with this body. Soon, he would be able to start the brain development process.
The human brain was a complex thing. A single mistake could lead to unimaginable consequences. He didn't want to end up as the "cautionary tale" he had described to Makarov.
Hurriedly, like an unlicensed medicine peddler spotting the police, Chen Fan packed up his stall. He raised a hand and shouted, "That's it for today! I'll continue tomorrow. I'm out of mana!"
"No way! You treated them, but it was almost our turn! You can't just leave!" A group of people blocked his path, looking like officers ready to drag him to the station. Chen Fan felt a wave of helplessness.
Suddenly, a voice shouted from the entrance: "Erza is back!"
Shua!
Shua!
Shua!
Every member of the guild instantly teleported back to their seats, looking as though they had been having a pleasant, peaceful chat all along. Chen Fan was stunned by the sight. Well, almost everyone complied one person let out a disdainful "Hmph."
Chen Fan looked over and saw Mira. He remembered from the manga that those two never got along as kids; both were the haughty, stubborn types.
He decided not to leave just yet. He had wanted to see Erza since joining Fairy Tail, but his timing had been poor she was always out on missions. Now, he finally had a chance to see the Titania herself.
Standing by the guild entrance, Chen Fan watched as a literal mountain of luggage slowly moved toward Fairy Tail. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. He hadn't realized Erza had developed that particular hobby even at this age.
Erza entered the guild, nodding in satisfaction at the "harmonious" scene before her.
Then she spotted Chen Fan. Given his eye-catching attire, he was impossible to miss. "And who might this be?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Natsu and Gray suddenly popped out of nowhere, their arms around each other's shoulders like the best of friends. Natsu spoke first. "This is Chen Fan. He's our newest member. The Master brought him back. His magic is the Healing Magic type."
Gray nodded beside him. "And his body is super weak. A light touch and he'll probably break."
Chen Fan glared at them. What did they mean by "light touch"? It was a heavy collision! He gave Natsu and Gray a look of utter contempt. How could men act so timidly in front of a woman? They were a disgrace to the gender.
Erza extended a hand toward him. "Hello. My name is Erza Scarlet. I use Requip."
Chen Fan's inner monologue screamed: A hand! It's a girl's hand! Having spent his entire previous life without so much as touching a girl's hand, he was reaching his limit.
He had enjoyed being a doctor precisely because of the potential... perks, so to speak. But to his disappointment, every person injured today had been a man which was exactly why he had extorted so much money from them.
His expression instantly became sleazy, making Natsu and Gray look like they wanted to gag. He vigorously rubbed his right hand against his clothes before reaching out for a friendly, intimate greeting with Erza.
But right then, Erza continued, "Your magic is powerful. Having you here means our members' safety is guaranteed." She skipped the handshake and instead gave him a firm, encouraging pat on the shoulder.
Chen Fan's hand remained frozen in mid-air, twitching awkwardly. His sleazy grin vanished, replaced by a flush of total embarrassment. His face turned bright red before he even had a chance to use his powers to suppress it.
Natsu and Gray burst into fits of laughter. Since Chen Fan had arrived, they had been the ones constantly losing out. They couldn't fight him, and they couldn't even touch him. Seeing him humiliated was the highlight of their week. The rest of the guild joined in the raucous laughter.
They had all watched Natsu and Gray suffer in silence over the past few days, so this was sweet revenge for everyone.
"You guys just wait! Waaah..." Chen Fan shouted with mock indignation before covering his face and running toward the back of the guild. The laughter only grew louder.
Only Erza stood there with a look of utter confusion, completely unable to make heads or tails of what had just happened.
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