Water Magician

Chapter 147: Arm…

Extra chapter thanks to Thaddeus! Enjoy~

“Let’s tone it down a little.”

Ryo said needlessly.

Leonor’s head was cut off.

He had his left hand cut off.

The area between the elbow and wrist, in other words, his forearm, was cut cleanly.

For the time being, he froze the cut surface to stop the bleeding and protect it.

And froze the entire left hand that was cut off as well.

After doing so, he was able to think calmly.

However, calming down also meant recognizing the current situation.

As expected, having his arm cut off hurt.

Not in the sense that it was painful … of course, it hurt, but the ‘pain’ was more in the sense that it would restrict various kinds of actions that he would want to do.

In the first place, he won’t be able to swing his sword satisfactorily.

The ‘Japanese sword’ Murasame was the shape of a two-handed sword after all.

Although it may be used with one hand in fairly special sword techniques or quick drawing the blade, Japanese swords were basically designed to be handled with both hands.

It was very difficult to handle with one hand.

At the training center where Ryo was learning kendo, there was a senior who wielded a sword with only one left hand.

That was because he lost his right arm from the elbow down when he was young.

After considerable training, the senior became comparable to the other swordsmen who use both hands, but it was still not easy to handle with one hand.

Moreover, Japanese swords were even more difficult to handle than bamboo swords … he was not Tange Sazen.

If there was a priest of Rihya’s ability there, it would be another story.

That was because the secret technique that high-ranking priests could use was magic capable of repairing missing body parts.

But there wasn’t any priest there.

And considering how far they were from the Royal Capital and other big cities, it was not a realistic idea.

Regeneration of a body part could only be done successfully within 24 hours.

Ryo made several potions in the Royal Capital with Baron Kenneth Hayward, a genius alchemist.

However, even the genius alchemist Kenneth could not create a potion that could regenerate lost limbs.

It showed how the magic of Priests, especially their <Extra Heal> that even regenerates missing limbs, was extraordinary.

“Rejoining the amputated arm …”

He tried saying it out loud but only felt despair.

While Ryo was thinking, Leonor’s torso portion that had collapsed a while ago rose.

“…”

Ryo just looked at the scene in a daze.

Leonor’s torso, which got up, walked and picked up her head.

Then placed it on her neck.

“Eh? It isn’t attaching.”

Leonor’s head finally spoke.

“Ah … Ryo’s sword is the Fairy King’s sword. This is awkward. I can’t repair myself immediately like this.”

“You’re alive? Isn’t that enough?”

Ryo managed to somewhat reply to Leonor’s words.

“Hmm. Well, if I return, I can do something about this. Well, this time Ryo won.”

“No … I had my arm cut off.”

“But my head was cut off? Normally, no matter who looks at this outcome, it’s my loss?”

“But you’re not dead … and I have to worry about my arm.”

“That’s … I mean, it’s a racial characteristic, so there’s nothing I can do about it. Oh, that’s right, I have to take that Darkness-Attribute man there.”

Leonor, holding her neck under her left armpit, lifted the old man with white hair with her right hand.

“Let’s meet again, Ryo. I’ll win next time! It was fun.”

Then, with a big laugh, Leonor disappeared into the 『Gate』.

Abel approached.

“Ryo, are you okay … I guess not.”

“Yeah, I’m not okay.”

Looking at Ryo’s left arm, Abel also frowned.

“Abel, let’s go outside for the time being.”

Ryo grabbed his left hand with his right hand and went outside.

While outside, Ryo began to think about the process of rejoining his arm.

Although he felt only despair, there was practically no other solution.

(The connecting parts are bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and skin. The most difficult of these are nerves and blood vessels … I think. Normally, microsurgery would be needed … since there are even tiny blood vessels. Of course, I have never done it before … I would have to give up if this was Earth, but 『Phi』 has magic. And, fortunately, I’m a Water-Attribute Magician.)

He went outside and sat on a bench-like seat for the time being.

“Ryo … the Extra Heal of a high-ranking priest could repair the missing limb but …”

Abel trailed off with a sad look.

He knew that they could not reach a place with high-ranking priests within the time limit.

“Yes, I know. I don’t have enough time. So I’ll try to connect it myself.”

“Y-you can?”

Abel had seen Ryo’s many astonishing magic in the past.

Maybe he had magic that could treat amputation of the arm?

“I may not be able to do it. Of course, I have never done it before either.”

“Oh … I-I see.”

Abel felt depressed.

“But I have an idea so I’d like Abel to help me a little.”

“Of course! Ask anything!”

Abel said that and rushed toward Ryo.

Ryo took out a potion from his usual bag.

“This is the finest potion Kenneth has made. Of course, this doesn’t cure the loss of a limb but it has a lot of restorative power. I will do all sorts of things with Water-Attribute Magic until this potion can display its power. When I say so, I want you to pour half of this on the place I say.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Abel received the potion.

“Let’s get started.”

Ryo said, holding the ice-encased left hand with his right hand and thawing the ice.

Of course, the thawed left hand was not wet because it was magical ice.

All hail magic.

Thawing the cut end of the left arm, he attached the slashed left hand to the place where it was originally.

“Guha.”

His voice leaked involuntarily due to the excessive pain.

That was normal because his nerves were exposed and no anesthesia was used.

For now, he didn’t know anything about materials that affect neurotransmitters, so he’ll just do his best.

Yes, by gritting his teeth!

First, connect the bones.

As expected, when it comes to a sword like Leonor’s, even the bone was cut cleanly.

“It’s extremely difficult to cut a bone. As expected of Leonor.”

Ryo was impressed by strange things. But, he couldn’t waste time escaping from reality.

The cut surface was clean and easy to connect, and the angle was easy to understand, which was good for later.

Placing the bones of the left arm and the left hand together, he covered the cut surface with an ice film and fixed it so that it does not move.

Being a Water-Attribute Magician, he was grateful that he could grasp the condition more accurately than he could see, through the water in his body. Ryo thought to himself.

Next was muscle, but to be honest, there was nothing he could do about it.

Of course, it was not possible to connect each muscle fiber one by one, and he could only hope that they would stick together.

He’ll leave it to the potion later …

The first barrier, the nerve connections.

There were many nerves in his arm.

Of course, they were all important nerves.

If something goes wrong at this point, he might lose motion in his fingers so he had to be careful …

Originally, nerve sutures or a nerve regeneration induction tube would be needed for nerve connections, but …

Of course, there was no suturing technique and there was no nerve regeneration induction tube either.

In any case, he brought the nerves of the arm and the nerves of the hand into contact with each other and fixed them by surrounding them with ice films.

He could only leave it to the potion later.

For now, he not only had to make sure that the split nerves stuck to each other, but he also had to ensure that the correct ones connected … the outcome would be terrible if he connected different nerves.

His arm and hand were in the correct position because he completely stuck the bones together.

There was no doubt that each nerve connection was near each other, so he won’t make a mistake if he chose nerves of the same thickness.

There was when Water-Attribute Magic demonstrated its worth.

If it’s in the body, it’s as good as in water.

Ryo could recognize the thickness in micron units, so it seemed that there would be no mistakes in connecting the nerves.

The last barrier, joining blood vessels.

If this was Earth, advanced anastomosis would be required.

Moreover, it was a terrifyingly tenacious task.

Dozens of blood vessels had to be connected one by one using needles and threads.

Only after perfect anastomosis was pioneered by Alexis Carrel, blood vessels could be connected without blood leaking out.

However, this was 『Phi』.

The blood vessels were joined with ice, not with needles and threads.

Sticking an ice film on the inner and outer walls of the connected blood vessels.

Since blood passes through the inside of the inner wall, it did not leak out of the blood vessel.

Compared to surgery on Earth, it was a lot faster and not difficult … if you’re a Ryo-class Water-Attribute Magician!

In that way, bones, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels were connected … by ice.

“Abel, it’s your turn.”

“Oh … but your skin isn’t sealed yet?”

“Pour the potion into the open skin little by little. I will rotate my arm slowly, so please pour it all around my arm. The inside is immobilized by ice so the potion can penetrate through.”

“I wasn’t sure which part is okay but leave it to me.”

Abel then removed the potion’s lid and prepared to pour.

“Then, here I go.”

When Ryo said so, he grasped the tip of his left hand with his right hand and slowly rotated his entire left arm.

Abel poured the potion accordingly.

The poured potion shined in his arm.

It was a fantastic sight.

They repeated it about four times and observed for a while.

Somehow, Ryo felt various things connecting in his arm.

After waiting for a while, he didn’t feel them connecting anymore.

Then, gently, really gently, he tried moving his finger.

“My fingers … move …”

“Oh!”

Ryo whispered and Abel was exceedingly pleased.

All five fingers were moving properly.

His wrist didn’t seem to have a problem either.

“Then, close the skin.”

An incision was made on the skin designed to allow the potion to enter the arm and Abel poured the remaining potion onto it.

Light was emitted once again and then disappeared.

Ryo’s arm was back.

“That’s a relief……”

Ryo was relieved from the bottom of his heart.

Abel could not speak and congratulated Ryo by hitting his shoulder many times.