Chapter 307: Dekan's Benevolent Healing Arts |
This hospital was a place that gave demons ample opportunity to demonstrate their abilities.
Unrestricted by power or status, unbound by formality -- so long as one could successfully complete their work objectives, life here was remarkably stable.
It could be called one of the rare safe havens in the Demon Realm.
In wartime, treatment facilities were strategic strongholds, and demon physicians were an exceptionally scarce resource.
Of course, demons who were willing to become doctors --
were either heinously deranged psychopaths, or genuinely uninterested in conflict and slaughter, preferring to conduct their own research.
Dekan was confident his character was the latter type.
Having never played the role of a human doctor before --he was actually somewhat worried about being unable to convincingly portray a demon physician and arousing the other demons' suspicion.
"There's nothing to worry about. Just be yourself."
"Come on now, I'm a pureblooded human. When it actually comes time to treat patients, I'll need your guidance."
Dekan said humbly.
But Shijiang didn't respond.
She was probably still angry.
Though her silence, in and of itself, was as good as confirmation.
Dekan set down the stack of papers from the portfolio.
He had carefully read through everything in the time since.
The pages briefly outlined the essential guidelines Dekan would need to follow at this hospital.
[Physician Work Regulations]
[Standard six-hour shifts. During wartime emergencies, shifts may be extended to eight hours, with pay for hours beyond six calculated at double rate. When shorthanded, shifts may exceed eight hours, with pay for hours beyond eight multiplied by an additional factor of two. Physicians may refuse work beyond the eight-hour mark.]
[Completing work tasks earns Strategic Devil Points. Work failures will result in deductions of massive Strategic Devil Points based on severity of impact.]
[Damaging hospital facilities, or harming medical staff or patients by any means (including the use of manipulative spells or feedback-type items), will result in deductions of enormous Strategic Devil Points.]
[Upon employment, medical staff receive initial Strategic Devil Points based on their professional rank. When Strategic Devil Points reach zero, execution by the 9th Army Group will follow.]
[During wartime, resignation is not permitted. During standard work hours, refusal or deflection of work tasks is forbidden, or execution by the 9th Army Group will follow.]
[Strategic Devil Points may be exchanged for Demon Realm currency, as well as strategic supplies that cannot be purchased with Demon Realm currency during wartime.]
[During wartime, when a vacancy occurs in hospital management and no superior has appointed a replacement, the position will be filled on an emergency basis by selecting the individual with the highest Strategic Devil Points, in descending order.]
[...]
He had to admit -- the Demon Realm treated its medical staff far better than it treated students or prison guards.
So long as one wasn't a fraud and genuinely possessed real skill, demon physicians faced zero danger and earned exceptionally high income.
Also, it seemed like he couldn't use the Heart-Pain Attack scam in this hospital.
Perhaps the Demon Realm authorities had discovered the loophole after he'd exploited it in the Demon Realm prison, and patched all strategic locations with an updated version since.
Dekan pinched the bridge of his nose.
He had a bit of a headache.
The good news was that the hospital was safe. The bad news was that the hospital was too safe.
Aside from dutifully practicing medicine, he seemingly couldn't make any aggressive moves.
So for now, he needed to follow this hospital's rules, diligently complete his work, and investigate leads and intelligence at the same time.
After all, he didn't even know who the demon Delois intended to find was, or where they were.
Fortunately, the hospital's layout wasn't overly complicated. While each floor was immensely spacious, the building wasn't very tall.
The first floor had few restrictions -- ordinary patients were sent there, and minor injuries could be quickly treated and discharged.
The second floor was accessible only when accompanied by internal hospital personnel. The third floor was where senior physicians like Dekan were stationed, and the second and third floors served as the primary treatment areas.
The fourth and fifth floors housed the deputy directors, the director, and other administrative personnel, along with some critical patient wards. Going up there without a reason would arouse suspicion.
The sixth floor was accessible only with direct orders from a superior or permission from the director.
If there was a Great Demon in this hospital, it was either the director or a patient of even higher standing.
To make contact with them under ideal circumstances, Dekan's current position wasn't high enough.
So how was he supposed to climb the ranks without being able to freely use force?
Just as Dekan was mulling this over --
"Doctor! You just got here and you're already slacking off?! Do you have any idea how swamped we are?!"
Without a knock, someone flung open Dekan's office door.
A silver-haired young succubus nurse shoved the door open, her face a mixture of exhaustion and irritation as she shouted at Dekan.
She didn't look very old -- about the age of someone who had just graduated from a demon academy and entered the workforce.
Though her race was technically succubus --the unkempt tips of her hair were sticking up in several places, and the deep dark circles under her eyes gave her the unmistakable look of a corporate slave.
She lacked even a fraction of the glamorous, captivating aura Dekan had seen from the succubus in his previous Shadow World.
This generation of demon students really wasn't up to par.
"Ahem."
Then again, Dekan wasn't actually a succubus himself -- he had no right to evaluate other demons like some kind of instructor.
This little nurse was probably his assigned guide.
Because she was holding a brand-new demon bracelet in her hand, apparently meant to deliver it to Dekan.
But she seemed to be in a tremendous rush. She simply placed the demon bracelet on Dekan's desk and turned to leave without hesitation.
"My apologies."
Dekan said with a gentle smile.
With the Demon Realm's wartime situation growing tense, specialist physicians like him were no doubt in critically short supply.
Since he couldn't freely use force, he might as well play the part of a normal person.
Finding the target demon would require a fair amount of intelligence gathering.
Starting with the task that had just landed in front of him was surely the right move.
"Hurry up and follow me to the operating room! A high-ranking military officer was just brought in -- it's an emergency!"
The little succubus nurse said without looking back, and within moments she had already walked out of the office.
Dekan frowned at her words, but quickly put on the demon bracelet, stood up, and headed toward the office door.
As a senior physician and department head, Dekan's initial allotment was 300 Strategic Devil Points.
But if a medical accident involving a high-ranking officer occurred, the deduction could easily exceed a thousand.
Although Dekan had taken a semester of basic medical studies as an elective at Heavenlit Academy, and he did have a natural aptitude for the field --it took years to become a competent physician, plus long-term hands-on experience.
Besides, Dekan had studied treating humans. Treating demons was something he had absolutely no idea where to even begin.
However --
since this was a Demon Realm scenario --
Dekan was fearless.
A demon exam that no human could answer? A Demon King's Mausoleum that sealed away human powers?
With his invincible Shijiang, these problems that no human could solve were handled with ease!
"Shijiang, I'm really going to need your help on this one."
Dekan pleaded with utmost sincerity through their mental link.
"No."
Shijiang still seemed to be angry.
"Come on, don't joke around, Shijiang. I'll admit I was wrong -- I'm not remotely qualified for this chief physician role. When it comes time to actually work, it's all on you."
Dekan continued apologizing.
Based on his experience, apologizing to this degree usually got Shijiang to forgive him.
"I don't really know how either..."
Shijiang finally confessed, as though coming clean.
"?? You've gotta be kidding me, Shijiang!"
"I really don't. Even if I did once, I can't remember anymore..."
Shijiang didn't seem to be messing with Dekan at all.
"I thought you were just being stubborn this whole time!"
Dekan, who had been as calm and composed as a seasoned veteran, instantly panicked.
He had genuinely believed Shijiang knew Demon Realm medicine!
This Shadow World made no sense.
Even if Delois was a skilled physician --
Dekan's life experience couldn't begin to compare with that of a demon who had lived for who-knows-how-many decades.
Having Dekan perform surgery on a demon with his own hands?
300 Strategic Devil Points wouldn't even cover the deductions!
He'd be mobbed and killed by the 9th Army Group in no time -- instant game over!
Dekan walked out of his office with a knot of anxiety in his stomach.
He couldn't think of a single way to get through this hellish opening.
And then -- his uneasy expression happened to catch the eye of the little nurse waiting outside.
"Sigh."
The little nurse let out a disappointed sigh, not bothering to be polite about it.
It seemed this new doctor was no good either -- he'd probably be executed before long.
After all, this was a hospital built on absolute meritocracy. Comfort was contingent on possessing genuine skill.
Any hack who tried to coast would be exposed at the speed of light, and then pay the price for their incompetence.
Dekan was mildly annoyed by the little nurse's attitude.
But there was nothing he could do.
Even if he knew everything under the sun, medicine was one thing he simply didn't have. Not knowing meant not knowing.
Especially performing surgery on demons right off the bat -- as a surgeon, no less.
Was he just going to have to wing it and pray for the best?
"Shijiang, based on my abysmal level of medical knowledge, what do you think the odds are that I'll successfully treat this high-ranking demon officer on my first time at the operating table?"
"Start thinking about how to deal with the 9th Army Group's death squad."
Master and disciple wounded each other through their mental link.
Dekan walked out of his office and couldn't help but turn back for one last look.
Every glance might be his last...
He had originally been rather satisfied with it -- he'd nearly started treating it like the study in his own home...
But then --
Dekan noticed the nameplate on the wall: [Anesthesiology Department Chief Physician's Office].
Dekan: "?"
Shijiang: "?"
The Dekan who had been skulking toward the operating room with a guilty conscience --
had in the blink of an eye ignited a blazing inferno of confidence in his chest!!
It was as if he'd discovered his true calling and his place in society!
When it came to anesthesiology --if Dekan called himself second, nobody in the present world would dare claim first!
Without question, he was the expert among experts.
It didn't matter whether the patient was human, demon, or beast -- the underlying principles of Dekan's anesthesia were all the same!
In an instant, Dekan's entire aura transformed.
Where he had looked like a nervous rookie doctor about to face his first case --he now looked like, at the very least, a world-renowned medical authority.
Not only brimming with vigor, but practically generating a breeze with every step, and his lips were already curled into a smile oozing one hundred percent confidence!
"Huh?"
The little nurse noticed Dekan's transformation and couldn't help but scratch her head, her hair sticking up even more than before.
What was with this new doctor?
How did he suddenly look so... hardcore?
In fact...
so hardcore that she was starting to get a bad feeling about this...
...
The corridors of the Demon Realm hospital had a certain flair to them.
The classic architecture struck a balance between the ominous and the elegant.
Before they had walked far down the hallway, Dekan was led into the operating room.
The patient's operating room was on the same third floor as his office.
Since this era lacked Pain Shielding magic, and demons couldn't withstand most holy-attribute healing spells --
certain demons without self-healing mechanisms still required specialized surgery after sustaining severe injuries. They might endure tremendous pain during the procedure, and powerful demons could thrash violently enough to seriously impede the surgery or even injure the doctors, making absolutely reliable anesthesia essential.
Dekan checked the time.
The surgery would begin in five minutes. Before the surgeon started operating, Dekan had to complete his anesthesia work.
On the operating table lay a demon officer whose face was weathered with age, his whiskers gone white, eyes shut tight, groaning in muffled agony.
At the same time, a notification came through the demon bracelet.
[Successfully complete the anesthesia: Reward of 100 Strategic Devil Points]
[Anesthesia failure resulting in surgical failure or patient death: Deduction of 1000 Devil Points]
[Assistant: Nurse Eve. She will share 5% of the reward or bear 5% of the penalty]
Dekan cocked his head, rubbing his chin as he studied the critically wounded old demon for a long while, seemingly pondering how best to anesthetize him.
"Doctor, is it that difficult?"
The little nurse asked.
She had no idea what level this new doctor was actually at.
From the look of things, he seemed deeply conflicted.
After all, this demon officer was already quite elderly. The slightest mishap in anesthesia could pose a life-threatening risk, causing him to slip straight into death.
And if the anesthesia wasn't deep enough, given the demon officer's seventh-rank strength, he could easily lash out during surgery and injure the doctor, leading to surgical failure.
This was a challenge of extreme difficulty, even for an anesthesia specialist.
The precision and dosage of the anesthetic technique had to be absolutely flawless!
If it failed, the little nurse, as the assisting participant, would also shoulder a portion of the blame.
While it wouldn't be enough to drive her points to zero and trigger execution, every one of her Devil Points had been painstakingly earned. She could only hope this doctor was actually competent.
"He's so old already... maybe it'd be more merciful for him if we just cracked him over the skull instead..."
Dekan's expression seemed tinged with reluctance, as though he truly couldn't bring himself to do something so harsh, muttering to himself with a look of deep pity.
The little nurse: "???"
What is going through this doctor's head?!
While the little nurse's mind erupted in silent fury --
Dekan finally seemed to have made up his mind, settling on his approach.
He pressed his palms together and silently intoned: "O Goddess, please forgive me for my sins."
"What are you doing?"
The little nurse asked, not understanding.
"We professionals always say a prayer for the dea-- I mean, the patient before we begin."
And with that, Dekan had finally figured out exactly how to deal with his enemies in this hospital where attacking patients and medical staff was forbidden.
Once they landed on his operating table, in the hands of anesthesiologist Dekan -- their fate was in the hands of the heavens.
The little nurse: "???"
Did this guy almost let something slip just now?
Though the little nurse still couldn't confirm the new doctor's professional competence, she now knew with absolute certainty that he was the worst kind of demon!!
Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to run.
He might only be fifth-rank, and technically just a desk worker.
But this kind of demon, clearly unhinged to some degree, was one you needed to stay as far away from as possible!
That was one of the secrets that had helped her graduate from the demon academy alive.
"Are you strong?"
Dekan suddenly fixed his gaze on her.
She flinched.
"I'm only fifth-rank... and I'm not really built for head-on combat..."
The little nurse snapped back to her senses and hurriedly replied.
Dekan nodded.
Given the inherent racial traits of demons, she would be far stronger than a fifth-rank human like him with an E in Strength, no matter what.
Her strength should be just right.
Dekan then turned and rummaged through a nearby cabinet, but apparently couldn't find the tool he wanted.
"Do you need any reagents?"
The little nurse asked.
After all, this doctor was extremely odd. He hadn't even brought any kind of toolkit with reagents when he came to perform the anesthesia.
"Go borrow me a sturdy hammer."
Dekan instructed.
"A hammer? Are you sure you don't want a scalpel or hemostatic forceps or something?"
The little nurse asked in disbelief.
"Have you got no common sense?! Why would an anesthesiologist need a scalpel?!"
Dekan snapped at her impatiently, as though questioning the logic of her very existence.
"???"
The little nurse wanted to retort, but the words caught in her throat.
For the first time in her life, she felt her intelligence being ground into the floor.
But since she had already begun to fear him, the little nurse chose to comply immediately. Looking hurt and aggrieved, she scurried out to find a hammer.