Everyone is gifted with some skill or power. His power typically is not offensive and at early levels can't be used to heal, I don't believe anyone even realizes it has the potential to heal people. As a result nobody wants a person with his power in their party so no one like him typically advances. The power is incredibly minor at the lower levels and only grow as adventuring levels go up so it is not like blacksmithing where use alone grows it.
The ml and fl start out the same age, their village is attacked, she gets critically hurt, going to die in seconds. I think it occurs on a bridge or something like that. Their friend / mentor an older priest freezes time for her, kind of a suspended animation. He tells the ml that if he keeps raising his power he will be able to heal her in the future. The ml's power is not so much a restore time but a patch type skill. He can use it on objects and people but he needs to be a certain level as an adventurer. So effectively his equipment is always in good shape. He is made fun of as an adventurer since his power doesn't look significant and it really isn't at his level. Basically as an adventurer he is powerless compared to all the other adventurers who were given offensive type powers. Can't really be used to fight monsters so he takes minor missions. It takes 10 / 20 or more years for him to raise enough to help his friend. But at that point his power really shines. Peoples power are kind of like branches on a tree. Different branches different powers. But for some the power they are supposed to have, the branch is damaged and he can patch it and open up other branches of powers if there is at least a stub. He does this for her and another friend. He also gets some good armor because he can patch damaged stuff. He keeps his friend in a closet until he can heal her.
