The dog whimpered as Austin's hand approached. He could see the fracture clearly—a jagged break in the femur.
"It's okay, buddy," Austin whispered. As his fingers touched the fur, a warm golden light flowed from his palm.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: HEALING IN PROGRESS...]
[ENERGY EXPENDED: 5 SP]
To his amazement, the bone snapped back into place under the skin. The dog blinked, stood up, licked Austin's hand, and then bounded away into the night as if it had never been hurt.
[TASK COMPLETE: HEAL A LIVING BEING.]
[REWARD GRANTED: 1x GOLDEN NEEDLE (LEVEL 1), 50 EXP, ₦50,000 (SIGN-ON BONUS)]
Suddenly, Austin's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a bank alert: Credit: ₦50,000.00. Ref: SYSTEM_REWARD.
His jaw dropped. "It's real... the money is real!"
Before he could celebrate, a black SUV screeched to a halt nearby. A panicked driver jumped out. "Help! Is anyone here a doctor? My boss... he's stopped breathing!"
Austin looked at the car. Through the tinted glass, the System highlighted a man in a expensive suit. His heart was glowing with a dangerous, pulsing red light.
[NEW MISSION: SAVE THE BILLIONAIRE. REWARD: UNKNOWN.]
Austin didn't hesitate. He ran toward the car. He wasn't just a discarded apprentice anymore. He was a Medic.