It took two weeks before Chu and Ming were both healed properly. It was all thanks to modern day medical treatment and this world's peculiar medicines.

Amanda and Sakura assumed control of both the finances and the medical roles in the family.

During this summer they were busy learning subtraction along with practicing how to apply stitches.

The practice in this world was to treat the wounds with the medicine and leave it to heal.

Chu decided to experiment with a little knowledge from his old world. For large wounds, he made them clean it and apply the medicine available for it. Under the best sterile conditions it was stitched and bandaged.

The results were amazing to both Chu and Mr Thomas alike. One was from a modern world and the other a veteran of a battlefield.

The treatments for wounds varied from using simple charcoal to medicine made by the Alchemist guild. A cut might take months or weeks to heal depending on the treatment method.

A new type of medicine was shipped via the Trading Post. The packet consisted of a small water resistant pouch containing a yellow powder and a vial of liquid.

Chu was now far from the once illiterate kid roaming the slums last autumn. Reading through books and listening to Mr Thomas tell stories of his adventurers had opened his mind. He now had a good grasp of the inner workings of everyday life in the Empire.

He had found out from Mr Thomas that there was a medicine that could cut the healing time in half. After some discussion he understood why Griz never bothered to mention it to him. It was not the legendary healing potion but the effect was better than products from his old world.

He understood why Griz never told him about it and why they did not stock it. The packet cost a whooping two gold coins.

Yes, two whole gold coins. The price was non negotiable and fixed by the Alchemist guild.

Chu cried when he forked out the money for an order of fifty packets. John on the other hand was shedding tears of joy. Since he became Master of the Trading Post the boy was like a golden goose. The amount of trade he conducted in this village was already more than double that of the other remote areas.

The healing potion along with the powder could heal a large wound in a matter of weeks. According to Mr Thomas, it displayed poor results when it came to broken bones. Armed with his pitiable medical knowledge, Chu instructed that the wounds be cleaned and disinfected before applying the powder.

It was then stiched and dressed in sterile bandages. If the wound was not life treatening the potion was to be drunk after the treatment.

The result was now shocking to Mr Thomas. A wound that normally may take a few weeks to heal was now completely cured in a week. The stitching that he saw Chu make his daughter and Sakura do was even more exquisite in his eyes.

Normally the healers in the Military just provided the potions and left it all up to the patient. He had seen stitches but nothing that was as time consuming and delicate. He did not understand the microbial theory or why the bandages had to be soaked in boiling water.

His eyes did however witness the amazing recovery that took place.

Just like that, this farm had a medical team that could produce results that matched even the best healers. He could only salivate when he thought about the results if they were to use the most expensive potions.

This boy had abilities that blew away all rationality from his mind.

"Should he strip him down and search him for a talisman tattoo?"

Mr Thomas turned green when it dawned on him that he had spoken out loud. Worse yet he did it in front of his daughter, Sakura, Chu and the current lab rat Ming.

The boy Chu was not a concern, his reaction was just a wry grin. The girls were blushing and red, they would be to shy to mention anything. The problem was the 'boy'. The lab rat as Chu called him.

Already Thomas could see the two wooden cogs covered in spiderwebs within that head beginning to turn.

While he was recuperating Lucy and Thomas served as escorts in the forest with Clod. While the two men were busy harvesting lumber for various projects, she was honing her skills in tracking and making ambush attacks.

It was because of her superior tracking skills that they never had to worry of hidden dangers like those in the village. The escapades of Lucy and Dyna had forced Clod to construct an independent large smokehouse near the barn.

This structure was filled with birds, hares and even a small spotted deer. A separated section contained inedible meats like the Jaga, foxes and wildcats. These were not sold to be shipped to alchemist. They were traded and mostly given to Dyna.

One can only imagine the additional boost when instead of using ground wildcat bones, the more powerful Jaga bones was substituted. Like a little mad scientist she experimented with using better ingredients.

Chu knew those herbal baths and pills were well on their way to creating a pack of monsters.

Dyna and her wolf cubs stalked around the farm like a group of thugs. One minute they were bullying someone, the other they were fawning over another and yet later they were like beggars acting pitiful for some scraps.

The only person they seemed to be wary of was Ming. They steered clear of him and passed him by like a neighbor who greeted with a nod. Maybe the pack was still traumatized from the few months before when Ming held them up one by one to show Dyna they were all boys.

Both the boss lady and her subordinates were red for days and moved like shy maidens for a week. Even though they were much bigger, they still avoided the boy.

Chu agreed with Thomas suggestion to make another venture into the forest after being fully healed.

The hunting group consisted of Ming who was the vanguard, Chu who had the role of a support attacker and coordinator. Lucy was their long rage support and offered help by finding any opportunity to conduct an ambush.

During the last hunt with the Jaga she was responsible for moving quickly and helping Chu and Ming avoid life threatening wounds. It was her quick thinking and movement that they only suffered some lacerations from the Jaga's claws.

In that confrontation, if it was not for her and Thomas intervention both boys would have already been dead. Thomas did not participate in their fights but was more like a spectator. Only when it was necessary did he interfere in this training.

On entering the forest Lucy moved to the point position. She moved a few feet from the party and began to use her tracking abilities. The rest followed at a distance where they could still spot her winding around the trees.

Chu followed the training given by Thomas and cut arrow marks on the trees to find their way back. These marks would be ineligible after a time. According to Thomas, since they had a fixed base they should always remember not to lead unwanted danger to their home.

They traveled for a few miles into the forest. Something only adventurers would attempt. Lucy soon came to a stop and beconed them over with her hands.

The group soon congregated together at the base of a large tree.

"Further in is a wolf pack. The smell looks like they were here during the night and circled to the east. To the north is a Jaga that is not moving, maybe its on a tree resting. South of us is a new smell, my instincts say its not a full predator but something like a deer?"

Chu could only sigh and be so jealous of of Lucy's abilities. She had a plethora of skills found after special training. This came as a shock to Mr Thomas, normal Sersen only possessed one. These sorties into the forest was to push the limits and increase their active time.

Once she described her scent ability to Chu. At first when it activated using those generic procedures written by the Tower Mages, it manifested as a simple increase in smell. Later she was good enough to be able distinguish different scents.

Now her description was different. On activation different smells were like translucent, colored ribbons she could 'see' with her eyes. In the open forest they spread out literally showing the paths to nearby inhabitants.

"Lets try the scent in the south. See if you can find a trail. Maybe we can see some tracks to tell what it is. Ming keep your eyes out for any unexpected surprises. Lets go."

Chu whispered his instructions and they slowly made her way to the south. Soon Lucy found a few tracks. Unlike most hunters and trappers who had to criss-cross the forest to find animal trails, they had a cheat like feature.

Chu was the first to speak.

"I think it looks like some deer, but it looks heavier?"

"Oh I know, I know. I saw a hoof like this one. Its a wild boar. A hunter once brought one to the Trading Post."

Ming answered softly not masking his excitement.

Chu waited for a time before responding.

"How big was it?"

"Hmmm...not that big, slightly smaller than a wolf. It was as round as a barrel."

The answer relieved him. Since he transferred over to this world, he stopped trying to compare the wildlife. All his encounters meant facing beast that were more violent, bigger and stronger back on earth.

Something was quite not right, but he could not put his finger on it at the time.

"Okay, lets go then. It should not be a problem."

Half an hour of walking later, Lucy stopped them.

"Its not to far, just over this small hill."

They crouched and crawled slowly and as silent as possible up the hill around the trees. Behind a tree stump they saw the creature feeding on the ground about fifty feet away in a small clearing.

The first thing Chu wanted to do was strangle Ming who was beside him.

'How the hell was that smaller than a deer. Big like a barrel. Barrel my ass!'