Introduction

Hello and thank you for your interest in Demon Healer Naberius! My name is Peter Varnicrast, and it is my pleasure to finally pull back the curtains on my new light novel!

Demon Healer Naberius shares the story of the eponymous Naberius—aka Nabby—and her partner Bosa as they fight against the menaces known as ‘cost of living’ and ‘unstable wages’ in the urban fantasy equivalent of a gig economy. The two of them work as adventurers through the gig app, Parti, and handle whatever work pays well enough while trying to deal with the oddball clients that come their way. To help illustrate this without giving too much away (hopefully), here’s the back-cover synopsis:

“After a botched summoning ritual stranded Naberius, demon of the Goetia, in the mortal realm of Rullia, she was only able to find her footing thanks to the generosity of Reese, a passing healer. Inspired by such kindness, Naberius now seeks to become a healer herself—though there's one teeny-tiny problem: demons can’t use healing magic! But with the help of the fallen web idol Bosa, she’ll brave the perils of inflated rent, bizarre clients, and the inconsistent gig economy—all in the name of becoming the world’s first and greatest demon healer!”

Demon Healer Naberius seeks to have fun with the concepts that can arise when fantasy collides with reality, with the additional goal of showcasing bizarre role-playing game party members—my favorite healing magic-less healer notwithstanding. The tale started life as a short story experiment, but I liked the ideas and characters so much that I worked to expand it into a complete light novel. It focuses on lighthearted—and sometimes dirty—humor, though the story has its serious moments as well. There is no explicit content within the novel, but it also does not shy away from adult language and themes.

Interested in learning more about the novel? Then let’s check out our protagonists next—featuring sketches by the amazing Tostantan!

Characters

Naberius, aka Nabby

Race: Goetic Demon

Class: Mage (But she only takes jobs as a Healer)

Age: 670 in Rullian years (22 in Hell years)

Birthday: April 4th

Likes: Hamburgers, dogs, cool adventurers, making clothes, big dreams

Dislikes: Priests, pickles, giving up, hurting people

Skills: Dark magic, cooking, cleaning, handcrafts

The titular heroine of the story, Nabby is a demon of Hell’s Goetia. After becoming stranded in the mortal plane, she was able to get started with life in Rullia through the help of Reese, her idol and a fellow healer. Hoping to follow in Reese’s footsteps, Nabby now works to become a healer herself—despite how she only knows dark magic.

Cheerful and friendly, Nabby admires those who forge their own paths in life. She strives to be a reputable adventurer and wants to prove to the world that even demons can be healers if they work hard enough. However, she is self-conscious of how she looks more human than demon and has an acute fear of causing others harm.

Nabby currently shares an apartment with Bosa, but since she can’t afford her half of the rent—even for just sleeping on the couch—she instead cooks and cleans to compensate. As part of her training as a Goetic demon, Nabby is skilled in a variety of handcrafts and loves sharing her talents (she even made her own adventuring gear!). Conversely her worldly knowledge is lacking—especially when it comes to budgeting her funds.

Bosa

Race: Scylla (Bosa Nova clan)

Class: Songstress

Age: 26 (Though her online profiles all say 21)

Birthday: June 8th

Likes: Singing, music, her little brothers, being the center of attention, sex

Dislikes: Housework, horror movies, budgeting, “The Seafoam Diva”

Skills: Song magic, lying, Marine Biology (Master’s Degree)

Despite having worked as an adventurer for years, Bosa is an unenthusiastic songstress who handles her gigs with cynicism. Formerly a web idol known as “The Seafoam Diva”, a scandal forced her into hiatus—subsequently causing her to abandon the cheery persona she put on for her fans. She currently shares her apartment with Nabby, and the two work together in their mutual pursuit of maintaining reasonable living standards.

With a mouth like a sailor and a salacious sense of humor, Bosa is aware that most people find her off-putting, but—unless they’re paying her—she couldn’t give less of a shit. However, she is far from unscrupulous and cares deeply for those who accept her for who she is. She is a talented liar and has no trouble getting what she wants, though recent experiences have soured her feelings towards dishonesty.

Bosa comes from a large family and has a near-perfect college record. She loves going out and rarely comes home alone—much to her roommate’s chagrin. While her guile and experience allow her to act as a sort of mentor for Nabby, Bosa’s housekeeping skills are abysmal, further driving her appreciation for Nabby’s company.

The World of Demon Healer Naberius

Rullia

The name for the mortal plane. Consisting of seven continents that are home to both the mortal races and the various monsters that trouble them, it is large world filled with rich mana. The turn of the millennia saw a huge shift in Rullian society as technology advanced by leaps and bounds and the various cities of the world became connected through the power of the internet. However, monster-slaying and adventuring still remain viable occupations due to the unending presence of monsters—though some entrepreneurs have cleverly brought that classic career choice into the modern gig economy. Heaven and Hell are neighboring planes to Rullia.

Parti

The original and most popular app for finding work as an adventurer. Signing up is easy, and many people use it as a way to supplement the income of their day job. Users can either go through a formal assessment process handled by Parti’s affiliates to determine their class and abilities, or they can begin working immediately and let their clients’ feedback verify their strengths. Customers are free to set the objectives and payment of their jobs as they see fit, and Parti takes an 8% transactional fee out of every gig. Parti also includes a detailed ranking system to help customers find adventurers of appropriate caliber as well as aiding users in finding parties of similar skill.

The Source of All Monsters

The general name for the mysterious phenomenon that results in the appearance of monsters throughout Rullia. The true nature of the Source is not known or particularly well-understood as monstrologists have been unable to determine if it is a physical entity, natural event, or otherwise. Studies have revealed that the portals monsters can appear from link back to the dangerous continent of Monstralia—theorized to be where the Source of All Monsters is located—but research into this has been slow and poorly-funded. Reese, Nabby’s idol, is on a mission to find the Source.

Sansei-san

A black cat(?) of good-tidings and inspiration. If you see him, your luck is about take a turn for the better!

Where can I find Demon Healer Naberius?

Demon Healer Naberius is now available in eBook and paperback through Amazon!

Now, you might be asking, “Why is Demon Healer Naberius only $0.99?” Although similarly styled eBooks are typically priced around $3 or so—and I would personally say Demon Healer Naberius gives just as much value as they do!—given the present state of the world, I have chosen to release at a lower price. While I might be one of the lucky few who have been able to work through the COVID-19 crisis, there are many more who have not been as fortunate, and so it would make me happier knowing I can share my story with others while presenting as little financial strain to them as possible.

If you would like to be kept up to date on Demon Healer Naberius, you can follow my Amazon author page or my Twitter account at @varnicrast—the last of which also grants you access to my usual dumbassery. You can also check this blog for any updates concerning the light novel alongside the regular chapters of my previous novel and my assessments on its content.

In Closing

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little preview of Demon Healer Naberius. I had a ton of fun creating the novel, as well as using it as an excuse to meet new people, so please consider picking it up if you liked what you saw here. In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy, and remember: even demons can be healers!

Thanks for coming by. Cheers.

Jun 5 Introducing Demon Healer Naberius!