Maple High School Academy Year 1
The Dragon in Gingko Forest - What It Takes to Be a Doctor

What It Takes to Be a Doctor

ONE MORE MINUTE here and I'm gonna puke!

Shal felt a liquid crawl up slowly into his esophagus. Even a smile as bright and as warm as the sun belonged to Mr. Samael could not help him understand the material during the day. The series of rune letters that were on the screen had managed to get his head on the foot!

Tea mou!

Shal screamed again in his heart as he felt his head already rolling on the floor. Even so, there was a bit of pride in successfully condemning the use of Greek! How cool is that! Shal felt cool himself even though he knew there would be no grumbling in the later Mythology tests.

There was the sound of the bells the most anticipated sign of rest Shal looked forward to every Monday.

“Our classes are enough to get here. Don't forget to read your book for class next Sunday!”

“What page, Sir?” ask a rune student named Lily James.

“Count the number of doors in Maple Academy!” The bearded Rune Master responded to Lili's question while leaving the classroom. Some disciples grumbled softly as they had to solve the puzzle again. Shal doesn't care about the riddle. So Mr. Samael was no longer seen at the door, Shal immediately ran to the toilet.

 “Cured just like that?” Valfred of the Werewolf race was again amazed by Shal's abilities.

“Once out of class, my headache is gone, my stomach is light, and I feel like I've just been born!” Shal ate his lunch voraciously.

Valfred could only inhale the peppermint scent from the oil bottle while staring at Shal nanar. His head was still throbbing and he had no appetite at all. The two disciples had some things in common, including feeling the headache and nausea of each rune class. At the beginning of the school year, both of them vomited on the toilet after class. However, as time went on and Shal's self-healing abilities increased, Shal slowly got better at controlling his headaches and stomach pains.

“Hopefully next year my abilities will increase. I hope I can master not just self-healing, but on-the-threat-healing.”

Valfred frowned because he did not understand the term Shal said.

“So my body is still injured and feeling pain. After that, my body will work to heal wounds and eliminate pain by itself. I hope, in next year's Rune class, when I see those letters, I don't even feel a headache at all. As soon as ‘ancaman’ appeared, my body instantly healed and prevented the pain! That is on-the-reat-healing!” clear Shal with sparkling eyes.

“Seriously you want such capabilities?” Amara, the cleverest Elf of the world, as soon as Valfred and Shal both praised and mocked her, spoke up.

“Is it a problem?”

Shal was rather cautious with Amara's prediction ability. Shal just made up about on-the-threat-healing. However, is it possible that this ability could really be achieved in the future? Is that not a good thing?

Shal and Valfred threw eyes at each other. When it comes to wisdom, who can match Amara? He likes to talk like an old man.

“Better now we get to class!” take Valfred to Amara and Shal. He tries to divert the conversation from Amara's unfathomable wisdom. The two female students agreed. They left the dining room.

“To be honest, I just want a simple life. Study, so doctor, cure the sick. As simple as that! Why should I learn rune letters and the importance of preserving chupacabras as well?” Shal groaned as soon as they almost reached the classroom where the Artifacts and Ekofak class were waiting.

“Your life will never be simple when it passes through the portal.” Amara responded to Shal's complaint. Although Amara said it without the slightest empathy, Shal still nodded in agreement. He knew very well, life was never simple, passing through the portal or not.

In the human world, Shal lives with his mother and his sister Shamuel. They're poor families. Shal's father died a long time ago and his mother only sold traditional cakes. In recent years his mother has been in debt with a large amount.  Eventually, Shal and Sham helped sell soy milk online. Shal also works part-time at the private library of Madam Hee, an analog book collector. Although Shal is a determined and clever boy at school, it will not be enough to realize his dream of becoming a doctor.

Indeed, from a small Shal always moved to see the sick and always had the desire to heal them. The impulse began to appear when he saw his father was sick until he died. As time goes by, Shal realizes that he has the ability to heal himself.

Shal once accidentally sliced his finger with a knife, but the wound simply disappeared after he licked it. The worst, Shal was hit by a motorbike and dragged more than 2 meters above the hot asphalt. He felt for himself how the pain of the skin that was peeled off due to the asphalt rubbing. Arriving at the hospital, the nurse only found a slight slight scratch on his body. At first, Shal thought he was just hallucinating. However, Shal eventually realizes he does have a special self-healing ability.

Shal has been a student at Maple Academy for almost a year now. It was truly a blessing that he was very grateful for. There, Shal not only learned to develop his self-healing abilities, but also had the opportunity to study Potions, Pharmacy, Herbology, Virology, even Alchemists who he believed could help save many people. Although the headaches and drowsiness experienced were real while in the Rune and Artifact class, Shal still felt proud and happy to attend Maple Academy.

Shal's daydream breaks once he sees a group of technicians leaving one of the mirrors in the Announcement Corridor. Shal and his two friends immediately approached the mirror. A fairy waved the Autumn Festival flag from inside the mirror and was like taking them inside. When the three of them entered through the mirror, in an instant they were already in the middle of the crowd.

The fairy now flew around them and explained the full information about the Autumn Festival held in Autumnland. The fairy also said there will be a variety of art performances there. Although everything Shal saw and heard was an illusion, including the fairy who had been flying back and forth, everything seemed completely real! Shal was even amazed to see Lynean Iziah, a talented young artist from the Winter Kingdom, dancing right in front of him. It was as if Lynean was indeed in front of him at this moment and Shal could touch his crystal-clear face.

Shal is known to Lynean because he is the son of Uncle Eero, the man who managed to get his mother to allow Shal to attend Maple Academy and took the initiative to become his sponsor during his stay on Maple Island.

A smile was etched on Shal's face. He remembered a few lines from the last letter that Uncle Eero had written for him.

“The family plans to spend some time on Maple Island after the Autumn Festival. At that time we could meet and tell more. Callia misses you so much. He left you one Blue Diamond ticket so we could be together to watch the Lynean show. See you on Maple Island, Shalima! May I find you in good health and happy when we meet.”

I can't wait to meet Uncle Eero and his wife, Callia. They were descendants of nobles in the Winter Kingdom and also had influence on Maple Island. Shal will not be able to forget their kindness, especially the kindness of Uncle Eero who has helped him get an education at Maple Academy. However, Shal's forehead immediately wrinkled as soon as he remembered later also he would meet with Thann, Uncle Eero's second child. That arrogant and proud boy! Huh! Shal was lazy to think of Thann.

Shal, Valfred, and Amara were immediately startled by the sound of the class entrance bells.  Without a second thought, they immediately came out of the mirror and ran as fast as they could towards the Artifact and Ekofak classes. Amit-amit if we reach Weidra Balda tell them to rub the ancient coffin as punishment for being late!

I want Tuesday to come!

Shal screamed in his heart.