Chapter 344: 119. A Team on the Brink
The Snow Fox tribe’s carriage kept spinning. While the Mia city was still in chaos due to Erwind’s attack, Fisher and his party had already taken a carriage from the Snow Fox tribe to leave the city. Thanks to Fisher’s decisive actions, they had temporarily avoided any obstruction from the remaining forces of the Turan family during their escape.
The antidote the Snow Fox tribe sought was the Decay Antidote, a potent remedy extracted from plants. This medicine had resolved a cataclysmic plague a century ago, and later research by biologists discovered that it was effective not only against Dead Rot Disease but also against other serious ailments such as sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis. Its widespread clinical application earned it the title of “panacea” in the medical field of the Western Continent.
Despite ongoing debates about the mechanism of action of the Decay Antidote among later scholars, their research focused back on the miraculous natural creation from which the antidote was extracted by the unknown physician Torga. This was a green grass-like plant growing in the mountainous region of Shivali, which became well-known because of this exceptional physician and was referred to as the “Decay Source Root.”
The growing conditions of the Decay Source Root were not demanding, and using the extraction method left by Torga resulted in a remarkably high efficiency for obtaining the Decay Antidote solution. Consequently, the antidote quickly became popular across the Western Continent, allowing humanity to overcome the Dead Rot Disease that had previously claimed millions of lives.
Some of it was stored in a small clinic in Mia, and when Fisher was escaping with Valentina, he took back several bottles to give to the Snow Fox tribe’s leader, Dar, greatly to their appreciation.
“Go!”
“Um. How do you use this medicine you mentioned?”
“Injection or absorption via magic. The Decay Antidote cannot be taken orally. Here are syringes and accompanying instructions, but it seems these instructions are designed for humans. I can inscribe a long-lasting magic for you, which will allow the infected to absorb the solution.”
The white Snow Fox female sat at the edge of the carriage, her eyes shining as she listened to Fisher’s explanation. Clearly, she was innocent and unworldly, having rarely seen the outside world. She was captivated by the well-spoken and knowledgeable gentleman from Nali and found herself unable to look away, unsure if it was Fisher’s Northern affinity or his inherent charm that had bewitched her.
“Thank you, human sir.”
“…”
However, Fisher had no time to engage with the daughter of the Snow Fox tribe’s leader at that moment. After all, the Snow Fox tribe resembled foxes more than humans, which left him feeling somewhat uninterested. Although he had a slight inclination toward research, the urgent situation required him to bind her using the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans first to avoid missing the sequence of the mountain’s faction.
[Snow Fox Tribe]
[Available Binding Research Count: 0/1]
[Available Binding Targets: Juna, Adult Female Snow Fox]
Fisher silently chose to bind, then closed his eyes to feel the gradually familiar pain. Only Emhart, who was silently listening on his shoulder, noticed his slight abnormality and quietly asked, “Are you okay?”
“Nothing, just a bit tired, need to rest a moment.”
“Oh.”
Emhart glanced at the atmosphere around him and, out of consideration, shrunk back into Fisher’s chest pocket, playing the part of a wordless book while still attentively listening to the surrounding silence.
At this time in the carriage, aside from Fisher and Juna’s earlier conversation, the atmosphere was eerily quiet. The once bustling “Turan family tree-seeking party” now consisted of only six people, including Fisher, which was particularly distressing for Valentina. She had too much information to process. Although she sat in a wheelchair appearing calm, her vacant and dazed expression indicated that she was completely at a loss.
After all, she had just come of age, and despite attempting to appear strong, she found herself feeling vulnerable. The pressure of seeking the Parasol Tree was already overwhelming, and now the family that should support her had turned against her, seeking her life as a sacrifice. It was the first time she felt despair and helplessness from being attacked on all sides.
However, if she knew of Fisher’s ongoing struggles, she might feel greatly ashamed. Firstly, there was the relentless pursuit of Elizabeth, followed by Erwind, who lurked in the shadows waiting for an opportunity. Then there was the nearly unknown curse of the Parasol Tree, and now the betrayal of the Turan family was added to this list.
“Whoa!”
Just as the atmosphere in the carriage turned eerily silent, the carriage came to a slow stop with a light sigh from the Snow Fox driver upfront. A moment later, Dar, the tribe leader, jumped down from the front carriage and approached. He lifted the curtain of Valentina’s cabin and addressed Fisher and his group inside.
“Miss Valentina, it’s almost dark, and no one is following us for now. The nights in Mia are especially cold and no one can travel in the deep snowstorms, so you can rest easy here.”
Startled, Valentina looked up, realizing that the sky outside had already darkened significantly. She nodded quickly, expressing her gratitude.
“Thank you, Chief Dar.”
“Not at all, we should be thanking you. Without this gentleman’s assistance, we might not have survived the chaos in Mia.”
Dar shook his head, glancing first at Fisher, who was resting in the carriage, then glaring at his daughter Juna, who couldn’t take her eyes off Fisher. Juna, helpless, stuck her tongue out and jumped down from the carriage.
“You don’t need to hurry down. The attack that occurred in the hotel was not aimed at our Snow Fox tribe. I believe Miss Valentina is also quite confused at this moment. Feel free to discuss among yourselves, and we can come down once we set up the camp.”
After saying that, Dar lowered the curtain of the carriage, leaving only Valentina’s group inside. Valentina glanced at the pale Balzak, who was lying on the floor with an arm broken, then looked at Selti, who was trembling in the corner of the carriage. Selti had woken up long ago, but due to Erwind’s attack, the curse of the Parasol Tree, and the betrayal of the Turan family, she was terrified out of her mind.
Even though the temperature inside the carriage was relatively warm, Selti’s body trembled incessantly.
“Why? Why did the Turan family suddenly capture us? Isn’t the boss one of them? Just now… I thought I was going to die, it was so scary… even Balzak has been abandoned, I don’t want to die, I’m still so young!”
Heidi Lin, sitting beside Valentina, sighed. Tired, she leaned back in her seat and explained to Fisher somewhat helplessly.
“The expenses in search of the Parasol Tree have been too great. Since we found the cave of the Cangniao Tribe, the costs incurred have started to grow exponentially. The significant financial expenditures have displeased many tribe leaders, and more importantly, the commotion caused in the Northern Region, including the Moon Rabbit Shrine and Mia, has become their true headache.”
“If it weren’t for the young lady’s parents having made outstanding contributions to the family in the past, they wouldn’t have invested this much. Moreover, they don’t know what exactly is in the Parasol Tree; investing in an uncertain hope is not their first choice.”
Selti was momentarily stunned and didn’t continue, but Fisher turned his head to look at Heidi Lin and asked, “Are you saying the Turan family can be certain that sacrificing Valentina will resolve the hereditary disease afflicting their family after the curse?”
Heidi Lin nodded, looking at Valentina beside her, saying, “I only learned of it after I was forced to join their plan when my eavesdropping was discovered. After experiencing brief glory and the terrifying curse, the Turan family members retreated to the Snowflake Fortress, where the Moon Princess once resided, to survive in hiding. But they are not fools; they will certainly find ways to solve problems, and the first thing they thought of was the demon that had once provided them with a deal.”
“The demon responded to their summoning. It expressed sympathy for these humans, who hastily made decisions without fully understanding the deal and are now suffering, and informed them that the target of the curse they sought was the last phoenix. However, the bloodline of the phoenix has already scattered among the Turan family’s members. Restoring the complete bloodline is extremely difficult; however, after the Turan family offered sacrifices, the demon reluctantly provided a solution.”
“One option was to sacrifice many members with thin bloodlines to the curse. However, because the Turan family previously made a deal with the demon and suffered a loss of many members due to the curse, they could not afford another sacrifice. The other option was to procreate and wait for the phoenix bloodline to condense in a certain generation. The sign would be that when the Moon Princess draws her sword, the bloodline would shine again. At that time, the member who condensed most of the phoenix blood would be sacrificed, which would also solve the problem.”
“Clearly, the Turan family, driven to desperation, could only choose the second option, and that innocent descendant who would condense the bloodline is Valentina.”
After hearing this, Fisher laughed with some irony and said, “The Turan family was harmed once by that demon’s deal, and they choose to believe the demon a second time. It’s truly beyond words.”
Heidi Lin shook her head and explained to Fisher, “The Turan family tried the first option once, sacrificing family members outside the Snowflake Fortress to the curse. It actually calmed down for quite a while. Restoring the bloodline could temporarily silence the frenzied curse and slightly prolong the lives of other tribe members. During that time, some members even lived to the age of 35.”
“Uh.”
Inside the carriage, Balzak’s groans of pain suddenly interrupted Heidi Lin’s words. He had already lost an arm, and after being brutally knocked unconscious by the Turan family members before he had fully healed, his current condition was far from optimistic. It would likely take some time for him to recover. As for Selti, who was timid by nature, the only piece of climbing equipment they had devised was still left behind, making her equivalent to a burden right now.
Valentina had been listening quietly. While her family’s cold-blooded actions indeed saddened her, what mattered more now was the road ahead. This was the true reason Valentina felt lost.
Not to mention whether she still had any reason to seek the Parasol Tree, with the team’s current weakened state, none of them could even climb to the foot of Sema Snow Mountain. Besides, her family would absolutely not give up on pursuing her, and she would have to sacrifice her life to save the family’s hereditary disease.
Moreover, the culprit behind the attack on her group in the Mia hotel was still unknown. But no matter who it was, possessing such terrifying power while targeting the mark in her hand could not possibly be considered a light matter.
At this moment, Valentina, caught in a dilemma, looked at this crumbling team and felt deep fatigue for the first time. Just as she began to feel a headache coming on, the curtain at the door suddenly opened, revealing Chief Dar once again.
“Everyone, the camp is almost ready. The tribe members have also brought back some game for the night. We should make do with that.”
“No, no, I want to go back! I don’t want to go anywhere; we’re all going to die otherwise!”
Just then, Selti, hiding in the corner, couldn’t keep it together any longer upon seeing the shabby campsite outside. She covered her head and shook it uncontrollably, turning to the silent and trembling Felis beside her and said, “Felis, you haven’t brought any money with you, have you? Don’t you love money the most? Balzak, he also has a terrible condition now. If he doesn’t get treatment quickly, we can’t go back, right? After all, there are only a few of us; we can’t make it up the snow mountain. That huge… tentacled creature with eyes… Ugh! We’re all going to die. Boohoo, I don’t want to go! Let me go back; they’re the ones after the boss, right? Let me go back, please!”
Felis opened one eye and yawned, not wanting to bother with Selti at all. However, Heidi Lin heard her last words and stood up in anger, glaring at Selti.
“Selti, you—”
Before she could finish, the calm Valentina raised her hand to stop Heidi Lin, simply covering her face with fatigue and saying, “Selti is right. Since we left the Turan family, our employment of everyone here has officially ended. Even if you want to continue, I can’t provide further compensation for you. No need to worry; tonight we will stay here temporarily. The nights in Mia are not for wandering outside. We can come and go freely tomorrow morning once the blizzard has settled a bit.”
Her calm words rendered the panicked Selti speechless. She looked up at Valentina, only to see her gently removing the ring engraved with the Turan family insignia from her finger. Once the ring, which had originally been worn on her ring finger, was removed, that finger became empty once again.
As if to get used to having a ring to rub against, a habit for her when thinking and alleviating stress, she placed the magical ring Fisher had given her on another finger. Then she let out a sigh and smiled at everyone present, saying, “If nothing unexpected happens, this will be the last night our team searching for the Parasol Tree spends together. Everyone, rest well.”
After that, she gently threw the removed ring, symbolizing the Turan family’s honor, out of the carriage. The wind and snow rising at night quickly covered that ring, making it disappear without a trace.
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(End of this chapter)
