Once again, I concentrated, conjuring my magic in my hands. As before, all the corrosion drained out of me, but this time I had to make an effort to purify it. It wasn't just this putrid element that was taking over; on a whim, I decided to purify everything, at least so that it would be clean enough for living beings to consume it peacefully.

  Blub, blub, blub...

  As I did so, the water began to bubble, but it didn't even get warm. A small whirlpool formed as I purified and treated it at the same time. Little by little, I saw the water getting clearer and clearer. However, I realized that my surroundings remained extremely dark. Perhaps my vision was adapting to the pce in some way.

  When Syphus was in front of me, I could only see him by his striking presence; he almost glowed at me. Now, everything in this pce seemed clear, even with the darkness that surrounded it.

  Flish!

  I paused for a few minutes as I carried out the process, but finally everything was ready. Now I could see all the way to the bottom of the spring and down to my feet. Despite the crity, I still couldn't see my reflection. Perhaps it was the ck of light. I was still curious about my appearance and hoped to be able to see myself, at least after I had done this...

  Those crystals... Who knows, if I do, I might be able to see something. From what I remember, their appearance was simir to diamonds. That time, my healing wasn't as strong, but maybe it's different now.

  Dragging myself through the spring, I finally reached the surface. The thermal sensation changed rapidly. The purified water was cold, but even pleasant.

  Out of curiosity, I decided to taste the water once more.

  Sluup!

  Incredible! It looked like it had been taken straight from a fridge, but it was very different from bottled water. I'd say it was less industrialized, with no chemicals used to treat it. Even though I didn't feel very thirsty, I made sure to hydrate myself a little, just in case.

  I lost myself in thought for a moment, but soon regained my focus and headed towards the crystal to purify it. I was already getting used to my new power. When I touched it again, all the corrosion was absorbed by my hands. Without realizing it, even the ground around it had been purified. The crystal was now in its original form.

  It was even more transparent and shiny than before. Now I could take a clear look at it and...

  - Wow! Is that... my face?

  The color of my skin didn't seem to have changed, it still reminded me a lot of my previous face, but now it was much thinner. The dark circles and crow's feet had completely disappeared, but instead the skin was fkier. It didn't look deformed, but it was clearly visible. My eyes, unlike Syphus', were more yellowish, and the light from the crystal made them shine brightly.

  Although I hadn't changed that much, it did bring me some relief. I could have looked scarier without realizing it, but those scales, although noticeable in some areas, weren't a problem. What really caught my eye were my horns, now very evident. They were heavy, but they didn't put any pressure on my head. I just hoped that no one saw me as a threat.

  As I already knew, my hair was much longer, covering almost the entire length of my back. This style never really suited me before, but now it seemed appropriate to leave it like this. The rest of my body was covered in scales, but in order not to be completely naked, I felt strangely comfortable with my shape. My breasts remained the same, perhaps I should thank Syphus for that... if he can still hear me.

  But it was time to stop admiring myself. There was still work to be done.

  Now that Syphus is gone, I think I should at least clean up the mess he left behind. Maybe it's just an old habit. When a colleague of mine left the office messy, I cleaned it up to avoid unnecessary lectures from the manager. Even though he knew that I did most of the work, I didn't want the environment to become disorganized, demotivating everyone.

  But even so, a good clean would be welcome... Come on, May... Satouma? I still have to get used to that name. Now, you've got a big job to do...

  Arf!

  It took a long time, maybe a few hours, but I finally did it... I purified the whole cave... or almost.

  The stactites wouldn't be a problem, as the corrosion hadn't reached them yet. Even if it had, I wouldn't be able to reach them, since I can't fly. However, the ground was completely cleared. The predominant vegetation, those herbs with healing properties, was once again purified. Even the air in the pce became more pleasant, as if the cave was finally breathing freely.

  The soil was impeccable, as were the crystals, which had also been completely purified-no dirt, no corrosion. Everything looked perfect.

  But deep down, it was still like sweeping a carpet. No matter how superficially clean it was, the dust would still remain. Even though I had purified everything around me, the corrosion couldn't be completely absorbed. Not even my powers of purification, no matter how strong, could deal with it. The corrosion of Syphus is deep, relentless.

  Even so, I believe that it will now take longer for it to overwhelm everything. And until then, I think I can handle purifying it completely. It's not as if I'm going to stay here forever, but... I can't leave someone else's pce dirty. Or so the saying goes.

  But thanks to this cleaning habit, I've managed to hone my healing magic!

  As I purified, I felt tired after the first hour, but as if my powers had a mind of their own, the exhaustion quickly dissipated. Physically and mentally, I recovered effortlessly.

  Now, physical and mental exhaustion never again.

  But it only seems to happen when I'm under some kind of stress. After all, I had just slept, and if this power was constant, it could end up bordering on insanity - not that I couldn't live without sleep, but everyone needs to rest in some way.

  Despite this, it was a nice surprise to see my powers grow so concretely. Still, I wonder: as a [Healer], is this really my true potential?

  At least I managed to purify this whole cave. Maybe I can be useful in a simir way outside, if necessary. These herbs, for example, might have some value.

  Vaku