《AI Doctor : From Slave to Beast King》


 Chapter 1: Stabbed to Death

    "You have to be kidding me."


    A frustrated voice echoed inside the deadly silentboratory that was secluded from the world.


    With his unkempt brown hair dangling in front of his forehead, and blue eyes filled with rage, Damien Huston red at the man in front of him.


    "Why?" He spat with difficulty as he clutched his abdomen where he was stabbed. The dagger that the man used to stab him was long taken out of his abdomen, causing blood to gush out without stopping.


    The spot where he was standing was now covered with blood.


    As blood slowly drained out of his body and pooled under his feet, Damien had no idea where he had gone wrong. Was he wrong to hope? Or did he go wrong when he started to trust people?


    He was born an orphan with no one to rely on, however, he faced everything that life threw at him with a smile on his face. He was optimistic that one day, he would seed.


    So when Damien was chosen by the famous dean of the Best Hospital in Clover City, he believed that his life had taken a turn for the better.


    Never did he once expect that the man whom he trusted and admired would stab him in the back like this. Though it was front in the literal sense.


    "I know that you are angry, Damien but you see¡­" Doctor William, who was holding a bloody dagger, walked three steps close to Damien. He smiled at the dying man and coldly stated, "I cannot let you release this research of yours under your name."


    "You were already a threat to me once you became a resident doctor and you have be an even more dangerous threat to me after seeding in creating this A. I system," Doctor William looked at the blue hologram that was floating next to them.


    Under the hologram was a curved bowl-shaped structure that was lit up with vibrant blue light.


    This was Damien''s research and years of hard work. An A.I system that was built and designed for diagnostic purposes.


    Damien named it ''DAN,'' after the purposes that it could serve ¡ª¡ª Diagnosis, Ailments Treatments and Neurographys.


    Dan of all the diagnostic artificial intelligence in existence had the most potential. Damien who graduated as a first rank holder from the number one university of Clover City had spent years after years to make this AI system work.


    Once it was released, Damien was destined to be famous for his medical skills. William was already frustrated enough by the fact that this man had attracted the attention of higher-ups.


    If they were to find out the depth of the knowledge and skills of this boy, William was worried that Damien would be a threat to his position.


    When William picked up Damien as his assistant, he believed that the man would be his wonderful right-hand man. However, he wanted an assistant but if his assistant surpassed him, what would be of him?


    Since he could not suppress Damien and his skills, then he might as well eradicate this threat.


    "We collected the data, Professor," one of the men whom William brought with him, said from behind as he stepped outside from the record and data room.


    He strode over to William and showed him the journals that he had collected from the data room.


    William looked at the pen drive and journals that his men had collected and smirked. He turned to look at Damien and said, "Don''t worry my boy, I will let you have a few seconds of glory for working so hard for my sake for all these years."


    He threw the dagger in his hands to the thugs he brought with him and said, "Burn this ce down, don''t leave any traces behind." He nced at Damien with an evil glint in his eyes as he grinned with a maniacal expression and said, "Let the world know that a poor orphan died working for the betterment of the world but s his efforts were wasted."


    " And I, who could not bear to see my precious student''s hard work to be wasted, took over. Let my name be known to all!"


    "Hahahahahaha!"


    The man left without looking back, leaving Damien alone in the secludedboratory that was soon set on fire. As mes surrounded Damien, he closed his eyes and let out onest scream of despair ¡ª¡ª-


    ''This is not fair¡­ it is not fair to die like this!''


    However, the roaring fire quelled his furious roar along with his wavering breaths.


    *****


    ''It hurts, it hurts so much,''


    [A new input device has been found. The system can be rebooted.]


    [Rebooting started.]


    ''What''s going on? Don''t tell me that perverted bastard did something to my corpse?'' Damien thought angrily while trying to open his eyes.


    [Rebooting system 20%plete.]


    [50%]


    [90%]


    [100%]


    [Transferpleted. A.I DAN.]


    "Keuk!" Damien opened his eyes with a gasp. A brilliant blue sky came in front of his eyes while hey on the ground. "What? I¡­I am not dead?"


    How was it possible when he was buried in the sea of mes?


    [Detecting fatal injury, detection failed.]


    [Asking permission to collect essible information.]


    [Asking permission to collect essible information.]


    [Asking the host for permission to collect essible information.]


    The same mechanical voice echoed inside Damien''s head which was already throbbing in pain. The more the voice spoke the more his head hurt, Damien clutched his head with the hand he could move and roared,


    "Argh shut up!"


    Immediately the voice that was echoing in his head stopped. Damien heaved a sigh of relief but two secondster a blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.


    Damien flinched as soon as the screen appeared, "W..What is this?"


    [The system concedes to the wishes of the host. The voicemands have been turned off.]


    "What?" Damien was certain that he was hallucinating. But why?


    What was this? And where did the seven minutes with the happy memories from his life go?


    They should have been yed before his death, right?


    [¡­.]


    [Is the host certain that he has enough happy memories to be yed for seven minutes?]


    Damien: "¡­."

 Chapter 2: The Best

    ***********************************


    "¡­what are you and where am I?" Damien tried to get up from the ground, he ced his hands on the hard surface and tried to push himself off the ground, however, he couldn''t even move an inch before he flopped back on the ground.


    [Requesting the host to not move, the system is detecting serious damage to the body of the host.]


    As the body which had gone numb due to pain slowly started to recover, Damien also noticed that there was something wrong with his body.


    A sharp, burning pain which got stronger with each second started to spread all over his abdomen.


    "Shit," Damien groaned as the wave of pain finally hit him with full impact.


    [Asking the host for permission to collect essible information.]


    "Granted¡­permission granted!" Damien gritted his teeth. He had no idea what was happening to him but if he was given another chance to survive, then he did not want to die!


    This time around, he was going to survive till the end.


    [essing the condition of the host.]


    [¡­][¡­]


    [Examinationpleted please take a look.]


    Before Damien could ask what was going on, another screen popped in front of him.


    This screen however did not disy any words on it, instead, it showed him an X-ray along with other reports.


    "Damn, are you serious? No, you have to be kidding me. There is no way¡ª¡ª" After Damien finished reading his reports, he was so shocked that he sat up straight. "Ugh¡­"


    He looked down at his abdomen and his condition was indeed simr to the content disyed on the blue screen.


    There was arge gash on his abdomen which ran so deep that his intestines were almost hanging out even the blood on the ground was not a joking matter.


    Damien looked at his horrifying wound and two secondster he burst outughing. Hisughter however held no humour.


    "Dear God! If you were going to kill me anyway then just do it in one go, what are you trying to do by killing me twice?"


    [The system has detected an upheaval of emotions.]


    [The system requests the host to remain calm.]


    "Easy for you to say, it is not you who has to die twice," Damien flopped back on the ground, since he was going to die anyway, he did not want to waste his energy.


    If he was at the hospital he could have at least had ess to tools, now that he was lying in the middle of nowhere, how was he even going to get out of this situation?


    He needed serious medical help which included blood transfusion, and closing of the wound.


    ''Fortunately, therge intestine was not cut or else the faeces would have spread all over the abdominal cavity,'' thought Damien with a sigh. At least his death wouldn''t be that painful.


    [Host, aren''t you giving up too soon? ]


    Damien felt a nerve twitch in his forehead as he rolled his eyes and snapped hoarsely, "What do you know? Without necessary medical tools, do you think that I can survive?"


    [Who said that you do not have the necessary tools?]


    "What?"


    Whoosh.


    Another screen appeared in front of Damien. This screen was different from the first two, it wasrger than his face and held the images of medical equipment and books.


    The top of the screen was colourful and the equipment inside the small cubes were moving in circles as if they were being rotated on a tform. While from the second row onwards, the equipment was covered in ck.


    "These must be inessible," Damien muttered, his eyes fixated on the pieces of equipment that were yet to be unlocked. It reminded him of the gaming interface which he once yed.


    However, Damien did not ponder on the inessibility of the rest of the equipment, instead, he raised his hand and tapped on the scalpel, anaesthesia, needle and thread along with local sanitiser.


    The blood transfusion system was yet to be unlocked but Damien had no time to moan over it.


    He pushed his body up with difficulty, once he was sitting upright, he cleaned his hands before administering the anaesthesia.


    "Ugh," Damien closed his eyes as the sting of the needle felt even more painful on the tender skin that had been shed and cut in ces.


    Once the anaesthesia was administered, Damien waited for it to take effect which did not take long.


    Sensing the numbing sensation on his lower half, Damien picked up the scalpel, "Here goes nothing."


    With his deft hands, he cleaned the rotten flesh on the wound that had been festering for days before cleaning the blood that oozed out of the newly made cuts.


    His gaze regretfully fell on the tranexamic acid that was locked and inessible before he returned his focus to his wound.


    "Alright, let us finish this up," once the rotten flesh was taken care of, Damien sewed the wound with a needle and a thread.


    His hand moved in a wless motion beforeing to a stop as he snapped the thread off with the scalpel itself.


    "Thank god," Damien heaved a sigh of relief when he noticed that blood had stopped flowing out of the wound. Even though it was not a perfect surgery, Damien was notining as this was enough to keep his life.


    [The host has sessfully saved a life. Life saving grace +1]


    [Does the host want to use instant treatment to heal the wound in one go?]


    Damien: "¡­."


    "Couldn''t you have handed this special reward to me a few seconds ago?" Damien questioned the so-called system with his hands stretched out in front.


    [System doesn''t understand the meaning of the host''s words. Please repeat it in simple terms.]


    "You little¡ª-" Damien closed his eyes and then breathed out before suppressing his anger. He then changed his question before saying, "Why did you even ask me to treat myself if you could have done it without me picking up the scalpel?"


    [Dan exists to make Damien Huston a legendary doctor.]


    "What¡­thats not¡ª¡ª"


    [Didn''t the host wish to be the world''s best doctor before he was asked to create Dan?]


    "That¡­" Damien furrowed his brows before saying, "I wanted to be one but I don''t think I want to continue anymore¡­."


    He was killed because his skills surpassed his senior. Why would he walk down the same path after knowing what dangers lurked ahead?


    [¡­Then let''s use the data collected from the host. The system will motivate you by showing the appearance of Damien Huston who wanted to be a doctor desperately.]


    "No! Wait!" Not his dark history!


    "HAHAHHA!"

 Chapter 3: Hyena Beastmen

    **************************************


    The sound of drunkenughter filled Damien''s ears and a wave of embarrassment crept over him as he looked at the screen where he was sitting with his friends in a small restaurant.


    He remembered this day. It was when his girlfriend of three years was caught cheating. He found her in their apartment with another man and yet she didn''t show an ounce of guilt on her face. Instead, she went ahead and said,


    ''I just want to live a better life than follow an orphan like you, am I wrong for wanting that?''


    So Damien had called his friends before getting drunk as a skunk.


    "I am going to be a doctor, just you wait," Damien who was looking much younger than his current self was holding a ss of cheap alcohol in his hand and was boasting in a loud voice, "Once I be a doctor, I will save more than hundreds of lives. Everyone will know my name, and I will live afortable life."


    "I will own cars, a nice house and servants who will cook and clean for me. I wouldn''t have to do shit like I have to do now," Damien finished his drink in one gulp. He mmed his ss on the table before gasping, "And I will have a bunch of girls who will die to hold my precious hands. I will have one girl on the right and the other on the left!"


    "Zoey will regret betraying me, just¡ª¡ª"


    "Stop! Stop!" Damien covered his face with his hand and held the other one up. "I remember these words, there is no need to y them again."


    [Those who cannot stay true to their own dreams, are trash. Therefore, the system has decided to call the host ¡ª¡ª Trash.]


    "Hey! Wait a second there," Damien dropped his hand and looked up at the screen. "If you are Dan then you should also remember what happened in theboratory, didn''t you? It was all because of my crazy skills that I was killed. So, I¡ª¡ª"


    [System would like to object. The reason the host was killed was not because of his skills but hisck of judgement.]


    [Trusting the wrong people led to the ultimate demise of the host.]


    [Dan perceives people who naively trust others as fools. So it will add a new title to the host''s ount ¡ª¡ª Fool.]


    [Now, will the host waste the second chance that he had gotten through sheer luck and waste his life because of his fear? Or will he choose to be the world''s best Doctor and realise his dream?]


    [A trash or a heavenly Doctor? Which path will you choose?]


    Damien gritted his teeth, as much as he would have loved to deny Dan''s words, he had to admit that he was right.


    "Fine," Damien snapped fiercely. "I will choose the second option, I will be a heavenly doctor, alright ?"


    [The system has removed the tags of Trash and Fool from the host''s profile]


    "Thank you," Damien heaved a sigh as he used the instant healing skill as a reward that was given to him earlier.


    [Instant Heal used. Current Instant Heals: 0]


    The burn on his lower abdomen vanished and the wound that should have healed in three to four months recovered in an instant.


    Only a scar was left behind but Damien had noints. The wound was deep enough for him to stay in the bed for four months. With no one taking care of him, Damien couldn''t afford to stay in bed for more than three weeks, much less three months.


    Fortunately, he had Dan.


    "Now let''s take a look around, shall we?" Now that he was feeling alright, Damien wanted to find out more about his current location. Depending on where his corpse was thrown, it would take a lot of time for him to return to the city.


    Of course, he was not going to rush ahead and avenge himself. Damien was not foolish enough to do such a thing, with William''s current strength it would be as easy as squashing an ant if that man was to deal with him.


    Damien had first-hand experience of that.


    All he wanted was to take the money and his cards that he had saved in his house and hide somewhere ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    His thoughts however came to a sudden halt when he tipped his head back and looked at the sky. In the clear blue sky, Damien saw arge thing flying above his head.


    However, that was neither an aerone nor was it a helicopter.


    It was ¡­It was ¡­It was a DRAGON!


    Damien''s eyes widened as all the blood from his face drained. Dragon? He was looking at a dragon?


    "D¡­D¡­Dan, you bastard, where did you bring me?" Damien stammered as he hurriedlyy back down on the ground.


    He was going to pretend that he was dead until that gigantic thing flew past him.


    [The System implores the host to refrain from calling the system by such vulgar and crude names.]


    "Is that important?!" Damien hissed at the little sh*t that was griping over the wrong topic. "Where am I? Where did you bring me? Is this even my world?"


    [This is a small city in another dimension. The dragon that you see flying above you is a beast man and the city where we are at the moment is called Brystoria.]


    "So this is not earth?" Damien questioned with his eyes popping even wildly. "Then what about my body? My money and my house on earth?"


    [¡­]


    [Dan is in awe at the optimism of the host.]


    [With such dangerous fire, how could it be possible for the host to survive? The system looked long and hard while jumping and skipping through many dimensions and energy pockets before finding this vessel for the host to upy.]


    Damien took a long time before he could stomach that he was no longer Damien Huston but was upying another body.


    "T¡­then who am I?" He asked as he clenched his finger tightly.


    Damn, William. He actually seeded in getting rid of him. However, even though Damien felt rage in his heart, he was not blinded by it. As an orphan, he was very clear about one thing ¡ª¡ª


    Those who have no power can only be used as pawns.


    And Damien was one such pawn in the hands of William.


    Even if he had been resurrected in his own body, what could he have done against William?


    His study was also financially supported by William as Damien had no money.


    A poor orphan like him, what could he do to someone like William?


    [This vessel was the crown prince of Brystoria.]


    "What did you say? Crown prince?" Damien excitedly sat up straight. His eyes shone with glee when he thought about how he might finally live a life offort.


    [Please pay attention, host. This body used to be the crown prince of the country of Brystoria but then he was disposed of by his biological brother.]


    [ His beast nucleus was destroyed and he was branded as a traitor which led to the ultimate punishment of having his name destroyed and removed from the genealogy of the royal family.]


    When Damien heard the system''s words, the smile on his face froze. Disposed off? Nucleus destroyed?


    Wasn''t this like super bad?


    [And]


    "There is more to it?" Damien eximed in frustration.


    [Yes. From the memories that the system had detected, the host''s predecessor was also branded as a ve before being married off to the only female general of this small city.]


    [Apparently, this was done by the current emperor to chain down the female general by the name of Wistoria Wolfe.]


    Damien closed his eyes with an ''I have eaten a fly,'' expression on his face. Though he was practically a novice with no knowledge about this world, Damien understood one thing ¡ª¡ª


    That shitty brother of his was out for his blood!


    Chain down the only female General? More like humiliating her by marrying her off to a ve!


    "Hahahaahahah !" Damienughed while tears streamed down his cheeks. He was fucked. He might have as well gone to hell and let the demons grill his soul.


    That would have been better than this!


    [¡­Why is the hostughing when you are feeling sad?]


    "Because I feel like it," Damien responded, feeling both frustrated and funny. What kind of messed up situation he was in at the moment?


    He was d that he was given another opportunity but his situation ¡­couldn''t it be a bit less tragic?


    [Humans sure areplicated.]


    Damien: ".." Why was this darned system talking like a man experiencing his first fight with his girlfriend?


    He sighed and requested, "Dan, can you transfer the memories of this body to me?"


    [Yes. ]


    A secondter Damien felt a sharp pain in his head, memories after memories flooded in his head and by the time the process stopped Damien was soaked in sweat.


    He closed his eyes and digested the memories. His situation was indeed way worse than he expected.


    "Whatever, just let''s go with the flow," He raised his head looked at the clear blue sky and breathed in the clean air.


    For years, he stayed locked up inside theboratory to create DAN. Damien seemed to have forgotten what it meant to stay under the sunlight.


    "Alright! Since I have a second chance, I will live my life to the fullest!" He clenched his fists and eximed. Every bit of regret that he had, he would make sure to make it up to himself in this life.


    Who knows maybe he might get lucky with women in this life? Hehe, just kidding.


    Damien stood up from the ground and patted the dirt off his clothes.


    "Now shall we go back home, Dan?" Damien said to the system.


    [Turn right if you want to go back home, Host.]


    "Sure," Damien followed the path that led to the home of this body that he had upied. However, Damien did not even go too far when¡ª¡ª-


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "Someone save me!"


    "It hurts! It''s so painful!"


    "Father, where are you?"


    "Mother, save me. I am dying!"


    "Wh¡ª-what?" Damien turned around and walked in the direction from where the cries of pain wereing from. As he walked he came to a stop in front of a steep slope, while hiding behind a thick tree trunk, Damien looked at the sight in front of him.


    It was pandemonium.


    Beastmen and women were lying on the ground, some were already dead while those who were alive at the moment were clutching their wounds and crying in agony.


    "Where is the healer?" An elderly man limped around the small vige as he looked at the bodies of those who were deceased and those who were close to dying.


    "The healers cannot do anything in this situation, Tribe leader!" One of the men said to the elderly man. "These injuries are too severe, I am afraid only Beast God can save them now."


    When the elderly tribe leader heard that this situation was out of the hands of the healers, he closed his eyes in despair. Their vige was small, to begin with, but now more than fifty hyenas were killed and more than seventy were injured¡ª¡ª he was afraid that the future of their tribe was not going to be smooth sailing.

 Chapter 4: Not a healer but a doctor

    "Be that may be the case but we cannot let so many hyena beast men and women die. Not to mention, there are also young ones," the tribe leader spoke with a sigh. He turned to look at the entrance of the tribe, he hoped that the beastmen who went to look for a healer would return soon.


    "Someone ising!" One of the beastwomen cried out as she too was looking at the entrance of the tribe. No sooner did she cry out loud, than the rest of the beastmen turned to look in the direction of the entrance.


    But the second they turned their gazes to the entrance they only saw their own tribe''s people. Each of them was returning with a defeated look on their faces.


    "What happened?" The son of the tribe leader rushed forward when he saw that these people returned without bringing a healer with them. "Where is the healer?"


    "We couldn''t bring one back," the leader of the search team replied with a solemn and aggrieved expression. "None of the healers agreed to treat our tribe. They all refused toe no matter how we begged."


    As soon as these words fell, the entire tribe turned even more noisy as dread filled the hearts of those who were injured as well as their loved ones.


    The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.


    Thus, when the tribesmen knew that no healer was going to save them, they started crying even more harshly. Some cried for their children while some cried for their spouses.


    "Dan, what''s going on?" Damien asked the AI system.


    [ording to the memories of the predecessor. This is a small tribe of hyena beastmen. Their tribe is located on the outskirts of the city, where the attacks of wild beasts are quite prominent.]


    [This is most likely the aftermath of the same attack as the predecessor passed away after being attacked by the beast''s w.]


    Only then did Damien understand why the gashes on his abdomen were too deep. The previous owner of this body was attacked by a beast instead of a human.


    "Then what are these healers they speak of?" Damien wanted to help the tribesmen but he did not want to take on anything too troublesome.


    In case these injuries could be treated by a healer, then he might as well escape from this ce.


    As for why he asked this question? It was because even though he received the memories of the previous owner, they were still jumbled up.


    [Healers are blessed with magical powers in this world. They can heal the injured and sick with their magical skills but their powers have various limits.]


    [They can only heal small injuries and if they are forced to heal major injuries, the chances of the injuries rpse are rather high. Which is why the death rate in this world is around seventy-eight per cent.]


    [Host, these beastmen cannot be healed by a healer. They need to be treated by a skilled doctor.]


    Damien pursed his lips as he stared at the tribe of beastmen who seemed to have lost all hope. Honestly speaking, he really did not want to jump in the middle of a tribe of hyena beastmen.


    But as his gaze swept at the children who were suffering on the ground, he was taken back to the time when he was alone in the orphanage with no one to rely on.


    Every time he caught a cold or fever, Damien hoped that someone woulde and help him. But did anyone evere to help him? No!


    "Let''s go," Damien said to Dan and he walked down the cliff with a determined look in his eyes. He might be terrified but that did not mean that he was going to abandon his responsibility as a doctor. Since he could save the lives of these people, then he would do his best.


    His feet marched down the steep slope and it didn''t take long for Damien toe to a stop in front of the entrance of the tribe.


    The scent of blood and flesh wafted off to where he stood.


    Damien clenched his fists before heading inside the beastmen''s territory. "Here goes nothing," he muttered.


    "Excuse me," he said to the people of the tribe. "Are you looking for someone who can treat these people?"


    "Who are you? Are you a healer?" The head of the tribe questioned Damien.


    "No, I am not a healer¡­. But a Doctor and I can treat these patients," Damien knew that the concept of a Doctor was unknown to this world but it worked well for him. Even if he were to dere that he was a healer, he had no magic powers to back his ims.


    It was better to continue calling himself a doctor instead of a healer.


    "Doctor, what''s that?" The son of the tribe leader, Jalle asked with a frown on his face. "I have never heard of such a thing before."


    ''Of course, you haven''t because I just introduced it,'' Damien thought with a drop of sweat trickling down his forehead.


    "A doctor is someone who can treat his patients without using magical powers," Damien exined to the tribe members and in return he received a bunch of looks. Some were contemptuous, some were questioning and some distrustful.


    Not one of these looks was filled with trust.


    "Are you messing with us?" One of the sturdy hyena beastmen walked forward. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of leather pants, his upper half of the body was covered in several scars.


    He red at Damien and said, "If you think that you can make a joke of our situation at this moment then you are damn wrong there boy."


    "Robin stay calm," Jalle said to the beastman who was threatening Damien. He turned to the young man and said to him, "I don''t know who you are but you should leave. Even if we are hyenas we deserve to die with respect."


    [He thinks that you are one of those who look down on their tribe.]


    Damien sighed helplessly. Apparently, the hyena beastmen were one of the lowest ranking beastmen and they were not treated well by the rest of the tribes as their tribe members were prone to bing thieves and criminals.

 Chapter 5: Banppee Wolf Poison

    *******************************


    Though not everyone walked down the same path, the social stigma against the hyenas was rather strong and they were ostracized by the other tribes.


    This was also the reason why the healers refused to take the job. It was mostly likely due to their fear of being scammed out of their payment.


    But Damien had his own reasons to treat these patients other than money.


    "Are you sure that you want me to leave?" Damien asked the tribe members. "I don''t know whether a healer will be taking this case. The chances of such a thing happening are rather low, ain''t I right? So, isn''t it better to let me take a look at their injuries?"


    "Who knows maybe I can heal them better than any healer?"


    "Are you going to leave on your own or shall I throw you out?" Robin raised his fist which was the size of Damien''s face and showed it to him. "If you are having trouble walking just say it."


    Damien clenched his fingers. He could feel that it was not just a threat, this man meant every word that he said¡ª¡ª if he did not leave then this man named Robin would make him leave.


    However¡ª¡ª


    "They are going to die," Damien stated in a cold voice, as Dan activated the skill ¡ª¡ª Eye of Observation which allowed Damien to see past the skin and flesh of a patient.


    ''Cool, this way I will not have to worry about not having an X-ray machine,'' thought Damien while he carefully examined the body of the patient lying on the ground.


    "You!" Robin turned around and raised his fists to hit Damien but thetter did not even flinch, instead he stared at Robin with a stern expression. He said, "Even if you do not let me treat them, they are going to die. So why not give me a chance?"


    He had already examined a few patients and had also received the diagnosis as well as the treatment ns. But unless these people allowed him to treat them, there was nothing Damien could do.


    His words struck a chord in the hearts of those who were waiting for the healer toe and treat their loved ones.


    This man was right. Because of the hatred and prejudice that everyone had for their tribe, there was no way the healers were going to take their case seriously.


    In fact, no one would being to help them.


    Since that was the case then ¡ª¡ª


    "I want¡­ugh¡­ I want to get the treatment," a man with his stomach cut open, groaned while lying on the ground.


    "Dear!" The beastwoman on his side was startled upon hearing the words of her husband. This man was not even a healer, was it not dangerous to let him treat her husband?


    "I am going to die anyway, so why not try it?" The man said to his wife who wanted to say something but upon seeing the deep wound on the stomach of her husband, she turned silent.


    Since they could not wait for death in silence ¡ª¡ª-


    The woman gritted her teeth and turned to Damien before saying, "Please take a look at my husband''s injuries doctor."


    "Sure," Damien agreed with a satisfied smirk as he turned to look at the beastmen next to him. "Can you bring some clean water and soap?"


    Even though he had sanitiser, it would not be hygienic if he treated this man without washing his hands.


    "But¡ª¡ª"


    "Go," the tribe leader finally spoke up. His stern voice echoed in the silent tribe with an assertive dominance. "This young man is right, no one is going to treat our tribe, since our tribe members are on the verge of dying ¡ª¡ª then we might as well try everything and anything instead of helplessly watching our members die."


    A grieving expression was softly etched on the face of the tribe leader, as he sighed and remarked mournfully, "At least that way, we can tell ourselves that we tried our best to save them."


    Robin pursed his lips hatefully. He did not trust Damien who suddenly arrived at their tribe, it seemed too much of a coincidence.


    He turned to re at Damien and said to him, "You better do as you have imed. If you fail in saving the lives of my tribesmen then a punch will not be the end of it." After throwing these angry words, the man turned on his feet and walked away. He was going to bring the water and soap as Damien asked.


    Damien was amused by the words of the beastman.


    However, he did not waste his breath on quibbling with him. His skills were enough to speak.


    Robin soon returned with arge pot of water and soap.


    Damien used these two things to wash his hands clean before turning to look at the man who was lying on the ground.


    "Eye of observation."


    [Activating Eye of observation.]


    The vision in front of Damien changed immediately as soon as the Eye of observation skill was activated. Now he was looking at a floating screen that showed not only the exterior but also the interior wounds inflicted on this man.


    [Poison of Banppee Wolf detected.]


    [Herbs required to clean the poison :


    Amberfodder, Dwarf castle, Milkapple and Giant''s finger.]


    [Abdominal aorta, superior mesenteric artery,rge arteries are unharmed.]


    [No tear in small intestine.]


    [Therge intestine has received severe damage. Feces have spread in the abdominal cavity.]


    Damien''s eyebrows furrowed. This injury was much more severe than he expected.


    "What''s wrong?" When Robin saw that Damien was frowning, he could not help but jeer at him. "Cannot treat his injuries? This is why I asked you to not boast so much."


    Damien turned to look at the fool before swiftly turning his gaze away, he turned to look at the tribe leader and said to him, "Go and bring these herbs."


    As he spoke, he recited the names of the herbs that he wanted.


    "Amberfodder, Dwarf castle, Milkapple and giant''s finger? Why do you need them?" The tribe''s leader frowned and questioned.


    "To treat the Poison of Banppee Wolf."

 Chapter 6: Saving a life

    "Banppee Wolf poison?"


    "He was infected by that poison of all things?"


    "Lax! Were you bitten by that beast earlier?" The woman next to the man lying on the ground questioned.


    She seemed rather agitated as she questioned the man named Lax.


    Damien calmly looked at the woman who was questioning her husband, before turning to look at the tribe leader.


    "There is no time to waste," he nced at Lax''s vitals and noticed the drastic drop in them. "Every second counts in this situation. So please arrange for the herbs as soon as possible."


    "I¡ª¡ªI got it," the tribe leader had little to no hope now that he knew that Lax was infected by Banppee Wolf poison. However, Lax was the tribe''s best fighter and the tribe leader did not want to give up so easily.


    Even if there was a fragment of hope left, he was going to hold on to it!


    "Someone go and bring the herbs," the tribe leader ordered the tribe members who were responsible for collecting herbs for the tribe.


    "Yes!"


    Someone dashed past the crowd and entered the hut where the herbs were kept but at the same time, they were all questioning Damien''s skills. Could this man really treat Banppee Wolf poison?


    "Tribe leader, are you really going to let this man fool around? Banppee Wolf poison is not something that can be treated casually! Even the healers cannot treat it!" Robin spoke to the tribe leader, his agitation visible.


    ''Ah, so this is an incurable poison?'' Damien questioned as he cleaned the wound of the man. His entire abdominal cavity was filled with human waste that needed to be cleaned along with the stagnant waste.


    The tribe leader also had his doubts but as he watched Damien clean the stagnant blood inside Lax''s body, he clenched his fingers and said to Robin, "Rather than watching him die, isn''t this better?"


    Robin gritted his teeth. He turned his attention to the man who was neither beast nor human. His morals grinding against one another. Robin did not trust Damien, as he felt that this man was ying with their tribe.


    It wouldn''t be the first time either.


    ''Please..please ¡­I beg you please save my brother!'' Robin who was only six years old begged a wandering healer on his knees.


    His brother who was younger than him by three years was suffering from Abhoe fever, a fever that did not have any treatment other than a potion created by a healer.


    ''Ah, you want to treat this little one?'' The healer looked kind and understanding, which was why Robin was fooled by him. ''Here take this potion little one and feed it to your brother.''


    Robin was more than grateful to that wandering healer who had given him a bottle of potion to heal his brother''s fever.


    Abhoe fever was not easy to treat and without the correct potion, the patient could even pass away in a few days.


    However, Robin had no money and no one to help him. So for him, the healer was like a messiah who descended from the sky.


    And Robin was grateful until he saw his brother drink that cursed poisonous potion and die right in front of his eyes.


    The sight was enough to fill Robin with wretched agony as he watched his brother die in front of him while begging him to do something.


    Robin would never forget the cries of his brother nor would he forget how that healerughed and said those cruel words,


    ''I did the work of God by removing a treacherous hyena beastman from this world.''


    For that healer, his brother was a treacherous beastman but for him, he was his little brother!


    And he was murdered under the pretence of kindness.


    So how could Robin trust Damien?


    "I brought the herbs!" A young beastman returned with the basket of herbs in his hands and rushed to where Damien was treating Lax.


    Damien looked up as he measured the herbs ording to the measurements written on the screen which was floating in front of him.


    Bit by bit, he ced the herbs inside the water and cleaned them before saying, "Bring a pestle and grind these herbs. Once they are finely grounded, roll them into a pill and feed them to him. Make sure that your hands are cleanly washed before you make the pill or touch the herbs."


    The beastmen were stupefied upon hearing hismands; they all looked at one another as if silently questioning Damien again.


    "We don''t have time," Damien said to the beastmen who flinched and went straight to work while he looked at the screen storage. There was nothing avable at the moment other than saline solution.


    But beggars can''t be choosers.


    Damien exchanged the remaining points that he had gained for the saline solution and cleaned the wound of the man before putting his intestines back inside his body.


    ''Damn it, if only I had a drain to clean his wounds,'' Damien thought as he cleaned the wound of the man.


    "We are done," one of the beast women said to Damien who had summoned the fine needle and thread to suture Lax''s wound. She showed him the pill that she had made and said, "Now shall we feed this pill to him?"


    Damien nced at the haphazardly looking pill and released a heavy sigh. If only his hands were free!


    "Yes feed it to him," there was no choice, he had to treat the wound of the man no matter what the cost, if he looked away or stopped his hands, then it might lead to a disaster.


    He needed to quickly treat Lax''s wound and sew it close or else this man would continue bleeding.


    When the beastwomen heard Damien''s words, they were still a bit hesitant but they had no choice other than to trust Damien.


    Lax''s wife Cora gritted her teeth and then fed the pill to her husband.

 Chapter 7: Managed to survive

    *********************************************************


    [Ding.]


    [Congrattions to the host for sessfully creating Banppee Wolf poison.]


    [Fame: +9]


    [Skills: +7]


    [New skill awarded: Sixty-seven Needle: This skill increases the speed of the host''s sewing skill as well as the precision.]


    [Please keep working hard.]


    ''Sweet,'' Damien grinned as he immediately activated thetest that he had been rewarded. Just as Dan said to him, this new skill allowed him to sew the wound of his patient in a few minutes and with great precision.


    "Is he really sewing a person like a piece of cloth?" Robin questioned in disbelief.


    The tribe leader also frowned upon seeing Damien sew Lax''s wound but he stayed quiet as he noticed that the bleeding of the wound had stopped.


    Once the wound was sewn close, Damien neatly removed the needle from Lax''s skin.


    Throughout the process, Lax did not scream or make a fuss which made the entire process much easier.


    It was a good thing that the beastmen were more powerful than humans.


    However, that did not mean that Damien was going to give up. Until he could not get his hands on modern anaesthesia, he would look for a way to make a substitute for it.


    "Honey! Honey! Do you feel alright?" Cora asked her husband who was lying on the ground.


    Though Lax did not look as pale as before, Cora did not dare to jump the gun. What if she believed that her husband had gotten better only for him to leave her alone in the end?


    After all, Banppee Wolf poison was something that even healers could not treat!


    Cora did not trust Damien''s concoction which was made from herbs that had light poison inside of them.


    "C¡­Cora?" Lax''s eyes slowly regained their focus, earlier he had lost all of his vision bit by bit and could not see anything or anyone anymore.


    But now he could see his wife''s face as well as the dark sky over his head.


    "Lax, you can see me?" Cora was so surprised that her eyes turned red and she couldn''t help but shed tears.


    Banppee Wolf poison ate away the senses of those who were infected by it. First, they lost their mobility followed by their vision and slowly all of the senses were destroyed before the infected person died.


    Since her husband regained his vision doesn''t this mean that he was healed!?


    "I can see..you," Lax nodded and upon hearing his response Cora was overjoyed. She reached out and hugged her husband tightly. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried, "All hail the beast, God!"


    Damien was amused by her prayers, the one who saved her husband was him but she was thanking the Beast God.


    "Don''t worry too much," he said to the woman. Damien pushed himself off the ground and said to her, "The treatment went smoothly, as long as your husband takes care of himself, he would be fine."


    "Thank you, thank you very much!" Cora lowered her head and thanked Damien again and again.


    "There is no need to thank me. I am a doctor, saving as many lives as possible is my duty," Damien told the woman as he turned to look at the rest of the tribe and said to them, "Who wants to go next?"


    The tribe members were stunned at first but when they saw that Damien really seeded in saving Lax¡ª¡ª-


    "My father! Save my father!"


    "Save my son! He is only sixteen!"


    "Alright," Damien smiled at the beastmen who were making a ruckus and said to them, "Calm down, I will do my best to save each one of you."


    Robin watched the sight in front of him and his fists unconsciously tightened. This was his first time seeing a healer treating hyena beastmen so politely and kindly.


    No, this man was not one of those haughty healers. He was a doctor.


    Fortunately, this man did not listen to his rude words just now or else ¡ª¡ª


    Robin''s cheeks heated up due to embarrassment before he turned on his feet and walked away.


    Tribe Leader Mae looked at Robin''s back and sighed. "It seems like he is still not willing to ept that this man is truly here to help us."


    "On the contrary, I think he has epted the truth," Jalle shook his head and remarked. "If my understanding of Robin is correct, he is just embarrassed."


    Robin''s departure had little to no effect on Damien who continued treating patients. Of course, he could not save everyone as some patients lost too much blood and their wounds were too severe.


    However, no one med Damien. These beastmen were already prepared to bury their fifty tribe members tonight. Compared to that, burying two tribe members was much better.


    But for Damien who couldn''t save these two beastmen, it was a huge blow to his self-esteem.


    ''I thought that I had nothing more to learn but it seems like I still have a lot of things to learn,'' he clenched his fists while staring at the beastmen who were covering the two beastmen who lost their lives to Banppee Wolves with shrouds.


    If he was fast enough, then these two could have been saved.


    Leader Mae held his hands together as if he were praying while standing next to the two beastmen who died.


    Damien did not understand a word that Leader Mae spoke while praying for the departed souls.


    However, he waited until Leader Mae was done praying and was about to take his leave when ¡ª¡ª


    "Mister," Leader Mae hobbled over to where Damien was standing and said to him, "Thank you for saving the members of our tribe. If you hadn''t shown us kindness then we would have suffered a big loss."


    "I just did what I could," Damien was neither too arrogant nor servile as he said, "Since I could save the lives of these people, it would have been cruel on my part to ignore them when they needed help."


    Leader Mae smiled at Damien''s words. This young man seemed to be kind and generous, he was different from the healers who only served the rich and the powerful.


    "No matter what, you still helped our tribe," he turned to look at the small girl who was standing behind him and said to Damien, "This is a small gift from our tribe, please don''t refuse it."


    As he spoke the girl stepped forward with the wooden tray in her hands and on top of the tray was¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 8: Houndhaw fruit

    It was a fruit. With glowing violet skin and blue leaves, in the centre of the fruit was a shimmering blue gem which looked very much like a diamond, except it was not.


    Damien could see that the gem was actually soft and jelly-like, only its appearance was like that of a gem.


    [Houndhaw fruit.


    Characteristics: Used as pain suppressants.


    Evolved Characteristics: Could be used to create a light spell which can be substituted for chemotherapy.]


    [Required Ingredients: Dwarfcherry, Raven Cat''s paw, Monk''s thorn, Troll Poppy.]


    [Collect the remaining ingredients for creating the spell.]


    Damien was simply stunned when he read the information disyed in front of him. His eyes flickered as he questioned Dan, "Can you do something like this as well?"


    [The host''s current body still holds a certain amount of mana which can be morphed and designed as per the system''s arrangement, even if most of it has been suppressed and destroyed.]


    So, it was because of this body that he was upying?


    But then again it did make sense in some way. This world was not the human world but a beast world where magic and strength seemed to exist and rule.


    They couldn''t be an anomaly in a world like this, it was a rather good thing that the remnants of the magic power of this body could be used by Dan to create magical spells which could be used to treat others.


    His eyes fell on the purchasing section of the screen and it was just as Damien expected, there was no such thing as a chemotherapy machine or dialysis machine up for purchase.


    In fact, they did not even exist in this section.


    ''Most probably this purchasing section only has those equipment that were present in theboratory at the time of the fire,'' Dan thought with a light frown on his face.


    As for how Dan was able to bring these things with him, Damien had to ponder over this matter a bit more.


    "Thank you," Damien epted the Houndhaw herb as he did have some use for it.


    Mae smiled at him before he thanked him once again.


    Having finished with his job, Damien turned on his feet and took his leave.


    "Young master! Young master Damien!"


    However, just as Damien stepped out of the territory of the hyena beastmen. He heard someone call for him, Damien turned around and saw a man rushing towards him on a sturdy stallion.


    His silver hair was swept back and there were many smudges on his blue and white soldiers uniform with golden tassels. His military cape fluttered behind his back.


    "Young master Damien! Where have you been?" The man questioned as he jumped down the horse. "You went to get Burr Berries three days ago but never returned. Do you even know how worried General Wolfe is?"


    Wistoria Wolfe.


    The nominal wife of this man whose body Damien had taken over.


    ''Worried? Yeah right. The only thing she must be worried about is me running away,'' Damien thought while rolling his eyes.


    "I was attacked by the Banppee Wolves," Damien answered as he pointed to the blood on his clothes. "Hiding was the only way I could survive."


    The predecessor''s magic powers were sealed off along with his beast form. It would be too much for him to say that he fended off those wolves for three days.


    "Goodness! Are you alright?" The man asked with a frown on his face.


    Though he was asking whether Damien was alright or not, the man didn''t seem much concerned about him. Of course, he wasn''t concerned.


    If Damien had died here, then Wistoria Wolfe would have gotten rid of this extra baggage as well as the stain on her name.


    "I am alright. At least I lived," Damien answered while walking over to the horse.


    "Doctor!"


    Damien turned around and looked at the man who was rushing over to where he stood.


    "What is a hyena beastman doing trying to get close to you?" The man questioned as his hands reached for his sword.


    "There is no need to pull your sword out, Xavier," Damien stopped Xavier as he finally recalled the name of this guard who was handed to him by Wistoria.


    Robin walked closer and closer to where Damien was, his eyes fell on Xavier who was eyeing him warily but he only nced at the man.


    With his beast form being a hyena, he was used to being looked at with disdain. What he was not used to was being looked at with kindness as if he was worth it as well.


    "What is it, Robin? Are you hurt as well?" Damien asked.


    "No," Robin shook his head as he pulled out a bird that was tied to the hook on the side of his belt. "This is Catoo. Its meat tastes really good when roasted, you can find this bird only in our tribe."


    Damien looked at the bird with ck feathers and a red beak before smiling. He took the Catoo as he knew that it was Robin''s way of apologizing.


    "Then if I get addicted to the roasted meat of this bird, I will be returning to your tribe," Damien said to Robin, whose eyes widened before he grinned, showing off his pearly white canines.


    He punched his chest twice with his fist before saying, "Leave everything to me, Doctor."


    Damien nodded and then turned on his feet before getting on the horse with Xavier''s help.


    Xavier, who helped Damien up on the horse, nced at the hyena beastman who genuinely looked grateful before turning his gaze away. He raised his whip and hit the hind leg of the horse, it neighed before sprinting past the territory of the hyena beastmen.


    "You are wee to our tribe anytime, Doctor!" Robin cupped his mouth and shouted at Damien who turned around and shouted back,


    "You can also look for me when you are in need, juste looking for Damien de Brystoria!"


    Robin waved his hand as if signing that he got it.


    Soon, as the horse picked up the pace, the giant beastmen turned into a speck of dark spot in the darkness before vanishingpletely.

 Chapter 9: An Unpopular man

    ***************************************************************************************


    "What are you nning now, young master?" Xavier asked while looking at the back of Damien''s head.


    If not for the fact that he couldn''t pull Damien''s head apart and see what was going inside of it, Damien was certain that this man would have done that by now.


    "What do you mean by nning? Did you not hear what the beastman said? I simply helped his tribe by treating their injuries," Damien grumbled.


    He understood why Xavier was suspicious of him but there was no need for him to make it so obvious.


    It was downright insulting.


    "Do you mean to say that you, who only read a few books on medicine, suddenly know how to treat people?"


    "And have you forgotten the part where you are considered a traitor?"


    "Or the fact that you were sent to the Wolfe family by the Emperor despite the stern rejection of the Wolfe family to be involved with the royal family?"


    Damien felt his heart pierced again and again by Xavier''s questions, he closed his eyes while breathing in and out.


    ''Calm down, calm down. You cannot take down this man, since you cannot fight with him at the moment..just let it go,'' Damien told himself before exhaling.


    He then said, "If you are suspicious then you can investigate the matter yourself. Isn''t that why you were ced next to me? To keep an eye on what I do and where I go, right? What are you worried about then?"


    "Don''t worry even if you dy a little on the investigation Wistoria will not me you. After all, you are her loyal servant."


    Xavier''s brows rose as he listened to Damien''s words.


    He believed that he had hidden his intentions quite cleanly, even the second and third brother of Damien could not tell anything.


    And those two were skilled in martial arts even when their beast nucleus was destroyed and suppressed like their brother.


    Yet this man who spent all the time in the library like a maniac to find a solution to repair his own broken core, was able to notice his sneaky actions?


    "Since the Banppee Wolves made such a loud ruckus, the healers and soldiers will annihte them, right?" Damien changed the topic of conversation as he was not good at dealing with people like Xavier.


    The way the man was looking at him changed every second and by change, he meant that Xavier''s gaze became more and more murderous.


    "I don''t think that will happen," Xavier closed his eyes and clutched the reins of the horse tightly. "The healers are too prideful to risk their lives to get hold of a second-ss beast like Banppe wolves and as for the soldiers¡­"


    "I heard that they are being bribed by the royal family to ignore the ruckus in Aeloria."


    The Wolfe family along with the Kiem family watched over the city of Aeloria. While the Wolfe family were neutral, the Kiem family who held the title of Duke were loyal to the Royal family.


    Thus, it was not a surprise that because of the strife and struggle between the two families, the city was in a mess.


    Even though Wistoria had control over half of the royal army, the other half was under the control of the Kiem family.


    At the moment, Wistoria and the rest of the Wolfe family were trying to suppress the Four-Horned Python beasts in the south.


    How would they deal with this mess with the Kiem family ignoring the entire situation?


    More importantly, there was another reason why Aeloria City was being dragged down. It was because of the Wolfe family''s rejection to let their only daughter marry this body''s second brother, who was now the Emperor.


    Emiliano de Brystoria had once proposed to Wistoria to gain a better foothold in the court years ago. But the Wolfe family had always been neutral.


    A rejection was obvious.


    But Emiliano, despite knowing this went ahead with his little n, and the result was as everyone expected. Who would have expected that Emiliano would take such a thing to his heart and suppress the Wolfe family?


    This was why Aeloria City, which had been under the control of the Wolfe family for centuries, was now under the control Kiem family with only half of the cities left under the Wolfe family''s jurisdiction.


    ''This damned luck of mine. If I was going to reincarnate then it would have been better to reincarnate in a prosperous country. Instead, I ended up here,'' Damien cursed his luck with a dead fish look on his face.


    Even without having any knowledge of political matters, Damien knew that this country was not safe and there was a very high chance of war breaking out.


    He didn''t even have a ce to run to because he was branded as a ve. If he tried to run away and forget about the crazy Emperor, he would be killed by his wife and her family first.


    "What are you thinking?" Xavier watched the man go quiet and questioned.


    "¡­.Can I not even have some thoughts now? Are you going to spy on them too?" Damien deadpanned and heaved a sigh when the man behind him no longer spoke.


    Silence was what he wanted and needed the most at that moment.


    The two of them travelled for three hours before they arrived at the mansion which was in the middle of the bustling city. Even though it waste at night, the streets were filled with people who roamed around the streets while boisterouslyughing and singing.


    Damien hopped down from the horse when Xavier came to a stop in front of the gates of the mansion where two guards were stationed and neither of them saluted him.


    ''What a mess. This body was really treated like an uninvited guest, wasn''t he?'' Damien clicked his tongue.


    The guards did not salute him but they were quick to salute Xavier who also jumped down the horse and straightened up to his full height.


    Noticing the sombre expression of the guards, he questioned, "What happened?"


    The guards parted their lips at once but did not say anything. Instead, they turned their heads and looked at Damien.


    Damien: "¡­" Just how unpopr was this man?

 Chapter 10: Suspicions

    Damien was not interested in whatever information the guards were going to share with Xavier. Anyway, he had Dan, who would let him know what was going on.


    "I will take my leave then," Damien said to Xavier as he stepped past the guards and headed inside therge mansion.


    As he had regained most of the memories of the predecessor of this body, he was not worried about getting lost in this gigantic mansion.


    Once he left Xavier turned to look at the guards and reprimanded them lightly, "Even if you do not like him, there is no need to make such a big show of it. Though in name, he is still Miss Wistoria''s husband."


    "Is he worthy?" One of the guards scoffed. "His beast nucleus is shattered and all the mana in his body has been destroyed by the Tartarite Nails. With a broken body, he is more of a stain to the name of the Wolfe family than Miss Wistoria''s husband."


    "Even so, do not forget what position you have!" Xavier stated sternly. "Do you think you have the right toment on the matters rted to Miss Wistoria?"


    The guards lowered their heads upon the reprimand but they still stubbornly believed that they were not in the wrong.


    Xavier sighed. He questioned while ignoring the rebellious expressions of the guards, "Tell me what happened?"


    "Oh yes!" One of the guards eximed upon hearing Xavier''s question. He at once replied, "It''s Master Nics. He returned from the expedition, however¡­"


    "However?" Xavier prodded.


    "However, Sir Nics is gravely injured," replied the other guard. "His left leg has been bleeding severely for hours and his right arm is cut off with only a few tendons connected."


    "Miss Wistoria went to call for a healer but the temple only sent a low-ranking healer who could do nothing."


    The guard on the right snorted and muttered darkly, "Who says that the healer didn''t do anything? He aggravated the injuries of Sir Nics."


    "That healer had no idea what had happened to Sir Nics and yet he went ahead and used spells which did not deal with the crux of the situation. Instead, he caused the injuries of Sir Nics to turn even more severe."


    When Xavier heard that Sir Nics was injured, he could no longer sit still and rushed inside the mansion.


    Sir Nics was not only his brother-in-arms but also his teacher!


    On the other hand,


    Damien walked past the glossy and luxurious-looking buildings inside the mansion.


    He turned left and right beforeing to a stop in front of a small building which was neither as luxurious as the other buildings that he had just seen nor was it as dpidated as the servants'' quarters.


    It was just average.


    "Now where was the bathing room?" Damien muttered as he looked around the small courtyard.


    He needed to take a bath as his skin was covered in blood and dirt, making him feel ufortable.


    As a doctor, he was used to staying clean and this was the first time in years that Damien was covered in such a mess.


    "Brother!"


    "Where have you been!?"


    Damien heard two voices, he turned around and looked at the two children who came running towards him.


    One of them was a fifteen-year-old boy and the other one was a little girl who looked ten or eleven years old.


    These two were the siblings of Damien in this world. Henry and Prisci.


    "Why haven''t you two slept yet?" Damien asked the two children.


    As he was born as an orphan, Damien had always craved the warmth of a family. Even though he was thrown in a messed up situation, where his father was dead and his mother was sick while he was wearing a mark of the ve¡ª¡ª


    Damien still thought he was in much better condition than he was in his own world. At least he was not alone here.


    Some people would feel concerned and worried about him.


    "How could we sleep?" Henry stated in a cold voice. "You have been gone for three days and then we heard from the guards that the mountains where Burr Berries are found were attacked by Banppee Wolves."


    "Prisci couldn''t even sleep a wink these days because of worry."


    The little girl looked up at Damien with her blue eyes filled with concern.


    She nodded and said to Damien, "Mother was also worried, we wanted to leave the house and look for you but we were not allowed to." Her voice became softer and softer as Prisci finished speaking.


    Of course, they were not allowed to leave the house.


    With him missing, Wistoria and the Wolfe family wouldn''t want the rest of his family to escape. As it would cause them unnecessary trouble.


    As ves, they didn''t have the same rights as others.


    "There is no need to worry, aren''t I back safe and sound?" Damien said to the two before turning to look at the small house that was dimly lit. "Is mother awake? I have brought the Burr berries."


    "¡­She is asleep," Henry answered as they started walking towards the small house. "She was awake just a while ago but she suddenly started coughing andined about feeling stuffy and sore. So we gave her some sleeping pills, and now she is sleeping."


    Since she was already asleep there was no need for him to wake her up for an examination, thought Damien with a light frown.


    "I understand, then I will see her in the morning," Damien spoke casually, however, the two children next to him turned serious.


    Henry couldn''t help but say, "Royal¡ª¡ª I mean Mother has been waiting for you for three days, Brother Damien. And you are saying that you will see her in the morning?"


    "You should go and see her now, that way Mother could be rest assured," said Prisci.


    Ah fuck. He messed up.


    Damien was not used to anyone worrying or caring about him thus he did not treat this situation properly.


    "I want to see her too but like you said, she was feeling sick before she fell asleep, so how can I distract her and disturb her sleep ?" Damien patted Henry on the head before saying, "I will see her in the morning, we shouldn''t disturb patients."

 Chapter 11: A wound that cannot be healed by spells

    After he finished speaking he nervously looked at his siblings. Thest thing Damien wanted to act out of character and end up being caught on his very first night in this world.


    Fortunately, Henry nodded after a while and hummed. With his hand under his chin like a little schr, he agreed with Damien, "You are right. Mother has just fallen asleep, it is not right to disturb her."


    "Right?" Damien heaved a sigh of relief and ruffled the hair of the little tease next to him. Nearly caused him to have a heart attack.


    "Get off me!" Henry pushed his hand away with an annoyed expression. He was not taking Damien''s act of ruining his neatlybed hair.


    Henry pushed him away and ran inside the house, Damien chuckled as he turned to look at Prisci who stiffened before she chased after Henry.


    She seemed quite nervous.


    "Wait for me!" Damien said to the two before running after them. But the two children only picked up their speed as they tried to get away from him.


    At the main mansion,


    "Can you do it or not!?" A young woman questioned with a cold expression. She was looking at the healer who was dressed in mboyant white robes with a golden belt draped around his shoulder.


    This golden belt signified that he was a high-ranking healer.


    Despite that, this healer could not stop the bleeding of Nics'' leg.


    "Miss Wistoria, please calm down," the healer said to Wistoria Wolfe. "I am sure that we will find a way to deal with this issue very soon."


    After he finished speaking, the healer turned to look at Nics''s leg which was still bleeding.


    Wistoria ran her hand through her silver locks, her red eyes were filled with distress and concern for her brother. She looked at Nics who was lying on the bed with a paleplexion and stated,


    "Healer Lyon, you said the same thing earlier but it had been an hour and my brother''s leg is still the same! Do you even know what it means to bleed for an hour?" Wistoria questioned harshly.


    Of course, Evan Lyon knew what could happen if Nics''s wound continued bleeding like this.


    Even if they were high-ranking beastmen, the Wolfe also had their limits. If Nics''s wound was not treated then by the third hour he would die.


    Healer Evan was also in a pinch when he thought about this weird situation.


    He had used all kinds of healing spells but nothing seemed to be working on Nics''s wound. Even if he somehow managed to close the wound that was bleeding, it would end up tearing open and would start bleeding in seconds.


    His gaze flickered as Healer Evan raised his head and looked at Nics''s torn arm which was connected by just a few tendons.


    He couldn''t heal his arm but how could a small wound like this one be impossible for him to treat?


    What should I do, thought Healer Evan.


    He gritted his teeth and raised his hand before chanting another spell.


    "Vibrant Vitality!"


    A golden light shed in the room and an exquisite golden array appeared in the air. Specks of golden light like broken bokeh covered Nics''s wound.


    At first, the wound seemed to have stopped bleeding but another secondter, the wound started to bleed again.


    ''I¡ª-it is not working? Why was it not working'' Healer Evan worriedly thought as he looked at the long gash that was bleeding and continued to gush out arge amount of blood.


    "Healer Evan, what''s going on? The bleeding is not stopping at all?" Gilderoy Wolfe, the head of the Wolfe family asked the healer who promised to stop the bleeding and treat the wound of his son in a jiffy.


    He didn''t know that an hour counted as a jiffy in the eyes of healers.


    "I¡ª¡ª I will go and take this matter to the higher-ups," Healer Evan knew that the matter was out of his hands. He bowed in a flustered manner before rushing out of the room where Nics and his family were present.


    Gilderoy watched the healer leave and his expression turned solemn. The previous healer said the same thing and he thought that a Healer of Holy Priest level would be able to treat his son.


    This was the very reason Gilderoy allowed Evan to treat his son.


    But looking at it, it seemed like everything went into a nought.


    "Father, what are we supposed to do now?" Wistoria asked worriedly. If this continued Nics might end up dying.


    Gilderoy patted his daughter on the head before saying, "Don''t worry, we will think of a way to deal with this problem."


    On the other side,


    Damien had justid down on the bed and stretched his arm over his head when he suddenly heard the voice of Dan echoing in his head.


    [Host, please head over to the main building. A patient is waiting for you.]


    "What is this? You are already assigning another mission to me?" Damien frowned and questioned. He had been working for an entire day and didn''t even get a chance to breathe.


    Throughout the entire day, he was running all over the territory that belonged to the hyena beastmen.


    He didn''t even get a chance to drink water and it was only now that he could stretch his arms and rest his tired waist.


    "I am not going," Damien refused, though he believed in saving every single patient, he knew that the patient was most probably from the Wolfe family as Dan asked him to head over to the main house.


    The Wolfe family did not trust him, even if he went to the Main house, he would probably be humiliated and sent back.


    So why should he head over to humiliate himself?


    He might as well continue lying on the bed and take proper rest.

 Chapter 12: A crazy man

    Dan looked at Damien who waszily lying on the bed. It remained silent for a while before there was a brilliant white light which shed inside the room.


    The light was too vibrant for Damien to ignore, he scrunched his brows and opened his eyes. As soon as he opened his eyes, his gaze met with a tiny hologram of his favourite actress.


    With her blonde hair tied in two long pigtails and her forget-me-not blue eyes, the hologram looked down at him.


    "Host, if you want to be a great doctor then you should listen to me," the hologram also copied the voice of his favourite actress.


    "UWAH!" Damien screamed in fright as he rolled off the bed. "You¡ª¡ªwhat are you doing? Were you using a man''s voice till now? Why are you suddenly using a woman''s voice now?"


    "Host, data cannot be defined by the gender norms of humans. It is a set of instructions which can take any form or shape ording to the wishes of its user," Dan exined calmly, the hologram crossed its arms and continued, "But if you feel ufortable then you can start calling me Dani or Dana, as per your wishes."


    Was that the problem here? Damien pressed the heel of his palm on his forehead with an annoyed expression.


    "What made you change your appearance all of a sudden?" Damien asked with a throbbing headache. He had a feeling that he knew the answer to this question already but he wanted to hear it from this A.I system.


    "It''s because I heard you say in theb that you would be willing to do anything for this woman," the hologram answered and Damien smashed his fists onto the bed in sheer humiliation.


    Sure enough, this system had been watching him from the very start.


    It was something really embarrassing that he had said while being half drunk but Dan had taken it literally as he could not understand the difference between drunk and conscious state.


    "What do you want me to do? Dan¡ª¡ªNo, Dani," Damien changed the way he was addressing his system now and looked at the hologram. "Do you want me to go to the main building and treat the patient?"


    "That''s correct."


    "However, do you not remember that I have no status, position or power in this family?" Damien tried to remind Dani. He sat down on the floor crossed legs and looked at the cute hologram. "I don''t think that they would let me treat this patient."


    Damien hadn''t forgotten how the guards even refused to talk about this matter in front of him. Clearly, Wistoria asked this matter to be hidden from him and his family.


    Most likely she was worried that he would leak this matter to Emiliano for the sake of regaining his position in the royal family again.


    Though her worries werepletely unjustified, Damien understood herck of trust in him.


    If he were in her shoes, he wouldn''t have trusted someone who couldn''t even defeat his younger brother and was kicked out of his position.


    With his current status as a ve, maybe if Damien of the past was to know about Nics''s condition, he might leak the information to his brother.


    Even if they had a feud, Emiliano was the only one who could save Damien from this tragic situation despite being the cause of it.


    Desperation could make people go crazy, Damien had faced such situations many times.


    "As a doctor, it is your duty to prevent a patient from dying. Isn''t that what you wanted? To save every life possible?" Dani spoke in a cold static voice. "If you refuse to follow the path that you have chosen ¡ª¡ª then host, you can only be counted as trash."


    Trash¡­?


    Damien''s left brow twitched, if this hologram was not just a set of instructions, he would have burned it.


    However, before Damien could say anything, Dani went ahead and continued, "If you save this patient, your skill ¡ª¡ª Sixty Seven Needle will level up. Other than that, you will also get an antibiotic potion."


    "This potion can be further processed. The host can then use it as a spell simr to a healer in this world."


    Antibiotic potion?


    If Damien was to speak the truth, this reward was quite tempting.


    He raised his head and looked at the hologram, however, the appearance of the little floating hologram brought some rather dark memories to his mind.


    Damien covered his eyes and waved his hand, "First change your appearance back to how it was."


    The cute little hologram tilted her head before muttering, "Humans are indeed quite picky."


    Her words left Damien to choke on the sip of water that he had taken. He turned to look at the hologram but by then Dan had taken the form of a little boy wearing a doctor''s coat.


    Compared to the first appearance, this looked better.


    "If you are feeling alright, why don''t you go and treat the patient? None of the healers can treat him, host. Only you with your medical skills and my knowledge can save him," Dan said to Damien in a childish voice.


    Damien sighed. He truly did not wish to get entangled in a messy situation like such but upon hearing Dan say that no one other than him could treat this patient, Damien couldn''t possibly turn a blind eye to the situation.


    With another sigh, he slid off the bed and put on his shoes.


    "If I get kicked or killed, you better be prepared to provide me with shelter," said Damien as he pushed the door of his room and headed towards the main building.


    Dan, who was floating above his head, nced at Damien before calmly replying, "Dan is an AI system built and created for the most urate and precise treatment of humans. Dan cannot hunt down shelters for you, host."


    Damien sneered but refrained from saying anything as one of the servants who was cleaning the horse stable was now looking at Damien with a wary gaze.


    Even with his toes, Damien could guess that this boy took him as a crazy man.

 Chapter 13: Locked in dungeons

    ************************************************************************


    Not wanting to be locked up as a madman, Damien increased his pace and arrived at the main building of the Wolfe mansion.


    "What¡ª¡ª are you doing here?" The guard who stood outside the main building was rather terse, he didn''t treat Damien with contempt but he didn''t show any respect either.


    His attitude was very simr to treating a beggar.


    "Can you call, Miss Wistoria?" Damien said to the guard with a polite yet businesslike smile. "I want to tell her something."


    "No," the guard answered in a heartbeat leaving Damien speechless.


    "Ohe on," Damien pped his hand and stated in a jolly tone, "This is really really important, if you do not listen to what I have to say then you will certainly regret it."


    However, the guard no longer spoke. He was treating Damien as if he was a grasshopper jumping around.


    A nerve throbbed in Damien''s forehead when he saw the tant disregard of the guard towards him. He wanted to raise his voice and say something very rude but then ¡ª¡ª


    "What''s going on here?" A charming voice called from the left and Damien turned to look at the beautiful woman who stood in front of the gates of the main manor.


    Her silver brows furrowed upon seeing him and she questioned in a cold voice, "What are you doing here ?"


    ''This must be Wistoria,'' thought Damien. He suppressed the annoyance in his heart caused by the guard and turned his attention to Wistoria.


    He said to her, "Miss Wistoria, there is something that I want to say to you if you could spare me two minutes¡ª¡ª"


    "Did I not tell you to live like a rat and not bother my family?" The woman sneered coldly. "Or do you think that just because you hold the title of my husband, you can show your face around while wriggling like a disgusting bug?"


    Her words caused the guards to burst outughing.


    Damien who was being pointed andughed at remained calm as he continued to stare at Wistoria with a serene smile.


    However, no one noticed how fingers twitched.


    When Wistoria noticed how calm he was, she snorted and turned to leave but she hadn''t even taken two steps when she heard Damien say,


    "If you do not listen to me then your brother will die tonight, Miss Wistoria. He¡ª" Damien didn''t even get a chance to finish when with a whoosh Wistoria swung the sword strapped on her side and pointed it at his throat.


    A drop of blood trickled down as the sharp end of Wistoria''s sword pierced through his skin.


    "How dare you¡­" her red eyes were filled with anger as she questioned, "How did you find out about the injury of my brother? Have you been spying on us all along?"


    Damien raised his hands in surrender upon facing the threat of getting stabbed to death. His lips were still curled up in a smile while he furiously cursed at Dan.


    "Are you satisfied now? Because of you, I will be dying for the second time in a row," Damie said to Dan. The first time he died because William wanted to steal the data and research behind the creation of Dan.


    And this was the second time where he would be stabbed to death by this crazy woman all because of Dan who asked him to save the brother of this woman.


    [Host, you are scaring yourself for no reason. The end of the sword is only one mm inside your throat, unless the depth of the wound reaches six mm, you will not die.]


    [ And with your skills and my knowledge, you can easily treat a life-threatening wound with ease. Please do not worry about dying for now.]


    "And what about the pain?" Damien asked with a twitch of his brows. "Do you know how bad it hurts to sew a wound shut without anaesthesia?"


    [¡­Dan is a set of instructions and¡ª]


    "Exactly! Since you cannot feel pain, don''t act like a ''know it all''!" Damien snapped at the system. This damned system caused him to be caught in quite a mess.


    Who would have thought that the patient was Wistoria''s brother? If he had known it was him, Damien would have dealt with this situation in another way.


    At least he would have tried to approach this situation gently.


    ''Who am I to me? I was also eager to get rid of this tag of ve,'' Damien thought with an annoyed sigh. The wise men were indeed right.


    One shouldn''t rush things.


    He looked down at the woman whose sword didn''t budge in the slightest and pretended to be as unperturbed as possible.


    Damien tried his best to appear harmless as he exined, "You don''t have to worry about anything, Miss Wistoria. Your family and I are in the same boat after all."


    "You want me to believe that?" Wistoriaughed with a mocking sneer ying on her lips.


    "It doesn''t matter if you believe me or not," Damien answered as a nerve started to throb in his forehead.


    Why was everyone in this world so stubborn?


    He proactively smiled at the woman and imed confidently, "All you need to know is no matter what kind of treatment the healers give your brother, they will not be able to treat him."


    "Only I will be able to help your brother."


    Though Damien didn''t know what kind of injury her brother was suffering from, Dan had already ryed Wistoria''s brother''s condition to him. A healer could never treat him.


    Unless Wistoria let him treat her brother, that man was bound to die.


    A few minutes passed by as the woman stared at Damien who didn''t let his smile drop as he continued to stare back at her.


    After a pause¡ª


    Wistoria dropped her sword and Damien heaved a sigh of relief but then ¡ª


    "Take him to the dungeon and lock him up. He is not allowed toe out of the dungeon unless he is willing to tell who passed the information to him."


    Damien: "¡­" What a disobedient woman.

 Chapter 14: Aphotic Flesh Eating Rats

    The guards moved at once. They had been listening to Damien''s bbering and were getting tired of his bold and foolish ims.


    Did he say that he could heal Nics when no healer could treat him? What a joke!


    A beastman whose nucleus was ruined with all the mana in his body destroyed was making such bold ims. It was amusing andughable at the same time.


    However, because Wistoria did not give them any order, the guards could only pretend as if they were not listening to their conversation.


    But now that they had gotten permission, one of them immediately conjured a magical handcuff which he carried in the space ring and tied it around Damien''s wrists.


    Damien: "¡­" Damn it. None of them was obedient.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" Damien made one final attempt as he said to Wistoria, "If you do not ept my help now, then it will not be free the next time youe to beg me."


    Beg him?


    Wistoria scoffed in disdain.


    "Take him away, what are you waiting for? If he doesn''t go with you obediently then drag him!" Wistoriamanded the guards.


    The two guards took a threatening step towards Damien who raised his handcuffed hands as he stopped the two guards.


    "Woah there gentlemen," he said with a smile. "I never said that I will not follow you. Just tell me where I need to go, and I will follow you two. There is no need for you to get handsy with me, alright?"


    "We can deal with this situation calmly," he then added with a pitiful expression, "I can''t do anything to you two anyway. With my nucleus gone, do you think that I can outrun two beastmen? You will certainly not act violently towards a weak man like me right?"


    "What will others say if you show your strength to a poor man like myself? That two beastmen tried to act all macho in front of a fallen beastman? That would be kind of humiliating wouldn''t it?"


    The two beastmen frowned when they heard Damien''s words. For some reason, they had a feeling that they were being yed by him but at the same time, they couldn''t help but agree with Damien.


    What he said indeed made sense.


    A beastman had his own pride. If they were to showcase their strength on a fallen beastman, they would certainly be made fun of.


    "Then follow us," the guard with a scar on his face spoke with a frown.


    "Certainly," Damien inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. He was certain that he was going to be dragged like a rag just now.


    Fortunately, the beastmen of this world were all about strength and power and paid little attention to schrly wisdom.


    If not they would have realised that they were yed by Damien.


    The two guards took Damien to the dungeon which was a horrible ce. With only dim torches ced at odd distances, the dungeon was more or less buried in darkness.


    It smelled of rotten flesh, blood and slimy moss.


    Damien heard the sound of dripping water from the ceiling and the sense of foreboding started rising in his heart at a tumultuous pace.


    And that feeling turned even worse when he heard the sound of water sloshing against his feet and the shoes that he was wearing started to get filled with water.


    The two guards took him to a dimly lit prison where Damien found himself half submerged in water.


    "Is there something that I should watch out for?" Damien asked the two guards when he heard the sound of the prison door getting locked.


    At first, he thought that the guards would ignore him but surprisingly one of them turned to look at him with a nasty grin ying on his lips.


    "If I were you, I would watch out for Aphotic Flesh-Eating Rats," said the guard with his watchful eyes as if eager to see Damien scream in panic. "They love eating the flesh of beastmen, you know?"


    No sooner did the guard finish speaking, than someone screamed down the dungeon and the eyes of the guards started glittering maliciously.


    "Then have a good night," the scar-faced guard said to Damien with a malicious chuckle. "We will see you in the morning if you can stay alive till then. Hahaha."


    *****


    "May the blessing of the beast god be with you," an elderly healer greeted Wistoria and Gilderoy in the main mansion.


    His silver hair wasbed neatly and he was wearing pale silver robes with a blue sash draped around his shoulders.


    He was an S-tier healer.


    "Lord Theodore," Gilderoy greeted the man with reverence. Even though the temple and the healers had aligned with the Imperial family, it would be foolish if they were to be hostile to the temple.


    "Lord Wolfe," Lord Theodore greeted Gilderoy back. He turned his attention to Nics Wolfe who was lying on the bed with a painful expression on his face.


    Before he began the treatment, Lord Theodore asked in a solemn voice, "What happened to him? If possible I would like to know what led to his current situation."


    Wistoria pursed her lips but after a short pause, she ryed what happened to Nics and her mind went back to the day when Nics got hurt.


    Three days ago,


    ''We need reinforcements!'' Wistoria said to the chiefs of the army of the Wolfe family.


    They have been trying to exterminate the nest of Four Horned Pythons, but there was more than one nest of these snakes which caused them to fall back.


    ''It will take three days before the reinforcements arrive even if we call for them now,'' a gigantic wolf that stood on its two feet growled as he refused the notion of calling reinforcements.


    The wolf stared at the pythons slithering inside the valley while standing on top of the cliff.


    ''We can deal with those beasts, Ria,'' snarled Nics in his beast form.


    ''But¡ª''


    ''There is no time to bother about such a thing! We have to deal with them now!'' Nics interrupted her. He unsheathed his ws which were sharper than any sword before he swiftly added, ''This is nothing to us Wolfe!''


    After speaking he jumped down the cliff on which they were standing.


    Wistoria could not stop her brother from jumping nor could she stay behind when her brother was in danger.


    She shifted into her beast form as well before jumping down the cliff as well.


    Wolf Beastmen were known for their agility, speed and strength.


    The fur on their bodies was imprable, which meant that the poison of the Four Horned Pythons did not affect them.


    This was the reason why the Wolfe family was given the responsibility to exterminate these pests.


    Even though they would receive some minor injuries, it shouldn''t be a problem for them.

 Chapter 15: Trust him or not ?

    ************************************************************************


    Thus, even though Wistoria thought it was a hassle to deal with these slimy worms, she was not scared of the situation.


    The only reason she wanted to call for the reinforcements was because there were too many pythons and it would take a long time before they could exterminate everyst one of them.


    And just as Wistoria expected, it took them three days to deal with the pythons.


    ''It is done¡ª Nics, we should¡ª'' Wistoria turned around to speak to her brother but the second she turned around, the man swayed on his feet and fell on the ground with a loud thump.


    ''Nics!''


    ''General Wistoria!''


    ''Commander has fainted''


    Back to the present,


    Wistoria finished rying everything to Lord Theodore who frowned even more when he finished listening to the entire situation.


    Wolf beastmen were different from wolf beasts.


    Strictly speaking, a wolf beastman would not be harmed by the poison of Four Horned Pythons. So how did Nics''s condition turn so bad in a few days?


    Lord Theodore was unlike the other priests, he didn''t use healing spells but instead first closely examined Nics. Even after using a myriad of assessing spells to detect poisons and spells¡ª nothing.


    However, he could not find anything wrong with him!


    He turned around and asked Wistoria, "Are you sure that nothing else happened, Lady Wistoria?"


    "Nothing, if something else had happened, then I would have certainly noticed," Wistoria replied confidently.


    Seeing her confident gaze, Lord Theodore frowned even more.


    "Is everything alright, Lord Theodore?" Gilderoy asked with a frown on his face.


    Lord Theodore shook his head and replied, "I am afraid not. I cannot find anything amiss nor can I understand what led to Lord Nics''s condition."


    He turned to nce at Nics who was breathing heavily while lying on the bed. His lips were pale and hisplexion was ashen. One look was enough to make it crystal clear that Nics was running out of time.


    Gilderoy held the back of the chair next to him and questioned, "Can you do nothing about it? I mean a S tier healing spell should work on this wound right?" It was just a small cut received from the scale of a Four Horned Python.


    Howe it couldn''t be treated? What was going on?


    "I can try, Lord Gilderoy¡­ but we cannot be certain about whether it will work or not. I will ask you not to raise your hopes," Lord Theodore said to Gilderoy who nodded stiffly.


    Seeing that Gilderoy had agreed, Lord Theodore turned his attention to Nics. He raised his hand and drew an array before chanting, "Blessing of the Wind."


    The array glowed before a gentle gush of wind emerged from the array and wrapped itself around Nics''s wounds.


    Gilderoy and Wistoria looked at the healing wound eagerly. They were hoping that this time around the wound would heal perfectly but ¡ª


    Even though the newly healed skin remained intact for a while. The wound soon reappeared and the skin started to bleed again.


    Seeing that not even an S-tier healing spell could heal the wound of Nics, everyone in the room turned pale with fright.


    "It''s not working!? Why is it not working?" Wistoria asked Lord Theodore but even he was shocked by the sight in front of him.


    Even he could not understand what was going on. Even if it was impossible for the wound to perfectly heal the bleeding should have stopped after an S-tier healing spell was used right?


    ''It''s just as that man said,'' Wistoria looked at her brother''s wound and gritted her teeth. ''I thought that he was just boasting but even a S tier healer could not treat this wound.''


    ''Do I really have to bow my head and ask that man for help?''


    Gilderoy closed his eyes in desperation as well.


    "Forgive me, Lord Wolfe," Lord Theodore extended his condolences as he knew that there was nothing that they could do at this point.


    As he did not wish to extend his stay in the Wolfe family when such a thing had happened to the heir of the family, Lord Theodore took his leave.


    Once he was gone, Gilderoy swayed and sat down on the chair behind him.


    He looked rather lost and confused.


    "Father!" Wistoria looked at her father who was sitting on the chair in a daze. She walked over to her father and knelt in front of him, she said to him, "Don''t worry father, I will think of a way to save brother Nics."


    "How¡ª even an S-tier healer could not save him," Gilderoy spoke in a detached voice. He wanted to ept the reality but he couldn''t.


    How could he just ept the fact that his son was going to die?


    Wistoria looked at her father who was staring at the pallid-looking Nics. She pursed her lips and then stepped out of the room, even though she was rather suspicious of Damien.


    But she had to admit that what the man said indeed came true.


    He told her that no matter what kind of healing spells were used, her brother''s life would not be saved.


    So, even though she didn''t have an ounce of trust in him, Wistoria decided to take the risk of trusting that man.


    After all, what other choice did she have in front of her?


    "Miss Wistoria!"

 Chapter 16: About to become a feast

    Wistoria turned to look at the man behind her.


    "Xavier, what are you doing here?" It was past midnight and he was still awake?


    "Miss Wistoria, there is something that I would like to tell you," Xavier stood in a dark corner outside therge threshold of the main manor.


    As he stepped out, the mes burning in the bowl ced on three interlocked wooden poles cast a golden hue on his cold face.


    His silver hair turned two shades darker as he stopped in front of Wistoria. "It''s of utmost importance, which is why I would hope that Miss Wistoria would listen to what I am going to say."


    Wistoria''s brows furrowed but she turned to face Xavier. She said, "Whatever that you want to say, Xavier, please do hurry, I have to think of a way to cure Nics¡ª"


    "He cured the Banppee wolf poison."


    No sooner did those words fall, than Wistoria stopped speaking. She raised her head and looked at Xavier, her eyes filled with shock.


    "What did you say?" She asked. Even though she understood what Xavier was telling her, for some reason Wistoria could not register those words in her head.


    Damien de Brystoria, the man who was so powerless in the face of his half-brother''s scheme that he lost his position as the crown prince of the Brystoria Empire¡ª


    Did he actually cure Banppee Wolf''s poison?


    Those beasts, even if Wistoria had only dealt with them once or twice, she knew that the poison of those beasts was deadly.


    Even an S-tier healer wouldn''t be able to treat that poison and anyone bitten by those beasts was as good as dead.


    "Are you joking with me?" Wistoria asked inplete disbelief. "How could he treat such a deadly poison? If he knew such a great thing how could he have lost his position as the crown prince?"


    Damien had no qualifications other than being the son of the Empress. Compared to Emiliano, he wascking in every way possible; this was one of the reasons why he was so easily swept off from his position.


    So how could he know how to make such a precious antidote? If he had produced this antidote a few months ago, he could have challenged Emiliano and he could have also protected his beast nucleus.


    Why would he go through so much pain?


    Xavier hesitated. Indeed he had thought the same thing as well.


    Even if he could not understand why would Damien stay quiet in the face of such unfairness when he was so capable.


    The elders of the Brystoria family only cared about qualifications, power and connections.


    As long as Damien had announced to the world that he could treat Banppee poison which even the healers could not, he would have umted a bunch of supporters.


    Emiliano would also have to take a step back but¡ª


    "I am certain. I sent a few men to the hyena tribe where I found Lord Damien," Xavier though confused himself, pressed. "ording to the men, those hyena beastmen were indeed infected by Banppee poison as they had already examined the corpses of those who died."


    "However, the death rate was incredibly low whenpared to every other tribe which was attacked by those heinous beasts. When they asked around, the hyena beastmen all said the same thing Lord Damien, who imed to be a doctor, saved them."


    Wistoria frowned. She asked, "What are you trying to achieve by telling me this?"


    Xavier inhaled sharply with his arms crossed behind his back. After a long and heavy pause, he knelt on the ground in front of Wistoria and said to her, "Lady Wistoria, please let Lord Damien take a look at Lord Nics''s injuries. Maybe he might be able to do something miraculous."


    "Are you aware of what you are saying?" Wistoria asked with a tinge of annoyance. It was one thing that Damien''s words had confused her already but now Xavier was also joining in the fray.


    "I am aware, Lady Wistoria," Xavier also knew that he might be rushing but what choice did they have?


    Nics''s condition wasn''t looking great and if this went on, even if he was a beastmen if he continued bleeding then it would not be long before he lost his life.


    Xavier closed his eyes while kneeling in front of Wistoria as he determinedly said, "I am willing to put my honour on the line, Lady Wistoria. If something goes awry during the treatment then I will willingly hand my knighthood back to Lord Gilderoy."


    He would rather take risks than watch his mentor and brother die in front of him. Xavier hated this feeling of helplessness.


    Wistoria looked at Xavier, she closed her eyes and breathed out.


    "Fine," she said with an annoyed look on her face. "Go get him. Tell him that we are willing to let him treat my brother."


    Hope surged in Xavier''s heart as he climbed to his feet, he bowed in front of Wistoria before saying, "Thank you. Thank you for listening to me, Lady Wistoria."


    He bowed two more times before rushing down the stairs.


    Wistoria watched him leave and pursed her lips.


    ''Damien de Brystoria, you better save my brother after causing such a big hoo-hah. Or else it will be your funeral!''


    Inside the prison, Damien looked at therge rats who looked right back at him. With their glittering red eyes and mouths filled with sharp piranhas-like teeth, they looked rather ugly.


    "What are you looking at?" Damien hissed at the army of rats, his hands holding a needle and a thread as he dangerously growled at the rats. "You better note here or else I will sew your mouth shut."


    [¡­Is the host talking to rats?]


    "Can''t you see I am threatening them? Where did you see me talk to them?"


    [¡ªRats don''t understand human speech.]


    "Oooh, thank you for telling me," Damien turned to look at the hovering hologram next to him which only he could see. "I thought that you were blind for the past fifteen minutes. You ¡ª can''t you see where you havended me? It''s bad enough that I had to live as a ve and now because of you." He jabbed his fingers at the hologram. "I am about to be the feast of rats!"

 Chapter 17: Getting rid of the title of a slave

    *****************************************************************************


    Dan blinked his eyes and then turned to look at the rats which were the size of dogs in the human world. He thought for a while before saying, "There is no need to worry, host. You can take them on."


    "Are you fucking crazy?" Damien nearly yelled at the hologram as he turned and kicked the rat that tried to take a bite of his leg. "Look at their size and look at mine. I am alone and they have an army! You want me to take an army of rats?"


    "To whom you are talking?" A new voice joined and Damien turned to look at the new guests. It was Xavier and the guard who brought him here.


    "Is it morning already?" Damien asked, his lips curled in a smirk.


    The guard who had spoken harshly to Damien just two hours ago curled his toes. He wanted to crawl in a hole and hide, if he had known that Lady Wistoria would call this man to treat Nics, he would have treated Damien with a bit more respect.


    Xavier nced at the guard coolly who dropped his head even further before turning to look at Damien. "It is not morning yet. However, Lady Wistoria has permitted you toe out of the prison¡ª"


    "I am noting out," Damien interrupted Xavier who raised his head and looked at him in shock. The man was sitting on two protruding bricks to avoid getting submerged in water.


    And yet he was saying that he did not want toe out of the prison?


    "What do you mean by that you are noting out of the prison?" Xavier asked. This was his first time meeting someone who refused toe out of the prison.


    Usually, most of the prisoners were more than eager toe out of the prison.


    "Noting out means¡ª noting out," Damien sneered. Did that woman think that she could throw him in prison as she liked and then pull him out as she wanted?


    He too had his pride alright!


    "Lord Damien, this is not the time for you to be wilful. There is a life at stake¡ª"


    "Ooh, is there?" Damien drawled with a fake surprised expression. He then curled his lips and stated, "Isn''t that why I asked yourdy to let me treat the patient? Did she listen to me? No? Instead, my good intentions were rewarded with a night in the prison."


    Damien then looked around the cell before remarking, "Now I quite like it here. Look I also made new friends," he pointed at the rats.


    Dan looked at the man who wasining about rats till now but was now calling them friends.


    "Are all humans just asplicated as you?" Dan asked.


    "Shut it."


    What do you mean by shut it?


    Xavier drew in a breath and released it. He said, "This is not the time for you to throw a tantrum, Lord Damien."


    "Tantrum ha?" Damien snorted. "I am not throwing any tantrum. I told your dearestdy that if she did not ept my help when I was offering it to her, it would be more difficult and expensive."


    He turned to look at the guard before saying, "I said it didn''t I?"


    The guard hesitated before nodding. "He indeed said that."


    "You hear that?" Damien snorted.


    "Then what do you want?" Xavier asked as he looked at Damien who despite being locked in the prison was putting forth his demands.


    "I don''t think that it''s a matter of what I want," Damien said with a smile. "It''s a matter of what you think the worth of the patient is."


    "You¡ª"


    Xavier took a threatening step but then he paused. He took a sharp inhale and turned on his feet before storming out of the prison.


    The guard not understanding what had happened chased after Xavier.


    "Why did you not agree with them?" Dan asked as he turned to look at Damien. "Shouldn''t you put the life of a patient over everything else?"


    "I do agree with you. Saving the life of a patient is indeed important, but do you know what is more important?" Damien asked the AI system who furrowed his miniature brows.


    "What?"


    "Saving my own life," Damien answered. He pointed at the wound on his neck which was still slightly red and stated, "If I don''t remove the tag of a ve from my head, I will be killed without mercy at the smallest thing."


    Damien realised this when Wistoria raised her sword at him.


    He was not on an equal footing with her which meant that she could treat him as she wanted.


    If he wanted to survive then he had to get the title of ve to be removed from his name.


    At all costs.


    Of course, he did not believe that the process would be simple but at least he had to take the first step towards it.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, a rat pounced taking advantage of the opportunity pounced on him.


    Damien nced at the rat which had opened itsrge mouth to take a bite of his arm and immediately turned around. He raised the needle in his hand and activated his skill.


    [Sixty-Seven Needle activated: The speed of using a needle and thread has been increased by sixty-seven stitches in a second.]


    Within seconds, the mouth of the rat was sewn shut.


    The rat dropped back into the water as it whimpered in pain and horror. Blood oozed from its snout as it tried to open its mouth but couldn''t.


    "Didn''t I say that I would sew the mouth of the one who attacks me?" Damien offered a smile which seemed way too evil causing the rats to scatter at once.


    ********************************************

 Chapter 18: The Title of ‘Slave’

    ng.


    The sound of something breaking echoed in the study of the Wolfe family.


    "Did he really say that?" Wistoria asked Xavier who was kneeling in front of therge table. A chunk of wood clutched in her hands as she raised her hand from the armrest of the chair which was broken by her.


    "Yes," Xavier answered and Wistoria let out a growl. She threw the chunk of wood onto the floor. A part of her wanted to ignore that man who had shamelessly raised his payment in just a matter of two hours.


    But when she thought about her brother and his condition ¡ª


    Wistoria closed her eyes and stood up from her chair.


    "Let us go. I will listen to what he has to say," Wistoria said to Xavier. If not for the fact that Damien was the only one who seemed to have deduced what was going on with her brother, she would have ignored him and his wilful antics.


    But given the condition of her brother¡ª


    They couldn''t leave the matter hanging for too long.


    Xavier stood up from the floor and followed Wistoria. The two of them walked past the winding corridors beforeing to a stop in front of the gates of the dungeons which was at quite a distance from the main mansion.


    "Open the gates," Wistoria said to the guards who hurriedly pulled the chains of therge iron gate.


    The iron gate was pulled up in a matter of seconds and Wistoria marched down the dimly lit corridor even though the water level kept rising bit by bit, it did little to nothing to slow down her pace.


    Thus, in seconds Wistoria was standing in front of the dungeon''s cell where Damien was locked up.


    She nced at the man who was lying on top of the bodies of flesh-eating rats, some of them were even standing on guard as if waiting for Damien to pass down an order to them.


    Wistoria was struck dumb at the sight in front of her.


    How in the world did he tame these things?


    She turned to look at Xavier and questioned, "Can these rats be tamed?"


    "There haven''t been any instances of such a thing happening till this day though," Xavier answered. Even he, who had seen all kinds of weird things, had no idea what to make out of the situation in front of him.


    "Maybe the rats recognise their family members?" The guard who had locked up Damien spoke and both Wistoria and Xavier turned to look at him nkly.


    "Sorry," the guard apologised after being stared at by the two highest-ranking people in the Wolfe family.


    Wistoria exhaled heavily with an eye roll. She turned to look at the man who was lyingfortably inside the dungeon cell and cleared her throat. However when the man did not react, she narrowed her eyes and announced coldly,


    "I am here, what did you want to say to me?"


    Damien raised his arm which he had ced on his eyes and turned to look at Wistoria. He faked an innocent reaction before saying, "Ah,dy Wistoria. What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here though? At such ate hour? Did you miss the warmth of your husband?"


    "Imprudent!" Wistoria''s cheeks flushed red with anger. She raised her voice and snapped, "How dare you¡ª" She looked at the two guards who were looking anywhere but at her. She gritted her teeth and hissed, "Say such crude words in the presence of others?"


    "You mean to say it is alright for me to say these words when we are alone?"


    "Damien de Brysrtoria!" Wistoria''s eyes now held little mes. She red at the man in front of her and sneered, "You better not act cheeky with me."


    Damien sighed. He pushed himself from the bed made of rats and snapped his fingers. The flesh-eating shivered and immediately swam up the water to make a throne for Damien.


    After seeing more than six of their kind fall, how could they not be scared of this terrifying man? He did not kill them but rather gave them a more brutal death.


    These beasts were not as intelligent as beastmen but they were still quite quick in perceiving danger.


    Wistoria and Xavier: "¡­"


    The guard: "¡­" Fuck! I have been guarding this prison for ages and yet these rats have never shown such fear in my presence!


    Damienfortably sat down on the back of the rats while looking at Wistoria. He smiled at her proactively before saying, "When did I act cheeky? Wasn''t I just asking you, mdy, what you are doing here?"


    "You know why I am here," Wistoria said grimly.


    "Hmm..do I?" Damien tapped his chin with a pondering look on his face. "Oh is it because of what happened earlier? What? Did my predictione true? It did, right? None of the healers could heal your brother.


    Ain''t I right?"


    Wistoria clenched her fingers as rage surged in her veins. Her jaw moved twice before she asked, "Can you treat my brother?"


    Damien nced at Dan who nodded and replied, "The recovery chances of this patient are more than 76%. If I examine him properly then the chances can go even higher."


    "I can," Damien turned to look at Wistoria. "But¡ª I want my title of the ve as well as my family to be removed and of course the payment of the treatment."


    "Impossible!" Wistoria was quick to refuse but a secondter, she exined, "It is not that I don''t want to remove the title of a ve from your name but it is impossible. This position was given to you by the Royal family and the current Emperor, himself. There is nothing I can do about it."


    She paused and added, "Only someone from the royal family can help you remove this title. Preferably your brother."


    Damien frowned. Does that mean he needed to deal with Emiliano? He did not want to at least not for now.


    He first needed to find a way to solve the matter of his broken beast nucleus. With no power to protect himself, Damien knew the consequences of attracting the attention of the enemy.


    *******************************

 Chapter 19: Precious wife’s request

    ''Let''s not startle that snake,'' Damien thought as he returned his attention to Wistoria who was rather sensibly waiting for him to speak.


    "Then I want the status to be removed at least in Aeloria," Damien wasn''t greedy for fame. All he wanted was to live a decent andfortable life having lived a life of nothing but struggle in the past.


    Of course, he wanted to save the lives of people as a doctor.


    In his past life, William asked him to pay more attention to the AI system that he was creating and did not let him work too much at the front line.


    Back in those days, Damien foolishly thought William was looking out for him. Only now that he had died, did he realise that William actually wanted to keep his skills hidden lest he outshone him.


    ''No wonder Patrick (his best friend in the past world) said that I was blind. This was what he meant ¡ª I blindly trust some really shady people!'' Damien sighed and shook his head dejectedly.


    "You are asking too much," Wistoria didn''t say anything as she had her head lowered and seemed to be lost in thought. It was Xavier who spoke.


    With a frown on his face, he said to Damien, "If we were to give you the freedom and respect amon person deserves, we would attract the ire of the Royal family."


    "Have you not already?" Damien questioned innocently.


    ¡­ caw~


    "Fine," Wistoria finally spoke up.


    "Lady Wistoria!" Xavier turned around and looked at her with a startled expression.


    Wistoria ignored him and said to Damien, "If you save my brother, I will make sure that you are given the respect that you deserve but¡­" she paused and narrowed her eyes at the obnoxious man. "If you fail in saving my brother then you might as well be prepared to lose your life."


    Even though she did not trust Damien, Wistoria had no choice other than to ask for his help as he was the only one who seemed to be aware of the problem.


    And as for the demands that he had made, Wistoria was not as shameless as to ignore them. She was the one who threw Damien in prison without proper investigation and her own biased attitude.


    If Damien truly only wanted to save her brother then her actions were rather conscienceless.


    A proper apology was something that Damien deserved.


    Thus, there was nothing wrong with giving him the respect he was asking for¡ª


    ''Not to mention saving my brother''s life when none of the healers could is a great matter of importance,'' thought Wistoria.


    But this was only when Damien saved the life of her brother.


    She raised her gaze and met with Damien''s smiling one. The man had at some momente to a stand in front of her and was now looking at her.


    He cheekily grinned and remarked, "My wife is making a request from me so politely. How can I refuse her?"


    Wistoria''s cheeks flushed red upon hearing his flirtatious words. She said to him, "I don''t appreciate your insolent actions, lord Damien."


    "Hmm, well it''s fine as long as you appreciate my medical skills," Damien smilingly remarked. He turned to look at the two men and said to the guard, "Now are you going to open the gates of this prison cell or are you going to bring the patient here?"


    The guard snapped out of his daze. He looked at Wistoria and then turned his gaze at Damien.


    Why was this man still alive? Thest time a man had tried to flirt with Wistoria, he lost his tongue and yet Lady Wistoria let this man off so easily?


    Was it because she needed his help? That must be it. If not this imprudent man would have certainly died, thought the guard to himself.


    However, he kept his curiosity to himself and opened the lock of the prison cell.


    "Let us go," said Damien. "We have a patient to treat."


    ***


    An hourter Damien was standing by Nics''s bed and carefully examining his wound.


    "Why did you bring him here?" Gilderoy asked his daughter and Xavier. He had no respect for Damien as he was a burden pushed on the head of the Wolfe family to humiliate them.


    Not only was his beast nucleus broken, but he was unskilled in swordsmanship and was a man who only knew how to read useless books on medicine and herbs despite not awakening as a healer.


    "He was the one who told me that no matter how many heals the healer uses, they would not be able to heal Nics," Wistoria answered her father with a calm expression, though she was panicking inside as well.


    She hoped that Damien could treat her brother because he was theirst hope.


    "Did he say that?" Gilderoy was surprised by the words that his daughter said, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you certain? He could be lying." Damien was Emiliano''s brother. Who knows that this could be a chance to assassinate his eldest son?


    "We have to just wait and see what is going on," Wistoria sighed and stated.


    Xavier who stood behind his masters carefully assessed Damien. His eyes were devoid of any warmth. Though he was the one who begged Wistoria, he too had little trust in Damien.


    ''Let''s see whether you can do what you imed, Lord Damien,'' he thought while rubbing the back of his palm. If this man dared to harm Nics, he would kill him with his ws.


    Doesn''t matter if he would have to hand his head in exchange for killing a member of the royal family.


    [Activating Eye of observation.]


    Damien''s eyes turned a brilliant shade of gold as soon as the observation skill was activated. He nced at the wound which seemed to have been infected and his face changed slightly.


    ''So this is where the problem lies huh?'' Damien thought as he finished studying the wound of Nics.


    "Examinationpleted," No sooner did he finish X raying the wound, Dan announced next to his ear. "You need the Blood of Goblins, Slipheather and Bunglemint to treat this wound."


    [Goal activated: Create a cleansing ointment.]

 Chapter 20: Doing what an S tier could not

    "Have you found the problem?" Gilderoy questioned. Though he was just as suspicious of Damien as his daughter, he was still much more polite than her.


    At least he hadn''t exactly glowered, red or cursed at Damien for pretending to know something that even the healers did not.


    "I have," Damien turned to look at Gilderoy Wolfe, the current head of the Wolfe family. With a professional smile on his face, he exined, "This is not a major issue, as long as the healers had determined the cause of the continuous bleeding before using any healing spells, everything would have been fine, Lord Gilderoy."


    Gilderoy''s eyes widened as he turned to look at his daughter and then back at Damien. He seemed to be questioning whether the world had tilted upside down and he had somehow stumbled into an alternative reality.


    How in the world, did a trashy, discarded prince do something that even an S-tier healer could not do?


    ''That''s what he is thinking right now,'' thought Damien as he studied the expression of the man who was staring up and down at him.


    "¡­Are you implying that the healers whom I have called to heal my son did not carefully examine him?" Gilderoy seemed to be having trouble epting the reality.


    Of course, Damien did not me him, instead, he looked at Gilderoy almost sympathetically.


    This man had looked down on the body he had upied for several good years of his life and now all of a sudden the reality Gilderoy believed in had turned around.


    Damien understood the man.


    He too would have had a hard time epting such a thing if one of his bumbling idiots of a trainee doctor came to him and told him that they had performed a perfect heart transnt when in truth they had a hard time even drawing blood from patients.


    "I won''t say that they made a wrong deduction, it is just that they did not pay attention to something they should have," replied Damien. He turned to Wistoria and asked, "Can you ask someone to bring Blood of Goblins, Slipheather and Bunglemint? And of course, a pestle and mortar would be nice too."


    Wistoria frowned upon hearing the list of ingredients. However, she still asked one of the servants to bring the herbs and ingredients that Damien asked for. "Go and bring them."


    She was half curious and half confused as she did not understand why Damien wanted medical ingredients which were usually frowned upon by healers and wanted to see what Damien was even trying to do.


    The servant bowed his head before taking his leave.


    "¡­Blood of Goblins? Are you implying that Nics has been drugged with an aphrodisiac?" Gilderoy asked with a growing dissatisfaction as the use of goblin blood in this world was to quench the thirst of women or men when they are drugged by an aphrodisiac.


    He paused and added, "Even if he was there is no way the healers would not have noticed, after all, they have studied and researched more than a hundred poisons as well as their antidotes."


    Damien sighed. Seriously being a doctor in a world of magic spells and potions was really difficult. No one heard a thing that he had to say. He turned around and looked at Gilderoy before saying,


    "Milord, I didn''t just ask for Blood of Goblins but also Slipheather and Bunglemint," Damien though annoyed, politely spoke to the man. "And not once did I say that his condition is a result of getting drugged by an aphrodisiac."


    "What¡ª"


    "Lady Wistoria, I have brought the ingredients," the servants who went to the apothecary to get the ingredients returned, and behind him was a young man.


    With his light brown hair with golden edges at the end, the man reminded Damien of a barnyard animal. Which he might be given that this world was where the beastmen prevailed.


    "This man here told me that someone is going to treat Lord Nics''s wounds," said the man with a nervous yet curious voice.


    His eyes peered at the bed where Nics was lying and then he turned to look at Damien who was sitting next to the bed. "Are you the one going to treat the wound, Lord Damien?" The man asked with a slight tilt of his head.


    "I dare say I am indeed going to treat this wound," Damien said as he took the ingredients that the servant had brought along with pestle and mortar.


    He looked down at the stone pestle and mortar before asking Dan, "Will I get a skill where I can process the ingredients without using these things?" He was notining but it was indeed a bit troublesome to process medical ingredients with such low-quality materials.


    "Yes, if your mana energy recovers then you can process the medical ingredients," replied Dan and Damien heaved a sigh of relief. Well as long as there was hope.


    Damien ground the leaves of Slipheather and Bunglemint herbs before adding the goblin blood as per the instructions of Dan.


    Once the three ingredients were perfectly mixed together, Damien used his hands to squeeze out the slimy liquid while throwing the waste in the trash can sitting next to the wooden cab behind him.


    "Is this salve?" The man who came with the servant asked while peering over Damien''s shoulder. "Fascinating, I have only seen the low-ranking beastmen using such a thing."


    "It''s an ointment," Damien corrected and then turned to look at Nics who was half conscious and half unconscious before asking, "You don''t feel any pain, do you?"


    "What kind of question is that? My son has been bleeding for hours, of course¡ª"


    "No¡­it doesn''t hurt."

 Chapter 21: Mutated Parasites

    As soon as Nics answered, everyone in the room turned to look at the man lying on the bed.


    "Why¡ªwhy did you not say such a crucial thing earlier?" Gilderoy spluttered, his eyes widening as he looked at his son. Was this something that he should have kept to himself?


    Nics, whose face was paler than the moon, breathed heavily. He turned his head to the side and answered, "No one asked me anything, I thought ¡ªI thought it was not of significance."


    Gilderoy wanted to say something but was interrupted by Damien.


    "It is a good thing that you are not feeling any pain," stated Damien. "Because now you certainly will."


    As he spoke Damien summoned the scalpel from his inventory and without giving a chance to anyone he made a long slit on Nics''s leg which was bleeding.


    The wound which was bleeding turned even more mangled because of his actions.


    "What do you think you are doing!?" Gilderoy demanded but his words came to a sudden halt when Wistoria shrieked and Xavier gasped behind his back.


    As Damien cleanly made a slit, the numerous thorny-headed worms came into view.


    The thick ck worms with bodies simr to caterpirs but with the shell of a beetle, were embedded in Nics''s flesh.


    Sharp little thorns protruded out of their bodies with which they tore and cut Nics''s flesh. It was a bloody feast for those disgusting things.


    [Boreal Worms]


    [Parasitic worms that feed on the flesh and blood of Beastmen.]


    [Symptoms: Upset dder. Exceptional slow rate of healing of wounds, weakening of the bodies of the Beastmen.]


    [Caution: They reproduce really quickly causing the bodies of their host to turn into empty vessels.]


    "Boreal worms?" Gilderoy''s eyes widened as he stared at the parasitic worms and swooned. As a wolf beastman, he knew how dangerous that thing was, given that these worms could turn a perfect wolf beastman into a corpse bit by bit.


    These things were simply slow poison for wolf beastmen!


    "Indeed," Damien answered as he raised his hands and poured the ointment which he had prepared. "Though these things do not seem to be dangerous if they are not dealt with properly it could be tricky to deal with them in one hit."


    The second the ointment that Damien had prepared fell on the flesh that had been cut open by him, there was a loud shrivel followed by Nics'' painful groans.


    But no one had the time to worry about him at that moment.


    "What is that?" The man who came with the servant yelped as he rushed to hide behind Xavier. He peered out of Xavier''s shoulder and looked at therge ck worm that was squirming on the floor.


    Its many pincers clicked together and made screeching sounds which were rather unpleasant to hear.


    "Are you really pushing me, Lord Luke?" Xavier asked the man with a cold stare as he turned his head to look at the man who was hiding behind him.


    Luke smiled at Xavier and then tteringly said to him, "I am just a small C-tier healer, Lord Xavier. How can I even deal with that?"


    Wistoria unsheathed her ws as she stared at the Boreal Worms that had entwined together and be bigger and bigger.


    "What''s going on?" She asked. Even though her gaze was not on Damien, her question was directed at him.


    Damien smiled at her and said, "It''s nothing. These worms have been feeding on the flesh and blood of Lord Nics for more than three months. They have mutated and developed new skills."


    "Mutated?"


    "Three months?! Those things were inside my son''s body for three months?" Gilderoy shrieked in disbelief. There were a lot of things that he wanted to ask but at that moment, no one had the time to answer his question.


    For the Boreal Worm had gotten not only bigger but also much more agile than before. It swept its thorny tail at Damien who dodged to one side.


    However, it seemed like the mutated Boreal Worm had also developed human-like senses. At least that was the only exnation Damien could think of when the Boreal Worm attacked him again.


    It was taking revenge on him for ruining its feast.


    ''Damn¡ª who would have thought that saving a life woulde at the expense of putting mine in danger!'' Damien cursed as he rolled on the floor while trying to avoid the attack of the Giant Boreal Worm again.


    However, that beast was like a dog that had tasted blood. It did not let go¡ª


    "Fuck this fucking life," Damie yelled as he got up from the floor and almost lost his head when the thing swept his tail. If not for the fact that Damien flexibly arched his body backwards, he would have lost his head.


    "Xavier! What are you doing!? Shouldn''t you be protecting me?" Damien yelled at the man while fending for his life.


    Xavier exasperatedly turned to look at him and pointed to his sleeves, "I am trying my best, Lord Damien."


    Damien looked at him and he then looked at Luke whose pants had fallen on the floor revealing his shaggy hindquarters and a little tail. The man stomped his hoofs on the ground nervously.


    His giant hindquarters seemed quite heavy as Xavier could not pull himself away from Luke.


    When Damien saw what was happening, his eyes popped widely as he looked at Luke who was clutching onto Xavier''s sleeves and stopping him froming over. "You better let him go or else you will be very sorry indeed."


    "You seem to be holding really well¡ª"


    Damien hurled his shoe at the face of the man, holding really well. His ass. He was on the verge of getting skewered by a gigantic worm.


    "Ack!" Luke let out a startled scream. "It got me! It got me!"


    However, no one cared about him. Xavier rushed forward to protect Damien while Wistoria and Gidleroy tried their best to protect the weakened Nics.


    Roar!!!


    The Boreal Worm let out a loud squeal before turning to look at the window of the room. It nced at the people in front of him with its multiple ck eyes and then rushed towards the window.


    "It is trying to run!"

 Chapter 22: More guts than credited

    Damien was correct. That thing indeed had developed senses beyond that of a beast which was not a surprise.


    Mutated beasts had always been smarter and much more tactful than the normal ones.


    Certainly, this giant worm sensed that the chances of him winning this battle were not high, so it was trying to escape.


    Wistoria charged forward, she swept her ws at the Boreal Worm. As soon as she swept, the Boreal Worm went ballistic. Her ws barely scraped the shell of the worm.


    "It seems to have a rather dramatic personality," remarked Damien as he watched Wistoria fend that thing off as she kicked, punched and overthrew the giant worm to the other side of the room.


    Everyone turned to look at him causing Damien to mock blush. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Ohe on, I am not that good-looking."


    ¡­


    Xavier shook his head with a disbelieving expression. He did not unsheathe his ws instead he charged at the Giant Boreal Worm with his sword.


    Damien noticed that Xavier''s sword glowed with a strange aura.


    "What''s that?" He questioned Luke.


    The man seemed to have tiptoed his way behind Damien and despite using Damien as a human shield he seemed rather miffed over the fact that Damien had thrown his shoe at his face.


    Though he looked upset Luke still answered Damien.


    Who asked Damien to be Wistoria''s husband?


    But Luke did not forget to let out a haughty snort, "It''s mana what else? Every beastman has his or her own mana, which they use while fighting or protecting oneself or others."


    Luke then turned his head and gave Damien a grave look before saying, "Certainly you should know this right? Even if you have lost your beast nucleus, it is impossible for you to not know about the mana of a beastman."


    Damien only smiled nervously.


    "So it''s mana," eximed Dan and Damien turned to look at the 3-D hologram and noticed that the little hologram was noting down something in a mini notebook.


    Most probably it was his own way of storing data.


    Damien turned his attention back to Xavier who had made a nasty little cut under the shell of the Boreal Worm. The thing hissed angrily as it swept its tail at Xavier.


    "Is it just me or that thing is getting smaller?" Luke questioned while looking at the Boreal Worm.


    Damien took a double take at the mutated beast and noticed that the thing had indeed gotten smaller.


    "That''s because it has used up a lot of energy," Dan exined, he was now wearing a monocle but Damien knew better than to think that it was just a normal monocle that humans wore.


    Because he noticed a bunch of zeros and ones shing on the ss of that monocle.


    After a short pause, he continued, "These worms rely on the flesh and blood of beastmen to survive. If I am not wrong they cannot survive for long when taken out of the body of the beastmen they are dependent on."


    "This one only survived till now because it has been feeding on the blood of this beastman for a long time and ended up mutating. But in the end, it still requires a constant supply of blood and flesh."


    "Do you mean to say that as long as it is attacked for a while more then it''s going to die?" Damien asked Dan who nodded in response.


    So that''s how it was eh?


    Damien turned to look at Xavier and said to him, "Keep attacking it, it is soon going to dry out and die."


    When Xavier heard Damien''s words, he did not turn around instead he increased the speed of his attacks, Wistoria was the same.


    The two of them tried their best to kill that thing, but it was proving slightly difficult given that it was trapped inside a room which was too small for itsrge size.


    Not to mention they also needed to keep that thing restrained in case it attacked Nics or anyone else present in the room.


    Another set of bangs echoed in the room as that thing lept to one side. It was slightly trembling which showed that it was on the verge of copsing, it must have realised it too because a secondter it slithered over to the window on the side and ¡ª


    CRASH!


    The sound of ss breaking and scattering resonated in the room.


    "Catch it! If it takes refugee inside another beastman it will be troublesome to find it!" Wistoria eximed as she chased after that thing, Xavier closely followed behind her.


    "If that thing escapes, your mission will be counted as a failure," said Dan while Damien was watching Wistoria and Xavier jump out of the window.


    "What? Why?" Damien turned to look at the little hologram who smiled and soon responded, "Treating an illness to its fullest is the job of a doctor. Do you think that you havemitted to your duties?"


    Damien looked down at the remaining ointment that he had made just now and gritted his teeth. He really did not want to get involved in such a dangerous situation but it seemed like there was no other choice ¡ª


    Damn it.


    He chased after Wistoria and Xavier. That damned thing, he had to kill it no matter what!


    Upon seeing him run, Gilderoy turned to look at Luke and hummed, "It seems like the boy has more guts than we gave him credit for. At least he knows not to leave his wife alone in trouble such as this one."


    "I hope he also knows how to save himself from trouble as well," stated Luke with a worried look on his face. "That man has no mana or beast nucleus. One hit from that worm and he would be sent flying. Don''t you think so my lord?"


    "After all, showing courage foolishly is not a good thing. It would be certainly humiliating if he went to save Lady Wistoria and ended up needing saving for himself."


    Gilderoy wanted to refute but after a while, he pursed his lips. Because as much as he wanted to stand by his statement, he knew that what Luke had said was also correct.


    ***************************************************************************************************************

 Chapter 23: Finding Weak Spot

    On the other side, Damien had no idea that he had be a man with foolish courage. He was currently chasing after the mutated beast with Wistoria and Xavier.


    Though that thing had turned weaker than it was before, its small sizer had made it even more agile which allowed that Boreal Worm to slither past the crooks and holes rather quickly and smoothly.


    They lost it more than once. If not for the fact that Wistoria and Xavier both were, wolf beastmen and could smell the scent of blood trickling down that mutated beast, they would have lost it long ago.


    How could this damned system ask him to fight a mutated beast? He couldn''t even fight with the bunch of goons that William brought with him. Even though he somehow managed tond a punch, he was stabbed by William in return. How could Dan even think that he could deal with that thing?


    And he was looking at him as if waiting for him to take down that damned thing like King Kong.


    Was he seriously expecting him to pick up and throw that thing on the ground as if it were nothing? He might be dreaming.


    "You just need to throw the remaining ointment on that mutated beast," said Dan as if he could read Damien''s thoughts and given that he was giving him a look of pure disdain Damien knew that Dan was seriously looking down on him for not being able to do something so simple.


    As if!


    "You are lucky that you are just ¡ªjust a¡ª just," Damien struggled to find the right word to describe Dan but when he could not, he rolled his eyes and said, "If only you were human, I would have pushed you in front of a beast as dangerous as that, let us see how you like it."


    Could he not see that the beast was monstrous?


    Not to forget that there amount of ointment in the mortar was limited. He only had one damn chance and if he missed that, it would be game over for everyone.


    What he needed was to find the weakness of that damn thing before it harmed anyone else. But how? How was he supposed to find¡ª


    Wait a second, a thought suddenly shed in Damien''s head as he said, "Activate Eye of observation."


    [Eye of observation activated]


    In front of him appeared a digital blue screen through which he could see right through the tough shell of the Boreal Worm. With his eyes searching for the weak spot of the gigantic worm, Damien finally found what he was looking for.


    Though that thing was protected because of its extremely thick shell, under the belly of the Boreal Worm right under those squirming legs, there was a softyer of fat, one that could be pierced easily.


    "Xavier! Use your sword under that thing''s shell. Right behind his hind legs," Damien ryed what he found to Xavier.


    The man looked at him with a hint of confusion in his eyes, however, he stopped his attack which was aimed at the shell of the monstrous Boreal Worm, and rolled down under its body with quick and agile movements of his feet.


    Damien caught Xavier clutching the belly of that worm as he tried to keep himself from getting stomped on by that thing.


    There was a small pause and then¡ª


    SCREEEEE!!!!


    Xavier had seeded in piercing the belly of that Boreal Worm causing it to slow down, taking advantage of the speed of that thing slowing down, Wistoria raised her right foot and brought it down heavily ¡ª


    "You damn thing!" She cursed as the Boreal Worm was smashed to the ground. Dust and debris flew all over the ce and Damien had to cover his nose and eyes with his arm because the cloud of dust was way too thick.


    ''This is no time to be standing still, now is my chance,'' he thought as he dropped his hand and rushed at the Boreal Worm. With the mortar clutched in his hand, he scooped the ointment and hurled the sticky liquid at the wound of the Boreal Worm.


    ROAR!!!!


    The thing roared in agony as it banged its tail and head against many buildings. Windows were smashed and doors fell ajar one by one, under the impact of the hits of that thing.


    Damien bit back a curse, this damned thing. It was already injured to this point and still had the energy left to fight back.


    But then again, it was a matter of life and death. Who would ept death without fighting?


    "Just one more fatal blow," Damien said to Xavier. "You just¡ªAH!"


    Damien felt the world turning upside down as something smashed against his abdomen. He felt a sharp pain as if something had pierced his skin.


    ''You have to be fucking kidding me,'' he closed his eyes, breathed twice and finally summoned the courage to look down. Yup. That thing got him despite all the protective measures.


    A sharp thorn-like pincer was sticking in his skin as blood oozed from the blow that thing had delivered to him. If that was not worse enough, that thing even sent him flying. Flying.


    God help him.


    "Lord Damien!" Xavier called out as he rushed towards Damien, his feet taut as he used walls to jump from one building to another.


    And just as Damien was about to hit the hard wooden wall of the stable, Xavier caught him in his arms.


    "Are you alright?" Wistoria, who had chased after the two, asked. She was panting as she looked at Damien, looking extra pale as she gazed at his deep wound. "This wound will not heal easily."


    "This is nothing to worry about," said Damien, his face scrunched up in pain as he said, "We need to deliver onest blow to that thing or else it will escape."


    That thing, Damien was going to make it regret even touching him.


    **************************************************************

 Chapter 24: Waterblade

    "What do you reckon we should do?" Wistoria asked, her eyes shrewd as she gazed at Damien. Just now she heard Damien telling Xavier to pierce the underside of that thing with precise calctions.


    It was as if he knew and could see that the weak spot of that thingy underneath its shell right where its tail started.


    While she and Xavier had been trying to find the weakness of that Boreal Worm for quite some time.


    She wanted to see whether this man just made a hunch just now or was actually hiding some skills which were unknown to them.


    "Leave that thing to me," said Damien as he stood up. Unaware of what Wistoria was thinking, he went ahead and said, "That thing is quite smart and can sense that I am the cause of his condition. It is targeting me because it sees me as a threat, so leave that gigantic worm alone and let it attack me."


    "I will distract it and Xavier, you¡ª" he trailed off and turned to look at the man beside him. "Attack it again right where you did just now."


    Xavier narrowed his eyes and said, "Then what about you? If you distract that thing, it will put you in a rather dangerous situation."


    "I know," said Damien as he turned and smiled at Xavier, "But what else can I do? Treating a patient until they arepletely healed is my responsibility as a doctor."


    ''Is it just me or does this man suddenly look a bit more courageous than in the past, he is shining with an aura simr to that of a warrior,'' thought Wistoria as she looked at Damien who was standing upright despite receiving an injury.


    ''Fuck¡ªthe price of ying it cool is really difficult. But what can I do? There is no way I am going to crumble to my knees in front of these people,'' Damien cursed in his heart while crying tears of blood.


    "Alright," Wistoria nodded. She sensed Damien''s determination and agreed with his n, as rash as it was, it was better than opening the protectiveyers around the main mansion and letting the guards inside.


    They still haven''t found the cause of Nics''s condition and couldn''t act carelessly. In case the traitor saved that thing and allowed it to escape, it would be rather dangerous.


    Wistoria did not want to take any chances which meant ¡ª


    The responsibility of dealing with that thing was on them.


    "You heard him, leave him alone," said Wistoria who seemedpletely unfazed by the fact that her husband had just volunteered to be bait for a giant worm.


    But then again, she might be looking forward to Damien getting chowed down by that thing.


    And as Damien did not want to die in such a gruesome yet humiliating way, he was determined to get out of this situation alive.


    What if he died? What was he supposed to tell his mates in the underworld? That he became the meal of a monstrous worm?


    That was so not cool, okay. If he was going down, he wanted to go down like a champ.


    Xavier seemed like he was hesitating to say something, but in the end, his loyalty towards Wistoria won over the concern he had for Damien as he nodded and agreed with his mistress.


    "Alright."


    Since the n was set, there was no need to waste any time, Damien sucked in a breath and with an expression of heading to the gallows, he took a step forward.


    It would have been nice if he had a weapon though, other than a needle and thread.


    "Damien."


    He heard Wistoria call him and Damien turned around to look at the woman who threw a dagger at him. Damien looked down at the dagger which couldn''t even cut a pincer of that thing and said sarcastically, "Thanks." For nothing.


    "That''s your sword," Wistoria told him as if sensing the sarcasm in his voice. "Waterde, that''s what you called your sword before your beast nucleus was destroyed."


    When Wistoria said the name of the sword, Damien felt it hum in his hands. Even though he could not feed it with his mana, the sword still seemed to recognize him.


    Now that he thought about it, his predecessor was a Dragon Beastmen was he not? Every dragon beastman had different powers. He was a water dragon, while Emiliano was light.


    This was also one of the very reasons why that man was chosen as the next king. After all, a Light Dragon sounded more powerful than a Water Dragon.


    "And you are alright with giving it to me?" Damien asked. As he was still a ve, Wistoria would be in quite a lot of trouble, if others were to find out that she had returned his weapon to him. ves were not allowed to have weapons, as they were even beneath themoners.


    The woman smiled at him for the first time and Damien realised that she did not look as stuck up when she smiled. Wistoria said to him, "I did promise that I would remove your title of a ve if you treated my brother. A promise is a promise."


    ''Seems like is not that bad¡ª''


    "Not to mention even if you have that, you still will not be able to use it as you do not have any mana," said Wistoria with a calm voice.


    And I take that right the fuck back, thought Damien.


    With a not-so-useful weapon in his hands, Damien took one look at that giant Boreal Worm and cursed Dan.


    "You could have brought me to a better ce but no you just had to bring me here," he was grateful, he indeed was but Damien was finding it hard to be grateful with a tragic wound on his abdomen while facing a giant worm.


    Dan: "¡­"


    "Humans really don''t know when to be satisfied, do they? I saved your life, host" Dan asked Damien who simply snorted and replied, "Oh we do, as long as we are not in a life-and-death threat situation. And you saved my life before putting it in danger again."


    "I wouldn''t be so damn proud of something like this if I were you."


    *****************************************************************

 Chapter 25: The end of Boreal Worm

    SCREEEE!!!!


    Dan went to say something but he was interrupted by therge roar of the monstrous Boreal Monster Worm.


    Its screech was so loud despite its injuries that it shook the entire ground. Damien stumbled twice as he tried to stabilise his footing.


    He took three steps and muttered under his breath, "Here goes nothing." Damien knew that the n he had was one of the stupidest, foolish ns in the history of foolish ns but a man gotta do what he got to alright? Don''t judge him.


    Collecting thest bit of courage that he could summon, Damien raised his head and shouted, "Oi pig brain! Yeah, I am talking to you, you dumb head! Come and get me. But wait, you can''t catch me¡ª because your feet are as slow as your brain!"


    Good news ¡ªthat thing''s attention was on him.


    Bad news ¡ªthat thing''s attention was on him.


    "Uh oh," Dan remarked and Damien had to agree that uh oh summarised his situation quite well.


    "Lord Damien look out!" Xavier cried out.


    The gigantic wormshed its whip against Damien once again, its many pincers aimed right across his sides. Damien cursed out loud, with a small dagger in his hand he rolled to his left.


    He turned around and shed the de against the beast, as soon as the dagger connected with its behind, it screamed andshed.


    "Aura sh!"


    Damien heard Wistoria say, there was a bang and the worm lost half of thorny pincers.


    ''One more hit,'' thought Damien as he charged along with Xavier. That thing tried to get up, but it did not have the strength to attack, so it kept falling.


    ROAR!!!


    Though Damien did not speak ''worm''nguage, he was certain that the thing was cursing him.


    Damien activated an eye of observation and searched for the weakest spot of the tail that wasshing at him before charging at that thing.


    "Go to hell!" He yelled as he stabbed the dagger at the back of the worm just as Xavier shed down the head of that thing.


    Another roar, another rumble and the worm fell to the ground with a loud screech. Its body now shed in three pieces.


    "Is it over?" Damien asked while clutching his wound. He raised his foot and kicked the worm twice to make sure that the thing was dead.


    "It''s over," Wistoria, whonded next, spoke to him. She turned and looked at Damien who was now wrenching out the dagger from the head of the corpse of the worm. "You are really good with that thing, I don''t think I have seen anyone cut down a Boreal Worm so easily before, that too without using aura."


    Damien simply smiled at her as he wrenched the dagger out sessfully.


    "Thanks," he said just as therge blue notification screen appeared in front of him.


    [Congrattions.]


    [You have sessfully acquired a Mutated Boreal Worm.]


    [Strength +9]


    [Agility +6]


    [Precision +2]


    [Would the host like to store the mutated Boreal Worm in the inventory for future use?]


    [Yes?]


    [No?]


    Damien carefully read the words that were disyed on the screen before turning to look at Dan. He asked, "Is this thing going toe in handy in future?"


    "It will," Dan nodded as he exined. "Don''t forget that many of the basic ingredients of many medicinese from animals in your world as well. This mutated beast has disengaging and cloning properties, you can use its corpse for researching and creating medicine in the future."


    Damien agreed with him, he had seen how quickly this thing could create clones of itself.


    He turned around and looked at Wistoria before asking, "Can I take this thing?"


    She turned and gave him a weird look before nodding, "You can, but what are you going to do with that dirty thing?"


    "Nothing. I just want to study it, after all this is my first time seeing a mutated beast," replied Damien.


    Ah¡ª of course this man liked reading a lot.


    After seeing him deal with that thing so skillfully, Wistoriapletely forgot that Damien was more of a researcher than a warrior.


    "Very well," she nodded and Damien heaved a sigh of relief. He used the storing function of his system. The pieces of the mutated worm disappeared in thin air and were stored in his inventory sessfully.


    Neither Xavier nor Wistoria said anything as this world was full of magical objects and the two of them thought that Damien was just using one of the storage spaces.


    "Let''s go," said Damien as he turned to look at Wistoria. "I still need to sew the wound of your brother." Just now they all rushed out to deal with the boreal worm and left Nics behind with the cut on his leg.


    Wistoria nodded. She however paused and looked at Damien who was clutching his wound and asked, "What about you? Don''t you need to heal yourself?"


    "Ah, this?" Damien looked down at his wound and then looked at his stats screen. Instant Heal was back on the screen because he sessfully saved Nics''s life.


    He tapped on it and two secondster, the bleeding wound was healed.


    "You can use mana?"Wistoria questioned eyeing his now healed wound with surprise in her eyes.


    "Just a little bit and the wound was not that deep. If it was serious, then even I wouldn''t be able to do anything," Damien lied through his teeth while Wistoria eyed him suspiciously.


    Damien pretended not to notice and then headed back to the main building where Gilderoy and Luke were waiting for them, even Nics was looking better than before as the parasite feeding on his blood was gone.


    Even though his leg had arge slit.


    Damien looked at his wound and turned to look at Luke before asking, "Couldn''t you heal it?"


    The man turned to look at him and stared at him as if he were a fool.


    "What kind of question is that?" He asked with a frown on his face. "Don''t you know two healers treating one patient without exchanging any information could lead to severeplications? I had no idea that this wound could now be healed nor did you ask me to."


    ********************************************

 Chapter 26: Is he a Dark Mage?

    Damien hated to admit that the man who smelled like a bedraggled goat was indeed correct.


    He walked over to Nics and asked "Are you feeling alright, now?"


    "I am feeling a bit better than before," the man nodded as he replied.


    "Then let''s make itpletely better," remarked Damien as he activated his sixty-seven needles skill and summoned the fine needle and thread.


    With the skill activated, he started sewing the skin which he had cut earlier.


    "Is he sewing a human like a piece of cloth?" Luke muttered in awe while watching Damien who had already finished sewing the wound.


    "That too at an incredible pace," remarked Xavier from the side.


    "If I do it like this, his leg won''t be in pain for long," stated Damien as he finished dealing with Nics''s wound, the needle and thread vanished as thest stitch was made. "With the beastmen''s healing ability, he will be fine now that the skin has been connected."


    As he spoke, Damien nced at Nics''s leg and was surprised to find that the skin was already mending itself. Now without the parasites slowing down his healing rate, Nics was no longer in any danger.


    "Congrattions! You have saved another patient! You are now one step closer to bing the best doctor of the beastmen world, host," Dan congratted Damien.


    "At the cost of my life."


    "Thank you very much," Nics said to Damien while sitting on the bed, the blood on his face seemed to have returned a little as he said to him, "I was sure I was going to die just like that.." though he was worried and filled with fear, he didn''t dare to say anything to his family.


    He didn''t want to worry his family.


    "I merely fulfilled my duty as a doctor," said Damien with a professional smile. He then stood up on his feet and turned to look at Gilderoy, "Well then I will be waiting for the payment?"


    Gilderoy turned to look at the man slowly. His lips twisted in a disbelieving sneer as he questioned Damien, "What did you say?"


    "Oh, you didn''t know that?" Damien asked with an innocent expression on his face. "You need to pay me the double of payment that you were going to pay the healer. After all, he couldn''t heal Lord Nics but I did."


    "Tha¡ªThat.." Gilderoy turned around and looked at his daughter who lowered her head and turned her face away. She was obviously guilty!


    Double the payment? Even he couldn''t bring so much money so quickly.


    "You are going to pay me now, right, Lord Gilderoy?"


    ***


    On the other side at the Ivory Church,


    "What did you say?" Lord Theodore raised his head and looked at the man in front of him. "Lord Wolfe had asked for the request to be cancelled and the payment to be returned?"


    "Yes," the lower-ranking healer nodded and replied. "Lord Gilderoy said that someone has epted and fulfilled the request of healing Lord Nics."


    "Impossible!" Theodore''s aide, Grover spoke disdainfully. "There is no way anyone could have healed Lord Nics when Lord Theodore couldn''t, what are you even talking about?"


    It wasn''t Grover''s fault to reject the notion outright as Lord Theodore was someone who could even aim for the higher churches, so how could someone save the patient whom even Lord Theodore deemed as beyond saving?


    "Calm down, Grover," Lord Theodore raised his hand and turned to look at the healer. "Are you certain about this? Am I to assume that there was no mimunication?"


    "Yes, I am certain," the lower-ranking healer replied.


    Lord Theodore frowned but still nodded, "Very well, then keep the visiting charges and hand the rest to me. I will go and return the payment."


    "Lord Theodore! Why do you need to do such a menial task?" Grover asked with shock written on his face. Lord Theodore was one of the highest-ranking healers of the Ivory Church, why would he do the job of the servants?


    "Of course, I need to take a look at Lord Nics''s condition. I am afraid that there might be ck magic involved," sighed Lord Theodore with a new headache.


    After all, an injury like that¡ªhow could anyone heal it?


    As soon as Lord Theodore finished speaking Grover and the other healer seemed to have an epiphany. Indeed, there was a good chance that Lord Gilderoy had called a dark mage or warlock to treat his son.


    He was a father after all, neither of them believed that Lord Gilderoy would have given up on his son.


    But the question was who was this dark warlock?


    "Achoo!" Damien sneezed as he walked to the small mansion where he saw two people waiting for him. "What are you doing here?" He asked his siblings.


    "What do you mean by those words, Brother Damien?" Henry said with a reproachful voice. "The servants told us that you were taken away to the dungeons. Of course, we were waiting for you to return, are you alright?"


    He looked at Damie from head to toe as if trying to see if his brother was injured somewhere after being locked up in the dungeons for an entire night.


    "Brother, did you make a mistake?" Prisci asked worriedly. "You shouldn''t make mistakes, it will not be good for us."


    "Your brother didn''t make a mistake," Damien said to the little girl, he raised his hand and patted the girl on her head. "In fact, I have done something good."


    "Something good? If you had something good then it would not havended you in the prison, Brother Damien," said Henry with a frown on his face. "There is no need to lie to us, brother. You can tell us the truth."


    "I am telling you! I did not do anything wrong, I am not lying," said Damien but when the two of them did not believe him and continued staring at him, he turned to look at Xavier and said to him, "You tell them!"


    ********************************************************************************************


    "What do you want me to tell the young master and Miss, Lord Damien?" Xavier asked as he stepped closer to where Damien was standing.


    As soon as he approached, Henry and Prisci turned wary. They eyed Xavier suspiciously and took a step back simultaneously.


    With how the Wolfe family had treated them, this was a natural reaction.


    Xavier felt slightly ufortable under their gazes.


    Damien looked at his siblings and turned to look at Xavier, his lips curled up slightly as he whispered, "It seems like Mister Popr is also hated huh?"


    "Please don''t tease me, Lord Damien," said Xavier as he changed the topic before Damien could tease him any further, "Anyway why did you call me? In the past, you usually hated it when I got too close to your siblings."


    His words seemed to be spoken in a casual tone, but Damien could see that the man was eyeing him suspiciously.


    He was still doubtful of him eh? Damien thought to himself.


    "The servants told them that I was taken away to the dungeons because I did something wrong," said Damien. "Tell them that there is no need to worry and I did a good thing and not a bad one."


    Xavier nced at Damien who looked back at him impertinently.


    A sigh escaped Xavier''s lips as he raised his head and then said to Henry and Prisci, "It is the truth that Lord Damien was taken to the dungeons."


    "Hey!"


    "But it was all a big misunderstanding," Xavier continued speaking as if he could not hear Damien''s outraged voice. He opened his eyes and gently gazed at the two children, "Your brother had done something great for which he would be rewarded."


    Though Henry still seemed a bit suspicious, Prisci seemed to believe Xavier as the man gave off the vibe of a man who would never lie.


    "That''s great, Brotehr Damien! As long as you are alright, our family won''t have to worry about being kicked out," said Prisci, causing both Damien and Xavier to look at her.


    "Miss Prisci, did someone tell you that you will be kicked out of the mansion?" Xavier asked sharply.


    Henry turned and red at Prisci who had slipped up, the little girl lowered her head and said, "No¡ªNo.."


    "Prisci, it is not good to lie. Good children do not lie," Damien knew that the condition of this family was not good but he never thought that it was so perilous that even servants who were no different from ves would stomp on the head of their heads.


    When Prisci heard Damien''s words, she panicked and cried out loud, "I am not a bad girl! It¡ªit was my maid, she was the one who told me that I would be kicked out and have to live like a beggar."


    "She also stole my hairpins," Prisci added in a sullen tone.


    Hearing her words, Damien turned to look at Xavier and sneered, "It seems like your lord anddy have hired some really good servants for my family."


    Though their title was that of the ves, the Wolfe family had still given them servants as Damien even if only in name was still Wistoria''s husband.


    Xavier closed his eyes and sighed. He said to Prisci, "Miss, can you tell me where your maid is?"

 Chapter 27: Meeting Mother

    However, that was not the end of the ridiculous situation of Damien and his family. As the three siblings sat down on the small square dining table, Damien realised that there was not a single egg or meat dish served for them.


    In fact, on the dining table, there were stale fried beans, and wild vegetables that were stewed making it resemble a soup, if it could be called one. Wherever Damien looked it looked like a grass field.


    "I picked the vegetables this morning from the small garden behind our house and Prisci did her best to cook them," said Henry when he saw Damien frowning. "At the moment we can only eat this as no one has sent any cooking ingredients."


    They did not have money either so purchasing even a leg of Mountain Bird leg was impossible.


    Damien''s eyebrows twitched. He turned to look at Xavier and said to him, "I didn''t know that your mistress was this stingy. A dozen eggs cost that much Huh?"


    Xavier''s brows were furrowed deeply. Though Damien and his family were pushed to a corner in the Wolfe mansion with Lady Wistoria nearly forgetting that they even existed¡ªshe had never, not once asked the housekeeper to keep their family this downtrodden.


    It seemed like there had been subtle corruption happening underneath their noses.


    Xavier was certain that the housekeeper had taken golden coins from the treasury every month in the name of providing food and clothing to Damien''s family.


    But what was the housekeeper doing by taking so much money? And why did he need so much money?


    His eyes widened.


    "What?" Damien asked as he sipped the rather salty soup.


    "Oh nothing. I was just ¡ªNo, it''s nothing," Xavier seemed to have realised where the money might have gone.


    Damien rolled his eyes. He turned his attention to the two children eating and the furrow between his eyebrows turned even deeper.


    No wonder they were this thin, eating nothing but stale vegetables and this watery soup.


    "Brother, don''t you think that apart from reading your books, you should also start learning to protect yourself?" Henry said as he ced his bowl on the table and looked at Damien. "Thest time you went to get the herbs for mother''s treatment, you met with Banppee Wolves¡ª if you knew how to protect yourself you wouldn''t be in such a perilous situation."


    His eyes darkened as he added in a subtle voice, "I know you think it is a waste of time with your beast nucleus destroyed but knowing a few skills would help you in the long run. Even if you cannot kill your opponents, at least you can escape safely."


    After speaking he released a tired sigh and continued, "Just listen to me once brother."


    The little boy sounded like an old father worrying about his rebellious child.


    "I was nning to start training," said Damien with a sigh as he took a bite of his stale beans while wishing he could turn off the taste buds of his tongue for a while.


    That way this meal wouldn''t be this painful.


    "Humansck the ability to shut off their senses, host. They can only lose them once and for all, "said Dan as he fluttered next to Damien, his little eyes staring at the vegetables on the table as he questioned, "Is it really that bad? That you wish to lose your ability to taste things?"


    "Never did I say that I wanted to lose my ability to taste. I said that I wanted to temporarily turn it off."


    "But you cannot do that."


    "I know," replied Damien with a huff.


    A small frown appeared on the tiny face of the hologram as he turned and looked at Damien, "Why would you wish for something that you know is impossible?"


    Dan as a set of programs could not understand these feelings.


    "Hey tell me¡­"


    "Why did you say such a thing?"


    "Host! Can you hear me? Did you lose your hearing temporarily?" Dan asked while nudging Damien''s forehead.


    "Dan, can you stay quiet for like ten minutes?" Damien finally lost his patience as hemanded, "I want the system to stay silent until I finish my meal."


    Dan: "¡­"


    On the other hand, Henry was eyeing his brother with surprise on his face. His gaze was so fervent that Damien couldn''t help but turn around and look at him as he was about to burn a hole in his head with his gaze.


    "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Damien asked


    "It''s nothing," Henry replied as he turned his attention to the meal in front of him. "It seems like you have changed, brother. You always used to get angry when I asked you to train."


    As Henry spoke, a small memory of Damien losing his temper at him shed in his mind. It was after Damien lost his beast nucleus.


    He had causally suggested Damien to train harder and learn to protect himself as he was even more vulnerable and weak but his brother believed that he was mocking him and lost his temper.


    ''Who do you think you are to look down on me? I am the Crown Prince of the Brystoria Empire! No! No! This cannot be happening to me! I am not a weak man!''


    "Well, I would have almost died back then if I wasn''t lucky," Damien scratched his cheek and replied awkwardly.


    "I guess you were a little shocked getting chased by the Banppee wolves, Lord Damien," remarked Xavier while standing behind him like a door guard.


    "Yeah, it was really shocking for me," Damien answered as he touched his abdomen. "I really thought that I was going to die, the fact that rebels had used beasts to cause havoc for the city ¡ªit shows how desperate the situation is at the moment."


    "So I have to learn swordsmanship to protect myself, at least I can escape in case there is a repetition of that incident."


    Back in his world, Damien thought that there was nothing wrong with focusing on his studies and not getting involved with others. He was always alone.


    Thus, it was so easy for William to make him disappear.


    Damien did not want to feel that sense of helplessness again.


    Life slowly drained out of his body and yet he couldn''t do anything to protect himself.


    He could only watch his blood drip down from the stab wound and lose his life helplessly.


    "That''s a relief, you don''t need to be an Aura yer but you should still know a few more moves to defend yourself against danger," said Prisci with a sigh of relief. "I don''t want to see you getting hurt brother Damien."


    "That''s right..relying on oneself is better than relying on your guards."


    Damien turned to look at Xavier who knew that Henry was taking a jibe at him for leaving Damien alone. He lowered his head with a touch of annoyance on his face but didn''t dare to make a retort.


    For he was indeed at fault for leaving Damien alone and dealing with other matters which he deemed more important than the safety of Damien.


    Fifteen minutester, they were done with their breakfast and Henry brought Damien to their mother''s room.


    "Are you awake mother?" Henry asked as he knocked on the door and waited for his mother to respond.


    "Come in my child," a soft yet weary voice answered from inside and Henry pushed open the door. Damien and Prisci entered the room while Xavier stayed back.


    Damien looked at the barely furnished room which only had a bed and a small tea table along with two cabs that were full of medicinal jars and herbs.


    "Oh, Damien! You are back, when did you return? Why did you note to see me?"


    Damien turned his attention to the woman on the bed, she was really pretty. With her wavy blue hair that reminded him of the sea and the ocean, her blue eyes were like deep cobalt.


    If only she did not have the air of a dying woman, he was certain that this woman would have looked even more beautiful despite being the mother of three children.


    Lady Cecil.


    The mother of this body.


    "Prisci, please help me sit up," Lady Cecil said to Prisci who rushed towards the bed and helped her mother up. She ced a pillow behind the back of Lady Cecil before helping her mother sit straight.


    Even though Lady Cecil just sat up on the bed, she was panting due to the extreme toll it had put on her body. Her expression was full of pain and herplexion was worse already but it became even paler when she leaned on the pillow.


    "You should havee to me, I was worried about your safety. One of the maids said that you were attacked and I nearly¡ªcough!" Lady Cecil''s body jolted before jerking forward.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "Mother!"

 Chapter 28: Lady Cecil’s illness

    "Mother!"


    "Are you alright, mother?"


    "Where does it hurt?"


    Damien along with his siblings rushed over to the bed, Prisci supported her mother by holding her by curling an arm around her back and shoulders, while Damien quietly studied the condition of Lady Cecil.


    She looked tired, with aplexion that seemed to be getting paler with each second. Her breathing was ragged andborious.


    "I am alright, there is no need to worry," said Lady Cecil with a weak smile. She breathed thrice before saying, "Why were you sote Damien? You were gone for more than three days."


    "The herb required for the concoction of your disease was rather hard to find which was why it took me some time to return, Mother," Damien made up a lie as he could see that Lady Cecil was not in any condition to suffer any kind of shock.


    "Is that so? Dami, you don''t need to worry about me, I am alright, you should stay at home and care for your brother and sister," said Lady Cecil with a bluishplexion. "My illness is not as bad as it seems, there is no need for you to run around the entire outskirts for me. Not to mention, they are infested by dangerous beasts."


    "Once these six months pass and summeres, I will be much better. Don''t let such a small thing bother you," said Lady Cecil.


    "How can I not worry, mother?" Damien asked as he reached forward and then held the hand of Lady Cecil. While holding her hand by her wrist, he examined her secretly.


    The more he studied her pulse, the more his brows furrowed. This was not good, from the pulse, it seemed like her illness was rted to either stomach, liver or maybe the galldder.


    "Mother, let me examine you," said Damien in a pacifying sort of voice. "I have been studying a little about your illness, maybe I might be able to find something?"


    Lady Cecil looked up at him in surprise, her longshes fluttering as she emotionally said, "Dami, you¡ªall these months you were studying about my illness? I thought that ¡ª"


    She trailed off but Damien knew what she was going to say and she wasn''t incorrect.


    Indeed his predecessor had been looking for a way to get rid of the Tartarite nails that were suppressing his mana, which in turn was making it impossible for him to heal his broken beast nucleus.


    However, Damien needed an excuse to examine Lady Cecil so he could only make up another lie. But there was nothing he could do, if there was something wrong with Lady Cecil''s stomach or liver, it could be really dangerous.


    With the help of Prisci, he helped Lady Cecil lie down on the bed.


    Once Lady Cecil was lying on the bed, Damien stuck out his finger and first ced them on the stomach of Lady Cecil, though she let out a groan she did not scream out in pain.


    Noticing this, he raised his finger and ced it where Lady Cecil''s liver should be, no sooner did he ce his finger on that spot, than the woman yelped out loud in pain.


    "AHHH!!" Lady Cecil screamed out, her face contorted because of the pain that she was feeling at the moment.


    "Mother!"


    "What do you think you are doing to our mother?" Henry shouted at Damien angrily as he rushed forward and snatched Damien''s hand away from Lady Cecil''s lower abdomen. "She is our mother, and she is sick! How can you do something like this to hurt her?" He questioned with a growl.


    "Let go of me, Henry," said Damien sternly. "I am examining Mother, you shouldn''t badger me when I am examining her. It could lead to severalplications in case I make a mistake."


    "Who do you think you are? We have healers for this kind of job! They will treat mother, instead of doing something so useless, why don''t you work hard and earn money to hire a healer?"


    "I said let go! I told you that I have studied mother''s illness for a long time, and I know what I am doing, Henry," Damien did not expect Henry to stop him like this, he thought that the young boy albeit cold was a calm and smart child.


    But now looking at him, he seemed a bit of a pompous child, who believed that some jobs should belong and be done by those who were worthy of it.


    like the rest of the people, Damie had met till now.


    "What do you know?" Henry asked hotly, his face turning red as he tried to stop Damien from wrenching his hand out of his grasp. "Just because you have read a few books half-heartedly, you think that you know better than the healers, Brother Damien?"


    "How could you pretend to be a healer after reading a few books? If it was so easy to be a healer after reading books then many of us would be healers!"


    "Instead of working hard and earning money, you are doing something foolish! Do you think you can even make the right deduction? You don''t even have an ounce of experience!"


    "And how do you know that?!" Damien felt a surge of heat rising in his heart as he pulled his hand away from Henry in one go. This time around he didn''t hold back causing the little boy to stumble. "Have you been paying attention to everything that I have been doing? Don''t forget that you have been a bit busy by yourself as well!"


    Henry''s expression turned into an embarrassed one and his cheeks med up. Indeed, he had been too focused on his swordsmanship lesson as well.


    "But¡ª"


    "What do you mean by but?" Damien snapped. "You think I am worse than a healer? Haha! I just treated Lord Nics when no healer could treat him, if you do not believe it then you can go ahead and ask Xavier. He would tell you the truth if you don''t believe me."

 Chapter 29: Evidence that backed his claims

    Damien originally wanted to keep this matter to himself and wait for the mary rewards to be handed over to him before he announced to his siblings that it was he who had saved lord Nics.


    Having learned from his lesson that no one would believe him without a piece of very strong evidence to back his im, he wanted to at least have a nice, clean reward with him before making such a bold statement.


    Because he knew that if he had told Henry and Prisci the truth, given their attitudes and understanding of the predecessor of this body¡ªHenry would have called him delusional and Prisci would have called for a healer.


    Money had and was the best evidence after all for Damien had never seen a rich person be used of theft.


    But he did not care about that right now.


    As a doctor, Damien had long noticed that Lady Cecil''s condition didn''t seem good.


    Without further examination, he couldn''t find out the crux of the reason behind her condition. Anyway, he could always act first and think of the consequencester.


    "What nonsense, how could you¡ª"


    "You will know whether I am telling the truth or not if you were to ask Xavier," Damien shot back, interrupting the boy from making any more trouble.


    He raised a proactive brow and remarked, "There is no need to deny what I am saying so quickly, you can at least ask first?" Damien added in a sweet voice which made Henry ground his teeth.


    Though he was certain that there was no way his brother could have done what he was iming, he still backed away and walked to the door of the room.


    "Lord Xavier," Henry opened the door and called for the silver-haired man who stood a bit far from the doorway.


    He must have done it to give them enough privacy but Henry knew that Xavier must have heard bits and pieces of their conversation with his sharp hearing.


    "What is it, Lord Henry?" Xavier asked as he raised his head and walked over to where the little boy stood.


    Henry hesitated as he turned and looked at Damien who sat cross-armed at the small chair next to the bed of their mother.


    He thought that Damien would stop him or at least try to back away from the ridiculous im that he had made but upon seeing the obnoxious expression on the face of his elder brother, he knew that there was no way Damien was going to change his words.


    Annoyed and frustrated by the actions of his brother, Henry turned and looked at Xavier. Fine, since he wanted to be humiliated then so be it, this would teach his brother a lesson.


    At least from now on he would not make such bold and foolish ims.


    "Lord Xavier, my brother just made a very absurd im," Henry began in a low voice. Hearing his words, Xavier furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Damien who arched his brow and exined the matter to him, "I want to treat our mother but he is stopping me."


    "He thinks I am ying around, so our dearest Lord Xavier please tell him about how I saved Lord Nics''s life. So I can continue examining my mother."


    After speaking, he muttered under his breath, "What a tragedy. Instead of believing apetent man like me, they are quick to trust those quacks. What a world we live in."


    Xavier and Henry: "¡­"


    Xavier heaved a sigh and then closed his eyes before replying to Henry, "Indeed my lord, it was Lord Damien who saved the life of Lord Nics, by cutting the skin of his leg and releasing the Boreal worms that were feeding on his flesh."


    Anyway, by tomorrow morning all sort of garbled versions of how Damien saved Nics would be spread all over the mansion, so he might as well tell Henry the truth lest he heard some gibberish nonsense from the maids and the servants.


    "As it is impossible for the healers to see what was happening on the inside they could not treat Lord Nics."


    "Even if they did, they would have raised their hands in surrender," said Damien from behind. "Because there is no cure for Boreal Worms, is there?"


    It was just as Damien said, there was indeed no cure for the Boreal Worms. For the wolf beastmen, these worms were the foulest thing one could ever face and they made sure to never consume anything uninspected lest that thing had eggs of those worms.


    How lord Nics ended up getting gued by those worms was a mystery to Xavier and given that Lady Wistoria and Lord Gilderoy were investigating the matter while putting everything on hold, it was enough to let him know that the two of them didn''t know any better than him.


    "Lord Xavier, why are you making such a joke? How could my brother save Lord Nics and that too from Boreal Worms?" Henry asked with a palingplexion.


    "Why can''t I save him?" Damien asked indignantly.


    "I am not making a joke, Lord Henry," Xavier shook his head and continued speaking, "It was indeed Lord Damien who saved Lord Nics. If not for him taking the responsibility, I am afraid, Lord Nics¡ª" he trailed off without saying anything further, as it would be too ominous.


    Henry looked shell-shocked. He turned to look at his brother with his mouth agape, "That¡ªyou couldn''t ¡ªpossibly¡ª" he seemed to be having a hard time believing that Damien really saved Nics and did something that even the healers couldn''t.


    "Can I continue with the examination now?" Damien ignored the bbering of the boy and questioned him. "Her condition is severe if you haven''t noticed that already, we cannot waste any more time."


    Henry went very red in the face but nodded nheless. Even if he wanted to refuse now, he couldn''t have done so.


    Damien snorted. He uncrossed his arms and then turned to look at Lady Cecil who was lying on the bed with a painful expression on her face. Prisci was rubbing her stomach soothingly.


    "Prisci, step aside," said Damien, sounding much more businesslike than before.

 Chapter 30: Pulsating Plasma Cells.

    "Do you feel pain here, mother?" Damien asked as he pressed the lower half of Lady Cecil''s stomach.


    The woman on the bed smiled at him and nodded before saying, "It is a bit painful but not much. It''s much more bearable than before."


    "What about here then?" Damien pressed the side of her abdomen and Lady Cecil frowned lightly before replying, "A bit more painful than before but still the same."


    ''This isn''t it,'' Damien frowned as he removed his fingers. Though Lady Cecil''s condition was rted to stomach and liver, there was not a direct connection. The only good thing about this was that her vital organs were not as damaged as Damien thought.


    But this subtle pain and her yellowing skin with sunken eyes¡ª


    This was not good.


    He raised his fingers and then pressed them on the same spot as earlier, "This will hurt a bit, Mother. So please bear with it."


    Lady Cecil nodded and gritted her teeth, but as soon as Damien pressed on the upper half of her stomach, she couldn''t stop the scream, "Aaaargh!"


    ''It''s really here!'' Damien''s eyes widened as he activated the Eye of Observation.


    [Eyes of Observation activated.]


    [Examination is starting.]


    The blue screen in front of Damien''s eyes covered Lady Cecil''s stomach as it scanned her insides. The entire examination took two minutes before Lady Cecil''s liver and galldder along with therge intestine came into view.


    On the screen under the liver and in the middle of the galldder andrge intestines, there was a bunch of thin tendrils-like substances with small pulsating bulbs.


    It looked rather hideous.


    [Examinationpleted.]


    [Disease Detected: Pulsating smatic Cells.]


    "What is this?"


    "It is simr to Cholecystitis," exined Dan. "It shares the same characteristics as pressure pain and reflex pain. The only difference is that this thing also has the property of spreading throughout the body. The reason she is feeling pain all over her lower and middle half is because the tendrils are almost reaching her stomach."


    "However, the pain is not severe because they haven''t grown like how they have wrapped around the liver. If it is not removed then I am certain that it will also affect her heart and lungs."


    Cholecystitis? Wasn''t Lady Cecil sick for months now? Damien held Lady Cecil''s hand which was trembling due to pain. No wonder her condition was this worse, the pain she had been feeling must have been excruciating!


    Damien tapped on the screen and sure enough, he did not see the tools and machines for the Laparoscopic surgery. If he had done the right thing, solving this problem wouldn''t have been difficult. After all, cholecystectomy was not a major issue but in this era, it was simply unimaginable.


    "Dami," Lady Cecil croaked in a hoarse voice. "There is no need to frown like that, I am fine. I have been getting healing from a trained healer as well as potions from the temple. I will be fine in a few months. The healer promised that it would take a year at most."


    "Don''t worry too much about me." She smiled gently at Damien as if trying to make him feel better. Even though she was the one who was in pain, Lady Cecil could not watch Damien frown and scowl.


    Instead of worrying about her pain, she was more worried about her son.


    Suddenly, Damien felt a bit choked up as if the room was suffocating him. This feeling ¡ªthis care, he had never felt in the world where he lived, after all, he was an orphan. Who would care about him?


    "Don''t think too much Mother," said Damien in a light voice as he tried to suppress the overwhelming feeling in his throat. "I will treat you." He would not lose the warm embrace of his mother, not after feeling how nice it felt.


    He turned to look at Prisci and said to her, "Go and bring me the potion that the healer gave to our mother."


    What kind of useless potion did that healer give to these naive two kids, it hadn''t even stopped the growing of these Pulsating bulbs.


    Not to mention Damien was certain that this disease was not something that could be cured by potions alone, but then again, this was the world of magic ¡ªanything could be a possibility.


    "Wait a second, Brother. I will bring it," Prisci replied as she climbed down from the bed and went to the small cab before opening the third drawer. From there she took out a transparent bottle and ran back to Damien''s side. "This is the potion that the healer gave to mother."


    "It was given by a skilled healer," added Henry from the side. "The temple had blessed this potion with healing energy."


    Damien nodded as he took the potion and then opened its lid. He took a whiff of the thing and the information flooded right into his head¡ª


    [Greenhood: A nt found clinging at the back of the Rockwood bird. It helps in gaining strength but could prove fatal in case the patient is too weak.]


    [Priest''s Plum: A herb found near the springs of holy water. This is often used in medicines but it is more useful in treating weakness and small internal injuries, it cannot however remove tumour or tumour-like fragments.]


    [BoneHead Powder of Blizzard Bear: It is used to deal with stomach heat etc. But has little to nothing to do with Pulsating sma Cells. In fact, it gives an ideal condition for them to get stronger and grow faster.]


    [Feathers of Deryn: A little bird, with the same plumage as phoenix. Its feathers can heal injuries and wounds but cannot remove pulsating bulbs.]


    "All in all, this is the work of a quack," remarked Dan as he watched the potion. There was light curiosity in his eyes but he still had a touch of contempt for the healer and the potion. "It seems like these people who call themselves healers are handing out just about any medicine without deducing the correct illness."


    "Or they just don''t feel like wasting their time and energy on someone like Lady Cecil," Damien muttered in a way where only Dan could hear him. "For them, Lady Cecil is of no importance, the mother of a dethroned crown prince, why would they bother themselves with her? They just gave her an examination for the heck of it and patted their butts clean."


    Damien did not know whether it was due to the emotions of his predecessor or his own but he felt really angry at the healer who gave this quack of a potion to his mother. How could he treat a person''s life in such a light manner?


    But then again, when had people in power cared for those who have nothing in their hands? Wasn''t this the reason why he became a roasted human chicken?


    "This potion is useless," Damien said to Prisci and Henry as he handed it back to them.


    "How could that be possible? It is so expensive and people are dying to buy it," Henry said to Damien with his eyes widening. He had been using all the valuables that he snuck in his Sportal (A portable space which could be used to store things, however, the size is limited.) to buy this potion and now his brother was saying that it was useless.


    "It contains Bonehead powder of the blizzard bear. It is not helping at all instead it''s causing her condition to get even worse," exined Damien causing Henry to frown and Prisci''s expression to be even more fearful. "I have finished examining mother, and the reason she is in pain is due to Pulsating sma Cells. You might know this disease as pulsating bulbs."


    Gasp!


    Prisci''s hands flew to her mouth as she looked at Lady Cecil with fear in her eyes. Even Henry looked as if he had been knocked on the back of his head with a club.


    "You¡ªYou mean to say that mother has pulsating bulbs in her stomach?" Henry asked with a tremor in his voice. "And you found out that just by pressing her stomach?"


    "Yes, I am sure of it," nodded Damien.


    "That''s impossible!" Henry refused to believe it as he knew that the potion to destroy the Pulsating bulbs was still being researched. This thing had killed many beastmen, so how could he ept that his mother was suffering from the same thing?


    He swayed dangerously on the spot and continued repeating that it was impossible.


    "Lord Henry," Xavier, who didn''t leave and stayed in the room, caught Henry in time. He noticed the look that Damien gave him and sighed before saying, "I know that it is hard for you to believe the result of the examination but Lord Damien will not joke about the illness of Lady Cecil. You must believe him."


    He paused and added, "Any way you have handed almost all the money that you had to the healers of the Iris Temple, I don''t think you have enough money to buy the potion anymore, do you? More importantly, Lady Cecil had drank this potion for months with no change in her condition."


    "So why not let your brother give it a try?"

 Chapter 31: Brothers’ quarrel.

    Henry looked at Xavier, for a second it seemed like he was going to fight back but then Damien saw him dete as he turned and looked at him begrudgingly. "What should we do then?"


    ''Will you look at this?''


    ''When I said that I can treat our mother he reacted like I have said a string of foul words and when Xavier said it¡ªhe''s willing to listen. Tsk, tsk, is this the authority of the elder brother in this house?'' Damien clicked his tongue with an annoyed expression while inwardlyining.


    Damien searched through the information that was surging in his head before replying, "We can brew Kineclove for the time being. It has pain relieving properties and is on the warmer side, it can soothe the pain that mother is experiencing for the time being."


    However, that wasn''t enough. If they wanted to treat Lady Cecil and get her back to her feet then ¡ª


    "What''s the point of just soothing the pain?" Henry said, clenching his fingers angrily. "We need to treat the pulsating bulbs properly for Mother to live if not¡ªif not those things will.." he trailed off but everyone knew what he was trying to say.


    If the pulsating sma cells were not taken out they would grow into vine-like tendrils and eventually squash the internal organs of Lady Cecil.


    A slow death which would leave Lady Cecil begging for everything to end.


    Damien hesitated but his hesitation onlysted for two seconds before a look of determination shed in his eyes. He raised his head and said to Henry and the rest, "Of course, if you want to save her then there is a way."


    His words caused hope to surge in the two little children.


    Their eyes lit up as Henry asked eagerly, "What way? Just tell me, I¡ªI will look for a way to get things done." He would sell his treasured sword if it meant to save their mother.


    A short pause and then ¡ª


    "I have to cut open her stomach and take those pulsating bulbs out," replied Damien. He could almost see the light in the eyes of his two siblings vanish almost instantly and seriously speaking, he did not me them.


    In this era and world where people relied on magical spells and potions as a key to heal everyone and everything, his words must have sounded like ¡ªHey, I am on a crazy crackpot and I want to take over the world. Yo.


    Even Xavier was looking at him like he had lost a screw in his head.


    For them, the very thought of cutting open a person''s stomach was simply beyond theirprehension.


    Honestly, their looks hurt a bit.


    "But¡ªbut you cannot do that," said Prisci in a soft voice. "If you open mother''s stomach then¡ªthen she will die. That''s how everyone dies on the battlefield."


    She thought that cutting one''s stomach open and stabbing them was the same thing.


    "No, they won''t," Damien tried to exin the process in a gentle way which would not scare the two kids off. "I will sew the skin back which will stop the bleeding and Mother will be fine."


    "Sew the skin back?" Henry repeated with a shocked expression. He was eyeing Damien as if he had gone crazy and didn''t know what to do first. Whether to lock him up or call a healer.


    But he seemed to have thought it through and decided that neither of those things mattered. A secondter he said angrily, "That''s our mother you are talking about! How can you even say that you will cut her flesh open and then sew it back? She is not a sow you can use for your experiments, brother!"


    "I am not treating her like one," Damien felt a bit upset over Henry''s words. Thus, his tone became a tad bit less cordial. "I am just trying to save her life, you have already seen that the healers cannot do shit about her condition! But I can save her, if we leave her like this then she will just ¡ªshe will just be waiting to die."


    Not only did he feel a sort of close to Lady Cecil because of the bond she shared with his predecessor but he also felt a sense of responsibility. He wanted to repay the predecessor who had lost his life and left his body for him to take possession.


    If not for him, he would have never gotten a chance to live another life.


    Damien was still lost in thoughts when he heard Dan scream, "Watch out!"


    There was a dull thud and Damien felt his right ear explode with pain. He raised his head and looked at Henry whose hand was still raised in the air, with a wild look in his eyes as if he was being chased by beasts for a thousand miles.


    Damien didn''t stop to think, he raised his hand and pped the boy back on his face. His face contorted with rage, "You hit me? How dare you hit me when I am trying to save her!"


    His p caused the boy to stumble however, it was nowhere enough to stop Henry. He straightened up and shouted at Damien, "I will hit you! In fact, I want to kill you for even suggesting such a horrid treatment. You want to cut open our mother to do what? You don''t know anything, you¡ªjust because you treated Lord Nichs, you think you can do anything?"


    "I always knew that you were selfish but I never thought that you thought so less of your family! Anything! Anything will do as long as you can get back the throne that you lost huh?" he screamed so loudly that his face turned red with the force with which he was shouting.


    Henry believed that his brother was doing this because he wanted to gain a name, a title and status with which he could fight back Emiliano.


    How could he not when he had seen his brother almost obsessing over his gant and heroic return to the Imperial court?


    He sometimes looked like he had gone crazy. If not, why would a child like him take care of everything?


    "You want to use our mother, you still me her right? You still think that she is the cause of your dethronement. But you know what brother, it was you who was useless and could not fight back against Emiliano, so stop ming our mother," said Henry still red-faced with nerves bulging on his face. "I will not let you use our mother, never! Do you hear me, you ipetent useless fool!"


    "Stop--Stop it," somewhere behind them Prisci spoke in a tearful voice.


    Damien and Henry ignored her, the argument had gotten so heated that they could no longer listen to sense anymore.


    With his lips curling in a mocking sneer, Damien shot a mocking re at Henry.


    "Ah because you are so damn useful?" Damien couldn''t stop himself. He who was killed because of a greedy bastard who wanted more power and control was now being med for the very same thing.


    He was being used as a murderer of his own mother, for the sake of power. Did he look like a filthy murderer? He did not know about his predecessor but he was no damn opportunist.


    Being called one left a bad taste in his mouth. Henry could have said anything --anything and he would have taken it much better but not this!


    And before he knew it, he wasshing right back. "You have been trying to save her right? But it turns out you are being fooled all along. I bet the healers at the temple were having a stughing at your stupidity. Using such a grand sum of money which even a six-year-old would have given you."


    "Stop! Stop! Please stop fighting! Brother Henry! Brother Damien!"


    Damien ignored her. Again.


    "If anyone should be med for mother''s condition to be worse it''s you! You were the one who brought that prescription with blizzard bear bone powder. It gave the ideal condition for the pulsating bulbs to grow even faster!"


    "Should I thank you for killing our mother faster? Mind you, it was I who thought of changing the healer and found the burrberries!"


    "ENOUGH!"


    Lady Cecil used all her strength in her body to shout such as to put an end to the quarrel. She coughed and sputtered with her chest heaving, that shout had taken all of her strength.


    "Enough--cough --cough--cough," Lady Cecil spoke while coughing.


    "Mother!" Prisci cried as she rushed to her mother''s side. She rubbed the back of Lady Prisci and asked, "Do you want water, Mother?"


    "No, darling. I am fine," Lady Cecil replied before turning to look at her two sons with a wooden expression. "This is not how I raised you two. You two are brothers and yet you are fighting like enemies, Emiliano has taken over the Royal Court..are you going to take over our family as well by doing what he wants?"

 Chapter 32: The Remaining marbles: tragically lost.

    Now Damien had never been scolded by anyone, well the credit of course went to his status as an orphan. Hurrah to all of that¡ª But in front of Lady Cecil who was weaker than anyone present in the room, he dared not to raise his head much less open his mouth and retort back.


    Maybe this was the legendary fear of a mother that everyone spoke of, so like a trembling fowl, he stood in front of Lady Cecil who despite being a kind-faced and weak woman looked very much like a furious man-eating shark.


    "I understand that you two are upset but this is not how I raised you two to ¡ªcough, cough..behave," said Lady Cecil sounding both disappointed and furious. "Henry, you should never in any circumstances raise your hand on your elder brother. No matter what he had done, you ought to show some respect to your elder brother."


    "What kind of ugly¡ªcough ¡ªwords did you say to your elder brother?"


    "I apologise, mother," said Henry with his head lowered and expression downcast looking very much like a child who was caught stealing a candy.


    Lady Cecil then turned to look at Damien and in the same reproachful voice continued, "You too Damien. I understand that what your brother said to you has caused you to be upset and angry, but really ¡ªsince when did you start to avenge the smallest mistake? You should never use your anger to govern your actions."


    "From where did you learn to use such spiteful words to make your siblings feel like lesser beings?"


    Damien flushed as he too lowered his head and apologised, "I am sorry."


    Lady Cecil continued staring at her two sons with anger. She sighed and then said, "This is what Emiliano had always wanted, Dami, Henry. He deliberately set us all up because he wants you two to fight and kill each other. Don''t do what he expects from you two ¡ªI hope that you two will be each other''s support and not the cause of death."


    Neither Damien nor Henry retorted Lady Cecil who was once again looking frailer than ever as if she was going to breathe herst at any moment.


    She nced at Damien who seemed frustrated and annoyed before saying, "Let''s try what Dami suggested. I will take the concoction of Kineclove from today onwards. It''s better to use a herb that is easily avable in the market than wasting expensive medicine that is not doing any good.."


    "So let''s try changing the medicine."


    "Mother, if this is about the money then I¡ª"


    "No, it''s not that. As Dami is so certain that there is something wrong with this prescription I would like to trust him," said Lady Cecil with a shake of her head. "Anyway.." her eyes became dark as she thought about something. "Given how much someone wants us all dead...I wouldn''t look over the possibility that he deliberately ordered the temple to hand me a messed up prescription."


    "But they are the servants of the Beast God," Henry injected, not liking the fact that his mother was questioning the healers'' integrity as well. "I mean they will not leave someone in need?"


    "Just like how they don''t leave the lower-grade species?" Damien offered thinking about the hyena beastmen who were refused by the temple despite them knowing that the tribe of the hyena beastmen were attacked and many of their kinsmen were dying.


    Henry went as pink as the dress that Prisci was wearing. He opened his mouth and said defiantly, "That''s different."


    "How is it any different?" Damien asked with a raise of his brows.


    "Of course it''s different! They are lower-grade species for a reason ¡ªthey are not important enough for the healers to care about.."


    "What does that mean? A patient is a patient and deserves treatment no matter what. How can you categorize which one will be given a treatment and which one will be not¡ª"


    "Boys, stop fighting!" Lady Cecil raised her voice once again but then she pressed her fingers on the sides of her forehead before saying, "You all..leave¡ªI want to take some rest now."


    Neither Damien nor Henry refused her direct order. The two of them stepped out of the room which belonged to Lady Cecil, with Prisci and Xavie following them out of the room.


    And as soon as they stepped out of the room, Henry drew in a long breath and then went ahead and said what he had been holding in till now, "I don''t know where you heard those foolish words, but I hope that you will not implement them on mother. Mother might believe that you are trying to heal her but I don''t."


    He turned and looked at Damien before saying in a cold voice, "I haven''t quite forgotten how you begged to be taken back to the Royal Court nor have I forgotten how you have forgotten your own family for the sake of your obsession to return in glory."


    "Forgive me for not believing your half-hearted words."


    After speaking he turned on his feet and left without letting Damien have a chance to speak.


    Damien scowled at the back of the boy and snorted before muttering angrily, "Acting all tough now that Mother can''t hear you. If you had the guts, you should have said these things in front of her."


    He deliberately spoke loudly because he wanted Henry to hear it, and given that his neck was bright red he must have heard it.


    Slightly satisfied with his small act of revenge, Damien turned on his feet as well. He noticed that Prisci wanted to say something to him, he waited but she only opened her mouth twice before hesitating and then turned quiet once again.


    Seeing her hesitant attitude, he knew that she too wanted to say the same thing as Henry.


    As Damien had no desire to say something rude to Prisci, he picked up his pace and left the hall. It felt simply delightful to be treated with so much trust!


    "It seems like your siblings believe that you have finally lost your remaining marbles, Lord Damien,"mented Xavier as the two of them stepped out of the manor.


    Damien choked on air before sputtering, "Well thanks for that well put remark, genius."


    "You are most wee, Lord Damien. You know I exist to serve you after all."

 Chapter 33: One fool is enough

    On the other side, at the main building


    "Lord Theodore, you didn''t have to take the trouble ofing here yourself," Gilderoy spoke to the man with a polite smile on his face. "You could have just sent someone to return the fees for treatment."


    Though his voice was light, Gilderoy shrewdly studied Theodore, he knew that this man didn''t juste here to return the payment their family had made for Nichs.


    "This is no trouble, Lord Wolfe," replied Theodore with a smile that matched Gilderoy in terms of politeness. "After all, it is us and the temple that have let you down, it''s only right for us to make up for the mistake that we made."


    His face slowly turned left as he nced at the stitches on Nichs''s leg. A gleam of curiosity shed in his eyes as Theodore muttered, "Ingenious. Truly ingenious, what a way of treating this injury."


    "Who could have thought that cutting the skin to take the Boreal Worms out and then sewing it back would help deal with the injury?" Theodore remarked, sounding awed. "I have to say this person who dealt with Lord Nichs''s wound really does know how to think out of the box."


    The wound was also healing well without showing any infection. More importantly, there was no sign of dark magic. Something Theodore had expected to see.


    "Well, you can say that," Gilderoy seemed a tad bit miffed as if Theodore''s praise of this healer who saved Nichs''s life was nothing less than vulgar words in Gilderoy''s ears.


    Theodore eyed Gilderoy before turning to look at Nichs. He asked, "Lord Nichs¡­how do you feel?" Though Nichs was no longer as profusely bleeding as he was thest time he saw him, proceeding without caution had always been the way of fools.


    Nichs smiled and though he had yet to recover properly, he seemed to be doing better. "I am feeling fine. Though it itches a bit, all I need is a cooling potion and everything gets better."


    Theodore nodded upon hearing his answer. His eyes once again skimmed over the thread which had sewn Nichs''s skin together. Such a fine thread, he didn''t think that anyone could make it.


    "Lord Wolfe, if you allow me to be a tad bit bold," began Theodore slowly. "Can you let me meet this ingenuous man?"


    "I am afraid that it will be difficult," Gilderoy knew it wasing, the second he heard that Theodore was here to return the fee himself, he knew that the man had set his sight on Damien. "He doesn''t want his identity to be disclosed. And as he had saved the life of my son, I would like to oblige to his wishes."


    "Wishes? Hah! If he is a healer then it''s his responsibility to serve the church and the people," Grover said hotly from behind Theodore and Wistoria scowled at him.


    She said, "Because the church is doing its job a little too well?" Her voice was sarcastic.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" Grover turned his attention to Wistoria. His brows were furrowed in annoyance and he was looking at her as if she had just called his mother a very rude word.


    "I don''t know how to break it to you..but there was another attack on Aeloria a few days ago. And not once did I see any healer or Holy guardian helping anyone," replied Wistoria with her chin raised haughtily.


    "Protecting the lower grade species is not the job of the church¡ª"


    "Why is that?" Wistoria asked with a sneer ying on her lips. "Wasn''t it the job of the church to protect the children of the beast god? What happened? Did you give it to someone else? They might as well note it down in the next meeting ¡ª at least people will know whom to call."


    "That.."


    "I think that will be enough, Grover," said Theodore as he nced at the man. His expression was calm but his voice seemed to be speaking volumes, it must be because Grover turned a very bad shade of hummus and then lowered his head without saying a word.


    Theodore then turned to look at Wistoria with a soft smile on his face, "I know that you have a lot to say to us, Lady Wistoria about the mismanagement of the church but I am afraid that I will have to take my leave now."


    Wistoria seemed like she wanted to voice more than just herints but her father stopped her.


    "Ria, send Lord Theodore and his aide off if you don''t mind?" Gilderoy said to Wistoria. His expression was serene but stern as he looked at Wistoria.


    "Yes Father," Wistoria red at Grover with enough poison in her eyes to make a man die in seconds before turning to look at Lord Theodore. "Pleasee with me."


    ** *** **


    Wistoria brought the two men out of the main building and guided them across the marble path before bringing them to the entrance gates.


    "Have a safe trip, Lord Theodore," said Wistoria. She was about to turn on her feet and leave when she heard Theodore call her from behind.


    "Lady Wistoria,"


    Wistoria turned and looked at the man who stood behind her with a frown on her face. "Is there something that you want to say to me, Lord Theodore?"


    "Yes," Theodore nodded with the same polite smile that he gave to everyone who came to him for their wounds to be treated and injuries to be healed. It was polite but distant. "I know that you have a lot to say about how the church functions, Lady Wistoria. But I will suggest not to make your less than cordial statement known."


    "It will be less than prudent to do so."


    "Is that a threat?" She asked as she turned to look at Theodore. Her ws unsheathing as she flexed her fingers.


    "Oh no. Not at all," Theodore continued smiling as he replied. "I am just a healer, how could I dare to threaten a warrior?" He took a step closer to Wistoria before adding, "It is just a friendly reminder. The world is not what it was once, Lady Wistoria ."


    ** ** **


    Fifteen minutester, Wistoria was still fuming she marched down the marble path which led her to her manor.


    "Not the same? Well a good thing he told me, or else I would have not even known about the changes," she said scathingly. Her face looked colder than usual and she was certain that she had scared off a few servants but it truly did not matter to Wistoria at that very moment.


    "You seem to be in a really foul mood," a voice called to her and she turned to look at Damien who was lying on the ground, with his arms thrown under his head.


    "And what do you think you are doing?" She asked the man with a frown on her face. "You are my husband¡ª"


    "In the name." He corrected her.


    Wistoria rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, only in name but you are still rted to me. So pray tell me why you are lying on the ground like a servant?"


    Damien looked around and then faked a mock surprise look before saying, "Oh dear, I had no idea that thisnd was reserved for the servants. What should I do? Oh wait¡ªI am a ve as well." He deadpanned while eyeing the woman with distaste.


    "I am working on it," she said to him with a sigh. "I will have the servants of the family know that they need to show you the respect that you deserve."


    Earlier today, Xavier had ryed how Damien and his family were living in the small mansion. She agreed that she had never treated this man with respect but not once did she say that it was alright for the servants to insult Damien.


    Completely out of control.


    Damien snorted. Clearly, he did not believe a word that she was saying.


    "Why are you so testy today?" Wistoria asked, noticing that the man seemed to be even more tetchy than usual.


    "I am not," he gritted out before plopping down on the ground. "You can continue with what you were doing, there is no need to bother yourself with me."


    She should indeed do that but for some reason, she couldn''t. Wistoria walked over to where Damien was lying. She stared down at him while the man stared up at her.


    "Do you want me to take a peek under your skirt?" He asked after a very long pause. "Is this an offer? Is that why you are standing near my head?"


    "Do you want me to kill you?" Instead of answering, she asked back with a snarl.


    "Gosh, no one can even joke in this ce without getting death threats," remarked Damien as he turned to look at the other side of the garden pointedly.


    Wistoria pinched the bridge of her nose before asking, "Just tell me what you want. I will see if I can help you, there is no need for you to act like a child."


    "Child? I am not acting like a child!" The word ''child'' seemed to have touched a nerve because Damien snapped quite harshly. "There could only be one fool in this house and I refuse to be that very fool."

 Chapter 34: Damien’s Ambitions

    Now if you are married to a beast woman, you should never ¡ªever raise your voice on her. Damien realised this too as well, a tad bit toote when Wistoria''s expression changed and she unsheathed her ws.


    "Did you just raise your voice at me?" She asked with her ws aimed at his throat. Another inch and Damien would be a goner.


    Damien nced at her ws, there were a bunch of things he could have said but no. He opened his big mouth and went, "You truly need a nail filer."


    Of course, in response to his cheeky remark, Wistoria took a swipe at his neck which he dodged by bending backwards.


    "Hey! If I die you will be a widow," he said while scrambling on his feet and then stepping away from her.


    Wistoria raised a brow before curling her lips in a sneer, "Well, I do look quite nice in ck."


    Sweat trickled down Damien''s forehead as he looked at Xavier who looked back at him. "I can''t attack Lady Wistoria," said the man with a cold and detached voice.


    "Of course, you can''t," mumbled Damien. He raised his head and looked at Wistoria before saying, "Can you put away those ws? You can seriously hurt someone."


    For a second Damien thought that Wistoria was going to run right towards him and stab him in the heart. With her outfit which waspletely ck with only a little pinkpels that added some colours to her entire gloomy disposition, she looked evil enough already. And when she gave him the stinky eye, her expression was 10/10 on the scale of evil looks.


    However, she only glowered at him before sheathing her ws. "Now," she said sternly. "What happened? Maybe I will be able to help you?" The way she spoke told Damien that if he dared to say anything against her, she would make him ''talk'' in her own way.


    He could hear the unsaid threat in her words.


    "Nothing of great importance," replied Damien. "And you can''t help me unless you have a potion that can make a stubborn oaf to see sense." She gave him another look and he rolled his eyes before telling Wistoria about Henry and his foolish desires of obstructing him from treating his mother.


    "If she is not treated within the next four months...even I will not be able to save her," Damien said to Wistoria.


    His expression was grave as he shook his head and added, "The Blizzard Bear Bone Powder has provided an ideal condition for the pulsating bulbs to spread faster. Unless they are removed, we ¡ª¡­" he trailed off, not bringing the words he had in his mind to his lips.


    Wistoria stayed quiet for a while. She then parted her lips and remarked, "Well, his worries are not empty."


    With her eyes closed she continued to speak, "Ever since you arrived at Aeloria, the only thing you have been interested in is your return to the Royal court."


    "There hasn''t been a day where you cared about your family," she opened her eyes and stared right at him like she was trying to see through his intentions. "In fact, even, I am also quite surprised that you want to treat your mother, given that you have been ming her for your situation all these months."


    "Anyone with eyes can see that you have been looking for an opportunity to seize the throne," Wistoria stated with a cold expression. "Damien, are you sure that you are doing this for your mother and not for your foolish ambition?"


    Her question brought a surge of anger in his heart but at the same time, there was a trace of excitement.


    As if sitting on the throne was his goal all along Damien knew that these were the emotions left behind by his predecessors.


    He didn''t desire the throne.


    "Of course not," Damien stared back at Wistoria, with his hand pressed against his heart, he said, "I don''t know what kind of person, I am in your eyes and the others but I will never use the life of my mother to gain power. I might be a bastard in everyone''s eyes but I am not going to stoop so low."


    "As a doctor, my ambition is not the throne but saving the lives of as many people as I can," Damien said with determination in his eyes. "For me, the smiles of those who I save are worth more than the throne."


    "Spoken like a true doctor," said Dan as he pped his hands. "I knew you had it in you, host."


    Damien ignored him as he continued to look at Wistoria who smiled. Hershes fluttered close as she lowered her gaze just a tad bit before raising her gaze. Her red eyes met with his blue ones before she said,


    "Then there you have it. If your brother doesn''t trust you then you need to show him that he can put his trust back in you."


    She took a step forward and continued, "Show him your ambition and desires. I am sure if you do that, Henry will understand that you are indeed trying to save Lady Cecil and not using her illness to boost your fame."


    "I also want to do it but I have no idea how to do it," he told her with a dark face.


    "Then why don''t you join a guild?" Wistoria suggested as if it was an obvious thing to do. Maybe it was, but Damien had no idea about these guilds.


    His predecessor was more interested in getting rid of the Tartarite nails from his body that were embedded in seven different ces than taking a look around the world or how it worked.


    Most probably he believed that he would one day return to the Royal Court and wouldn''t have any use of such information.


    "A guild?"


    "Yes, a guild. There are all kinds of adventure guilds located in the city, you can submit your information and let them assign a role to you," she exined. Though she looked at him as if he was an idiot who failed in second grade. "If you truly are determined then you should join the adventure guild. The more lives you save, the more your fame will rise.


    I believe Henry will have no choice but to agree."


    *********************************************

 Chapter 35: Joining an adventure guild

    "A guild huh?" Damien muttered with his hands behind his head as he walked past the bustling crowd on the streets.


    Though the city was attacked by Bannppe wolves a few days ago, it seemed to be bustling with excitement. Beastmen and Beast women were walking around the streets, with smiles on their faces.


    All of them were carrying a bowl of watery soup in their hands.


    "Is something going on today?" He asked Xavier who was following behind him.


    The man raised his gaze and studied Damien with a lightly inquisitive expression before replying, "Today is Thursday. People worship the beast god today and the church also hands out a bowl of soup which is cooked in diluted holy water."


    "This is something that you ought to know right?" He asked with a suspicious look and Damien nced at him before thickening his skin. He rolled his eyes and pretended to be annoyed before saying, "I didn''t know that it was Thursday. I thought it was Tuesday, there is no need to look at me like I havemitted murder."


    "What now can''t I even misunderstand? Is it a crime too?" He questioned Xavier who didn''t say anything for a long time causing Damien to start sweating.


    It was after a very long pause that Xavier answered, "No, it is not."


    Overjoyed by the fact that his n had worked, Damien snorted before turning his face to the front. "I thought so."


    The two of them walked for a long time before Xavier brought Damien to a guild. It must have been a rather popr guild as it was located in the middle of the town, and with a rather gigantic building.


    Damien had to stretch his neck back such that he could look at the top of the building.


    "Fallen Star," he mused as he read the name written on the guild''s board. "That''s some depressing name."


    Xavier nced at him before stating, "This guild was established by therade in arms of Lord Gilderoy. Master Godric was once a General himself but then he was backstabbed and had to retire from the military. He established this guild after that, thus this name."


    "In short, he was either drunk as a skunk while naming this guild Fallen Star or he was depressed," Damien remarked. He ignored the look of affront on Xavier''s face as he walked inside the guild.


    It was one of the noisiest guilds that he had ever seen, not that he had seen many but Damien was certain that none of the guilds would be as noisy as them.


    It was afternoon and yet there were more than ten people who passed out after getting drunk.


    "Come on, is this all you can do?" A jolly loud voice snickered and Damien turned to look at a little boy who was holding a barrel of alcohol. He must be of age and just small in size because there was no way that boy despite looking like he was eleven ended up drinking more than six barrels of alcohol.


    Damien only nced at the boy, he wanted to tell him that it was not good for him to drink so much alcohol but he refrained himself from doing so when he saw that boy pick up that heavy barrel with his hands and start drinking big gulps.


    "Shouldn''t you do that?" Dan asked while flying next to his ear. "It could be seriously damaging to one''s health if they were to drink so much."


    "Well, I don''t know if you know this but there is a thing called tact," remarked Damien while looking in the front while pretending that he could not hear a voice which no one could. "I can''t just walk over to a drunk person and tell him about how damaging it is to their body if they drink so much."


    "And you are scared," Dan deadpanned.


    Damien ignored the chatty system. He knew perfectly well now that being goaded by Dan wouldn''t bring him any good results.


    Thest time he let Dan talk about something, Damien almost lost his life. The taste ofing close to the brink of death was still fresh in Damien''s mind and there was no way he was going to forget it in a hurry.


    He walked to therge bar aisle where a woman was standing. She was a really beautiful woman.


    With her long wavy red hair that reached past her back and hovered only an inch above the floor, shiny golden eyes and lips that were curled in a polite and enchanting smile, she seemed like a seductress.


    The white robe-like dress she was wearing hugged her curves nicely.


    It was thus not a surprise that many men were trying to chat with her.


    "Gina,e on it will not hurt for you to agree to my proposal," said the drunken man slumped on the bar counter. "I mean there are only three times you can¡­"


    Damien didn''t know what he meant three times as the man stopped speaking and started snoring.


    Gina, the bartender, turned to look at Damien and Xavier. The two furry ears on her head twitched before she summoned them back.


    "Hello, good afternoon, Lord Xavier," she greeted Xavier before saying, "How can I help you today?"


    "Gina," Xavier nodded at the woman before turning to look at Damien. "We are here to get Lord Damien to be a member of your guild."


    No sooner did he finish speaking the rowdy guild turned silent. At first, there was only silence before the crowd started hissing.


    "A member? A member of our guild but he is useless."


    "Without a beast nucleus, what could he even do?"


    "It''s a shame."


    All kinds of remarks and insults were passed around but Damien remained unfazed. He was not here to please anyone but to fulfil his ambitions.


    He opened his mouth to tell Gina to deal with the paperwork or whatever was required, when ¡ª


    "Silence you brats! Is this how I taught you all to behave?"

 Chapter 36: Fallen Star’s Master

    The voice was loud and it boomed across the guild causing tables and chairs to shake with the impact.


    Damien raised his head and looked up at the third floor of the guild. On the wooden railing of the corridor sat an old man. He was quite ordinary-looking with his bald head and bushy moustache but Damien didn''t take him lightly.


    This man could cause the entire guild to turn silent. Certainly, he must be ¡ª


    "Master Godric," Xavier bowed his head respectfully. "It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    "Of course it is, boy. It is always a pleasure for those who meet me," the man said while fanning his face with the little paper fan that he was holding in his hand. "But I cannot say the same for you. What are you doing bringing this possessed man to my guild? I am telling you that we shall take no part in any war for the throne." His voice was calm but had the impact of a loud roar.


    It terrified everyone in the guild, especially Damien who was the target of Master Godric''s anger.


    Master Godric turned his head to the right and nced at Damien.


    His gaze caused Damien to stiffen, he wasn''t scared of Master Godric but the second he looked at him there was this really strange feeling that crept up his spine.


    Like this man could squash him to bits if he wanted and Damien would be helpless to even defend himself against Master Godric.


    "Host, are you alright?" Dan asked him, and he sounded concerned. Alright, as concerned as an AI system could sound. "The level of your fear is rising, are you scared? But why, you haven''t done anything wrong."


    Dan''s words snapped Damien out of his daze. That''s right, he hadn''t done anything wrong. He was here to be a member of this guild and not to convince anyone to go to war with him.


    That thought lit up another emotion in his heart. Anger.


    This old man didn''t even let him talk and decided to execute him without a hearing. Damien was getting tired of being treated like he was a scum on this.


    Inhaling sharply, Damien began speaking while suppressing the fear in his heart, "I didn''te here to ask you to join me in a war. I don''t want a war."


    Master Godric raised a brow as he continued fanning himself. He asked, "If you didn''te here to convince my guild to join you in a war then why did youe here, Lord Damien? I don''t think that my guild can do anything to help a besotted man like yourself."


    Besotted man? Underneath the fear and the desire to flee, Damien felt his anger be even fiercer.


    A part of him wanted to turn around and never return. But when he thought about his goal, Damien stopped himself.


    Xavier told him that this was the best guild of the Aeloria city. One that received the most missions, if there was a chance for him to prove himself, then Damien would certainly find it here.


    "I came to this guild because I want to be a member of your guild, master Godric," said Damien ignoring the angry hissing behind his back. He raised his head and looked Master Godric in the eye. "This is very important to me."


    "Because you want to get strong enough to cause the destruction you have been hoping for?"


    "Quite the contrary," retorted Damien. "I want to save someone. Someone really important."


    Xavier turned to look at Damien, he did not know whether Master Godric could hear the determination and honesty in Damien''s voice but he could.


    Damien was not lying.


    "Hmm," Master Godric leaned back as he continued to look at Damien. The aura that was suppressing Damien was also retracted, allowing him to breathe properly.


    Three minutes passed by before the man leaned forward, with his hand under his chin as he studied Damien carefully. "Your beast nucleus is destroyed, Lord Damien and the mana in your body has also been sealed. You can neither use aura nor your beast form. What can you do even if you join the guild?"


    There was a murmur of agreement from behind him and Damien clenched his fingers.


    However, he did not shirk away from the prating gaze of Master Godric.


    He said, "Your beast nucleus was also destroyed, Master Godric."


    "How dare you¡ª"


    Someone behind him spoke up but Master Godric stopped that person as he raised his hand and silenced the man.


    "Go on," he said to Damien. "I want to hear what you have to say."


    "I don''t mean any disrespect by saying this," said Damien. "I just wanted to say that despite losing your beast nucleus, despite the fact that the royal family didn''t take your achievements and sacrifices into ount you rose to power and created this guild."


    "No one can understand my desperation to get back on my feet more than you, Master Godric."


    "You are forgetting that I still have my aura boy," Master Godric spoke but this time around his voice was slightly softer.


    "Then I will work harder than you did," stated Damien determinedly. "The weaker I am, the more downtrodden my dear brother wants me to be, the more I want to get stronger and show him that I don''t need to rely on my beast nucleus and mana to be stronger."


    He clenched his fist and lowered his head, before raising his gaze and meeting Master Godric''s gaze head-on. "Do I need my beast nucleus to be someone? Can''t I do what I want without it? Do I need to lower my head and bow down to the destiny others set for me?"


    "But I don''t want to, so what if I don''t have my mana or beast nucleus? I can still live my life and move on from my past."


    "I refuse to back down and live like trash."


    "I want to save as many lives as I can," said Damien defiantly. "That''s my ambition and I will pave my way no matter what."


    ***************************************************************************************************************

 Chapter 37: Numbing Spell

    An awkward silence stretched throughout the guild, and just as Damien thought that he was going to be asked to leave, Master Godric burst outughing.


    "Hahaha!" He pped his thigh and then peered at Damien from the third floor. "You have guts boy, I will give you that. It''s good to see that you are no longer acting like a fool demanding a toy which he cannot get or deserve."


    He turned to look at Gina before saying, "Let him finish the formalities, I want to see what mountains he can move."


    After speaking he somersaulted and fell back on the corridor of the third floor before vanishing.


    "Lord Damien, pleasee here," once he was gone, Gina who stood behind the bar counter called out to Damien. Her voice was as sweet and seductive as a siren causing Damien to stare at her and for Xavier to smack him at the back of his head.


    "Ah yes," Damien said as he rubbed the back of his head.


    He walked over to the counter and sat down on one of the long stools that were ced against the counter.


    "What role would you like to be assigned to you?" Gina asked politely. She then thought about something and began, "There are three roles in a guild. Warriors, Merchant and Healers. The role of warriors is assigned to the beastmen who are apt for fighting and protecting."


    "Merchants are the strategists and the brain behind many of our business dealings. Lastly, the healers are responsible for the safety of the guild members."


    "Please choose your role wisely because you will be put in a team after you be a member of the guild. In case you cannot perform your responsibilities ording to the role that has been given to you, it will be troublesome."


    Damien didn''t have to think about this at all because he knew from the start what role he was going to pick.


    "Doctor¡ªI am going to be a doctor, a healer who cannot use magic."


    *** **** ****


    Damien looked at the mark (A falling star with a tail.) on the back of his hand, it looked like a tattoo minus the pain.


    "Where are we going?" Xavier asked. The two of them were now roaming on the street, after Damien picked up his role, it went without saying that the entire guild was shocked.


    After all, how could there be a healer without magic?! It was simply impossible.


    But maybe the Fallen Star guild was used to picking up weirdos but Gina did not say anything. She didn''t say anything and simply smiled before noting down his role and giving Damien the guild mark.


    "To the herb and medicine hall," Damien answered Xavier. Gina told him that she would assign a team to him very soon and he should be prepared for an adventure at any time.


    This meant that he had limited time in his hand and Damien wanted to use this time to get his hands on something that would help him make anaesthesia.


    He hadn''t unlocked the anaesthesia in the shopping section of his system which meant that he could not use it for the time being.


    However, Damien knew that he could not continue treating beastmen without anaesthesia or else it would be troublesome.


    Not only for his patients but also for him.


    Fortunately, he had Dan who had already assigned him a concoction which he could use to make a spell that could be used as an anaesthesia. Not to mention, the one in his shop section was used on humans, Damien didn''t know whether it could be used on beastmen.


    "It can be used but the effects will be limited," said Dan, as he answered the question that was swirling inside Damien''s head. "Of course, you can use it to strengthen the effects of the spell but that will all be there to it."


    So it was like a buff? Damien thought to himself.


    "For what?" Xavier asked with a frown on his face. "Didn''t you say that herbs and concoctions were useless for Lady Cecil''s condition?" Xavier thought that Damien was going to get something for Lady Cecil and her illness.


    "I am not buying herbs for, mother," replied Damien. "There is something that I need in case I am sent on a mission."


    Xavier seemed like he wanted to ask what the thing was but the two of them had arrived at the clinic.


    "Is anyone inside?" Damien called while standing in the doorway.


    Thud. Bang. Thud.


    The sound of someone falling and crashing echoed from the back room of the clinic before the curtain on the side of the main hall was pushed and a grime-covered man stepped out. He reminded Damien of arge dragonfly.


    "Good¡ªack¡ªgood day," said the man with a smile on his face as he wriggled out of the tassels of the strings that he had thrown on the floor, only to get caught. "How may I help you?"


    "I would like to buy some Holyroot, goat bush and Marsh suckle," said Damien as he counted the herbs that were noted down on the screen by Dan. "And ah, the bone powder of baster Angelfish fins."


    The owner of the clinic frowned before asking, "These are all slightly poisonous herbs, are you sure that you want them? And Angelfish can numb the body of even the strongest beastmen. If it is not used carefully, it can get dangerous. "


    The man thought that he had gotten a customer finally, who would have thought that he would end up running into a murderer? Should he call the guards?


    "I just need them in the tiniest amount," said Damien as he ced a golden coin on the counter. "Can''t it be done?"


    The man behind the counter looked at the gold coin and then at Damien before saying, "If you add another maybe¡ª"


    "I will only add another coin if you double the amount," haggled Damien. "Don''t think I don''t know that these things are quite cheap. I am only handing you a gold coin for your trouble and nothing else."


    There was silence before ¡ª


    "Very well."

 Chapter 38: A watchful eye

    The man sighed.


    "You drive a hard bargain," said the shopkeeper. "I will get you these herbs, but do I have your word that you will give me another gold coin if I get double of these herbs for you?"


    Damien smiled reassuringly, "Of course. As long as you arrange to double the amount of the herbs, another gold coin will be in your bag."


    "Tsk, you are being so cheap," the shopkeeper clicked his tongue. "Alright, two gold coins for double the amount of these herbs. I will go to the main pharmacy in the evening, so I will bring you these herbs three days from now. You cane and get themter on."


    "Okay, got it," Damien heaved a sigh of relief. He nearly thought that he wouldn''t get his hands on these herbs with how the man was looking at him.


    He deposited an advance payment of a single gold coin before taking his leave with Xavier.


    "What are you trying to do with these toxic herbs?" Xavier asked as the two of them stepped out of the clinic where herbs were sold.


    "Hmm? It''s nothing serious," Damien replied with a casual shrug. "I know you must be thinking something along the lines that ¡ªoh he must be preparing for some sort of evil takeover by creating a poison by mixing these things."


    And given the twisted expression caught in headlights on Xavier''s face, Damien knew that he was bang on with his deduction.


    "Jeez, I am just trying to make a numbing potion." Damien rolled his eyes as he thrust his hands in his pockets while suppressing his desire to knock a few teeth out of the man''s mouth behind him.


    "A what?" Xavier asked. He had never heard about such a thing before.


    "A numbing potion," Damien exined as he knew that if Xavier didn''t understand what he meant by numbing potion he would certainly not understand what was an anaesthesia. "It''s ugh¡ªit''s a potion to make people lose their ability to feel pain for a short while."


    Xavier frowned and stated, "But that''s impossible."


    "Oh no, no.. it is quite possible," Damien shook his head. "These herbs are slightly toxic but sometimes a little bit of poison if administered carefully is not bad. If it is administered correctly, I can make a person lose their ability to feel anything. That way it wouldn''t hurt them when I cut or sew their skin."


    Xavier stayed quiet for a while before he spoke in a gruff manner, "Beastmen don''t feel pain. We are warriors trained and brought up to fight wars and protect our territories." There was a tinge of pride in his voice.


    "Everyone feels pain," injected Damien, twisting his head and looking at Xavier. "Some just learn how to bear it quietly. Unfortunately, I am no sadist which means that I don''t want my patients to grit their teeth and suffer in silence."


    He smiled at Xavier before saying, "I want to save people, Xavier not push them to the edge of death."


    ***


    Swipe. Thrust.


    Xavier swiped his ws at the dummy standing still on the training ground. His blue eyes shed as he muttered, "Aura merge."


    His ws glowed with a strange red tinge before the dummy burst into mes, but no sooner did it explode Xavier felt the veins in his arm heating up.


    He looked down and saw his skin turning ck and white, with small glowing spots that resembled coals that were almost extinguished.


    "Still having trouble while controlling your mana?" A voice called him from behind and Xavier turned to look at the woman who stood at the entrance of the training ground.


    "Lady Wistoria," Xavier knelt on the ground with a respectful expression.


    "There is no need for you to kneel every time you see me," said Wistoria as she walked inside the training ground. She looked at the burning dummy and said, "You need to control your mana, swirl it around your beast nucleus rather than push it inside. It creates a powerful impact, but it is uncontroble."


    "Thank you for your wise advice, Lady Wistoria," said Xavier as he got to his feet, his eyebrows furrowed.


    "Bee in your bo, Xavier?" Wistoria asked. "Did something happen for you to look so troubled?"


    "It''s nothing, Lady Wistoria¡ª it''s just," before Xavier could stop himself, he was telling Wistoria about how Damien wanted to make a numbing potion. "I mean why would he go to such lengths to assure that beastmen would not feel pain? We don''t need such a foolish thing."


    He held the hilt of the sword in his hand tightly, with a haunting look.


    Wistoria studied him before turning to look at the sky which had darkened. The stars glimmered in the dark sky. Wistoria crossed her hands behind her and said to Xavier, "Everyone is different, Xavier. Not to mention the living who can think for themselves are not static, they are dynamic."


    "You cannot continue to tie yourself to the past¡ª and continue looking at the present with sses that have specks of the forgotten dirt."


    She dropped her head and looked at Xavier before saying, "I made the mistake of connecting the past with the present and almost lost my brother. You shouldn''t do the same. Don''t make the same mistake that I made, and try to let go."


    "I understand, Lady Wistoria." Xavier gripped the hilt even tightly as his eyes darkened.


    Three days passed by in a sh, of course for Damien who was eagerly waiting for the shopkeeper to return, these three days felt like months.


    Once the three days were over, the first thing Damien did was to go to the clinic and stock up as many herbs as he thought would be useful and at the same time, he brought back the herbs for the anaesthesia as well.


    "Now, let us get this party rolling," said Damien as he huddled inside his room with the herbs for the numbing potion.


    His eyes were fixated on the ingredients lying on the floor.


    ***************

 Chapter 39: A watchful eye —part 2

    In a cauldron that Damien had arranged from the small kitchen, he poured the Holyroot that had been chopped. The purplish leaves hissed and sputtered as soon as they made contact with the hot surface of the cauldron.


    Damien raised his head and read the instructions that were written on the floating screen hovering in front of him.


    [Wait for three minutes until the herbs turn liquid.]


    And so he did wait. Once the leaves turned into purplish liquid, he added Goat Bush while trickling marsh suckle at the same time.


    Three stirs clockwise and two anticlockwise ¡ªand finally the baster Angelfish fins'' bone powder was added.


    "I feel like a wizard," Damien muttered as he stirred the potion in the cauldron. "Why am I making potions when I am supposed to be a doctor?"


    "When in Rome you do as the Romans do," Dan simply said. "This is a world of magic and beasts, host. You cannot expect to live like humans, do you?"


    Damien had to pause his stirring as he turned to look at Dan. "You¡ªdon''t you think you are getting more and more human-like these days?" He even learned how to speak idioms now.


    His words brought a smile to Dan''s face. The 3D hologram floated in front of Damien''s face as he sped his hands and said, "Oh it is truly fun to study humans. So many emotions and contradictory words!"


    "Just yesterday I saw the maid who scolded Miss Prisci, kneeling and asking for forgiveness in front of Xavier. The change of expression was really amusing, one moment she was sneering and the other moment, she was begging and pleading."


    "It was faster than the pace with which a chameleon changes its colour, I have to admit that humans can do anything as long as their benefits are attached."


    ''That¡­is not a good thing,'' thought Damien but he kept his thoughts to himself. He didn''t need another round of questions hurled at his head.


    However, through Dan''s babbling, Damien found out another important piece of information.


    Xavier seemed to have taken care of the maid who was bullying Prisci. No wonder he thought that there was a sudden change in the servants who worked in their mansion.


    At least they were not giving him stinky looks hoping that he would drop dead every second.


    In fact, they were more respectful than before, even Prisci looked like she was going along with her new maid.


    As for Henry ¡ª


    Damien furrowed his brows, he hadn''t seen Henry ever since the fight and he had no idea what that boy was doing. He was an orphan and didn''t have the slightest clue about how to get along with his siblings.


    Was he supposed to say sorry?


    But why should he say sorry? Henry was in the wrong as well wasn''t he? He didn''t see himing with an apology bouquet or something of the sort.


    With a snort, he poured the numbing potion into vials and pushed the thought of his instant younger brother.


    [Congrattions! The First Anaesthesia of the Beast world has been created.]


    [Strength: +9


    Agility: +6


    Precision: +2


    Mana:+1]


    "Mana?" Damien rubbed his eyes as he carefully looked at the screen. This was his first time seeing the word mana pop on the screen. Does this mean that he could recover the lost mana inside this body?


    [Skills: Levelled by +1]


    [Fame: +2]


    [Combine the numbing potion with the human anaesthesia to create the most potent knock-out spell.]


    Damien read his stats again and again, once he was certain that he hadn''t missed anything, he pocketed the vials of the numbing potion in his space ring.


    Knockout spell eh? For that, he had to collect more points.


    He walked out of his room and just as he headed out, Damien noticed that someone was lurking outside his room. He turned and looked right at the corner where he noticed a shadow.


    "What the¡ª" who was keeping an eye on him now? Damien walked over to the end of the corridor with a determined look but as he came to a stop where the shadowy figure should have been¡ª


    He didn''t see anyone. There was just a vase and some withered flowers inside of it.


    "There is nothing," said Dan while eyeing the empty corridor. "Do you have hallucinations? It can happen when a person is too hungry, distraught or.."


    "I know when hallucinations happen, Dan," said Damien in a clipped voice. Though he indeed could not see anything in the corridor for some reason he had a feeling that there was indeed someone standing here just now.


    And it was not his hallucination.


    "Lord Damien," Xavier nced at Damien. The two of them were sitting in the carriage as Damien stared out of the window. "Is something the matter? You seem far too quiet."


    Damien opened his mouth to speak but then thought against it and shook his head. What was he supposed to say? That he felt like someone was watching him?


    If he did Xavier would only scoff at him. After all, who would want to keep an eye on a man who had lost his beast core and mana along with it?


    No one. Exactly. He knew the answer before he could even bring the words to his lips. So what was the point?


    "It''s nothing," Damien shook his head and replied. Xavier looked like he knew that it wasn''t just nothing but before he could say anything, the carriage came to a halt and Damien took advantage of this opportunity presented to him.


    He didn''t want to talk about what happened in the morning and be treated as a narcissistic crazy man.


    With his foot ced on the top of the steps, he jumped down the carriage and walked over to the entrance of the guild when ¡ª


    "But why!" Damien heard a woman shout as soon as he stepped inside the guild. Behind him, Xavier also turned and looked at the woman who was standing in front of Master Godric with tears running down her cheeks.


    "Why can''t you help my father? The mission was only for four days and yet he had been missing for a week. Isn''t it about time you send someone, Master Godric?"

 Chapter 40: Impert Snakes

    "Don''t cry, Thalia," said Master Godric with a frown on his face. "There is no need toin so much. You are the daughter of a beastmen, so trust in your father and stay at home patiently waiting for his return."


    "You do not understand," said Thalia with tears falling from her green eyes. "He¡ªHe said that he would be back in three or four days but it has been a week." Her sobs echoed in the guild.


    Damien looked at the girl who was crying and turned to look at Xavier before asking, "What''s going on?"


    "Her father took a job at Forest of Magma Cross," before Xavier could say anything, the drunken boy who sat at a table right beside them, answered Damien''s query. "It isn''t far from the city, if ¡ªhic¡ª if everything went alright then Samuel should have returned hic three days ago. But he hasn''t."


    "I think he is already¡ª"


    "Levi." Gina stopped the boy from speaking anything more. Though everyone knew the truth, there was no need to put those ugly words up front like that.


    Levi shrugged as he took another swig from the alcohol bottle.


    However, Thalia still heard him. She shivered and said desperately, "Please Master Godric! You have to help my father, he agreed to this request because he wanted to save the lives of the vigers living near that forest."


    "You¡ªYou cannot leave him alone, can you?"


    From the look on Master Godric''s face, Damien had a feeling that the man was going to do just that.


    Thalia also seemed to sense it. She shouted in desperation, "Please go after him!"


    "Don''t be foolish, girl!" Master Godric smashed the cane in his hand on the floor while sitting cross-legged on the counter of the bar. "Your father is a beastman, isn''t he? Any beastman can take care of those beasts easily. And if he cannot hack them beasts, then he doesn''t deserve to be in this guild!"


    Silence ensued in the guild and just as Damien took a step close to the woman, she raised her hand and punched Master Godric in the face.


    "You are despicable! My father took that mission because of you!" Thalia shouted as she turned on her feet and looked at everyone in the guild. "Is anyone going to help me or not?" She shouted but no one spoke up causing Thalia to let out a whimpering sob as she covered her face and ran out of the guild.


    "That''s mean," said Damien as he turned to look at Gina. "Why is no one willing to help her? Even the master is being too tough on her."


    Gina smiled ruefully before saying, "It''s not that we are not willing to help. Samuel went to destroy the nest of Impret Snakes."


    "Those beasts are C-ranked beasts. It''s really difficult to kill those snake beasts and Samuel took the job of killing fifty of them alone," exined Gina with a sad smile. "He should have returned three days ago but he didn''t, which means he is already¡ª.." she trailed off and closed her eyes as if she were in pain.


    "We just don''t want Lia to continue hoping and refusing to ept that her father is gone."


    She turned and looked at Master Godric whose expression was sombre. "Master knows about this as well which is why he is being so hard on her. The sooner she epts reality, the better. She needs to step up."


    Once she finished speaking, Gina turned and smiled at Damien, "By the way, I have already¡ªLord Damien where are you going?" she called out from behind when she saw that Damien was heading out of the guild.


    Everyone turned to look at Damien who left the guild in a few strides.


    "Lord Damien!" Xavier called out as he chased after the man.


    "Whats up with him? Is he going to look for Samuel?" Gina asked with a worried look on her face.


    "If that''s what he is going to do then he is a fool," chuckled Levi. "The Impert Snakes are one of the vilest creatures roaming in this world."


    "But what if he seeds? Wouldn''t Samuel be embarrassed? I mean, Damien doesn''t even have a beast nucleus."


    "Hahaha! If that man could save Samuel then I will take my hat off for him. We might as well start making preparations for a funeral."


    "Tsk."


    Master Godric clicked his tongue and the entire guild turned silent. "No wonder we are not getting enough requests done. You all are so used to sitting in the guild and gossiping that it''s affecting our work efficiency."


    He brought the smoking pipe to his lips and looked from one embarrassed face to another, before saying, "No one can decide your destiny for you. Who says that you cannot fight fate? Just let nature take its course."


    Outside the guild, Damien searched for Thalia before finally finding her crying in a small park which wasn''t far from the guild.


    He walked over to the woman and sat next to her, he couldn''t see her face as she had buried it in her knees.


    "Hey, can you tell me more about where your father went?"


    "Lord Damien!" Xavier was stunned when he heard Damien question the girl about her father''s disappearance. For he had a feeling that Damien wasn''t asking this just out of curiosity.


    Thalia raised her head and looked at Damien before saying, "Why are you asking? Are you also here to tell me that I should give up looking for my father?"


    "No, I was asking because I was going to bring your father back but if you don''t want that then I will not bother¡ª" he started to rise from the bench when Damien felt someone grasp his wrist.


    "You¡ªare you really going to save my father?" Thalia asked as she held his wrist. Hope surged in her heart when she heard that someone was going to look for her father, while despair surged in Xavier''s.


    Unlike Damien, he wasn''t keen on the idea of bringing the girl''s father back.

 Chapter 41: Impert Snakes—Part (2)

    "Well if you want¡ª"


    "Thank you!" Thalia threw herself in the arms of Damien causing him to stiffen. For a man who had only held hands with one woman ¡ªwho turned out to be a cheating scum¡ª this was too much.


    His cheeks turned red as he felt Thalia''s soft body press right against his.


    "Host, there is a sudden upheaval of emotions in your body," Dan who had been silent till now spoke up causing Damien to snap out of his daze. "Does the contact between humans creates such a strong reaction?"


    "Ah¡ªyeah, yeah it does," Damien answered not wanting to exin the cause of this sudden upheaval.


    Thalia sniffed twice before pulling away. She wiped her eyes before saying, "If you bring my father back safely, I am willing to be your ve for life. If that''s what you want."


    "We ¡ªuh¡ªwe will talk about the paymentter on," said Damien because Xavier was looking mutinous like he wanted to stab his ws right where the sun shone for Damien. "First tell us about this mission that your father took."


    Thalia nodded. "It was a simple mission, he just needed to clear up the nest of the Impert Snakes. With my father being a bobcat beastman, he should have dealt with this manifestation with ease but ¡­" she let out a shuddering sob and covered her face as she once again started to cry.


    "¡­But he hasn''te back and I am worried that something might have happened to him."


    "I see," Damien said before turning to look at Dan. "Can you disy the information on Impert Snakes?"


    Dan blinked his eyes before the pupils in his eyes turnedpletely white and soon strings of green code started to move up and down. Damien noticed a flicker of green light shing past them before returning.


    "Information Collected."


    "Disying the information."


    A secondter, Dan disyed the image of a gigantic snake that was big and fat. It looked so ugly that he couldn''t have given his old orphanage director a run for her money. Countless fangs protruded out of its mouth, with eyes that looked mean and straight out of hell.


    And were those thorns at the back of its tail? It was.


    [Impert Snakes: Vicious C rank monsters.


    Attacks: Poisonous Mist and Crush of Death.]


    [Can crush anyone to death with its thorny tail.]


    [Poisonous Mist can melt flesh off the bones of the body of its prey.]


    [If you see it. Run.]


    Damien: "¡­" Well it was toote for that now.


    "Will you save my father?" Thalia asked tentatively as she peered at Damien who had gone silent, she thought that he was scared off by the mention of Impert Snakes.


    Damien snapped out of his thoughts. He smiled and raised his hand before patting Thalia on her head, "Don''t worry, I will try my best to bring him back."


    "Lors Damien!" Xavier raised his voice, as he could no longer take it anymore. He caught Damien by his arm and pulled him away. "Lord Damien, are you crazy! Don''t you see how dangerous this mission is?"


    "The Impert snake beast is not something you can take on just because you want to. I am sure Master Godric refused to help her because her father....."


    Xavier stopped when he looked at the crying face of the girl and Damien understood what he was trying to say but despite the dangers, Damien was adamant about helping Thalia.


    He understood her pain better than anyone.


    When he was young, he would peer out of the doors of the orphanage hoping that his parents woulde and bring him back home. But they never did.


    A new day, a new hope and a new dejection.


    It was like a painful cycle for him.


    His parents didn''te to get him and he grew ustomed to living alone but that didn''t mean that Thalia had to do the same.


    Since there was a chance, why not? Maybe her father was still alive.


    "I know it''s dangerous," said Damien. "But we cannot just leave her alone, maybe her father is injured. If that''s the case then all I need to do is to treat him."


    No sooner did he say those words, there was a ding followed by the notification screen activating in front of him.


    [You have shown great determination and courage!]


    [ New Mission: Save the life of Thalia''s father.]


    [Rewards: Potion to Spell. A quick way of turning your potions into spells, no need to carry vials and bottles.]


    [Special Reward: Yet to be unlocked.]


    Damien looked at the mission in front of him before turning to look at Dan.


    "Did you activate this mission?"


    However, the hologram frowned as his image flickered and he said, "No, this is not done by me."


    A gust of warm wind filled with the scent of sea blew past them and Damien felt a funny prickling at the back of his neck like someone was looking at him.


    He turned around and looked behind him but he didn''t see anyone. What the fuck was wrong with him?


    "Lord Damien," Xavier said to him in a stressed tone. "You cannot ept this mission."


    Damien would have at least pretended to listen if the mission in front of him had not been disyed but now that it had¡ª he could not ignore it anymore.


    He turned to look at Xavier and then nced at Thalia before grinning at her, "Don''t look like that, we are going to bring your father back. Now just tell us where we need to go."


    ** ** **


    "This is a foolish task, one that will end with all of our heads on the floor," said Xavier. He was staring at Damien despite the wonderful scenery he could have seen through the window of the carriage.


    Damie arched a brow as he turned to look at Xavier from therge birds that were flying in the sky. The shadow of their wings alone was enough to cover their carriage.


    "If you are scared then you don''t have toe," said Damien as the carriage came to a halt. He stepped out of the carriage and turned to look at Xavier before saying, "I will think of something alone."


    Xavier studied him with great distaste but as Damien turned around on his feet, the sound of footsteps followed him.


    Damien turned and looked at Xavier who was unwillingly following him. "That''s like a brave wolf."


    Xavier scowled at him.

 Chapter 42: Do you have fleas?

    "So, what now?" Xavier asked as he turned to look at Damien. The two of them were standing right at the entrance of the forest, neither of them had even stepped inside but the howling roar of the winds made Damien shudder.


    It was not the kind of forest he would go to for a camping trip alright. Twisted, gnarled trees that looked like they had been baked and then burnt were spread throughout the entirend in front of him.


    Craters on the ground glowed fiery orange and let out a shuddering puff of smoke that caused the ground to tremble. And veins of magma flowed past thend like flowing rivers.


    Damien knew that Xavier must be waiting for him to say something along the lines of like ¡ªYeah let''s go and beat some reptile butts.


    He knew that the man was expecting something simr to that but instead of showing as much courage as he did in front of Thalia, Damien turned and squeezed out, "Are you sure that this is the right ce? Like are you really, really sure? Maybe this Impert Snake beast lives at another ce like you know, where flowers and nts are in full bloom."


    Xavier arched a brow and sneered, "Are you feeling regretful already? This is why I tried to stop you in the town. It was you who wanted to be an unsung hero, so here we are, Lord Damien."


    "Can you stop?" Damien asked exasperatedly. He was feeling a lot of things that he didn''t want to feel, like the jittering nerves. He didn''t want to add annoyance on top of that.


    Because he hated to admit that Xavier was right. Not the unsung hero part, the regretting part. He was indeed regretting. But he was here and he wasn''t going back without a fight ¡ª


    Woah there, you were just a doctor a few days ago. One who couldn''t even deal with a few thugs, are you sure that you can take on a beast? A voice in his head spoke and Damien ignored it.


    He let out a shuddering exhale before saying, "Let''s go."


    Damien clutched the dagger on the side of his waist. Even if he couldn''t use Waterde with his beast core destroyed and mana restrained, the cold de of the dagger brought a sort offort in his heart.


    The sky overhead turned murky before slowly turningpletely dark. But the flowing magma was enough to light up the entire forest in an eerie, dangerous orangish hue.


    HOWL.


    The sound of a beast howling somewhere far away startled Damien. His fingers tightly sped the hilt of the dagger as he took a step back instinctively. He wanted to run and never look back again but Damien stayed where he was¡ª


    ''You have made a promise, and you better keep it,'' he told himself.


    "So, are we continuing, hero? Or are you waiting for the beast god to descend for your help?" a warm gush caressed the shell of his ear and a voice whispered in his ears and Damien felt a chill climb up his spine.


    He wheeled around and covered his ears before ring at Xavier, "What was that for? Why are you hissing in my ear?"


    Xavier shrugged and retorted, "I am not hissing. It''s just that you are too scared and thus you are feeling jumpy, Lord Damien."


    "This was why Master Godric didn''t let anyonee to this forest, it''s not a ce where you can go without ample preparations."


    And here they were without the slightest bit of any kind of preparation.


    Seeing that Damien was not saying anything, Xavier remarked, "You should have ignored that woman, Lord Damien."


    "Stop saying that," Damien turned around and ignoring the re that Xavier directed at him, he continued to walk deeper inside the forest. "Think about it a little, Xavier. If no one saves her father, Thalia will lose her father forever. Right now, we at least have a chance to save him."


    "And even if we cannot, she will at least get closure. Or else she will continue waiting for her father, and it is a really painful feeling. Waiting for those who will never return."


    Xavier nced at the man walking beside him. He had a feeling that Damien had experienced something simr like this before ¡ªWas he talking about his father who died? But was the rtionship between the two of them so great?


    As far as he knew Damien and his father hardly ever met.


    "I don''t know," Xavier replied as he stared in front of him. "If I was her and it was my father who went missing, I would have held a banquet for three nights and four days." That man would do some good if he died.


    Damien nced at Xavier and didn''tment. Everyone had a different kind of rtionship with their family and it was not his ce to say anything.


    The two of them walked further inside the forest, but other than the roaring winds, the howls of beasts and the bones scattered on the floor, Damien didn''t see even a single Impert Snake Beast.


    Once or twice he almost stepped on the skulls of those poor humans who could not get out of this forest alive. And that did nothing to raise the morale and confidence that was pummeling faster than the balls of magma hurled by the volcanoes scattered over thend.


    "Xavier, can you¡ª" Damien paused in the middle of his sentence as he turned and looked at Xavier who was standing beside him. But now covered in red welts.


    He was scratching his neck and arms which had turnedpletely red.


    "Wha¡ªwhat happened to you?" Damien asked in surprise and awe. "Is it because of the flees?" The look Xavier gave him told him that if he didn''t take his words back, he would regret it very much. "I mean--I just thought... I am sorry." He apologised in the end as Xavier was looking murderous.


    "Be very d that I am here to protect you, Lord Damien. If not, I would have--Ah! These cursednds," muttered Xavier as he scratched his neck. "The winds are getting hotter and they are irritating my skin." He was not lying, his skin was indeed getting irritated with boils appearing all over his arms.


    Seeing that Xavier''s condition was getting worse Damien activated his examination skill.


    [Magma Boils: Harmless boils that only cause itching and swelling.]


    [Treatment: Cream of Ivory Leaf.]

 Chapter 43: Steads

    "Do you have something to cover yourself with?" Damien asked. "I know the treatment for this but it will take a few minutes." Fortunately, he had stocked up the herbs before leaving the town or else Xavier would have scratched himself until he bled to death.


    Xavier scowled. Most probably he wanted to say something along the lines of ¡ªIt is your damn fault that I am suffering like this. But fortunately for Damien, Xavier''s itching must be truly bad because he didn''t say a word.


    Instead what he did was to take out a piece of bva from his space ring.


    "A bva? You will end up getting roasted in that thing," Damien said as he walked over to a small rock that was protruding out of the ground.


    "It is the only thing that I have at the moment," said Xavier in a clipped voice. "It is magically enchanted to repel water, ice and everything thates in my way."


    "We can only hope that it also repels these winds without turning you into a steamed wolf, eh?" remarked Damien as he took out the leaves which were white as snow from his space ring along with a mortar and pestle. He ignored the re that Xavier aimed at him.


    ''I hope that I activate the processing skill as soon as possible. It''s seriously so uncool to do this every time,'' he thought as he poured a good deal of the Ivory leaves inside the mortar before adding the slime of C-rank Snail Beast.


    It cost a fortune to him but fortunately, Lord Gilderoy kept his promise and sent him the reward as promised.


    With his hands working deftly, the cream was ready to be applied very soon.


    "Here," Damien said as he pushed the mortar to Xavier who took it and gingerly applied the cream on his face and arm. It must have worked because the cream disappeared very soon.


    Xavier took off the bva, he was sweating buckets of sweat but at least he was now welt-free.


    "What will you do without me?" Damien asked smugly and the man simply nced at him before saying, "I am in this situation because of you and your stupid heroic spirit, Lord Damien."


    Damien: "¡­"


    "Alright, if you are done then¡ª" Damien was still speaking when he felt something lick his hand. Startled, he let out a scream, "The beast is here!"


    His fingers pulled the dagger from its sheath as he turned to stab the very thing that was attacking him from behind.


    He was going to go big or go home but ¡ª


    "A rabbit?"


    The rabbit was shivering as he covered his long ears with his paws. The wings behind him fluttered and shivered along with his little arms and legs.


    "Pfft."


    Even though Xavier didn''t say anything, Damien could feel his face getting warm in embarrassment and humiliation. Of for the ¡ª


    "Host, your heartbeat has increased by forty-five per cent," remarked Dan to add insult to his injury. "It seems like you are in danger of heart failure."


    "Shut up."


    "But your heart rate is really high, host. If you don''t calm down, then you will end up fainting," Dan continued with an expression of ''I am doing this for your good.''


    "I am not going to faint ¡ªit''s just a little thing¡­"


    Before he could finish, Dan continued speaking, "From the host''s experience and memories. This feeling is quite simr to the time when you stepped on the tail of the dog and it chased you until you climbed up the trunk of a tree."


    "You remained stuck there for three hours."


    "Hmm from the collected information, this is called fear."


    And if an AI system could give him a stinky eye, Dan surely did.


    "I got worried for no reason."


    "Shut up, for your information, I was six back then," countered Damien. "Anyone would be scared of a dog that was bigger than them. And this rabbit startled me, I am not scared just surprised."


    "But your heart rate¡ª"


    "Shut up before I mute you," Damien threatened the 3D hologram.


    Dan studied him for three seconds before ¡ª


    "Heh."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Damien questioned angrily.


    Dan opened his mouth to say something when¡ª


    "My lord, can you help me?"


    Damien turned to look at Xavier with his brows furrowed. Since when did he start to talk in that squeaky voice?


    Xavier shook his head and pointed at the rabbit who was shivering on the boulder.


    "Are you saying that a rabbit just spoke?" Damien thought that Xavier was pulling his leg until ¡ª


    "My lord, do you have something that can help my foot?" Damien heard the rabbit speak again.


    He turned and looked at the rabbit with a tiny horn on his head before asking, "You want me to help you with your foot?"


    "That''s right, my lord. Didn''t you help this beastman just now? I think you can help me just fine," said the rabbit.


    Damien felt like he was dreaming, he knew that there were beastmen in this world and super ugly beasts on top of that and they had never surprised him as much as a talking rabbit did.


    "You¡ªyou can talk? Are you a beastman?" Damien asked while eyeing the rabbit who turned affronted.


    "Aye sir, what do you mean byparing me with a beastman? I am more noble than them," said the rabbit with a haughty sniff. "I can carry objects as heavy as you. I can also fly and then there is also my skill," he snapped his fingers and a small girl the size of Damien''s paw appeared out of nowhere.


    "The spirit realm, Clymine," said Xavier as he turned to look at the rabbit. "You are one of the steads."


    "Steed? Like the horse?"


    "No, lord Damien," Xavier shook his head. "Steads are magical beings. Like elves, goblins and ghouls. They have a magic of their own, and like those beings, they stay away from the beastmen."


    He nced at the little rabbit before saying, "I have heard about them but this is my first time seeing one as they never appear alone. Especially not out of their territory."

 Chapter 44: The Beginning of Transcendental Wars?

    "Bah, isn''t it boring?" The rabbit said with a look of disdain on his face. "Staying cooped up in the same ce for centuries? I wanted to stretch my wings a little."


    "And you ended up here?" Damien asked with a raise of his brow. "Odd sort of ce for a vacation isn''t it?"


    "Of course, I didn''t want toe here!" The rabbit rebuked Damien harshly. "I was caught by a Rock Mountain Bird and it brought me here. I was able to escape but.." he trailed off and Damien looked down at his right foot that was bleeding.


    The rabbit raised his head and looked at Damien pleadingly, "Can you help me, my lord? I would rather not die here in these darnednds."


    "Don''t call me lord, just Damien is fine," said Damien as he crouched down and studied the rabbit''s foot. He wondered if the AI system that he created was going to work on a magical being.


    Beastmen were still closer to humans but Damien didn''t think a stead would count close to humans.


    "I am Mauri," replied the rabbit. He started fidgeting when Damien touched his foot, which showed that he was not used to being close to humans.


    "Sit still Mauri," Damien sternly said while activating the Eye of Observation. In front of his eye appeared a small screen which glitched for a while before providing him with an X-ray image of Mauri''s foot.


    It seemed like his AI system worked on magical beings just fine.


    "Your foot is fine," after examining the X-ray, Damien turned to look at the stead and said to him, "It is only an external wound, and just needs to be patched up a little."


    He took out the disinfectant from his system''s inventory and cleaned Mauri''s wound which was still bleeding. Once his wound was clean, Damien applied the ointment that he had prepared for small injuries and used his clean handkerchief to tie Mauri''s wound.


    "Alright, I don''t have much resources at hand at this moment," he told Mauri. "But this should be enough, as long as you keep your wound away from water, it should heal without ring up."


    "Thank you, Lo¡ªDamien," Mauri changed his words when Damien nced at him lightly.


    Damien smiled at him before patting him on the hand. "Make sure to fly out of sight this time, Mauri."


    He then turned to look at Xavier before saying, "Let''s go." They still have to look for Thalia''s father and return to the guild.


    Xavier nced at the stead before nodding as he and Damien walked away leaving Mauri behind. The little rabbit with wings stared at their backs while fluttering his long ears.


    [You have helped a stead in help.]


    [Congrattions on getting another step closer to bing the best doctor in the beast world.]


    [Fame: +6]


    "Something is weird."


    Damien was reading the notifications that were disyed on the screen in front of his face. He turned his face to look at Xavier and asked, "What''s weird?"


    "The stead," replied Xavier with a frown on his face. "They never leave their territory, in fact, this is my first time hearing a stead say that it left its territory on its own ord."


    "And that''s weird because¡ª"


    "You do not understand," Xavier turned to look at Damien. "Steads had once stood on the side of the transcendental beastmen. They believe they are better than the rest because they once apanied those whoid the foundation of this world."


    Damien tried to remember if there was any information about transcendental beastmen in the memories of his predecessor.


    And to his surprise¡ª there was more than little information. From the First War of Transcendental Beastmen to the Age of Enlightenment, his predecessor had read every single thing about them.


    Transcendental Beastmen. These beings shared the same status as the Beast God in this world. Not only were they exceptionally powerful and shrouded with ethereal aura, but they were also immortal.


    Unless they met a match which they couldn''t defeat, the possibility of a transcendental beast man dying was close to none.


    "You should know it better than anyone, Lord Damien," Xavier nced at him and said, "Steads are the very sign of the power of the transcendental beastmen. They have stayed cooped in their territory for ages, if the steads are stirring, it is not a good sign."


    "And why is that?"


    "Because¡ª" Xavier''s eyes darkened. "Thest time the steads left their territory, it started the fifth transcendental war."


    And before Damien could say anything else Xavier paused in his steps and raised his hand to silence Damien.


    Seeing the solemn look on Xavier''s face, Damien turned silent. He ced his foot raised in the air back on the ground before whispering, "What''s wrong?"


    "I smell it¡ªthe Impert Snake," Xavier answered, causing Damien to straighten up as he looked around wildly. What the hell? Why did no one tell him that his beast nucleus came with his sense of smell gone as well?


    "W¡ªwhere?" Damien asked but Xavier didn''t answer instead he turned his head to the left. His eyes were fixated on the small corner of the tall, rocky hill on their left.


    "Wait here," he said to Damien before walking straight to the corner of the hill that had multiple boulders and sharp rocks sticking out of the ground.


    "Yeah, sure. You are the boss," Damien said while looking at Xavier who was walking away.


    Dan floated in front of him before saying, "Shouldn''t you follow him as well?"


    "Why will I? Didn''t you hear him say that he wants me to wait here?" Damien said to the 3D hologram that was flying on the side of his head. "Why will I ignore the advice of an expert?"


    "Yeah. And you are scared," remarked Dan with a very human-like snort. "I didn''t know that you were a scaredy cat host."


    "Don''t you think that you are getting a bit too chatty?" Damien nced at Dan and snapped angrily, "Don''t forget that I am your maker, so in case you go a bit too cheeky, I can also destroy you."


    "Destroying me will not change the fact that you are a scaredy cat."


    "You fucking¡ª"


    Rustle.


    Damien went still.


    With his back stiff, he stood where he was, not even daring to breathe too loudly.


    "I am a rock, I am a tiny, puny rock," he muttered under his breath as he slowly closed his eyes and shuffled his feet forward.


    While silently hoping that he would magically start resembling a bumpy boulder or something of the sort.


    However, the sound of rustling got closer and closer before¡ª


    "AHHH!!!" Damien screamed in terror as something slimy mped on his shoulder.


    "Shut up, you scaredy fool. It is me," a familiar voice snapped at him from behind and Damien paused before turning to look at the man behind him.


    It was Xavier.


    Upon realising that it was none other than Xavier, Damien was slightly relieved but then he turned embarrassed a secondter, and a sudden surge of anger rose in his heart.


    "What are you scaring me for?" Damien stepped away from Xavier who was covered in slime.


    Xavier raised a brow and stated coolly, "It''s not my fault that you are feeling jumpy, Lord Damien. I didn''t call you as it would have been nothing but foolishness on my part."


    "After all, screaming near the nest of Impert Snakes is something that only fools do."


    Damien the fool: ".."


    "Oh, so it''s my fault that you are covered in slime and decided to crawl behind me?" Damien fired back.


    "I did not crawl," Xavier protested at once. "I walked and the one who seemed to be on the verge of crawling ¡ª is you," He added after a pause while eyeing Damien who was half crouching and half standing.


    Realising what he was talking about, Damien stood up straight.


    He cleared his throat and asked, "What did you find inside the cave?"


    "Nothing," replied Xavier.


    "Then why did you go running there?"


    "When I say that there is nothing, I mean to say that the cave is inhabited at the moment," Xavier said in a clipped tone. "It is empty, other than the skin that those beasts shed, the entire nest ispletely empty."


    He wiped the slime off his clothes before saying, "It is a tangled mess inside which is why I am covered in slime. Not that I am interested in rolling in it."


    "You mean to say that the beasts are somewhere outside?" Damien looked around warily as if already expecting the Impert Snake to pounce at him when he was expecting it the least.


    "That''s correct," Xavier answered. "It is not good," he added with a frown and Damien silently agreed with him. "If it was sleeping we would have snuck behind it but¡ª"


    His words were silenced by a sudden snap of a bone cracking somewhere behind them. The two men wheeled around and came face to face with the ugliest most terrifying snake Damien had ever seen in his life.

 Chapter 45: The Spirit of A Warrior

    Nothing capped off a lovely afternoon like staring right into the eyes of a very angry snake that could spit venom, smash them with its tail and billow poisonous fumes.


    The Impert Snake was not at all happy with Xavier barging inside its house without knocking properly. It red down at them with eyes filled with murderous intentions.


    Damien tried to be brave, he wanted to straighten his back and yell ¡ª''Let''s chop this thing up.'' But he couldn''t instead all he could manage was, "Run."


    And so they did. Xavier bolted towards the snake while Damien ran away from it. He nned to hide until the snake was tired enough to fall back to sleep and deal with it while it was asleep. You know the usual nice and safe approach where no one gets hurt.


    But Xavier had other ns. That man charged forward, and Damien saw him pounce at the Impert Snake, for two seconds Xavier was the usual Xavier but then he shifted and changed.


    It was Damien''s first time seeing a beastman shift and he did not know if he liked it. The sound of bones cracking and shifting echoed horribly in the silence where Damien could only hear the sound of the Impert Beast puffing out clouds of poisonous mist and the crackle of the ambers burning in the flowing magma.


    Fur erupted all over Xavier''s skin. His muscles bunched and turned enormous. His feet and ws elongated and his ears shifted on top of his head as his face morphed and changed before turning into a long snout like that of a wolf.


    His sword glowed with a strange eerie glow before it morphed as well. It turned into a golden orb and went straight past Xavier''s heart.


    Two secondster, Damien saw two fiery knuckles appear on Xavier''s ws. And when he said fiery, he meant it ¡ªthose knuckles had burning mes and yet somehow they didn''t burn Xavier.


    HOWL.


    The wolf beastman howled as he unsheathed his ws and rushed at the Impert Snake beast. Damien saw Xavier charge at the snake, but of course, the beast was not going to sit back and get beaten up silently¡ªso of course, it retaliated.


    Its tail with many spikes was aimed at Xavier causing him to fall back.


    And as the tail of that snake fell on the ground, the entire ground shook. Damien trembled and stumbled back while Xavier rolled onto one side when the Impert Snake took advantage of his momentary distraction and spat a mouthful of greenish-slimy gunk at him.


    For a second Damien thought that Xavier was going to be doused with that thing but at thest moment, Xavier used his hands and pushed himself up. He jumped on his feet and turned to one side.


    The green slime fell on the ground where Xavier had been and thirty steps away Damien smelled the scent of the acidic smell of burnt soil.


    Acid. This thing could actually spit acidic venom.


    If Xavier hadn''t rolled to one side just now, he would have melted like the ground skin and bones together.


    "You need to go and help him, host," Dan said to him and Damien agreed. He needed to help Xavier, as it seemed like the man was getting pushed to one side.


    But how? How was he supposed to take down a snake as big as this one when he didn''t have mana or beast nuclei?


    Even Xavier with his beast form could not deal with that thing, so how could he? A human who only had little knowledge of how to deal with injuries and diseases?


    BANG!


    A horrible sound echoed in the surrounding area and Damien raised his head. The Impert Snake had finally caught Xavier, its spiky tail smashed against Xavier''s chest sending him flying across the other side of the ground.


    Xavier crashed against a boulder, his features twisted into a painful grimace as he let out another furious howl.


    "I am not going down so easily you key snake," was what he said and how did he understand this Damien had no idea about it, just like how he had no clue about why the heat of this forest covered in magma wasn''t bothering him, even though it bothered Xavier who could use fire.


    Xavier was still charging at the snake, even though he had almost been pulverized by that thing, it hadn''t faltered his warrior spirit.


    However, this time around instead of attacking the front, Xavier attacked the back of the Impert Snake. With his fiery knuckles, he smashed down on the edge of its tail, right where the spikes grew before using his ws to sh down at the flesh of the snake.


    But the scales of the snake, whatever they were made of, must have been sturdy because the tail of the snake remained intact.


    Damien smelled the scent of burnt snake meat and the snake must have too, with the tiny sting of getting stabbed and burned by Xavier because it turned its ugly head and hurled another mouthful of acidic venom at Xavier.


    The man rolled to one side but just as Damien said, it was difficult to keep an eye on both ends of the beast. If one was paying attention to the front, they could never pay attention to its back and vice versa.


    The same thing happened again, while Xavier was paying attention to the front, the Impert Snake flicked its tail again sending Xavier flying. But this time he was prepared.


    He didn''t go crashing this time around, instead, he raised his hands and covered his face. His elongated feet slowed down his fall as he dug the long foot nails into the ground leaving four deep gashes behind.


    Blood seeped from his arms where the spikes had shed him.


    Xavier growled as he charged at the thing again, and Damien noticed that he was much faster than before, with his agility and quickness he ran so fast that he nearly left his afterimages behind.


    The snake spat venom and hurled its tail but he could not catch Xavier, and two secondster Xavier appeared right behind his head.


    His ws unsheathed as he unleashed his fury at the impert snake.

 Chapter 46: Will Of A Coward

    "Yes!" Damien punched his hands into the air. He believed that the Impert Snake Beast was done for but he was horribly wrong.


    The Impert Snake Beast swayed but it didn''t fall on the ground like Xavier. If anything it became even more furious than before.


    HISS.


    ''You are dead, little wolf.''


    And to his surprise, Damien realised that he could understand what the beast was saying. What the? Beastmen he could understand, but why in the world could he understand what that snake beast was saying?


    However, there was no time for Damien to worry about why he could hear the Impert Snake Beast because, at that moment, the Impert Snake Beast went very still.


    It eyed Xavier who was still running in circles around him. Damien found himself buckling as well as if he was waiting for the ball to drop.


    And it did. Shockingly so.


    Xavier paused and jumped at the Impert Snake Beast and this was what the thing had been waiting for.


    "Watch out!" Damien shouted. He had no idea how he knew it but he just knew that the Impert Snake Beast was nning its big move.


    However, he was still two secondste. Xavier couldn''t dodge the Impert Snake Beast that wrapped its tail around his giant wolf form.


    Its many spikes were embedded in Xavier''s back.


    "HOWL!"


    Even if Xavier had not screamed in pain, Damien could see that his dear bodyguard was in pain and how could he not? There were more than twenty spikes pushed into his flesh.


    "You need to do something!" Dan shouted in Damien''s ears and it was the mark of his cowardice that an AI system was telling him that he needed to do something.


    ''He came here because I made that rash promise, I ¡ªI need to do something,'' Damien thought as he touched Waterde. The dagger hummed with a warm and cold current but other than that nothing happened.


    "It is just you and me huh?" Damien spoke to the dagger as if it could hear him. Then without thinking, without stopping to worry about the consequences of his actions, he charged forward because he was worried that if he stayed still for another second ¡ªall the courage that he had summoned would be washed down.


    His fingers gripped the hilt of his dagger as he got closer and closer to the Impert Snake Beast.


    "Activate Eye of Observation,"


    [Eye of Observation has been activated.]


    A screen appeared in front of his eyes with the entire structure of the Impert Snake Beast. Damien''s eyes skimmed through the entire thing.


    Weakness. He needed to find a weakness.


    HOWL.


    Xavier''s scream filled with pain and agony echoed in his ear once again and Damien grabbed his dagger so hard that his knuckles turned white. Hurry, he needed to hurry.


    And that was when he found it.


    A weak spot right under the centre of the coil, right between his stomach and spleen. Damien''s eyes shed with determination and he raised his hand before stabbing the de of the dagger right into the stomach of the Impert Snake Beast.


    HISSSSS!!!


    That hurts.


    The Impert Snake Beast let out an agonising scream, its coil unfurled itself and Xavier fell limply on the ground. He seemed to have lost consciousness because of the constant suffocation.


    Damien wanted to rush forward and help Xavier but he couldn''t as the Impert Snake Beast was now eyeing him with great distaste. His mean eyes with ck slits looked at the dagger that was dripping with cobalt blue blood.


    Noticing his gaze, Damien hid the dagger behind him but he was toote. The Impert Snake Beast let out another hiss which basically tranted to ¡ªeat snake shit or maybe he was making a mistake in trantion.


    Anyways, that thing was furious, not just furious, enraged.


    Damien turned on his feet and ran but he knew that there was no point. This thing could outrun him at a leisurely evening slither.


    Hissss.


    Food. Food, delicious food.


    Let me rip. Let me kill.


    Damien would have loved to tell the Impert Snake Beast that it was not correct to rip kill or y with his food. But as the food in question was him, he decided to keep his mouth shut and pay more attention to running.


    However, he didn''t even get past the boulder which was just five steps away from where he was standing just now when¨C


    "Duck!"


    And these are the times you start appreciating a 3D hologram following you at all times.


    Damien didn''t question Dan as¡ªas much as he hated to admit it, Dan was the smarter one among the two of them.


    He followed his advice and ducked. A good thing. A secondter, the thorny tail of the snake came flying behind him and smashed into the boulder. Bits and pieces of the stone flew all over.


    Damien covered his head with his hands andy low on the ground.


    "Are you alright, host?" Dan asked.


    "Yeah, yeah...I am¡­" Damien answered as he shook his head trying to get rid of the loud boom of the boulder that was smashed into bits.


    "Oh don''t thank me so soon," remarked Dan while looking over at Damien''s shoulders.


    Damien turned to look behind him and turned stiff. The Impert Snake Beast was standing right behind him. Itsrge face was right in front of him, while its two eyes despite being on the side of its head were looking at him.


    ''Damn,'' Damien cursed. He reached for his dagger that flew from his hands when he fell just now.


    However, just as he made a move, the snake swooped closer causing Damien to pause and stretch his head back.


    It opened his gigantic mouth and Damien gagged. If there was someone who needed an overlyrge toothbrush, it was this Impert Snake Beast.


    The smell was simply awful.


    And just as Damien thought that this thing was going to eat him. It suddenly paused and started sniffing him like a dog.


    ¡­.?

 Chapter 47: Kidnapped by a Snake?

    What the hell..?


    These were the only words that Damien had in his mind as he watched the Impert Snake sniff him.


    He continued looking at the monstrous snake sniffing him while tilting its head from one side to another and suddenly felt terrified.


    What was this? Was this snake sniffing him because it wanted to see which part of him would taste the best?


    "I don''t taste good," Damien told the snake that was snaring down at him. "Bad stomach and all that, you know? I..I think you will have a much better dinner if you just go look for a bird or a rat."


    "Are you talking to a giant snake, host?" Dan asked while looking at Damien with a frown.


    "What do you mean by talking to a giant snake? You heard him as well right? It can think and talk ¡ªmost probably it can understand what I am saying as well," Damien said to Dan while hoping the Impert Snake Beast would understand him just as he understood this beast.


    Dan stayed quiet for a while before furrowing his brows even more. He tugged on his little doctor coat and replied, "Host, have ¡ªhave you lost your mind due to fear? I didn''t hear anything or anyone speak."


    "What¡ª" Damien turned his head to the side but he didn''t get a chance to say anything as the Impert Beast Snake straightened up and looked straight at Damien.


    All the words that Damien wanted to say went right back into his voice box.


    "Nice snaky, good snaky," Damien stammered as he raised his hand while scrambling back. However, the snake continued to slither forward. It hissed and growled in the snakenguage, but Damien was too scared to register the trantion of how this thing was going to kill him.


    His eyes flickered to the dagger which was lying just a few feet away from him.


    ''If only I can roll to one side then I can stab this beast in the eye with the dagger,'' Damien thought while his back pressed against the boulder behind him. He couldn''t fight with the Impert Snake Beast; this was something that Damien knew already.


    Since he couldn''t fight then he might as well handicap it and after that deal with Xavier''s wounds. Once Xavier wakes up and this beast goes blind, surely it could be killed?


    The more Damien thought, the more he believed that his little n was going to work.


    With that he rolled to one side, his hand reaching forward to get hold of the hilt of the dagger but just as he turned one time, to his horror Damien realised that he couldn''t move.


    Someone or rather something was pulling him back. Horrified, he looked behind him and saw the tail of the Impert Snake Beast curled around his torso. That thing could retract its spikes.


    Dang it.


    "This damned thing," Damien cursed as he kicked the scaly tail of the Impert Snake Beast but that thing didn''t budge. Instead, it started to drag him back, Damien turned and his fingertips brushed against the hilt of the dagger just in time for the Impert Snake Beast to raise him in the air.


    And without giving him a warning or an announcement like ''Tighten your security belt the Snake Beast Express is about to take off,'' it started to slither away and for a snake that big, it moved quite fast.


    "Let go of me, I told you I taste like pickles and ice cream!" Damien yelled at the beast while kicking and punching the back of its tail which was coiled around his waist.


    Damien turned to look at Xavier who was feebly steering on the ground and yelled, "Wake up Xavier! Xavier! XAVIERRR!"


    Xavier however was too injured to move, his eyes opened just a fraction for him to see the Impert Snake Beast dragging Damien along with him. His hands twitched and he tried to push himself off the ground but he couldn''t.


    A bit more. He just needed a bit more sleep.


    Thud.


    He fell back on the ground, his eyes closing back again.


    "Damn, where did they go?" Maui muttered as he flew past the forest covered in dense grey smoke. He looked around the forest with his eyes squinted as he tried to look for Damien and Xavier.


    He had been following them ever since the two of them left him but Maui soon lost them.


    Now he was stuck looking for the two men.


    "This is why my mother often asked me to pay attention to my navigation sses, but I just had to bunk them. Free spirit my ass," the stead muttered as he turned left while flying in the sky.


    Just as he started to believe that Damien might have left the forest with Xavier, his eyes fell on arge snake slithering. He paused in ce as Maui knew what that thing was¡ª


    It was an Impert Snake Beast!


    One of the deadliest enemies of the steads, that could lunge and catch them even if they were flying in the sky. However, just as Maui was about to turn on his paws and fly far from that thing, his gaze fell on the rear end of the beast.


    What was that weird thing? A pole? A lopsided creature?


    No, No¡ªthere was the head and then shoulders...


    With a gasp, Maui realised that the strangely lopsided creature was actually Damien! What the hell was he doing there?


    Maui wanted to fly over and save Damien but he couldn''t. The fear of Impert Snake Beast was instilled in his heart since he was a child and now even if he had to save his friend, Maui found it difficult to ovee this fear.


    What was he even supposed to do? Could he even fight with that thing and save Damien?


    A part¡ªthe heroic part buried deep in his heart roared at him. Like hell yeah, we can do it. But the sensible part? That clicked its tongue.


    There was no way he was going to defeat that thing, his rationality told him.


    *************************************

 Chapter 48: The Curse of a Stead

    And even though Maui usually listened to his brave side, he knew that he couldn''t do the same thing this time around. Because thest time he listened to the crazy advice of his brave( crazy) side, it resulted in this situation.


    "What should I do? What should I do?" He hopped around in the sky, his ears twitching nervously as he looked around and that was when his gaze fell on a wounded wolf beastman lying on the ground.


    Maui knew instinctively that it was Xavier.


    So without thinking about anything, he dove right towards Xavier. He came to a skidding halt next to Xavier before tottering over to his side.


    "Master Xavier! Master Xavier, you need to wake up and save Lord Damien," Maui patted the face of the wolf beastman lying on the ground. But Xavier remained unmoved, other than letting out a tiny groan, he stayed unaffected by the fact that a stead was patting his face.


    Maui clicked his tongue. "This will not do, we cannot waste any more time."


    He looked around but Maui could not find anything. Thend was covered in magma and far and wide, he could only see rocks and more rocks. Neither of the two things was helpful in waking up a knocked-out, injured wolf beastman.


    His gaze flickered uneasily before Maui''s eyes fell on the space ring on Xavier''s ring finger and all of a sudden his brown eyes brightened. Wasn''t this ring simr to his carry pouch? The one that was stretchable and had unlimited space?


    "Let''s just hope that there is something useful inside," Maui said as he walked over to the space ring and tapped on it, however, nothing came out of it.


    A frown appeared on his face and Maui tried to remember how these space rings of the beastmen worked, as he who had lived in the territory of stead had no idea how the beastmen had survived and evolved after thest transcendental war.


    "Ah, yes. It has a new security feature now," Maui recalled what his teachers had told him. He needed to press the ring finger of the other hand on the gem iid in the ring. This was the new protection spell that the wizards came up with after theints of theft and robbery.


    At least that was what his teacher told him.


    Though this protection spell worked fine¡ª Maui raised his head and looked at the heavy, muscr arm lying on the other side.


    A drop of sweat trickled down his furry forehead.


    There was no way he could lift that thing.


    "What am I even thinking?" Mauiughed with a lighthearted expression. He could just pull the ring off and then bring it to the other side, that should do the trick eh?


    And yet the ring remained stuck on Xavier''s ring finger, without budging.


    "Curse those wizards, I knew they were not reliable. So many protective spells for what?" Maui snapped as he dropped his paws when he couldn''t pull the ring.


    Roar!!


    He nervously nced in the direction from where the roar came from, even if Damien somehow managed to escape from that Impert Snake beast, Maui was certain that he wouldn''t survive without Xavier''s help.


    Thesends were infested with all kinds of beasts after all.


    Left with no other choice, Maui walked over to the other side of Xavier''s body, he reached out and held his other hand which was sprawled on the ground.


    "Ahhh! Curse it. I knew I was not cut out for fights and lifting weights. I am more of a smart guy," He whined as he lifted Xavier''s arm over his head, his legs along with his long ears twitched with the weight of it. "I am more of a strategist, damn it."


    His eyes flickered and Maui stretched his wings. The weight over his head turned lighter and much easier to carry, he rose in the air and threw Xavier''s arm off his head such that it nowy right next to his right arm.


    Steads could carry tons of weight but that was only when they were in the air, onnd however they were useless.


    All because of a stupid curse.


    "Alright, I can do this." Maui cheered himself up as he fluttered next to Xavier''s side. Once his feet touched the ground, the magic in his body left as if it never existed and Maui cursed his ancestors.


    If he could he would have loved to have a little chat with them. What in the world were they even thinking when they offended that one transcendental beast woman? Did they not know a grieving woman could be dangerous?


    Maui shook his head as he shoved the history of his kind at the back of his head. He then reached forward and with all the strength he could muster with his tiny body, he pulled Xavier''s hand towards his space ring.


    "One more push, I just need one more push," Maui huffed as his leg wobbled, he winced when his wound stung a little but when he thought of the kind man who had saved him despite the feud between the beastmen and the steads¡ª he gritted his teeth and tugged one more time.


    "Come on your piece of shit, you can''t be any more useless than this right?" He raised in the air once more before pulling Xavier''s fingers towards his ring once he got close.


    What? He also had limited mana alright. He couldn''t just fly continuously with an injured leg and one-fourth of mana left in his body.


    Now was the tricky part as he threw off the entire arm caught hold of the ring finger and rubbed its tip on the blue gem.


    THUD!


    "Yes!" Maui punched the air as he looked at the things that had been regurgitated by the ring. However, his happiness didn''tst long as he saw the mess that was scattered in front of him.


    All he needed was a water pouch and some healing sap.


    How was he supposed to find it in this mess?


    Lord Damien was waiting for him to save him!

 Chapter 49: The Ways to become a transcendental beast man

    Thump.


    The Impert snake dumped Damien on the ground of the cave where it had brought him. Damien heard the crunch of bones and whatnot that got crushed under his weight as the snake let go of him.


    Good news, Damien was finally free of the clutches of that thing. The bad news was that thing advanced on him just as it let go of him.


    And as the thing slithered closer and closer to him, Damien closed his eyes. This was it, he was going to die in this very cave. What a way to die for the second time, he thought to himself.


    The first time he was burnt alive, the worst experience of his life,0/10 he would never rmend it to anyone.


    For the second time, he was going to be eaten by a giant snake.


    Dang it.


    He clenched his fists, prepared to die after sending a punch flying at the face of this damned snake when ¡ª


    "Lord Medus.." the snake hissed in his mind and Damien raised his head to look at him.


    "Who are you calling Lord Medus?" Damien asked and Dan looked at him with a subtle frown on his face. He asked Damien, "To whom are you talking, host?"


    Damien didn''t answer Dan. Only now did he understand that he could hear the voice of this snake in his head. He didn''t even know how it was possible but it was happening and the best he could do was to ept it to the best of his ability.


    "You, Lord Medus. You," the snake hissed once again and Damien winced not liking his hisses echoing in his head. "It has been so long, was it a thousand years ago or two thousand years ago? No..it was more than that. I am so d that I found you."


    The Impert Snake sighed with relief as if she had finally gotten rid of the weight that she had been carrying on ¡ª her head or tail whichever suited her the best.


    Hey, he was not going to differentiate between species alright?


    "Umm," Damien pushed his body back a little. A part of him wasn''t particrly keen to tell this Impert Snake Beast that he wasn''t Lord Medus but at the same time, he was too scared to do so.


    For Damien knew that the second he was to tell this beast that he wasn''t who she was looking for, this Impert Snake Beast would kill him.


    However, his mind changed swiftly when the Impert Snake Beast swooped down and peered at him closely, "Now we can be together for all eternity."


    And that was where Damien drew the line, alright. Of course, he loved his life, this was his second chance and all of that. But if he had to spend it with an ugly, monstrous giant snake ¡ªdeath seemed a bit more weing.


    His eyes darted to the entrance of the cave, if he wanted to run then he had to distract this snake first.


    He licked his lips and turned his gaze back at the Impert Snake before saying, "Woah there who are you? I mean don''t get me wrong but like you said, it has been so long that I seem to have forgotten you. Help me jog my memory a little bit."


    With his hands pushing him to the side, Damien smiled up at the Impert Snake Beast. He hoped that this thing was just ascking in the area of wits as it was packing in size and long, sharp fangs.


    Maybe the beast god along with his brother thought that they had subjected Damien to enough trouble, but the Impert Snake Beast turned out to be an idiot.


    Which provided the smallest offort.


    "Of course," the Impert Snake Beast''s eyes lit up as if no one had asked her a question as ttering as that. "How could I not think of this, you must have saved so many beasts in your prosperous and adventurous life that I might have be history to you already." There was a glum note to her tone like she didn''t like the thought.


    Damien however didn''t stop her, instead, he let the Impert Snake Beast continue speaking. He didn''t know how to exin it but there was a tingling sensation in the back of his neck like he needed to hear it.


    After a quick pondering the snake began hissing as she slumped down on the floor of the cave, "It happened five thousand years ago. I still remember the horror of that day, I was supposed to turn one thousand and five hundred years old. But then a beast man captured me and brought me to the Ring Of Ire."


    "Ring of Ire?" Damien mused at the same time slowly pushing his body to one side. "Why did he bring you there?" Was it some sort of vacation or birthday party celebration?


    The Impert Snake Beast nced at him. And though it didn''t have brows, Damien had a feeling that it had frowned at him. He heard the Impert Snake Beast say, "Of course to sacrifice me. You know this Lord Medus, one of the few ways to gain the power of a transcendental beast man is to sacrifice an ancient beast older than one thousand and five hundred years."


    "It is the magical number of all transcendentals. My blood and soul could have brought imperceptible power to that beastman, this is something you know."


    "Haha, yeah ¡ªI do...I mean I did, I kind of forgot it," Damienughed dryly. He didn''t know why but for some reason the word transcendental beastman brought a chill up his spine. Like someone was sitting behind him andughing at him and his poor attempts to survive when he was destined to die.


    "Anyways, that beastman was about to sacrifice my soul to the demon beast god, Zima, when you came to save me like a messiah, Lord Medus. That was when I decided to be your sole devotee and follower."


    "I am so d to see you again, for I have been waiting for your return."

 Chapter 50: Xavier Wakes Up

    On the other side,


    Maui rummaged through the bottles and pouches that were scattered on the ground. "Why are all beastmen so chaotic? Couldn''t they put things in order?" He muttered angrily as he threw another vial on the side before picking up the small greenish one.


    "Oh this is stupid," Maui muttered as he threw the vial that he had picked up before looking around. He rolled his eyes before snapping his fingers. "Heed mymand."


    The ground under his feet trembled lightly and four to five dolls made from mud spurted out of the surface.


    They turned to look at Maui collectively with a servile attitude on their faces. "You called, prince?"


    "I am no more of a prince than you are the spirits of the underworld," Maui scowled as he refuted. "Anyway, I didn''t call you here for that, I want you to look for the Healing sap. The thing that beastmen drink to heal themselves from normal injuries. Find it for me."


    If he was to look for it alone then who knows when he would be able to rescue Damien. That Impert Snake Beast looked old and ancient, that thing was big enough to kill Damien in one hit ¡ªhe didn''t have the time to y search and hunt.


    The mud dolls nodded as they scattered around looking for the healing sap. For another wasted four minutes, they looked around before one of the ground spirits finally found the hexagonal-shaped bottle that was sitting on the side.


    Maui nced at it, sighed and then stood up from the ground before flying over to the spirit that was holding the bottle.


    "You have done me a favour," he said to the four spirits before snapping his fingers again. The four spirits melted and turned into crumbles as soon as he revoked his mana. "Let''s hope this works."


    Maui flew over to Xavier''s side and poured the healing sap inside of his mouth, it was a difficult task as his instincts yelled at him to run and hide when he saw the overlyrge fangs pointing out of Xavier''s mouth.


    However, he thought of Damien and the reason he hade to this world of beastmen and gritted his teeth.


    Once the healing sap that smelled sweet like nectar and honey trickled down Xavier''s throat, leaving his lingering scent behind, the beastman on the ground finally moved.


    The fur on his body receded followed by the fangs and ws.


    He scrunched up his brows and let out a moan but other than stirring slightly, Xavier didn''t make another move.


    "What the¡ª" Maui frowned as he raised his front paw and kicked Xavier in the face. "I didn''t go through all of that for you to fall back asleep again!"


    There was a thud, a yelp and Xavier sat up straight. His eyes were two chips of ice as he stared at Maui, "I hope you were not the one who kicked me?" The way he spoke made Maui tremble in fear as if Xavier would throw him in the flowing magma if he dared to say ''yes''.


    And as Maui loved his life way too much to be roasted instead, he shook his head and answered, "Not at all, master Xavier."


    "I thought so too," Xavier said before letting out a groan, he raised his hand and held his injured arm. The cut on his right arm was way too deep for the feeble amount of healing sap to heal.


    He studied the wound on his arm before looking around and that was when he noticed the mess on the ground. "What happened here? Why are my things just lying on the ground like that?" He sounded angry and upset with what he was looking at.


    "I had no choice, you were knocked unconscious and Lord Damien was taken away by the Impert Beast Snake¡ª"


    "What!?" Xavier screeched jumping on his feet. For the first time, he didn''t care about modesty. He didn''t care about his birthday suit and turned to look at Maui. "What did you say? Who took who away?"


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Maui replied, "The Impert Snake Beast, it took Lord Damien away and I was in a hurry, you couldn''t possibly think that I would take my time to look for healing sap?" He was more than happy to change the topic.


    Xavier cursed aloud. He took a whiff of the scents in the air but nothing. There were too many beasts and monsters in this ce, he couldn''t trace Damien''s scent at all.


    Even that Impert Snake Beast''s scent was mingled with many others.


    "Where did that thing take, Lord Damien?" Xavier asked as he looked at Maui. He was angry and frustrated at himself and his failure. If he had been a bit more skilled, and had more control over his mana, then he wouldn''t have fallen like a loser.


    He was entrusted to keep Damien safe and he had gone down so embarrassingly like that. It was humiliating for Xavier who had always prided himself as a strong beastman.


    Turned out that he was nothing.


    "There," Maui pointed to the mountains with rocks protruding out of them like jagged teeth and Xavier shifted back to his beastman form.


    He let out a roar before rushing in the direction that Maui had pointed at. He had to save Damien, no matter what he ¡ªhe had to! If something was to happen to that man then what was he going to tell Wistoria or the rest of his family?


    ''Stay alive, please stay alive Lord Damien,'' thought Xavier as he ran past the flowing rivers of magma and craters.


    Inside the cave,


    Damien had finally shifted enough to bolt out of the cave. He nced at the snake beast before smiling at him and said, "Well I am ttered and everything but--"


    ????????????


    Please leave some powerstones or golden tickets to motivate the author, dear readers. Snore Lax needs motivation to keep working hard or else he would eat and sleep, lol.

 Chapter 51: New Skill: Unlocked

    Damien motioned for the snake to get close, the Impert Snake beast blinked its ugly eyes and did as he asked her.


    "Host, what are you trying to do?" Dan asked as he looked at Damien with a frown on his face.


    It was bad enough that he was talking to a snake that only knew how to hiss but now he seemed to be nning something more dangerous.


    "Just shut up and stay put," Damien said to him, his eyes trained on the Impert Snake Beast. He knew what he was doing was so dangerous that he might have as well epted his death as it would have been kind.


    But he wasn''t willing to give up. Even if he was a human, with no weapon at hand, he was not going to give up so easily. He was going to fight, no matter what.


    This was his second shot at life, his second chance¡ª call him an idiot if you want but he wasn''t too keen on dying yet.


    So when the Impert Snake Beast got closer, Damien scooped a handful of dirt in his hands and threw it at the beast.


    HISSS!!!


    "Ahhh! It hurts! I can''t see! Despicable, you are not Lord Medus, he would never resort to such cheap and underhanded tactics," the snake''s voice hissed inside Damien''s head like a drop of cold water trickling past his skull and right inside of it.


    The honest reaction to those words was ¡ªWell duh. But he didn''t linger around to deliver it, instead, Damien got to his feet and scrambled out of the cave.


    Behind him, the Impert Snake Beast was still hissing in rage but Damien could still hear him move. It seemed like that thing was chasing after him while relying on its sense of smell.


    "Damn that beast," Damien cursed as he ran out of the cave, hurtling past the twists and turns as he ignored the shaking stctites and stgmites over his head.


    Bits of rocks and dust fell from the roof of the cave under the impact of the screams that the Impert Snake Beast was letting out.


    There were times when Damien nearly dodged for his life as the rocks that came down from the roof were big enough to squash him into a pulp.


    Finally, just as he thought that he was going to lose his life either in the jaws of the Impert Snake Beast or the raining rocks, Damien found the entrance of the cave.


    However, just as he ran outside¡ª


    "Woah!" He ran into Xavier who hade looking for him.


    The wolf beastman looked down at him, his golden eyes glowed with a strange red aura as he growled.


    "Are you alright?" Just like the Impert Snake Beast Damien understood what Xavier was saying to him.


    As for why and how Damien didn''t care for it at the moment.


    "I am alright, but that thing is right behind¡ª"


    BANG!


    Whatever Damien wanted to say ended up being interrupted when the Impert Beast Snake came slithering behind him.


    "Kill¡­maim..tear the liar¡­"


    Damien could hear all the happy thoughts inside the snake''s head and swallowed hard. Oh boy, this thing was faster than it looked right?


    Beside him, Xavier let out a roar as he charged at the beast. His fists were wrapped in burning mes. He brought them down with a yell at the head of the Impert Beast Snake but with that thick armour of scales, the beast remained fine.


    "This won''t do," thought Damien as he looked at the Impert Beast Snake that was fighting back with all his strength even though his eyes were still closed.


    If they continued like this then they would be repeating what happened earlier.


    They needed a n but what¡ª


    CLANG!


    Toote, the Impert Beast Snake had smacked Xavier across his waist. The wolf beastman was sent flying out of the cave because of the impact.


    "XAVIER!" Damien cried out as he charged right after Xavier. He caught him around his shins but the beastman was too heavy for Damien to hold and three secondster, the two of them plummeted as Damien''s feet slipped past the edge of the cliff.


    As the two of them went down what would have been forty feet, Damien only had one thought in his head ¡ª''AHHHHHHH!''


    He turned to look at Dan before saying, "Do something!"


    "What do you want me to do about this!?" The AI system yelled back but he still looked around before finding something that could help.


    Lower and Lower they went, and Damien closed his eyes. However, the impact that he had been waiting for never came instead he felt something tug him backwards as the force pulled him above.


    Startled, Damien looked up at Maui who was holding him by the back of his clothes.


    "Maui!" Damien never thought that he would be happy to see a rabbit again but at that moment, he would have happily kissed this stead if he could.


    "Are you alright, Lord Damien?" Maui asked as he carefully lowered the two of them to the ground.


    "Yeah, thanks. I owe you one," said Damien as he turned to look at Xavier. He activated the Eye of observation skill and examined the wolf-beatsman''s wounds.


    ''The cut is quite deep but it is not life-threatening. We just need to sew the skin back and as for the blood loss ¡ªthe healing sap should be enough,'' thought Damien as he hurriedly cleaned Xavier''s wounds.


    "This might sting a little," he said to the wolf beastman who raised his head and looked at him with an expression that said: Duh, are you serious?


    Ignoring his silent sarcasm, Damien started wiping the wound with a disinfectant before activating his sixty-seven-needle skill.


    Like a hot knife on slippery butter, the needle sewed Xavier''s skin, he didn''t dare to let Xavier take the numbing potion. In case this man fell unconscious he would be done for.


    And as he pulled the stitch ¡ª


    [Congrattions, you have unlocked anaesthesia.]

 Chapter 52: New Skill: Unlocked (2)

    [ Combine the Numbing Potion and the anaesthesia from the human world, to create the most potent spell to knock a beastman or beast alike.]


    [Reward Granted: Spell Creation.]


    Damien heard a bang go off inside his head and knew that some sort of explosion had taken ce inside his head. He finally got it, this skill for which he came to this damn forest.


    "Thank you, Lord Damien," Xavier looked down at his wounds that had been treated by Damien in a matter of a few seconds.


    He had to admit that this man was truly a skilled ''doctor'' as he called himself. If a healer was with him, he would have taken a good fifteen minutes to heal him and that too if he was a high-ranking healer.


    If he was a low-ranking one ¡ªthen he would need rejuvenation time after each healing spell.


    A skill where mana was not needed ¡ªit could reallye in handy.


    However, before he could say anything else, Damien let out a strangled yell. He reached forward and threw his arms around Xavier before saying, "No thank you! It is a blessing that you got so many injuries."


    Damien had believed that he would have to save the life of Thalia''s father but turned out that it was never needed. What the system wanted from him was to use more of his skills and earn more points and experience.


    Fortunately, his reward had nothing to do with the life and death of Thalia''s father. Not that he was not going to save him, it was just such a relief to get his hands on such a fine skill.


    "What do you mean my injuries are a blessing?" Xavier asked with a stiff expression. Was this man being sarcastic? Or was he thanking him for letting him use his body to refine his skills?


    Damien nced at Dan who stiffly looked away, he knew why this reward was handed to him before he finished his mission. Dan had made an exception for him and Damien was not going to let him down.


    Not only was he going to take that beast down but he was also going to rescue Samuel.


    "Because now I have a way to deal with that Impert Beast Snake," replied Damien with a sly expression on his face.


    Xavier''s expression turned confused as he looked up at Damien inquisitively. "What n?" He asked after a moment of hesitation.


    ** *** **


    The two men along with a stead were hiding behind a bunch of boulders that surrounded them securely.


    "This is too risky, my Lord," said Xavier as he eyed the Impert Snake Beast that was searching for them. The n that Damien had told him was full of loopholes and what-ifs.


    Xavier, who had only followed ns that were fully secure without the slightest mistake, could not help but feel that something might go very wrong.


    "Do you have a better n than this?" Damien asked as he turned his attention to Xavier and questioned him, "If you have then why are you hiding it till now? Are you shy? I didn''t think that my powerful wolf was secretly one cute pup."


    "I am not yours," snarled Xavier. "And no, I don''t have any ns but even if I don''t I believe that this is insane."


    "We are going to take our chances," said Damien as he turned to look at the Impert Snake Beast. "Now go and distract it."


    Xavier nced at Damien, a part of him was unwilling to go along with Damien''s crazy n but another part knew that Damien was right.


    They only had this one chance to deal with the Impert Snake Beast and they couldn''t possibly let this opportunity slide.


    "You better stay alive for me," said Xavier, which Damien took as his own way of showing concern.


    "Don''t worry, I have no desire to die yet," replied Damien.


    Xavier stared at him before nodding, he shifted back into his beast form. His clothes ripped into pieces as he did so.


    Damien and Maui, the two of them stayed behind the boulders while Xavier charged at the Impert Snake Beast that turned her vicious eyes at him and hissed.


    "Little Wolfie is here to die a horrible death? Very well, Chasie would do it for you."


    Hearing the hissing voice in his head was rather ufortable, it was like an ice cube had slipped inside of his shirt.


    With bated breath the two of them waited, Xavier had engrossed the Impert Snake Beast enough for her to turn her back on them.


    "Let''s go," Damien said to Maui when the Impert Snake Beast swung her heavy tail full of spikes at Xavier.


    "Wait, lord Damien! Take this first," Maui said to him as he handed something to Damien.


    It was Waterde. The dagger that Damien had left behind as he couldn''t grab hold of it.


    "Where did you¡ª"


    "Find it? I saw it lying next to Master Xavier and knew that it was yours. I saw it strapped on your waist earlier," Maui said to him and Damien patted the stead on his head.


    "You have helped me a lot, Maui. Once this is over I will definitely repay you."


    Damien strapped the dagger on his side and then turned to Maui before saying, "Bring me as close as possible to that Impert Snake Beast."


    "Are you going to fight it as well?"Maui asked worriedly as he rose to the air and helped Damien up in the air.


    Damien''s lips curled up in a smirk as he shook his head and replied, "No. I am going to teach this thing, a lesson my own way."


    This Impert Snake Beast in her next life would now think twice before targeting another doctor again.


    Maui didn''t question the man, instead, he pulled Damien up in the air. His face set as Maui flew closer and closer to the Impert Snake Beast which was entangled with Xavier.


    Xavier who now looked like a fiery golden orb of fire dodged and attacked the snake again and again.


    And as the Impert Snake Beast was too focused on him, it didn''t sense the two of them charging at her.


    "Now Maui!"

 Chapter 53: The Might of An Angry Doctor

    "Take me as close as you can, Maui," said Damien.


    They could see the Impert Snake Beast swinging its tail at Xavier from afar. However, the distance wasn''t enough. They needed to get closer, enough for Damien''s n toe to fruition.


    Maui was not happy with the prospect of getting too close to a thing that could squish him between her teeth.


    However, when he saw the beast spitting out a mouthful of acidic venom at Xavier, he gritted his teeth and started flying towards the Impert Snake Beast.


    He couldn''t let those who had saved him die.


    How many beastmen did he see cross this forest, in the past week? And yet no one helped him for the steads supported the transcendental beastman who stood against them.


    Their prejudices had stopped them from helping him, only Damien and Xavier had listened and helped him. He couldn''t possibly turn a blind eye to their sufferings.


    The sound of wind carrying the furious roars of the Impert Snake Beast fluttered past them. Down and down they went and the faster Maui flew, the louder the roars of the wind blowing in Damien''s ears became.


    Damien narrowed his eyes as he turned to look at the screen floating right beside him. His fingers were clutching the mixture of the numbing potion as well as the anaesthesia from the human world.


    "Now," he asked Dan, whose eyes had turned into two small screens which had multiple strings of codes glowing an eerie blue.


    "No," replied Dan. His eyes assessed the situation in front of them as he finally concluded. "The snake is protected by its scales which makes it nearly impossible for any spell or attack to work on him."


    "However, its nose and eyes are its weakest point other than the one that you found. We can''t get closer to its tail with that Impert Snake Beast swinging it around."


    "But if we use the spell at its nose or eyes¡ª"


    "It would prate?" Damien asked hopefully and Dan nodded with a grim expression. "The chances are eighty per cent," he then turned to look at Damien and said grimly, "We can only hope for the rest. But this should still give us the maximum chance at killin'' that thing."


    Damien tightened his hold on the vial which contained the mixture.


    "Take me to the front, Maui," Damien told the stead who stiffened and looked down at him. With hesitation filling his eyes, he questioned, "Are you sure? I mean, isn''t it better to attack from the back? Better wars have been won by attacking from behind."


    "There is no shame in doing so."


    "I know but this war needs to be won from the front," Damien said to him and Maui closed his eyes in despair. He turned left and then dodged a rocky stone that was protruding out of the ground, he swivelled around the tip which was sharper and pointed.


    Once he got closer, Maui flew to the front of the Impert Snake Beast.


    ''You can''t see its big, sharp fangs..you cannot see it. It is not there, it''s not scary. You are not going to be the afternoon snack of that beast, Maui'' he told himself again and again while trying to brainwash himself.


    HISSS!


    "The imposter is here," the Impert Snake Beast hissed at Damien as she nced at him. "I will kill you for fooling me."


    "Perfect," Damien muttered.


    The Impert Snake Beast turned her back on Xavier and started slithering towards Damien. Apparently in her eyes, dealing with an imposter who supposedly insulted the memory of her beloved saviour was much more important than a furious, roaring wolf beastman.


    However, this worked just fine for Damien.


    "Should I attack her now?" He asked Dan who was still calcting the odds.


    "No, go a bit closer ..it will give you the maximum damage," said Dan with a shake of his head.


    Damien nodded and turned his head up before telling Maui, "A bit closer, Maui."


    "Lord Damien, I hope you are not feeling suicidal," said Maui as he closed his eyes and then without thinking about anything else he swopped closer to the Impert Beast Snake.


    Because if he were to think of anything else, he would turn around and run.


    HISSSS!


    "Come foolish imposter," the snake hissed as she raised her head and opened her abnormally big jaws.


    The disgusting breath of that beast, which could have knocked anyone out cold and sent them to the ER came wafting over towards them.


    "Oh, this thing can do good with some mouth freshener," Damien scrunched up his face. He would have loved to turn around as the seriousck of fresh air was proving fatal to him.


    For a second he felt his head swoon with a wave of dizziness.


    But he couldn''t go down at the hands of bad breath that smelled of rotten meat, gunk and everything else that would be stored in a dump yard for more than six months or more.


    "NOW!" Dan''s voice snapped Damien out of his thoughts and Damien crushed the vial in his hand. The greenish liquid soaked his fingers while a bit of it trickled down on the ground several feet underneath him.


    just as Damien thought that the skill had failed and so have they, he heard a voice in his head¡ª


    [Activating Spell Creation.]


    [Spell Level: 1]


    And that was when it happened, a swirl of green fumes started rising in the air. It twirled twice until it became a big ball of green fumes, Damien felt a tug in his abdomen and somehow everything came to him.


    He raised his hand and then waved it at the Impert Beast Snake like he had used this skill many times before and had done it for ages.


    BANG!


    The ball of green fumes smashed against the beast, and for two seconds it remained standing. Other than shaking its big and ugly head it did nothing but then as the Impert Beast Snake opened its jaws again to attack,


    It swayed.


    Hisss?


    "What?"


    The Impert Beast Snake looked confused and surprised. Its yellow eyes raised and looked at Damien before¡ª


    THUMP.


    It fell on the floor with an earth-shattering bang.


    The Impert Snake beast stirred feebly but if it could break through the haze of a rather strong numbing potion that hadn''t been tested along with an entire bottle of anaesthesia, Damien would have offered his head to her on his own.


    "How did you? How did you do it?" Xavier shifted back to his human form and Damien looked away at once. The man was naked and Damien had no desire to stare at another man''s hanging ding-ding.


    "Nothing. I just used a little spell that I created," Damien answered as he took out an orb and threw it at Xavier who took it and smashed it against his body.


    A puff of red smoke exploded before his bare skin was covered in a red silk shirt and ck pants.


    "But your beast nucleus¡­" Xavier began and Damien nced at him.


    He raised a brow and said, "So? Should I keep crying over spilt milk? Isn''t it much better to pave my own path?"


    "That''s true. But without mana how can you create spells?" Xavier said to Damien who smiled at him before saying, "It''s a little secret and it''s not like I can use a lot of spells. This is the only one for now."


    The way he spoke was as if it was not a big deal but Xavier knew better than to tell the man that he was cutting himself short.


    As there had never been a mage or healer who could take down an Impert Snake Beast with one single spell.


    However, he didn''t tell Damien that¡ªfor he couldn''tpletely trust the man yet. He was too unpredictable and too impulsive. This man¡ª he could be a bane or a blessing.


    And Xavier wanted to wait until he had it cleared up.


    "It is great that you brought this beast down," said Xavier with a step towards Damien who was studying the Impert Snake Beast. "But I doubt Samuel is still alive." The two of them came to this forest together because of Samuel but if he could not bring this down alone..there was no way Samuel could have done that.


    "Oh he is alive," Damien stopped around the underside of the Impert Snake Beast. "It is just that he might not be in a good condition and if we don''t save him now then he would soon be a mush of bones and flesh."


    His eyes were staring at the seventh stomach of Impert Snake Beast inside which was a man curled up in a vulnerable position.


    ** *** **


    Good thing he brought a wolf beastman along because he hadn''t seen anything sharper than the ws of a wolf beastman.


    And those ws came in handy in many cases. Chopping vegetables, enemies? Just hand it to them, man. They would fillet it finely.


    Earlier Xavier couldn''t bring much damage to the Impert Snake Beast as he was attacking all over the ce without getting a clear shot at one region.


    But with the Impert Snake Beast lying on the grounds, unmoving Xavier pierced through her thickyer of scales.


    Blood dripped down the lower region of the Impert Snake Beast as Damien watched Xavier cut through the secondyer.


    "Hang on," just as Xavier tore the thirdyer, Damien spoke up.


    ******************************************************************

 Chapter 54: Creating Anti Venom was no joke!

    "Be careful," said Damien. If he continued stabbing like this, this man would stab Samuel to death as well.


    "I am being very careful," gritted out Xavier with a frown on his face.


    Xavier wasn''t having the time of his life, alright. As he stabbed at thestyer of flesh around the lower region of the Impert Snake Beast, where her stomach should have been.


    He was certain that this was just a waste of time.


    He couldn''t understand how Samuel, who had been swallowed by this snake, would be alive if he was inside her stomach already.


    If someone asked him, Damien was just looking for trouble. He had once seen the insides of a beast''s stomach when he was really young and Xavier had nightmares for months.


    Half-molten skeletons were just not his thing.


    He raised his ws and tore open the fleshy, light pinkyer of the Impert Snake Beast''s stomach. No sooner did his ws make a sh on her stomach¡ª a smelly, pickle brine-like liquid flooded out.


    Staining Xavier''s shoes and feet, he scrunched up his nose and shot a ming nce at Damien who offered him an encouraging smile.


    With another roll of his eyes, Xavier turned around before pulling the thinyer open. A horrid tearing sound echoed in the clearing before¡ª


    "It''s really Samuel," Xavier, who had been dubious throughout the process, was staring at the body of the man for whom they had been looking. His body was covered in grime, injuries and a sticky liquid that could only be the fluids of the Impert Snake Beast''s stomach but he was very much alive.


    At least he was breathing.


    Xavier pulled him out of the pit of the stomach of the Impert Snake Beast and carefullyid him down on the floor.


    "He is alive, he is truly alive?" He repeated in a disbelieving voice.


    "It looks like he was swallowed and pinched right while he was fighting that thing," said Damien as he crouched down and studied Samuel''s injuries. There was a long gash on the side of his abdomen and another one on his left shoulder.


    And he had been bleeding for more than seven days which would exin why his body looked weaker and paler than it should have.


    The flesh on his wounds had rotten and Damien could see the white maggots wriggling in the rotting flesh.


    "But how¡ª"


    "This beast has seven stomachs. One of these stomachs is used by it to preserve its prey such that it can feed on it in case it can''t hunt a prey down. I believe that it works as a reservoir when this beast hibernates," exined Damien as he turned to look at Maui and said to him, "You can summon spirits right?"


    "That''s right," Maui nodded.


    "Can you summon a fire spirit then?"


    "Sure as hell, I can."


    Maui beamed up at Damien before snapping his fingers.


    There was a popping noise and a ball of orange me with glowing eyes that were so hot that they looked white and a tiny mouth appeared in front of Damien and Xavier.


    "If it was fire, I could have¡­" Xavier trailed off when he thought about hisck of control when it came to using aura. He had yet to take hold of it in a way where he wouldn''t hurt anyone while using it.


    Damien didn''t seem to hear what he had said as his hands were already moving. He heated the de of his scalpel before using the knockout spell on Samuel. It was going to hurt and he didn''t want this man waking up and iling in pain when he was treating him.


    A cotton ball dipped in the disinfectant and Damien began treating Samuel.


    Since there was no bone broken and therge tears were due to the fangs and spikes of the Impert Beast Snake, Damien needed to just stitch that part.


    ''But this continuous bleeding ¡­and the slow recovering rate..it might be a problem,'' thought Damien as he ced the sharp end of the dagger on the side of the rotting wound.


    Hiss.


    The sound of hissing echoed in the now silent clearing as both Maui and Xavier stared at Damien who was cutting off the rotten flesh from Samuel''s wounds like he was dealing with a chicken or boar.


    "This¡ª"


    "We need to get rid of the rotten flesh as maggots have started to grow on it," said Damien as he wiped the wound which had been cleaned with a disinfectant and activated his sewing skill.


    His eyes flickered up at the notification screen in front of him. As soon as read the information disyed on the screen, his hand almost slipped.


    Poisoned? This man was poisoned?


    However, Damien calmed down and thought about it carefully. He realised that it indeed made sense.


    Xavier was frowning upon hearing his words but before he could question Damien any further he heard him say, "Go and milk this beast."


    "Milk¡ªwhat?" Xavier''s voice started rising shrilly as he looked at the man as if he had gone crazy.


    Damien raised his head and looked at the wolf beastman. "He has been poisoned by the venom of this snake, we need to treat the venom." He was a doctor but he was no expert in creating anti-venom it seemed like his AI system had loaded the information for creating the anti-venom in this world.


    ''A good thing as well or else we would be bringing a corpse with us,'' thought Damien.


    He nced at the process of making anti-venom for the Impert Snake Beast and pondered silently. Could he even make this thing?


    ** *** **


    Half an hourter, Xavier returned from the front of the Impert Snake Beast. He had spent a great deal in getting the venom of this beast and was certain that he was not ever going to do it again.


    "Here," he said to Damien as he handed the jar with a lid made from the thinnestyer of fat of the snake itself. "Will this be enough?"


    Damien took the jar and peered inside it after opening the lid. He nodded and replied, "Yeah. And one more thing ¡ªhow strong is the blood of a dragon beastman?"


    *********************************************

 Chapter 55: The Lost History Regained

    "It should be quite strong," replied Xavier, with his brows scrunched up. "But why are you asking this, my lord?"


    "Because," Damien trailed off as he nced at the fame points that he had collected. The number was as pitiful as it could have been, but it was enough to buy a syringe.


    He tapped the tip of his finger on the screen and then looked up at Xavier as the syringe appeared in his hands out of thin air.


    "If it is not strong, then I guess I will not survive this," Damien spoke as he used the syringe to draw enough venom inside of its circr tube and injected it right into his vein before Xavier could make out the meaning of his words.


    "My lord what are you¡ª"


    Damien didn''t hear the rest of the words that Xavier said to him. His skin exploded or at least that was what he felt like, his blood was burning, wind seemed to roar in his ears. He could feel his bones twist and turn as if they were breaking and remoulding.


    It was as painful as it could have been however Damien still managed to croak out, "W¡ªWait¡ªFo¡ªfor me to ¡­" he drew in a shuddering breath before continuing, "W¡ªWake up".


    When the venom reached past his defences and up to his heart ¡ªDamien felt it shuddering. His vision darkened, someone chuckled behind him and a cold voice echoed in his ears, "You will do well, my dear beast man."


    And Damien knew no more.


    *** ****


    "Is he alive?"


    "He is breathing, so he should be."


    "That was a foolish thing to do, why did he even take the venom of that beast inside his body?"


    "Who else can answer this question other than him?"


    Damien could hear two voices whispering in his ears, he wanted to open his eyes and question them why they were distrusting his sleep when he was so tired.


    His body was aching as if he had been stampeded by a group of angry patients, something that was quitemon in the hospital.


    And yet he was not even allowed to have enough rest. Come on, he deserved some break.


    "That was so scary, I thought he was dead."


    "So did I."


    Scary. Dead..?


    The venom.


    Damien snapped open his eyes as he looked up at the dark sky. His breathing was uneven as he nced around himself, his eyes fell on Xavier and Maui who were sitting next to a crater in the ground.


    Inside the crater burned a fire and on top of it was arge leg piece that was most probably torn from a rock mountain bird or something.


    "You are awake?"


    "Lord Damien."


    Xavier stood up and walked over to Damien who was stirring to get up from the ground. He helped him up and pushed Damien to one side against a boulder.


    "How are you feeling?" Xavier asked, sounding concerned as he looked at the man.


    "Like I have just drunk a vat of magma," Damien answered honestly. His insides felt like they had been fried and then steamed, he didn''t even know how to exin how it was possible but it was how he felt.


    There was a stinging pain followed by a steaming sensation. The two of them were making quite a painful symphony inside of him.


    "That ..is much better than I expected," Xavier said with a frown and Damien raised his head before asking, "And what did you expect?"


    "That this was thest flicker of me before it extinguished for all eternity."


    Damien: ¡­


    "I am not dying. I am fine¡ª"


    [Congrattions. You have seeded in removing the tartarite nails.]


    [Please work hard on the reformation of the beast nucleus.]


    [Mana level: 1]


    Damien sucked in a breath as he looked at the notification in front of him. How was this possible? How could it even be possible?


    "Hey Xavier, can the venom of the Impert Snake beast melt tartarite nails?" Damien asked in awe.


    Xavier''s eyebrows furrowed before they widened and he crouched down. He ced his hand around Damien''s shoulder before asking, "Can you feel a rush of mana in here?" He tapped the ce where Damien''s heart was.


    "Are you speaking about the giddiness?"


    "No, you foo¡ª" Xavier closed his eyes and breathed in and out. He sped hold of Damien''s shoulder before saying, "It is a warm current. It circtes like a rising and falling octave, as it rises it is warm when it falls it is cold. In the middle when they meet they create a powerful wave of energy. "


    "Focus on it, as long as you can feel the mana circle, it means that your body has recovered."


    "I¡­" Damien focused on the sensation around his heart. His eyes flickered as he closed them and concentrated, though he didn''t feel any particr difference, he did feel a warm surge around his heart.


    Like a small, minuscule wave of warmth.


    "What do you feel?'' Xavier asked as Damien opened his eyes.


    "I feel it, the mana circle that you speak off."


    No sooner did Damien finish speaking, Xavier jumped on his feet. His hand was ced on top of his lips, a look ofpleteprehension on his face.


    "No wonder. No wonder, Emiliano had been sending a private army to find these Impert Snake beasts..this is why¡­" Xavier muttered. "It seems like they have some kind of great importance."


    "Ughh.. isn''t it because they can turn a beastman into transcendental if sacrificed?" Damien suggested calmly as he sat up straight and nced at Samuel. He was looking sicker and frailer than before but he was breathing.


    He was about to draw his blood out to use it to create an anti-venom spell when Xavier grasped hold of his shoulder and turned him around.


    "What did you say? What do you mean by sacrificing these beasts can turn a beastman into transcendental?"


    "¡­Don''t you know?" Damien suddenly felt that he might have slipped up and recalled what the Impert Snake Beast had told him. Five thousand years ago¡­it had said ¡ªso does that mean this history was lost in these years?


    He peeked at Xavier''s expression and got his answer without asking.

 Chapter 56: Hope and Certainty

    "This is not good. This is really not good," Xavier muttered while pacing back and forth. His expression was vexed and his lips were pursed in deep ponderation. "There are only a few ways to be a transcendental beastman."


    "And the one that is known to the beastmen is called, ''Mana y,''" exined Xavier when he saw Damien looking at him in confusion. "Beastmen have powers and skills assigned to them when they are born. However, if a beastman wants to be stronger, he must learn to control his or her mana."


    "As long as they learn to control and be mana yers, they can advance to transcendental beastmen," Xavier closed his eyes as he sat back down on the boulder behind him, his hands resting on his knees.


    With his brows furrowed, he said to Damien, "I don''t know whether Emiliano is trying to look for an Impert Snake Beast for the sake of bing a transcendental beastman or something else, but no matter what ¡­ it could never be good."


    The golden glow of the fire inside the crater cast a shadow on Xavier''s face which made him look even more gloomy.


    "We will think about thister on," said Damien impatiently, who couldn''t care less about Emiliano.


    As far as he was concerned, he was going to stay away from that nutter as far as possible.


    "First we need to treat Samuel and the venom inside of his body." Even if he was a beastman, Samuel also had his limits and Damien had no desire to test those limits.


    Xavier turned and nced at Samuel who was lying on the ground with a pallidplexion. He nodded grimly and then turned to stroke the fire burning in the crater as he watched the rock mountain meat roasting above it.


    Sacrificing Impert Snakes? He had to ry this information to Lord Nics and Lady Wistoria as soon as possible. They have to prepare for the worst, if they were not careful Emiliano might start another transcendental beastmen war.


    They had to stop that crazy freak, at all costs and in case they couldn''t stop him, they should at least be prepared to guard Aeloria.


    "Let''s do this," muttered Damien, who cared more about his patient than the iing beast war, cing the tip of the syringe against his vein. With a little push, he embedded it deep enough to draw blood before pulling the blood out.


    "Three millimetres more, host," said Dan while eyeing the round container getting slowly filled with blood. "Yes a bit more, a bit more ..yes, that''s the ticket."


    Damien pulled away the syringe and then emptied the blood into a clean ceramic bowl that he was carrying in his space ring.


    Once thest drop of his blood trickled down inside the bowl, Damien added twilight thistle. It was a herb that the ones at the brothel added to their wine to speed up the process of fermentation.


    However, ording to the information disyed on the screen, this herb could also speed up the reaction speed and the releasing process of the antibodies in his blood.


    "What are you doing, Lord Damien?" Xavier asked while eyeing the blood in the bowl. Nothing special seemed to be happening and yet Damien was staring at the bowl of blood as if waiting for something miraculous to happen.


    "That''s right, Lord Damien. What are you staring at that bowl of blood for?" Maui chimed from beside Xavier as he peered down at Damien and the bowl. "I don''t think a normal bowl of blood can treat the venom of this horrible beast."


    "Normal bowl of blood?" Damien repeated as he turned to look at Maui. His expression was simr to someone whose ancestors had been cursed. "Do you think this is just a normal bowl of blood?" He asked while staring at the screen in front of him.


    [Binding processpleted ¡­70%]


    [Binding processpleted ¡­75%]


    "Isn''t it?" Maui squeaked.


    Damien rolled his eyes as he turned his gaze away from the screen and exined, "No it is not. This is how an anti-venom is made. As long as we inject the venom of the snakes inside the blood of higher ranking beastmen or beasts with robust immune systems, their blood can produce powerful antibodies."


    "These antibodies can then bind the snake venom while the immune defences eliminate the toxins."


    Xavier and Maui stared at him without saying anything and Damien was willing to bet all the gold that he had gotten from Lord Gilderoy that these two had no idea what he was talking about.


    "Anyways," Damien cleared his throat. "That''s how an anti-venom is made, if everything goes well and the snake venom is bound perfectly then we can use it on Samuel."


    "And what would happen after you use it on him?" Xavier asked slowly. He was slightly dubious as this was his first time hearing such a thing.


    The healer had always asked the beastmen who were injected with snake beast venom to prepare themselves for death.


    It had always been a fifty-fifty chance with the beastmen. For Damien to say that he could treat the venom of the Impert Snake Beast, was slightly unbelievable.


    "If the anti-venom was made perfectly, he would wake up in no time," Damien answered. He paused and pondered a little before adding, "And in case there was a mistake then this man would never wake up. One out of the two cases something would happen, and this case woulde to an end."


    Of course, Damien was banking on his system and hoping that this anti-venom would work. However, sometimes even the most skilled doctor could make a mistake.


    And he who had never created an anti-venom before in his life and had only read and stored enough information ¡ªwas certainly not going to boast that there was a hundred per cent chance for this man to make a full recovery.


    His AI system was excellent but not perfect, more importantly, it worked on information stored in his mind as well as the memories of the predecessor.


    Damien was supplying it with new information every day by visiting the library. But doctors were humans as well and not gods. With them ''hope'' worked better and not ''certainty.''


    [Binding processpleted by¡­100%]


    "It is done."

 Chapter 57: The Cries of the Lost

    Damien nced at the skin and then looked down at the blood in the bowl in front of him. Now for the final process, he picked up the bowl and poured the blood on his free hand.


    [Skill Creation has been activated.]


    The blood was slowly absorbed by his skin. At first, nothing grand happened but then ¡ªhis skin started to glow with a faint reddish glow which started getting more and more intense with each passing second.


    Until¡ª


    [Anti Venom Spell created for Impert Snake Beast.]


    [Crimson Elixir.]


    His fingertips were lighted up with small flickering wisps of red fumes. They resembled burning mes minus the orangish and golden glow but these fumes were not hot.


    "Woah," Maui spoke in an awed voice as he stared at Damien whose face was lit up with a reddish glow. "I have never seen a spell like this before."


    "Neither have I," muttered Xavier as he looked at Damien and the wisps on his fingertips. Something about this change in Damien made him feel slightly disconcerted.


    "Let''s see if this spell works or not?" Damien turned and nced at Xavier and Maui who were already looking at him.


    The two of them along with Damien watched with bated breath as Damien ced his fingertips on the infected wound. The wispy mes flickered and gleamed before lighting up the entire ckened region around the wound with a reddish glow.


    "Nghhh," Damien gritted his teeth as he felt a subtle stab in his chest. This spell was using whatsoever mana he had recovered.


    "The spell that you have created is for treating the venom at once," exined Dan sagely. "As the area of treatment is spread out, the amount of mana required is also great."


    "I can see that, funnily enough," Damien gritted his teeth and sneered at the AI hologram.


    "Does it hurt too much, host?" Dan asked curiously when he noticed the expression on Damien''s face. "I mean¡ª"


    "Not now, Dan," said Damien sternly. "I don''t want to answer these questions for now." As the pain in his chest became more and more intense, Damien grew more techy.


    On and on the spell continued and just as Damien thought that he was going to die while treating this man¡ªthe spell stopped working and the tug in his chest vanished.


    Damien swayed and fell on the ground at once that tug disappeared, as the only thing that had kept him going was the desire to save Samuel''s life.


    "Lord Damien!" Xavier got to his feet and walked over to Damien who had fallen for the second time. "Are you alright?"


    "Hmm? I am ¡ªI am fine," Damien yawned. "Just tired. Pay attention to him," he tipped his chin at Samuel. "And I will take a nap."


    His eyes fluttered closed as Damien let out onest yawn and fell asleep.


    And the kind of fantastic nap he had! Of course, he would have loved to say this but ¡ªnope. His nap was marred by the sounds and yells of people who were getting tormented.


    ''Hello? Is this Satan''s house? I am not ready to go there yet,'' Damien thought in his head as he peered around at his surroundings. He stood in the middle of what looked like an abandoned and ancient pce.


    It had now crumbled due to theck of care and course inhabitants.


    "Ah, my baby brother," a cold and amused voice echoed from every corner of the pce. "Finally you have returned. Too weak and too young at that. Perhaps this time around you will make a wise choice."


    The voice caused Damien to scrunch up his face in pain. It felt horrid, like those big bullies who were about to push the weaker kids to do something bad.


    Or the super senior resident doctors who pushed the new trainees to do their duties while taking credit for doing them.


    "Thest time you were misled, what now? Will you join me? You should brother. Look at us, what they have done to the both of us."


    "If you do my bidding, I will give you what you want¡ªwhatever you desire will be at your feet."


    The scene in front of Damien changed and he now stood in the middle of an auditorium. On the stage stood another Damien, much more confident and good-looking. His face looked regal and poised. He was holding a trophy in his hands and speaking about the AI system that he had created.


    But soon the mirage cracked and the one standing on the stage was William. His face looked just as evil and smug as it had been when he had stabbed him.


    Damien felt a surge of anger as he red at the man. He tried to cry out and tell everyone that the man was a fake. A fraud.


    But his voice didn''t work.


    The cold voice burst intoughter inside the ruins of the old pce.


    And behind him, two hands snuck past the defences and clutched him around his throat. As if these hands would choke him to death if he were to make a mistake.


    "Bring me back, brother," the voice had now be hungrier and greedier than before. "Help mee back to power and we shall raze this world that has forgotten us. Bring me the blood of the Impert Snake Beast. Those bastards ¡ªthe transdentals who rule this world are all treacherous liars, don''t listen to them."


    "So poor, so unfair. They have made you a pawn once again. Be the ruler my brother ¡ªnot a pawn."


    The mist around Damien shimmered. The hands around his neck tightened and Damien felt his breath shortening.


    He turned his head to look at what was behind him and yet there was nothing ¡ª


    But the grip around his neck continued to tighten as if the thing was pulling him back while pulling itself forward.


    "I wille back ¡ªI will have their heads."


    Wake up, a voice in his head started speaking. He needed to wake up.


    "WAKE UP!"

 Chapter 58: Search for the lost

    Damien woke with a start as he looked around his surroundings, there were no ruins of an old pce and he was back in the small groove where he had gone to sleep.


    Xavier was shaking him awake and next to him was¡ª


    "Samuel, you are alright?" Damien asked as he pushed himself up from the ground.


    "What''s with that note of surprise?" Xavier nced at him and asked. "Did you have some doubts about your credibility?"


    "Of course not," Damien replied with a stinky expression. He then nced at the man who was nervously sitting on the small rock at the left of the crater. "How are you feeling, Samuel?"


    "I am alright," replied Samuel with an awkward smile on his face. "Thank you for saving me. I really thought that I was going to die." A week ago, he had picked up the mission because he wanted to buy a bigger house for his seven children and three wives.


    But the second he saw the Impert Snake Beast he knew that he was never going to return but as a warrior beastman, it was simply impossible for him to turn his back on his opponent.


    Damien nodded as he took hold of Samuels''s wrist. He could hear Dan muttering inside of his head, "He is alright but the amount of blood he had lost is more than three containers ¡ªI would suggest adequate rest as well as the essence of bedonna three times a day."


    "He should also pay attention to his right shoulder, it was hurt quite severely. If he doesn''t give then there are very good chances for the bone to break and tear open the ligaments and tendons. It would be troublesome."


    "Pay attention to taking good rest these days," said Damien while rying the information depicted to him by Dan. "You need to drink the essence of bedonna three times a day and.." he pointed to Samuel''s shoulder before continuing, "Your shoulder was dislocated which I fixed earlier along with the deep gash. However, the tearing of flesh had led the joint sockets to receive enough impact."


    "Unless you give your body enough rest, your shoulder might dislocate again and this time the bone will tear your tendons and muscles."


    Damien could see from the expression on the face of Samuel that the man hadn''t understood anything. He rolled his eyes and mped his hand on Samuel''s good shoulder, "Rest a lot, if you don''t your right arm will be useless."


    And this time aroundprehension dawned on Samuel''s face.


    "I understand, Lord Damien."


    He then turned to look at Maui who had cut arge chunk from the leg piece of the Rock Mountain Bird that had been roasting over the fire for a while until it had turned a nice shade of well-done meat. Fatty liquid dripped down and inside the crater.


    "You beastmen really don''t understand technicality, do you?" Damien asked with a helpless and unamused expression on his face.


    Xavier nced at him before saying in a cold voice, "You mean to say that we are fools?"


    "Don''t go putting words in my mouth," snorted Damien as he turned to look at Maui who walked over to him while carrying a chunk of meat on a clean leaf. "Ah lunch, thank you Maui."


    **** **** ****


    On the other side, inside the Royal Pce.


    A man with hair the shade of caramel, tied in a small ponytail was looking down at an ancient map spread in front of him. His expression was livid as his eyes trailed past the many lines that were drawn on the paper that had turned a murky yellow in the middle and brown on the edges.


    "This is stupid¡­why is it it''s proving difficult? I swear it should have been around somewhere ?" Emiliano muttered, the crown on his head tipped over his forehead and ttered on the surface of the table. "Not again!" He swore.


    His face was twisted in a malicious sneer while eyeing the crown with disgust. "Even now you refuse to ept me?" He asked the spirit trapped within the gem that was iid at the centre of the crown.


    His eyes were filled with annoyance as he snatched it from the surface of the table. While staring at the small pixie whose body was buried inside, he muttered, "No matter how much you try to refuse¡ªI am the king of thesends and you shall obey mymands¡ªARGGGHHH!"


    A mournful scream filled with pain echoed in the study as Emiliano crumpled to the floor. He was holding his right hand with which he had been holding the crown¡ª the veins within his skin glowed faint blue before turning a horrifying shade of ck.


    Emiliano moved his fingers while gritting his teeth as he red at the sleeping spirit inside the gem. "You will pay for this, one day you will be on your knees obeying my everymand."


    "Your majesty, your majesty!" A squeaky voice came from the entrance of the study before the golden doors were pushed open and a little dwarf came running inside. "Whats the matter, Your Majesty? Why are you on your knees?"


    "Where were you?" Emiliano asked as he climbed to his feet and kicked the dwarf. "I asked you to bring me a goblet of fresh unicorn blood, where is it?"


    The dwarf looked up at Emiliano with wide eyes that became even wider as he nervously squeaked, "I-I have asked for the chef to prepare the freshest of the fresh goblet with a hint of elf dew. It will take some time to prepare¡ª"


    "And you fell asleep," finished Emiliano as he was aware of the habits of this stupid ve that histe father had given him. He could have given him a beast with wings and fangs but just because he was given birth to by a maid and not even a concubine¡ª he was shown no respect that a prince should have deserved.


    A useless dwarf of all things!

 Chapter 59: Messiah of the Mutated

    Every member of the Royal family was given a servant who would do their bidding and would remain loyal to them when they came of age. These servants would also signify the position of the Royal family members in the court.


    And while that useless piece of work Damien was given an elf, he was given a dwarf instead.


    "N¡ªNo," Dian shook his head like a rattle in the hands of a baby. "I didn''t fall asleep, you¡ªyour majesty. I just...I just dozed off. You know how I am, right? As soon as I close my eyes, I will just end up falling unconscious. I think¡ªI think I need to see a healer." He added very seriously.


    Emiliano listened to his servant with a nk expression. He then leaned down and whispered, "There is no need to go to a healer for this sort of thing, I can help you with this on my own."


    "Yo¡ªYou can, your majesty? I knew it. You are so wise and kind, of course, you know how to deal with this situation of mine," Dian spoke with a wide smile on his ugly, puffy face. "What do I need to do, to stop this, Your Majesty?"


    A wicked smile etched slowly on Emiliano''s face as he raised his brows and asked, "You really want to get this treated, Dian?"


    "Of course, your majesty. I ¡ªDian wants to serve you better, if I get better then I will certainly do a much better job."


    "Then all you need to do is go to a ce," answered Emiliano.


    "What ce?"


    "A graveyard," Emiliano sneered as he raised his leg and kicked Dian. He sent him flying ten feet away from where he stood as he growled, "As long as you are inside a coffin and six feet down the ground, I will be able to get a new servant who will serve me better. The magical binding that my father ced would disappear with your death."


    As the servants were bound to their masters by a magical contract, such that they would never be able to betray them, Emiliano couldn''t send Dian away.


    And even if he wanted, it was impossible for his father had ce a particrly strong spell on this contract to ensure that this embarrassment would follow him to the end of his life.


    "Y¡ªYour majesty!" Dian let out a squeaky whimper. "Please forgive me. Never ..never again will I close my eyes ever again. Please don''t kill me, I don''t want to die, yet."


    "Stop grovelling," Emiliano sneered as he picked up a paperweight and hurled it at the sobbing dwarf. "How many times, Dian? Just how many times do I have to tell you? You are my servant. Mine! As my servant, can you not see what you ought to do and not?"


    "I¡ªI am sorry," Dian lowered his head and sniffed. He raised his head and looked at Emiliano whose eyes were filled with disgust for him.


    ''The prince has changed so much ¡ªwhen he was young, he used to like Dian so much,'' the dwarf thought with a broken heart.


    "I could have gotten an elf ¡ªand yet all I got, what a nuisance," Emiliano muttered with a livid expression.


    However, his diatribe was cut short when the door of his study was pushed open. He raised his head and turned to look at the shark beastman standing at the doorways.


    "Fluffy," Emiliano raised his brow and turned to look at the beastman who was half shark and half alligator. He was a half-blood, a mutated beastman who would never be epted by the beastmen as the powers and skills of the mutated beastmen were half of that of pure-blood beastmen.


    Generally, the child of beastmen would take over only one side in case of two different beast species but sometimes there were special cases. Such as Fluffy where the child would inherit both his parents and be a freak.


    As for their position in the beast world? It could be seen just from the name of this beastman who was named Fluffy.


    Emiliano was yet to get used to these freaks but as they were the perfect soldiers and easy to manipte with theck of respect and resources they had been given ¡ªhe was willing to ignore the unease these beastmen brought him.


    As these beastmen had no ce in the current world, Emiliano had promised them a prominent one in the one which he would soon create. And the wonders it had brought him were just ¡ªa chef''s kiss.


    "Call me Freddy, your majesty," said the beastman as he morphed back to his human self and adorned a new set of clothes by smashing the magical orb. "I would rather die than be called by that name anymore."


    "Now, now, Freddy. There is no need to show such a frown to your king," Emiliano said to the man. "What brings you here?" He asked with his arms crossed behind his back.


    "We have found the Seventh Pce, Your Majesty," answered Freddy with a bow. "The pce of the seventh ruler, the dragon of time ¡ª it has been unearthed."


    Emiliano''s face went ck but then a look of pure glee spread on his face. "Finally¡ª FINALLY. HAHAHAHA"


    ** *** **


    It took three days for Damien to return to the guild with Samuel and Xavier. Thus, by the time they arrived at the guild, it was already Saturday.


    "Are you sure that you want to follow me?" Damien looked at the stead who hopped down the carriage and paused in the middle of looking around the town. He turned and raised his head before pulling the ugly purple pouch that he was carrying on his back.


    Apparently, it was given to him by his mama rabbit.


    "I am sure, Damien," replied Maui with a smile on his face as he fluttered his wings nervously. He said to him, "Though I am a bit anxious as the steads are not weed, I want to follow you."


    "Father!"

 Chapter 60: A Troublesome Gratitude

    Before Damien could respond to Maui, there was a cry of sheer glee behind him. He turned and looked at the woman who was standing at the entrance of the guild. Her eyes were filled with tears but her expression was that of happiness.


    "You are alive."


    "Thalia!" Samuel raised his good arm and waved at his daughter who let out a whimpering sob before running past everyone standing outside the guild. She threw herself into the arms of her father.


    "Thank god, thank the beast god, that you are safe Father," Thalia buried her face in the crook of the neck of her father with tears trickling down her cheek. "I thought¡ªoh father ..thank you...thank you foring back."


    She then turned to look at Xavier and Damien. Her eyes stayed on Xavier for two seconds and Damien thought that she was going to hug him as tight as Thalia did to her father.


    However, contrary to his expectations, Thalia willed her gaze away from Xavier and then threw herself in his arms after pulling away from Samuel.


    "Hey? Woah." Damien staggered behind as he caught hold of Thalia''s waist. "Watch before jumping, Miss Thalia. We could have fallen¡ª"


    He didn''t even get to finish what he was saying when the woman raised her hands and caught hold of his face. And then ¡ª


    Something soft and warm was pressed against his lips.


    "Thank you," said the woman with a gleeful smile on her lips. "Thank you so much, like I promised¡­I will now hand my life over to you as payment."


    "Bahaha! Good for you, Lia. You have found a good beastman to follow," Samuel guffawed as he patted his daughter on the back, her expression was shy and charmed as she peeked at Damien.


    On the other, Damien was simply dumbfounded. Back then he thought that Thalia had simply said those words out of desperation never did he think that she meant them.


    "So this was what you were after from the start?" Xavier used as he wheeled and looked at Damien with disgust.


    "No!" Damien refused at once. What did he mean by that he was after this from the start? He had never taken Thalia''s words to his heart.


    He turned around and looked at Thalia before saying, "Look. I am grateful and everything¡ªbut you should not hand your life to someone so easily, don''t treat your life so lightly."


    "Lord Damien¡ª"


    "That''s right," a familiar voice chimed from behind and Damien whipped his head behind him, and there stood his supposed wife. She was dressed in a dark violet uniform with fuschia pink seams. Her long silver hair was tied in a long ponytail.


    And as for her blood-red eyes ¡ªthey were ring at Damien as if hungry for his blood.


    "Host, your emotions are getting unstable¡­your fear has risen by 95%," remarked Dan from somewhere top of his head and Damien didn''t even turn to look at him as Wistoria made her way towards him.


    Behind her was Nichs with an awkward and helpless expression.


    "Shut up," Damien snapped. "What are you doing here?" He asked while looking at Wistoria who smiled at him grimly.


    "What''s wrong?" She asked as she swaggered over to his side. She cast a single nce at him before turning to look at Thalia. "Did I interrupt something good?"


    Thalia noticed the enmity wafting off from every pore of Wistoria''s body. She narrowed her eyes and questioned, "And who you might be?"


    "I am his wife," said Wistoria, smiling at the woman. She took a step closer to Thalia and remarked, "And I really do not appreciate what you just did now."


    Her eyes glowed an eerie red as she peered down Thalia who was two inches shorter than her. "Be a bit more refrained from the next time."


    "Beastmen are allowed to have as many mates as they want and like," retorted Thalia, causing the air to crackle with electricity.


    "And you are forgetting that we are allowed to kill as well," Wistoria whispered threateningly.


    "Alright," Nichs who had followed Wistoria to the guild pulled his sister back. There was a slight pause as the two women red at one another and then Nichs said, "Damien, it seems like you are doing alright. The guild sent word that you went to the forest which was infected by Impert Snake Beast."


    "Wistoria was worried about you, which is why she had beening to the guild every day."


    "Who was worried about this bastard?" Wistoria snapped as she freed her arm from her brother''s grip. She red at Damien and sneered, "So you are still alive?"


    Damien looked down and then looked up before nodding, "Well since I am not in the category of an extra concentrated ghost ¡ªI think I made it out of that forest alive."


    The woman sneered at him even harshly before walking past him, not forgetting to bump into him as she walked past him.


    And¡ª


    "OUWW!" Damien gasped as he looked down at his foot that had been stomped on. "That hurts!"


    However, Wistoria didn''t stop walking instead she continued storming towards the carriage which was parked at a small distance from the guild.


    Damien stared at her back furiously.


    "Don''t mind her," said Nichs with a gentle voice. Damien turned and looked at him as he remarked, "Well my foot that was nearly squashed to bits, does mind." What? He was a sarcastic little thing from the day he was born, and it didn''t help that his toes were throbbing a bit too painfully.


    Nichs smiled at him before saying, "She is just jealous. She has beening here every day because she was worried that something might happen to you. Almost went to the forest to look for you but was stopped by Master Godric, who told her that this mission belonged to his guild."


    "My sister is quite possessive of her things ¡ªand people."


    "And now that you have finally returned¡­" he trailed off as he nced at Thalia who went slightly pink. So did Damien, he shrugged what could be counted as casual and said, "That¡ªI never asked her to kiss me."


    He then turned to Thalia before saying, "Miss Thalia, for your father''s aftercare¡ª just clean his wounds with hot clothes, and hard alcohol and change his bandages every six hours."


    "Make sure pus doesn''t form around his wound."


    "I¡ªI got it, Lord Damien," Thalia nced at Nichs before nodding at Damien who waved his hand at her before taking his leave.

 Chapter 61: Raging Wolf

    "How long is she going to be like that?" Damien asked as he watched Wistoria hop down the carriage and walk inside the manor without looking back at him.


    He had tried to speak to her in the carriage, but the woman had shut him up each and every time. He couldn''t understand why women did this.


    If she was angry at him, she should at least let him exin.


    Xavier nced at him as if he was speaking a differentnguage and replied, "If I may, then I believe that Lady Wistoria has every right to be angry with you¡ª"


    "You know never mind, I nearly forgot that you are fanatic when ites to Lady Wistoria and Lord Nichs," Damien snorted with a roll of his eyes.


    "She is your wife¡ª"


    "Well, I don''t know how to break this to you, Xavier," began Damien with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. "Yourdy has never really been a wife to me other than just in name?"


    He turned on his feet and took the path which led to the mansion where he lived with his family. As he walked away, Damien could still feel Xavier''s murderous gaze at his back.


    "Brother!"


    "Prisci," Damien smiled at his little sister who seemed to be waiting for him. "Were you waiting for me, Cici?"


    "Yeah," Prisci replied as she took his hand and led Damien inside the manor. "Were you able to defeat the Impert Snake Beast? Mother was so worried when she found out that you took such a dangerous risk."


    "Is mother doing alright?" Damien asked with a note of worry in his voice.


    To his surprise, Prisci nodded and replied, "Mother is much better since she stopped taking the medication provided by the temple and started taking yours. She can now sleep at night for a few hours."


    In the past, the pain was unbearable for Lady Cecil making it impossible for her to even take a shut eye.


    Damien was relieved to find that Lady Cecil was doing better. He asked, "Is she awake?"


    "No," Prisci shook her head and replied, "Mother, went to sleep after waiting for you. No one knew when you were going to return, brother."


    She then paused and asked, "Are you hungry? There is some onion soup, and baguette left from dinner."


    Damien hadn''t felt the pang of hunger until Prisci spoke up. His stomach rumbled upon hearing the words ''onion soup,'' he nodded and replied, "Alright."


    Prisci smiled at him as she took him to the kitchen, though young she was ¡ªshe could not only cook but also take after her brothers.


    "The onions are from our garden," she told him. "I know that we have money now," she added when Damien went to speak. "But we should save it and not spend it without care. Who knows, when we might need it?"


    Damien understood her worries as they were still carrying the title of ''ves''. He didn''t mention money but instead went ahead and questioned, "Why are you the one who is cooking? What about the servants?"


    "They are ¡ª well, they do a fine job when ites to cleaning and washing clothes. But we cannot trust them with our meals, just yesterday ¡ªBrother Henry apprehended a maid who was adding Fillitrix in our soup."


    [Fillitrix: Venomous Frogs found in the Southern Land of Brystoria.]


    [The toxins released by their skin can be used to create poison.]


    "Where is the maid? Did someone interrogate her?" Damien asked, getting back to his feet. If that maid was still alive, then he needed to have a small chit-chat session with her.


    "There is no point in looking for her," replied Prisci as shedled a generous amount of onion soup in a bowl and handed it to Damien. "Shemitted suicide as soon as she was caught."


    As Damien scooped a spoonful of soup from his bowl, Prisci sighed and then sat next to him. "It seems like that bad guy hasn''t given up."


    Damien''s expression turned sombre upon hearing her words as he knew exactly about whom Prisci was talking about.


    Emiliano de Brystoria, his half-brother and the man who dethroned his predecessor.


    "Isn''t he already the King?" Prisci remarked as she picked up a piece of bread. "Why is she stilling after our family, Brother Dami?"


    "Maybe he fears that we might make aeback," Damien said shortly. "Can I get more butter? I like my toast loaded with butter."


    Prisci nodded as she added more butter to Damien''s toast. She ced it on the small te next to Damien before saying, "It is truly foolish though. How can we be an obstacle in his path to glory when our beast nucleus has been destroyed?"


    Damien suddenly felt a lot more ufortable. He had, after all, broken free of the restraints that Emiliano had put on the body of the predecessor.


    Even if it was just by pure coincidence if that man was crazy enough to send him to Satan''s door when he had no idea that Damien had gotten rid of the tartarite nails.


    Damien dared not to think about the sudden esction in assassination attempts if that man was to know that those nails were no longer a problem for Damien.


    ''Might as well keep it to myself for now,'' thought Damien.


    He thought about his dreams¡ªthe whispering voice that hissed in his ears, the thing that was in the abandoned pce..it seemed to be waiting for something. Him.


    And Damien didn''t know much about this world but he knew one thing, if a body-less voice was calling out to him, he was supposed to run away from it, not towards it.


    Damien finished the rest of his meal in silence, Prisci who was tired after waiting for him was so tired that she dozed off again and again. In the end, Damien requested her to go back to sleep and he too went to his own room after washing in the small bathing area behind the manor.


    **************


    "Your mind seemed to be awake even though your eyes are closed, Host," stated Dan as he peered at Damien who was lying on the bed. He curiously eyed Damien as if he was the finest specimen that Dan wanted to cut open and see whaty inside of him.


    Damien''s eyes snapped open as if sensing the danger, he nced at Dan before asking, "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Like what?"


    "Like you want to snap open my head and see what lies inside."


    Dan''s eyes lit up as he questioned, "Can I do that?"


    "Yeah," replied Damien with a serious expression, as he scathingly added, "Only once though. Because after that I will never wake up again."


    Dan stared at him and Damien stared right back.


    "I do not understand," Dan asked with a frown on his face. "If you know what the consequences of your actions might be, why even make an offer?"


    Damien rolled his eyes. "I didn''t make an offer, I made a sarcastic remark."


    "Is there a difference between the two?"


    "Yes," Damien turned his head to the side and looked up at the moon. "And I am not going to exin it," he added already aware of the fact that Dan was going to ask him to exin the difference. "Just remember that sarcastic remarks are thrown when someone is annoyed like I am right now."


    "With whom?" Dan asked again and this time around Damien turned and looked at the 3D hologram. "Why don''t you look around and tell me?" He fired back in a slow drawl.


    Dan frowned as he mimicked Damien''s expression, before turning his head and looking around the room. However, he found nothing and no one until his gaze fell on his reflection in the mirror.


    Dan: ¡­. Caw.


    He whipped his head and looked at Damien with an usatory re, "You mean to say that I am annoying you?" He little did to stop his voice from turning into a screech.


    "I thought that AI systems don''t feel angry or upset."


    "I am not upset I am mimicking the host," replied Dan with a sort of sadistic note in his voice. "You know when your girlfriend broke up with you."


    "Don''t do it, Dan¡­" Damien slowly pushed himself off the bed with his elbows. "Don''t ever think of doing such a thing."


    Dan snickered. And then¡ª


    "Damien, I don''t think it is working.."


    "NOOOOOO!!!"


    *** ****


    "Are you still upset," Nichs looked at his sister and asked.


    "Why will I be upset?" Wistoria snarled as she pounced on her brother. Her ws unsheathed as she took a swipe at him. "Do you think that man is worthy of that?"


    Nichs pulled his neck back as his sister had been aiming for his throat. "Woah, there sissy. I am your brother."


    "There is no rtionship on the battlefield," sneered Wistoria as she lunged at her brother once again.

 Chapter 62: Did you catch something?

    "Woah, hey¡­" Nichs dodged to one side, his feet skidding on the ground as he was sent flying back after his sister kicked him. His eyes shed with a gleam as he looked at his sister. "You little¡ª you are still the same aren''t you?"


    "I am still the same," taunted Wistoria. "But it looks like you are losing your touch."


    He got to his feet and unsheathed his ws before saying, "I was going to go easy on you but since you are asking for it." The tips of his ws lit up with mes. "I think there is no need for me to hold back on you."


    "I never said that I wanted you to go easy on me."


    Nichs smiled at Wistoria, however, his smile didn''t reach his eyes as he charged at his sister.


    BANG!


    The ground shook with the loud bang and so did the manors surrounding the training grounds, startling the residents inside of the building.


    "Ohh, dear!" Lord Gilderoy looked down at the teacup in his hands and peered at the burning ground through the window of his study. "Those two are at it again." he sighed when he saw that the grounds were burning.


    With a bite of impatience in his sigh, he turned to look at his aide and assistant, Arthur. He said to him, "Go. Bring a few servants with you and do something about the fire before the entire Wolfe manor is burnt to crisp. I can''t have the house burned down to the ground again. I am rather fond of the new hunting arena."


    "This is a good ce, close to the mountains, we cannot lose it."


    "I understand, My Lord," said Arthur with a bow and his hand ced on his abdomen. The man turned on his feet and then walked out of the study, leaving Lord Gilderoy to look at the grounds which were still burning.


    He shook his head and muttered under his breath, "I wonder what''s wrong with Ria, now."


    "Hurry."


    "More water, we need some more water."


    "Right here, if we don''t pour the water here¡ªthe fire will spread throughout the grounds."


    "The fire here is insane!"


    Arthur observed the mes that were burning in the training grounds, his silver hair glowed in the orangish glow as he pivoted on his feet and turned to look at the two culprits of this fire.


    "Lord Nichs, Lady Wistoria..if I may, can you please tell me what led to this sudden sinister desire to burn the entire training ground to crisp, of yours to rise?" Arthur asked as he looked at the two of them with a sweet smile on his lips.


    "I apologise, Arthur," though feeling a tad bit guilty, Nichs smiled at Arthur gently. He said to him, "Can you ry our apology to father? We certainly did not mean to let lose to this point. It seems like we got carried away while training."


    Getting carried away didn''t even seem to cover it as there was another resounding crash as the stone frame around the training ground fell and servants screamed in panic.


    Arthur turned his head over his shoulders to look at the crumbling stones with a stoic expression. He then turned to look back at the two heirs of the Wolfe family and remarked, "¡­That is obvious. I hope that you do realise that the cost of repairs will be taken out of your budget?"


    "We do."


    "Yes, Arthur."


    Only then did the elderly man nod in satisfaction before taking his leave as he needed to arrange the servants who were in panic.


    Nichs watched the man leave before releasing a sigh. Arthur was not only the assistant of his father, he was the one who had more or less raised the two of them after the death of their mother.


    "Why did you use the ws of mes?" He asked his sister while staring at the destruction that the two of them had caused, it was in fact caused by Wistoria alone but of course, he was lumped together with her.


    Had been since he was a child.


    ''You are the oldest, why don''t you pay attention to your sister?''


    ''Nichs as the oldest stop your sister from getting into trouble.''


    After trying to stop Wistoria who paid little heed to his warnings, he decided to might as well join her.


    "You annoyed me," said Wistoria simply as she turned around on her feet and then walked out of the training grounds.


    "I did?" Nichs shook his head as he walked behind Wistoria,gging a step behind her. "I only asked you to change yourself, Ria. If you continue keeping everything inside you¡ªyou will find that you will lose the things that you want."


    "Who said that I want that idiot!" Wistoria eximed as she wheeled to look at her brother. "I will never¡ª never.." she worked her mouth for a while but when nothing came out, she red at her brother and stormed away.


    Nichs watched his ill-tempered sister and blinked his eyes before saying, "I think I should start treating Damien a bit better?"


    ***


    "Achoo!" Damien sneezed as he wiped his nose and wiped his nose. "Did I catch a cold?" He muttered as he sat in the carriage.


    "Do you feel sick?" Xavier asked as he raised his head from the floor of the carriage and turned his gaze at Damien. "Did you catch something venereal?"


    "From a kiss? I know that you have been praying for me to get struck by an asteroid ever since yesterday.. but don''t you think you are going too far?" Damien asked with a hint of affront in his voice.


    Seriously, what the hell?


    Dan on the other hand was on the roll as he started chattering, "Kissing is generally a low-risk activity whenpared to everything else. However, it is not impossible, as an STD disease can spread through kissing."


    "There are two types of STDs that spread through mouth-to-mouth kissing. First is HSV-1 and the second is Human papillomavirus."


    "There are also chances for syphilis."


    "Host, do you want me to examine you?" Dan asked with what he thought was a concerned expression. "I will give you a thorough one."


    "Thank you for rying such a wonderful show of concern, Dan. But I am fine," Dan said with a stoic expression. "I can assure you that I haven''t caught any of those things."

 Chapter 63: Might Literally Bleed Dry

    He then turned to look at Xavier and smilingly looked at him. "Xavier, I am fine," Damien began coldly. "There is no such thing as you are worrying about. Of course, you will be not if you¡ª"


    As for what was going to happen to Xavier if he didn''t shut up, Damien never got the chance to say it as the carriage came to a sudden halt with the sharp neigh of the horses.


    "What''s going on? Are we already there?" Damien asked distractedly as he peered out of the window. However just as he pushed his head out, he saw that the street had been jammed and someone seemed to be quarrelling at the end of the street. "What''s happening?"


    Xavier also looked out of the window, his eyes narrowed as he started paying close attention to the quarrel, "It''s Lord George. I believe he is upset with something again."


    Upset didn''t even cover what this so-called Lord George was feeling at the moment, thought Damien to himself as he continued to watch the ruckus happening at the front of the street.


    "How dare a low-ss trash dare to treat me like this!?" The man roared at the woman who was kneeling in front of him. "You fucking ¡ªit is your fortune that I am asking you to serve me. I am the brother of the Matriarch of the Kiem family."


    "Kiem family?" Damien turned to look at Xavier and asked, "Is this the same Kiem family as we know?"


    "Must be. One cannot throw the name of the Kiem family just because they want to," replied Xavier.


    "Fucking bitch! How dare you act this way.. do you want some of this huh?" Lord George raised his hand in the air to p the woman on the face causing her to flinch.


    "Hey, that''s¡ª" Damien began even though he more or less understood what was going on after seeing the clothes of the woman which showed off her generous bosom and long legs through the slit on the side of her skirt.


    But even if that woman was serving men, it was truly too much for a man to raise his hand on her.


    However, before the man could p the woman, a hand caught his own.


    "What the fuck¡ª" Lord George turned and nced at the man who was holding him and snarled angrily, "You mutt, how dare you! Do you no longer recognise the order of hierarchy in this world?"


    "I am sorry, Dear Customer," said the man with dark brown hair and ck eyes. "However, as the guard of Blooming Rose, I cannot allow you to degrade our workers any more than this. If there is something that making you upset, you can let us know."


    "As you ought to know, as a dog beastman¡ªmy loyalty stays with my employer," said the guard with a stern voice.


    "You¡ªyou¡­" Lord George trembled as he pulled his hands away from the man. With his body shaking from top to bottom in anger, he changed his target and pped the guard right in the face instead. "How dare you filth like you touch me!? You dare contradict a snake beastman of all people? You should be licking the dirt off my shoes instead of opening your mouth and talking back to me!"


    "I am way above your filthy kind," as he spoke he spat on the face of the guard whose face had turned to one side after getting pped. "Know your ce, just because you were given a little freedom, don''t think that you have be something."


    The guard''s fingers twitched as he clenched them into a fist. He almost raised his hand to punch Lord George in the face when¡ª


    "Sir, please be kind and respectful," another guard with a different uniform than the one who was standing in front of Lord George, stepped out of the brothel. "Beastwomen of our brothel are the prettiest in the city of Aeloria, certainly you don''t want to offend Lady Cheryl by acting like this?"


    "We are sorry that she could not serve you well.. but if you want we can bring someone else for you," said the higher-ranking guard with his hand mped on the shoulder of the dog beastman who seemed to be more inclined to punch Lord George instead of arranging another woman for him.


    "You¡ªyou dare threaten me with a ban!?" Lord George snarled angrily, his eyes turning red as the nails on his fingers started to elongate. "Are you crazy? You son of a bitch ¡ªDo you think that I will let this off."


    Lord George pounced on the Head Guard, his ws aimed right at the heart of the man who had handed him the warning.


    "Damn¡­"


    "What do you think you are doing?" The other guard shouted at Lord George as he pushed the head guard out of the way.


    However, though the guard seeded in pushing the head guard away, he ended up being on the other end of the sharp ws.


    "That!" Damien gasped in terror when he saw where the cut was made.


    Dan stared at the fight as well as he started handing out information that Damien already knew, "It seems like the carotid artery had ruptured. It sits between the posterior or the sternovicr joints of the neck and the cut is right in the centre of the two."


    ''This is bad,'' thought Damien as he looked at the dog beastman who twisted on his feet and kicked the man on the ground.


    If it was truly the carotid artery that was ruptured then this man was done for, it wouldn''t be long before the man dies.

 Chapter 64: Snide Remarks

    "Ah!" Lord George gasped in pain as he stumbled to the ground after getting kicked in the chest. "Oww.. you son of a bitch," he growled at the guard. "Do you even know who you are touching?"


    The guard sneered down at him, "Fuck off. The Kiem family is not the only ruler of this city, you know."


    "You¡­." Lord George trembled with rage as he got to his feet, "You fucking bastard¡­ I will not let this slide."


    Though he would have loved to show these two guards their ce, Lord George knew that there was no way he could beat these two down.


    He might be a snake beastman who was higher in the hierarchy than them but he was not skilled in fighting whenpared to these guards, thus even if he wanted to get rid of them he couldn''t.


    Lord George understood his own strength and position.


    And anyway, the de which he had used was a special one. Let''s see if these two idiots could even get this treated.


    Thus, he snorted and said in a threatening manner, "Don''t think that this will be the end of this matter. Just wait, I will get you back." He then turned on his feet and walked away with an annoyed expression on his face.


    The crowd parted as he walked past them towards his carriage.


    "That was such a low-level move," remarked Damien as he watched the man climb into the carriage with the help of two of his assistants. "I have seen thugs doing a much better job than that."


    As he spoke he climbed down the stairs of the carriage, Xavier who was sitting inside the carriage, turned and looked at him, "Where are you going, Lord Damien?" he asked.


    Damien however did not reply to Xavier and instead walked over to where the two guards were standing.


    "Are you alright Sigurd?" The head guard asked worriedly as he watched Sigurd wipe the blood off the side of his neck.


    "I am alright, Adikus," replied Sigurd. He then looked at the woman who was sobbing on the floor and asked her, "Are you feeling alright, Matilda?"


    The woman wiped her eyes with her sleeves and nodded. "I am alright. I am really sorry because of me, you got injured," she said to Sigurd as she got to her feet and looked at the man''s injury on the side of her neck.


    "It''s fine this is nothing," said Sigurd as he wiped the blood off his neck. "This happens all the time anyway."


    He wasn''t new to injury with how the patrons of this brothel acted. Getting injuries was simply unavoidable while working in the brothel.


    "Excuse me, would you like me to look at your injury?"


    Sigurd and Adikus turned around and looked at the man standing behind them with a frown on their faces.


    "Who are you?" Adikus asked while eyeing Damien warily.


    "I am Damien De Brystoria," Damien introduced himself politely. "I am a doctor¡ª your injury," he paused while looking at the cut on Sigurd''s neck. "It can prove fatal if it''s not treated. Is it alright if I take a look?"


    "Oh are you a healer?" Adikus asked while staring at Damien with slight curiosity. "You look really young."


    Damien smiled and replied with a shake of his head, "No. I am not a healer but I can treat your injuries without magic as well."


    Adikus exchanged a look with Sigurd before the two of them burst outughing.


    "You really know how to scam people," said Adikus jovially. "Such a small scar and you are saying that it can prove fatal? Even if you are going to scam someone, you should at least try to sound reasonable."


    Sigurd also snorted derisively. He raised his head and looked at Damien before saying. "You don''t need to y like this. The wine here is rather cheap, just go in and tell them what you want." His gaze fell on the clothes that Damien was wearing before muttering under his breath, "Goodness, just what kind of people areing to for business these days?"


    Once he was done speaking, Sigurd shook his head and then walked away with Adikus. The two of them were stillughing at Damien and his poor attempt at scamming them.


    "Healing without magic, these people will say anything," Damien heard Sigurd snicker as he wiped the blood off his neck.


    Adikus nodded along as he remarked, "Well what can we do? With the sudden change in the power y of the city, the rise of the crooks is getting worse. Back then when it was just the Wolfe family, we did not have to worry about anything."


    "But with these Kiem guys, we are having a hard time dealing with these crooks. They are letting them have all kinds of free reign."


    Damien stared at the two with a nk expression on his face, he was painfully aware of the fact that Xavier wasughing behind him. "Yeah..you canugh, you know. Go ahead andugh, there is no need to be polite."


    No sooner did he finish speaking, than Xavier burst outughing. With his hands wrapped around his waist, the beastman sunk so low that Damien thought that he was going to kiss the ground.


    ''Maybe he might as well,'' a sudden sinister desire to knock Xavier by hooking his leg with his and pulling him down, surged in Damien''s mind but he reluctantly put it away.


    He was past thirty-eight if he was to count his age from thest life as well, and not eighteen. He needed to be more mature instead of childish.


    ''But he is making it so difficult,'' said his brain.


    ''Shut up.''


    ''A little tug will do no one any harm.''


    ''I said shut up,'' said Damien more sternly. Thest thing he wanted was to act like an overly stimted teenager.


    "If you are done, can we leave now?" Damien asked Xavier with a raise of his brow.


    "Ah, yes..yes," Xavier nodded as he stood up straight. There were tears of mirth in his eyes and he nodded, "Le¡ªlet''s go."


    Damien snorted with slight annoyance. He followed Xavier to the carriage but just as he was about to climb up the stairs of the carriage when he turned around and looked in the direction where Sigurd had left.


    ''Well it bothers me..but if the patient doesn''t want it then ..what can I do?''

 Chapter 65: Stuck Up Midget Syndrome

    "Here," when Damien arrived at the guild, Master Godric seemed to be waiting for him. He pushed a pouch which jingled and Damien looked down at the purple fabric tied with a golden string.


    "What is it?" He asked Lord Godric.


    Lord Godric ced the pipe between his teeth, before picking up a small wooden bowl which consisted of small chunks of salt.


    That was what Damien thought it was but then Lord Godric poured a few chunks inside the smoke pipe and then lit it up with a small me.


    "The money for finishing the mission," Lord Godric leaned back and then from inside a wooden drawer, he took out a sheet of paper. He pushed it toward Damien who read the content of the mission along with the reward amount.


    His eyes widened as he looked at the amount and eximed, "200,00 gold coins!?" his shriek attracted the attention of the entire guild but Damien did not care about them. If he was to get this much money then half of his problems might get solved.


    "100,000 gold coins," corrected Master Godric. "I have let Samuel have half of it, even though he did notplete the mission, he did risk his life for it."


    "I should have received nothing," another voice joined them and Damien turned to look at Samuel who was walking over to where he was standing.


    With a heavy sigh, Samuel said, "I truly did not deserve this sum of money." he nced at Damien before saying, "You should have taken it all."


    "There is no need to cut yourself short, Samuel," Master Godric sighed as he let out a billow of smoke. "You were the only one who took the mission, the courage you showed is enough for you to take this reward. If not, who knows how long this mission would have taken?"


    "After all, there are not many who have the courage to face such challenges."


    There was a light titter and everyone including Damien turned to look at the short man sitting on the side. "Do you mean to say that many of us have the wits to safeguard our safety first?"


    "You are warriors," said Master Godric with a growl. He pulled out his smoke pipe and hit the end of it on the surface of the table. With a re, he said to Levi, "You are supposed to show unprecedented courage, I would expect my children to be the bravest among all. Not the slyest."


    Levi shrugged and remarked, "I just made a remark. I mean only a buffoon would have charged ahead and taken a mission which was literally suicidal."


    Samuel went very red as he shuffled on his feet ufortably, while Thalia red at the man but did not say anything.


    Damien, on the other hand, thought that the shortie was being way too rude. Though Samuel had taken a mission that was way out of his league, it didn''t change the fact that he had fought that monster. He hadn''t run away and faced that thing as bravely as he could have.


    And for that that especially after he had nearly lost his life, he deserved some fucking respect.


    "Hey, you," Damien called Levi who raised his head and looked at him in surprise.


    "Are you talking to me?" The man asked with a raise of his brows.


    "Yeah, I am talking to you," Damien replied as he took a step forward. He heard Xavier tell him that he shouldn''t do it but Damien didn''t listen to him. He had once been in the same position as Samuel and knew how the words of a few people could bring a serious blow to one''s confidence.


    "I don''t know what your problem is, it could be Stuck up Midget syndrome for all I care but you need to be nicer to someone who nearly showed twice as much courage as you," Damien told Levi. "I mean if you cannot show the courage to face a challenge like him then you can at least show him some fucking respect!"


    It was only when he finished talking did Damien realised that the entire guild had gone quiet. All of them were listening to what he was saying to Levi, at first he went slightly disconcerted but then shrugged and turned to look away from Levi.


    He didn''t believe that he had said anything wrong. And if anyone wanted to fit the shoe that he had had put on Levi''s feet then they were more than wee to do so.


    "Don''t go around talking about something that you have no idea about," snarled Levi as he slid from the stool, and with the bottle of liquor swinging on the side of his waist, he turned on his feet and walked away.


    Damien watched him leave and then turned to look at the rest. "What was that about?" He asked Master Godric and Gina.


    "It''s nothing," Gina replied as she pushed a wooden sk filled with iced whisky towards Damien. "He is just not ¡ªover something he should have been ages ago. Anyway, don''t take what he said to heart, Samuel, Damien. Levi doesn''t mean no harm, he is just ¡­ trying to care about his guild members in his own way."


    How he was taking care of his guild members by taking huge chunks of their confidence, Damien had no idea about. And before he could ask, there was a loud bang followed by ¡ª


    "GET OUT OF HERE!"

 Chapter 66: Stubbornness sometimes has no limit

    "What was that?" lord Godric asked with a frown on his face as he peered at the entrance of the guild. "Who is making such a ruckus at such an hour?"


    "It sounds like Healer Gavin''s voice," replied Gina as she sat the wooden tumblr down on the counter. Her brows were furrowed as she peered at the street as well, with her lips pursed she said after a little pause, "¡­It seems like he is on with his antics once again."


    "Who is healer Gavin?" Damien asked Gina who turned her face around to look at him.


    Gina paused as if she was thinking of the politest words to speak of this man named Gavin.


    "He is a healer¡­ and he is the one in charge of treating themoners as usually themoners are not allowed to enter the temple other than the days which are open for themoners," exined Gina. "Healer Gavin is a low-ranking healer who couldn''t enter the temple.


    His holy power ¡­well it''s not enough¡­ for him to cross the threshold of the temple which is why he treats themoners as a way to earn money."


    "But sometimes¡­"


    "Get out! Shoo! I don''t treat your kind!"


    Gina pursed her lips in an annoyed sort of way and remarked, "But sometimes he forgets that he was once in the same boat as others. In the past he used to be kind and generous which made him popr but ever since he noticed that beastmen have decided to rely on him more ¡ª he had gotten more and more arrogant."


    "Now even though he doesn''t have the authority as a healer from the temple, he shares the same arrogance with them."


    Damien frowned upon hearing her words. Truthfully after being treated like a crook, he was not in the mood of treating anyone. What was the point in showing kindness if it was only going to be repaid by ingratitude?


    But after a quick pondering, he sighed and started walking over to the entrance of the guild. Curse him and his sense of responsibility but he couldn''t just ignore the person who needed his help.


    A healer could ignore someone who required his help but Damien couldn''t.


    He who had died once knew how it felt when no one was there to help him.


    "Am¡ªI ..am I going to die, Adikus?" A whimpering moan resounded in Damien''s ear as he came to a stop in front of the entrance of the guild. There was a great deal of shouting and yellinging from the street. He peered down the front of the crowd where it seemed like the entire street had assembled.


    It was just like in the morning when Lord George fought with the guard in the morning. People were standing all over the street in a great ring facing a clinic which was three buildings down. Prominent among them was a man who was looking rather annoyed as he looked at something at his feet.


    "I told you to get lost!" said Healer Gavin with an annoyed voice. "You are causing me to lose a great deal of business."


    "You are not going to die, Sigurd!" Damien heard the familiar voice of the man who hadughed at him earlier in the morning. As Damien pushed past the crowd, he noticed Adikus who was sitting on the ground with Sigurd lying on hisp.


    Adikus looked up at Gavin before saying, "Healer Gavin! We are willing to pay as much money as you want¡ªbut please help him, the bleeding is not stopping even though we have applied the ointment to stop it. If this goes on then ¡ª he will bleed dry!"


    "Please help him, sire," Martha who was kneeling on the side also pleaded. "He will die at this rate."


    "Then let him!" Gavin snorted with a haughty expression on his face. "I say good riddance. You dog beastmen sprout like mushrooms in the rainy season. Even if one of you dies, it will not make a difference! Now go!! Shoo..


    don''t dirty my threshold with your low-ss blood."


    "You¡­" Adikus began but Gavin had enough of the nonsense. He waved his hand dismissively and looked at the security guard whom he had hired and said to them in amanding voice, "What are you two doing? Drag them away."


    "Kevin," Adikus said to the guard who upon hearing themand of his employer, he had hoped for some kind of help from this man as the two of them were of the same kind.


    But Kevin only nced at him with a nk expression before saying, "I am sorry, Adikus." He then reached out to pick up Sigurd but before he could, a pair of arms blocked him.


    Kevin and Adikus turned to look at the man who was holding Sigurd by his shoulders.


    "It is you!" Adikus remembered the man who was holding Sigurd.


    "It is me," said Damien as he turned to Xavier and said to him, "Go and pick him up. We will bring him to the guild."


    Xavier frowned but all the same, he went ahead and picked up the feet of the dog beastman.


    The two of them then picked up Sigurd from the street and then walked over to the other side of the street.


    "WHERE ARE YOU TAKING HIM!?" Adikus let out a startled yelp which sounded too much like a surprised dog as he chased after the two of them.


    "To somewhere safe," Damien replied as he carried Sigurd away. "He is already injured badly, if he is thrown to one without care then he will end up losing his life."


    Adikus however ignored him and rebuked him harshly, "But if you take him away then how will he get treated?"


    "Healer Gavin is the only one who can treat him."


    Damien raised his head in surprise when he heard the words of the dog beastman. "Even after being treated like such, you still want him to treat your colleague?"

 Chapter 67: Stubbornness sometimes has no limits (2)

    "Of course!" Adiklus let out a bark in agitation. He said to him, "Healer Gavin is the only one who can help us and anyway, there is no need to feel offended and angry. After all, this is how we have always been treated. As a low-grade species, we need to be servile and obedient to the higher ones."


    His voice turned into a whimper as he finished speaking.


    "So what you are saying is that you are going to kneel outside all day and beg for him to heal you?" Damien asked the beastman with indignation. He couldn''t believe it, as someone who had the power to save a life, how could these healers treat life so lightly?


    "What other choice do we have?" Martha sniffed from the side. She was so nervous that two little mouse-like ears were twitching on the top of her head. "Only a healer can help Sigurd. Who knows what kind of de that cursed man used, no matter what kind of ointment we use the bleeding just doesn''t stop."


    "If you want... I can connect his nerves. It is a small process¡ªwe just need t¡ª"


    "There is no need," Adikus stubbornly refused. He red at Damien with red-rimmed eyes and said to him, "He is already in so much pain and trouble, I am not going to leave him in the hands of someone who cannot even use magic to heal."


    "He is like my brother do you think that I will let experiment on him!?"


    "Who said anything about experimenting anything?" Damien snarled as he dropped the upper body of the dog beastman on the side of the street. "Can you not see that there is something wrong with his condition? If you just let me treat him then his chances of survival will be higher. If you don''t then I can assure you that he will not survive more than four hours if he continues to bleed like this."


    "This is no time to quibble like this!"


    "Then I will take him to a healer who lives on Moon Bay Street!" Adikus retorted. With his eyes burning with rage he picked up Sigurd from the street. "I will do everything to save him but there is no way I will let a crook like you y with his life."


    "You¡ª"


    "Leave them be, Lord Damien," said Xavier as he pulled Damien back. "Dog beastmen are stubborn and highly disciplined, they do not break the norm that they''re made to follow. Since he believes that only a healer could save his friend, let us leave it at that¡ªyou have done whatever you can."


    Damien pursed his lips. For a second he thought of using the persuasion skill but then he heard Dan say,


    "It doesn''t work like that," he heard Dan say, when he turned to look at the 3D hologram floating right next to his head, he heard Dan say, "For the persuasion skill you need certain fame points which would make others respect and fear you. You currently don''t have any."


    ''Wonderful,'' thought Damien, if there was the most useless system award then let him hand it to this guy.


    He nced at Adikus who was staring at him warily and sighed. "Fine, do whatever you want." Since he didn''t want Damien to treat his colleague then he wouldn''t push it either. After all, he also had pride.


    With that, he turned on his feet and walked away leaving


    Adikus let out a sigh of relief, however, he still continued to eye Damien with growls rumbling in his chest. It wasn''t until the two of them walked away did Adikus let out a sigh of relief.


    Martha turned to look at Adikus and asked, "Is this okay? I mean if ¡ªif that man can help us. Then we can ask him to take a look at Sigurd.. he is bleeding too much, Adikus."


    "You do not understand, Martha," Adikus said gruffly. He stubbornly believed that Damien was just trying to cause trouble and nothing more. "I have heard all about that man, he is the discredited crown prince and he has been obsessing over his grand return to the capital for ages. Do you truly believe that he can help Sigurd?"


    It wasn''t that he looked down on Damien but he didn''t trust that man. He had lost everything and yet hadn''t given up. A man as crazy as him could do anything.


    They were just low-ranking beastmen whose life and death did not concern the higher-ups. So even if Damien were to make a mistake which resulted in the death of Sigurd..no one would say a word to him.


    Punishment was simply out of the question.


    When Martha heard that Damien was such a man, she didn''t insist and let Adikus pick up Sigurd before rushing to Moon Bay Street.


    On the other side, Damien was still grumbling as he picked up the chicken skewer that was served to him by Gina and said to Xavier, "Really now, the people here have no respect for a doctor. Just because I cannot perform a few shy tricks, it does not mean that my skills are for nothing."


    "I do understand, Lord Damien," Xavier didn''t contradict Damien as he could see that the man was rather indignant. "However, there is little to nothing you can do about it as every new thing needs time for it to be epted."


    Damien snorted. He finished his meal before taking a look at the mission board, there was no mission disyed on the board which needed a healer.


    "You don''t need to worry about theck of missions, Lord Damien," Gina smilingly spoke, "Usually healers are chosen by the warriors, fortunately for you ¡ªyou were also chosen by someone."


    "Was I?" Damien turned to look at the woman, only then did he remember that Gina was telling him something about his teammates. "Who picked me?" He asked with a curious expression.

 Chapter 68: Responsibility of a husband?

    "You will know soon," Gina mysteriously spoke while wiping the cleaned wooden mug. "But while you are here, you should prepare for your new mission. If I am not wrong it is a rather difficult one."


    "d to know," Damien said grudgingly. He wanted to know more about his teammates and not the difficulty of his mission.


    Gina smiled at him, her plump lips curved upwards in a charming smile as she winked at him seductively, "Don''t look down, Lord Damien. If not for the request of the leader of your team, I wouldn''t have hidden it from you."


    "I don''t really hide things from man as handsome as you, you know?" She added with a light titter and Xavier pulled Damien away from the counter when he saw his master going red in the face when Gina leaned down enough to show her generous bosom.


    "I wouldn''t be charmed by her if I were you," Xavier said to Damien as the two of them walked past therge hall of the guild ignoring the ruckus that Levi and the rest were causing as the little guy chucked down a barrel of liquor while others cheered him.


    "Why?" Damien asked.


    Xavier blew a soft sigh and whispered, "She is a fox beastman. They have a really bad habit of charming men and sucking their energy."


    "Like the nine-tailed fox?" Damien asked with a light gasp and Xavier arched a brow before remarking, "And where do you think that legend came to exist? I just hope that she had not set you on her target list given how you are brimming with vitality."


    Damien returned to the mansion with a heavy head on his shoulders. From worrying about the difficulty of the mission, he was now worrying about a fox beastman targeting him.


    "What did he mean by brimming with vitality? Where did he see me brimming with vitality?" Damien muttered under his breath. If anything he looked the weakest of all men who roamed bare chest in the guild.


    As he was crossing the cobblestone path, he bumped into someone.


    "Watch where¡ªoh it is you Lord Damien," the servant changed his tune when he saw that the person who bumped into him was none other than Damien. This did not sit well with Damien because as far as he was concerned, the servants had never treated him with respect.


    In fact, it wouldn''t be incorrect to say that they looked down on him as if he was beneath them in many ways.


    Damien gazed down at the man from above the box before saying, "What are you doing here? And where do you think that you are taking this box?" He could smell a peculiar yet familiar scent and noticed that the scent belonged to his siblings.


    Was this man stealing the belongings of his siblings?


    His eyes narrowed but just as Damien raised his hand to apprehend the man, someone called him from the front,


    "Brother!"


    Damien turned and looked at Prisci and Henry. The young boy still seemed to be carrying a grudge against him, so he turned his head to one side with ¡ª Humph.


    Both of them were supporting Lady Cecil who seemed to be utterly pleased with something.


    "Mother? What are you all doing here?" He asked as Damien took three steps towards Lady Cecil took her hands and let his mother lean on him.


    Lady Cecil smiled at him, she was looking at him as if he was one sly schemer who had seeded in winning the world and was still pretending to be humble.


    "You really kept it a secret from us, Dami," she began, with her hand raised she pinched him on the cheek before saying, "I am d that you have not been sulking over the tragic disposal that took ce months ago."


    Damien did not understand either the head or foot of this conversation. However, fortunately for him, he didn''t need to as Lady Cecil chuckled and uttered, "I am so d that you and Wistoria have worked your differences. I mean it''s really important to move on from the past and live for the future.


    And now that she has invited us to live with her in the main manor, it is about time ¡ª I believe I will hold my grandchildren soon?"


    She nced at Damien as if asking him to hurry up and get on with but he was no longer listening to his mother anymore. Oh no, instead he was staring at her in shock and surprise.


    Words seemed to be simply failing him at the moment. What did she mean by working on their differences? Thest he spoke with that woman led to another row, what did his mother mean by that they were doing alright now?


    Their rtionship was as perfect as the one between a dog and a cat.


    "Oh Dami, I cannot wait for you to bless me with a healthy grandchild,"ughed Lady Cecil whose face was oddly flushed for someone who was suffering from a rather life-threatening disease, she seemed to be doing quite alright.


    His siblings too seemed to be rather embarrassed but pleased nheless.


    Damien however, didn''t respond. The first thing he did after they arrived at the main building was to look for Wistoria, he found her in her bedroom which overlooked the rose garden.


    "What is the meaning of this?" He asked as he pushed open the door and entered the room when he saw that the was not closed.


    Wistoria was sitting in her bed with a book in her head, she did not even raise her head as if she had been expecting him.


    "What do you mean to say?" She asked lightly.


    "You know what I mean," Damien spoke to the woman with an annoyed voice. "You¡ªwhy did you suddenly move us all to the main building? I thought that you wanted us to stay separately."


    "Have you forgotten what you asked me a few days ago?" Wistoria asked, causing Damien to raise a questioning brow. She sighed as if he was proving way more ipetent than she had expected. "You said that you wanted to get rid of the title of the ve, isn''t that right? Then what''s a better way than you getting the respect as my husband?"

 Chapter 69: Friendly Fire

    Damien looked at the woman in front of him, for two whole seconds he was certain that there was certainly something wrong with her head.


    Firstly, she was a dashing woman ¡ªwith an hourss body and a figure that could make any man have immoral and carnal thoughts about her.


    Secondly, he was a young man full of vigour. He might be in a body much younger than he was in the past but he was nheless an old soul. One who wouldn''t refuse thepany of a woman especially if she was as good-looking as Wistoria.


    "Do you even know what you are talking about?" He said to her, with his eyes darkening with a hint of confusion.


    "I do," Wistoria replied confidently as she walked over to the side of the bed and sat down. She nced over at him as if he was asking something foolish, "Taking you as my husband means that I will be allowing you to fulfill your responsibilities as my husband¡ª"


    "Exactly¡ª"


    "However," she interrupted him as she crossed her arms in front of her generous bosom. "No matter how much we want to refuse the titles that are imposed on us, I believe that it''s better if we ept it rather than reject it. You might already be aware of the fact that spies are hiding among the servants or the officials of this city."


    "I hope you are not naive enough to believe that Emiliano is not aware of anything that''s happening in this city?" She asked and Damien narrowed his eyes. Indeed he was not foolish enough to believe that Emiliano had no idea what was going on in the city.


    Seeing that he understood what she was saying Wistoria swung her legs over the double Queen-sized bed and remarked in an off-handed voice, "That''s why isn''t it better to ept our situation? Maybe that way Emiliano will think that we have given up fighting."


    Damien opened his mouth to refuse but soon closed it shut as a secondte Wistoria curled her lips up in a disdainful smile before saying, "Don''t tell me you are going to chicken out?"


    "Who said anything about chickening out?" Damien''s eyes shed with anger. "No matter how I look at it, the person who is in a difficult position is you, Lady Wistoria."


    His words brought mirth to her eyes and two secondster Wistoria burst outughing. "Aahaha! Do you take me as a lowly rat or hamster beast woman? I am a wolf shifter and we enjoy intimacy, not to mention beast men and beast women go through heat cycles once every one or two months."


    She raised her head and licked her lips before stating, "And being a high-ranking beast woman the chances of me eating you clean is much higher than yours as your beast nucleus has been destroyed."


    Damien smirked inwardly. This woman¡ªshe really had no idea what kind of fire she was ying with was she?


    ????


    On the other side of the city, Adikus was at his wit''s end. He looked at the fourth healer who had refused to treat Sigurd and turned them away, with desperation in his eyes.


    "What should we do now?" Martha asked while looking up at Adikus. "No one is willing to treat him."


    "We will find someone," Adikus said to her with a consoling voice but he too seemed to be filled with worry as he knew that there was no other healer left in the city who would willingly treatmoners.


    And they did not have enough time to wait for the temple to open the publicmunity centre.


    They needed to do something¡ªthey had to!


    "It''s all my fault," Martha wiped her tears as she looked down at Sigurd. His lips were turning blue and the more she looked at him, the more it looked like he was closer to dying.


    She sniffed and said, "If not for me¡­ he wouldn''t be suffering like this."


    "Don''t me yourself ¡ªit''s not your fault, it is all this¡­" Adikus cut himself bitterly. He knew that neither Martha nor him was wrong in this situation. The one who started trouble was Lord George and yet the one who was suffering was them.


    They had nothing wrong but as they belonged to the bottom of the apex¡ªno one respected them.


    Martha shook her head as she felt nervousness kick in, she raised her head and said to Adikus anxiously, "Why don''t we go and ask for that healer who was willing to help us earlier? At least he was willing to help us..isn''t it better to do something than just letting others turn us away."


    At least Damien had agreed to treat Sigurd and he hadn''t shrunk away from the prospect of touching him just because he was working as the guard of a brothel and was a dog beastman.


    Adikus pursed his lips, he did not trust Damien nor did he trust his skills but he dropped his gaze and looked at Sigurd whose condition was barely maintained by the continuous use of restraining bleeding ointment.


    Usually, this ointment was enough to stop the bleeding of a beastman as long as his condition was not serious but ¡ª it seemed like there was something else that they could do.


    He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine. Let''s go." Anything was better than nothing, at least he would not have any regrets left. Even if he couldn''t save Sigurd, Adikus could tell himself that he did everything that he could to save his friend and colleague.


    Then without waiting for another second, Adikus picked up Sigurd in his arms and shifted to his beastman form before rushing out of the city.

 Chapter 70: Asking for helping

    "Help us! Please open the door!"


    "Is anyone inside?"


    Lord Godric was sleeping in his bed, and his fluffy nket reached over to his neck. He tried to ignore the noise but as the ruckus grew louder and louder he had no choice but to sit up straight.


    He pushed the arms of the woman sleeping next to him and then picked up the robe lying on the floor. Pulling it up on his shoulders, he walked over to the door of his room and pushed it open.


    "What''s going on?" He asked Gina who was standing in the hall of the guild. "Whats with this loud ruckus, you know that I don''t like it, Gina."


    "I didn''t allow such a thing to happen, Master Godric," Gina spoke in a soft voice. She nced at the two people kneeling in front of her and said to Master Godric, "These two came here and demanded to see, Lord Damien. I told them that he is not here, but they refuse to leave."


    Master Godric nced down at the dog beastman, with his hand outstretched he took the smoke pipe that was handed to him almost immediately.


    cing it in between his lips he said to the dog beastman, "Just what do you think you are doing?"


    "I beg of you," said the dog beastman with his forehead ced on the floor. "I beg of you to save, Sigurd. I, Adikus, swear that I will repay this gratitude even if it costs my life."


    "Me too," Martha trembled as she lowered her head and almost ced it in front of Master Godric''s feet. "I will do anything, no matter what you ask for, Master Godric. But please let us see, Lord Damien."


    Master Godric released a cloud of pearly white fumes while looking down at the two people kneeling in front of him.


    "You sure say a lot of bold words for someone who has nothing but their lives to offer," Master Godric remarked causing the two to flinch.


    "Master Godric¡­"


    "Get up," Master Godric said as he turned around on his feet. "I will send someone to call for Damien, till then I will leave your friend in the care of another healer."


    Adikus raised his head and looked at Master Godric with a grateful expression. "Thank you! Thank you very much!"


    Master Godric simply waved his hand as he walked inside the room without looking back. Once he was gone, Gina turned and nced at the woman and man in front of her.


    She did not understand why Master Godric epted these two when he knew what they were and from where they came from.


    However, she suppressed the questions that she had in her heart and turned to look at thenky and tall man peering out of the pir. "Dash, go and bring Damien."


    "Ah? Do I have to?" Dash asked with a slight frown on his face. "I mean ¡ªcan''t you wait? I am feeling a tad bit sleepy." He did not wish to disturb his schedule for a low-ranking beastmen.


    "Dash," Gina called him sternly, causing Dash to roll his eyes as he threw his hands behind his back. "Alright, alright! I got it."


    He red at Adikus and Martha for ruining his night causing the two to flinch and look down.


    "There is no need for you to feel awkward," Gina said catingly. With her charming smile, she looked at the two and said to them, "Come with me. I will take you to the other healer of the guild. Let''s see if he can help your friend?"


    Adikus nodded, looking relieved. Though he knew that the healers connected to a guild would hardly help anyone other than the guild members, this healer was bound to help Sigurd if the master of his guild Master Godric was to ask, right?


    Feeling a bit more hopeful, he carried Sigurd to the infirmary.


    "Azriel? Azriel?" Gina knocked on the door of the infirmary which was closed. "Azriel are you inside?"


    However, even after knocking three times in a row, the man inside the dormitory did not open the door.


    "Is he outside?" Adikus asked.


    "No, he is very much inside," Gina responded with a smile which wasn''t any less than that of a devil. She sighed and said, "Azriel, I will give you three seconds if I don''t see you opening the door then don''t me me for being rude."


    Adikus nced at the beautiful woman and sighed. He was certain that her threat was not going to work, after all, how could a man be scared of a woman as dainty as her?


    "One."


    "Two.."


    And even before she could count to three, Adikus watched Gina raise her skirt just a little and kick the door with an elegant smile on her face.


    BANG!


    What the fuck¡ª Adikus looked at the door which was lying on the floor. Looked like ¡ªthis beautiful woman was not as dainty as he thought.


    Gina on the other hand looked rather unperturbed before turning to look at the man who was standing in the middle of the infirmary like a deer caught in headlights.


    "Ah," Gina tilted her head to one side with a dark side. "What were you so busy with Azriel that you couldn''t even open the door to check up on a patient?"

 Chapter 71: Dash came dashing

    Adikus looked at the man who stood in front of them. He was a short man, with a rather portly belly and curly ck hair and bushy moustache.


    "What in the zes are you doing?" Azriel said with an annoyed voice, though a tremor could be detected. "Can''t an old man get his rest? Do you have to cause trouble for me in the middle of the night?"


    "It''s not even eight."


    "It is for me," said Azriel as he dismissively waved his hand. "Do you not see how old I am? I don''t get paid enough to do an overnight shift."


    Gina rolled her eyes. She nced at Adikus before saying, "You have a patient, Azriel. He was sent to you by Master Godric." she added in a not-so-subtle voice.


    Azriel narrowed his eyes as he looked at the dog beastman standing in front of him. After a long pause, he sighed as if the very thought of doing his job was tiring enough already.


    "Come on in," he said.


    And Adikus heaved a sigh of relief. He was worried that he was going to be pushed out of this building as well but maybe ¡ªmaybe they wouldn''t need Damien''s help at all.


    "Lay him here," said Azriel as he pointed to one of the beds in the infirmary.


    Adikus did as he told him and once he ced Sigurd on the bed, he stepped aside, leaving enough berth for Azriel to take a look at Sigurd''s condition.


    "Hmm," Azriel peered at the cut that was still bleeding. "What kind of weapon was used to make this cut?"


    "It was a dagger," replied Adikus promptly.


    "What kind of dagger, was it?" He asked sharply.


    "I¡ªI don''t know," Adikus bewilderedly replied. "He was attacked by a snake beastman earlier in the morning, we have been trying to stop his bleeding ever since."


    "Snake beastman? Who?" Azriel asked. He turned and looked at Adikus with a frown on his face, he even pulled his hand away from Sigurd.


    Adikus sensed something amiss but it wasn''t in his blood to lie.


    He was taught loyalty and honesty from the day he gained his senses. His father told him that as a dog beastman, he needed to be loyal and honest.


    ''Wear your honesty like a badge of honour, Adikus.'' This was what his father had told him when he was only six.


    And that was what he had done till now but his honesty had always been rewarded with jeers and contempt¡ª


    "GET OUT!" Azriel roared as he pointed at the doorway. "Leave! Shoo! I will not treat anyone from a lowly ce such as the one where you work."


    Martha nched while Adikus looked offended.


    "Azriel!" Gina scandalously chided him. "What do you think you are doing? These are master''s orders."


    "It matters not," snarled Azriel as he turned to look at Gina. "You want me, a healer of D ss, to heal a servant of a brothel? Are you mad, Gina? People willugh at me for touching a servant from that ce. It is bad enough that he is a dog beast but on top of that he works in a brothel."


    "Why does it matter where they work?" A new voice joined them and everyone turned to look at Damien who held a hand in front of his mouth and yawned loudly. He turned to look at Adikus and said to him, "I hope you called me to treat him. Even I would be furious if you called me when I was just about to sleep only to change your mind at thest moment?"


    "Lord Damien, you are here!?" Adikus let out an excited whimper which sounded like a pup, as he looked at Damien.


    Damien pointed at Dash who was skulking behind him. He remarked, "Well with him barging right inside my bedroom and carrying me all the way here without an exnation ¡ªI have no idea what you were expecting."


    At his words, Maui the stead nced at Dash with a hint of annoyance and me on his face. He could have carried Master Damien just fine but this man just had to step in between.


    Gina turned to look at Dash who was flicking his spotted tail and blinked her eyes. She asked in a quiet voice, "You did not kidnap a man from his bedroom, did you?"


    "What are you looking at me like that for!?" Dash asked with a tilt of his head. He looked at Gina as if she was being unreasonable. "You asked me to bring him here as quickly as possible, and I did just that¡ªwhat''s wrong with it?"


    "I didn''t ask ¡­" Gina raised her voice but closed her eyes and opened them a secondter. She looked at the cheetah beastman and said to him, "I will deal with youter."


    Dash who just did as he was told opened his mouth to object but Gina was already looking at Damien, "I am so sorry about this."


    "It''s alright but next time¡ªI hope that they will just knock or something¡­ for my own mental peace," Damien thought of how the mood in the bedroom had almost turned slutty.


    Fortunately, he was still dressed when Dash had dashed inside or else he would be too traumatised to ever get it up again if he was brought to the guild in his birthday suit.


    Though Damien did not rify the situation by going deep in the details, Gina understood what he was trying to say, she shed him an apologetic smile when Damien returned.


    "And who are you?" Azriel asked while looking at Damien. His gaze was rude at best as for the rest Damien tried not to think about it, as he knew that he would be sure to get offended.


    "Damien de Brsytoria," he introduced himself, with his hand outstretched in front of him. "I am a doctor who treats people."


    "You mean to say healer?" Azriel corrected him having never heard of the word ¡ªDoctor before.


    Damien smiled with a light shake of his head. He said, "No, a doctor. I treat patients without using magic spells."


    Azriel looked at him for a whole minute and burst outughing. "Haha, you do know how to make a manugh boy! What do you mean by saying that you treat patients without using magic? How can that be even possible?"


    But when Damien didnt go- sike, I gotcha conk¡ª Azriel stoppedughing and stared at him, "You ..you are speaking the truth?"


    "I am afraid so," Damien smiled dazzlingly. He walked inside the infirmary before pulling on his gloves, "Let me see the condition of the patient."

 Chapter 72: 72

    "You¡ªyou want to treat him?" Azriel looked at Damien, his brows were twisted as he said to Damien, "Boy, have you lost your mind?"


    "Have I?" Damien pointed at the beastman on the bed. "He has lost a lot of blood, if I don''t treat him, even with the replenishing ointment will not be enough to save his life. Because the rate at which he is losing blood is faster than the rate of recovery."


    Azriel red at him, "You truly have lost your mind. You want to save this beastman? Do you even know where he works and what he does for a living?"


    "Does it matter," Damien walked over to the bed where Sigurd was lying and activated [Eye of Observation.].


    Without looking at Azriel he continued to speak, "No matter what he does or how he makes his living has little to do with me. All I care about is whether they can pay for my treatment."


    As he finished speaking he raised his head and turned to look At Adikus who looked grateful and relieved. "We can pay for this treatment." It didn''t matter, Sigurd was like a brother to him, the two of them were from the same tribe and had grown up together.


    For the sake of saving his brother, Adikus was willing to do anything.


    "Preposterous!" Azriel cried indignantly. "Mad! Absolutely mad! Do you even know the meaning of saving this man, boy? It means that not only will your reputation be lost, no one will treat you seriously. If you want to seed, listen to me and leave this man to his fate."


    "The officials and the higher-ups will not like to be touched by your hands if you touch a man of his position." he nced at Sigurd with a disgusted expression before saying, "Even the people in the guild would stray away from your path."


    As if he was afraid that Damien would not believe him, Azriel looked at him with a stern expression. He was afraid that Damien would not take him seriously. "One of my colleagues, Oberon, was a fool like you. Just like you, he fell for the emotional trap of an untouchable and do you know what happened? He was boycotted."


    "After he touched the untouchable, no one wanted to let him treat him," Azriel shook his head and sighed mncholically, "What a talented healer he was ¡ª and yet he was ruined by someone like them."


    Azriel despised this lower-ranked beastman and the untouchables. They clearly knew what would happen to a person who helped them and yet they woulde and beg, without a care for the person who would lose their entire future if they were to save them.


    They were selfish in their actions, so what was wrong with him protecting his own interests?


    Damien paused in his actions. He was surprised to find out that the healers and the people of this world cared so much about ss and hierarchy. For him nothing mattered more than saving the lives of those who were in danger, it didn''t matter what the status of the patient in the society, he would treat them nheless.


    "I see," Damien nodded after he finished listening to Azriel. "However, I cannot sit still and not do anything when a life is being lost in front of me. As a doctor, as long as someone asks me to save them, I will do my part."


    After he finished speaking, he looked at the information disyed in front of him. He needed to reconnect the blood vessels, and there was also a trace of venom¡ª


    "Lord Damien, are you really going to save this beastman?" Azriel was stunned. When he ryed what happened to Oberon to Damien, he thought that this young man would understand what lies in front of him if he were to continue with this treatment.


    However, despite his warnings, Damien was stubborn enough to continue the treatment. Did he not value his future or did he not take his words to heart?


    A surge of anger rose in Azriel''s heart as he nced at Damien coldly. He was being kind by telling Damien the consequences of saving this beastman but this man didn''t take his words to heart at all.


    "Lord Damien, did you hear what I said?" Azriel asked just as Damien drew his instruments from the system. He wasn''t new to this surgery, though it was slightly difficult for the healers of this world to heal this wound as it was not a surface-level wound, Damien could treat it within a matter of seconds.


    But there were a few pieces of medical equipment that he needed, he looked at the fame points at the corner of the screen and sighed. He collected these points with difficulty and now he needed to use them again.


    "Don''t be dejected, host," said Dan when he saw Damien looking at the price of a retractor shown on the screen. "The more people you treat the more your fame will rise, soon these points won''t even matter to you."


    "With a greedy system like this? I wonder if that day will evere," Damien sneered as he pressed the small button under the retractor purchased it from the shop and ced it in inventory.


    "Lord Damien, did you hear what I said just now?"


    Damien sighed and turned to look at Azriel who stood behind him, "My dear healer, I did hear you and I think I made it very clear that I will be treating this man irrespective of the consequences."


    "Healers like you can sleep well after ignoring a life and letting a person die but it will weigh on my conscience. What can I do? My heart is bigger and softer than yours, once it bes stone cold, maybe I will take your advice?"


    Azriel''s face turned pouchy and red. He red at Damien feeling even more humiliated.


    He breathed heavily and after a short pause said to Damien in a threatening voice, "Fine since you are so sure, then do as you may please but I am telling you that in case you fail to save this man then it would be better if you walk out of this guild on your own if not ¡ªI will ry it to the rest of the guild members.


    I believe that once they know of this, they will ask you to leave ¡­what am I even talking about?"


    He snarled and contemptuously snorted, "They will throw you out of here."

 Chapter 73: 73

    Damien paused in his actions. He had just summoned a syringe to draw blood from Sigurd when he heard Azriel''s words. He more or less expected this to happen but it didn''t make him any less amused.


    "Are you threatening me?" Damien asked without even looking at Azriel. He used a cotton ball and chlorhexidine which he purchased on the day of his arrival in this world.


    "I am merely stating the truth," ignoring the sharp look Gina had given him, Azriel pressed on. "The guild members should be aware of the truth and so does the rest of the world. What if ¡ªwhat if you end up carrying something filthy after treating this man?"


    Damien more or less understood what Azriel was talking about. The beastmen of this world did not know about STI or venereal diseases, thus they treated the people who worked in the brothel as untouchable as they believed getting close to these women and workers would make them catch something.


    As Damien threw the cotton ball in the trash can which was ced right beside Azriel, the man stepped away from the trash can and even held his breath as if just smelling the scent of Sigurd''s blood would make him ill.


    What an ipetent douchebag.


    "Don''t worry, I will not catch anything," said Damien with a quiet and confident voice. "I know what I am doing."


    "So you agree to put your future on the line for him?" Azriel asked the man with a raise of his brow. Forget it, he did what he could since Damien did not appreciate his advice then he might as well let the man.


    Damien nced at him before saying, "Only those who are incapable will worry about staking their future." He trusted his skills, in this world, he could not trust anyone but his skills.


    As long as he was skilled Damien knew that he would and could pave his path on his own. He didn''t need to rely on guildmates or anyone else, in the past he had only trusted a single person whom he took as his mentor.


    How did that man repay him? With a cold de stabbed right into his heart, that was what that man returned to him for all his trust and hard work.


    "Very well," Azriel was surprised by the spirit and courage Damien was showing. "If that is what you want then you can go ahead and do it but when you are kicked out of this guild, you better not me me, I need to look out for our guildmates."


    "I was going to even if you didn''t tell me," Damien calmly replied, causing Azriel to flush even harder. Damien didn''t pay attention to the man behind him instead he turned back. Instead, he said to Dan, "Show me his vitals."


    A 3-D hologram screen appeared in front of him at once. Damien looked at the rate of heartbeat as well as the amount of blood that he had lost till now. "Host, his heartbeat is getting faint. It is around forty-eight and his breathing rate is under twenty-four. From the examination, he had lost a considerable amount of blood as well."


    "The Venom of this snake on the other hand seems to be only affecting the region where it was instilled, from the test reports ¡ª even if magical spells were used to treat this wound, they would fail."


    Damien paused as he caught the keynote of this analysis. He turned and looked at Azriel who stiffened behind him, so the reason this man was trying his best to stop him was because he was worried that he would heal Sigurd when he couldn''t right?


    The more he thought about it, the more Damien became convinced. This healer was only telling them half of his reasons, the other half was still obscured.


    Azriel knew that he couldn''t treat the snake venom with his spells, thus he refused to treat Sigurd and let anyone find fault with him.


    ''What a motherfucking schemer,'' Damien cursed inwardly.


    Damien sighed and finished studying the hologram and after he finished analysing, he pursed his lips and muttered, "Sure enough his condition has turned critical. Fortunately, he still has some time to be saved."


    He then turned to look at Adikus who was standing behind him and said to him, "Do you know what kind of beastman bit him?"


    "I ¡­I know," Adikus replied with a nod. He however was confused when he heard Damien ask about the snake beastman.


    "Then can you get your hands on the poison of this beastman?" Damien told him. "The de with which he was attacked seemed to be doused and coated with poison, so even if I treat him, the poison would melt the threads."


    "Poisoned?" Adikus felt like his world was going to be turned upside down. Everyone was aware of the fact that once a beastman was poisoned, death was inevitable.


    Before Damien could say anything, a snort rang out causing him to turn and look at the man who stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Just say that you are not going to treat him, why did you have to make up a lie like this? Who are you trying to fool?" Azriel taunted Damien with an unfriendly look on his face.


    He was already upset with the addition of a new healer, all day long he was worrying that the respect and reverence others had for him would be reduced.


    Damien''s attitude only poured oil into the already burning fire causing Azriel to be even more dissatisfied with him.


    He knew that Sigurd was poisoned as well, had known the second when the wound didn''t stop bleeding which was why he asked the kind of beastman who attacked Sigurd.


    But he didn''t wish to let Damien have it easy.


    His words and actions have embarrassed him, now if Damien were to wash his hands off this matter, he would be called kind while he would be called names for not showing mercy to a dying man.


    Azriel didn''t like this idea very much.


    ???


    Can I get a few golden tickets, please?

 Chapter 74: Choosing an assistant

    Damien felt amused. He curled his lips in a light smirk before saying, "Healer Azriel, are you the worm in my stomach? How can you deduce my thoughts without me putting them into words?"


    He then looked at Xavier before saying, "Did I say that I am not going to treat him?"


    Xavier nced at Healer Azriel before shaking his head as he replied, "No, you didn''t, Lord Damien."


    His words caused Azriel to flush red in embarrassment. The man clenched and unclenched his fingers as if he wished to hurl it at Damien but held himself back upon seeing the sturdy physique of Xavier.


    He tightly smiled at Damien before saying, "I ¡ªwas just saying that you are shirking responsibility. Treating snake venom is not a matter of child''s y. Certainly, you are trying to shake off the responsibility by telling us that he has been poisoned."


    After he finished throwing a bunch of usations which reminded Damien of his senior resident doctor who always tried to put him down for he wascking in more than one way, he scoffed and added in a contemptuous voice, "A perfect n I will say. Make me look like a loser and a cold-hearted man while you win the hearts of others."


    "But don''t be fooled! Haha. I will have you kicked out of this guild, just wait!" Azirel eximed excitedly.


    Gina on the other hand seemed to be getting more and more dissatisfied with Azriel. She said to him with slight annoyance, "It is not up to you to decide who will stay and who will not, Healer Azriel. The power to make this decision lies with Master Godric."


    Azriel looked simply unabashed as he dismissively waved his hand and remarked, "He will be convinced when everyone in the guild agrees with me."


    Which meant that he was going to threaten everyone in the guild and make them do his bidding, Gina thought to herself.


    Looking satisfied at Gina''s expression Azriel turned on his feet and headed out of the infirmary.


    "Hold it."


    Azriel paused right in front of the door. With his hand on the doorknob, he turned to look at Damien who was smiling at him, looking unbothered.


    "My dear Lord Azriel, please be patient. Even the judges in the council give a person a chance to provide evidence to prove their innocence," Damien said to the man. He then turned to look at Adikus before saying, "Can you find the venom of the beastman who attacked him?"


    "I¡ªI can," Adikus replied with a bewildered expression.


    "Then go and bring it," Damien told the man as he turned his attention to Sigurd''s vitals before saying, "Don''t be toote. If you dy for another fifteen minutes then even I will not be able to save him."


    Adikus''s eyes widened upon hearing those words, he immediately turned on his feet and rushed out of the infirmary brushing past a stunned Azriel.


    "What ¡ªwhat do you think you are doing?" Azriel asked, feeling a sense of crisis.


    Damien turned his gaze away from the 3D hologram screen, he nced at the healer behind him before saying, "What else? I am going to create an Anti venom."


    "Impossible!" Azriel refused to believe that this man could create an antidote for the venom that no one else could, including the higher-ranking priests in the church.


    "Hmm? Is it?" Damien turned and looked at Azriel. He raised a brow and said to the man, "Just because you cannot do it ¡ªdoesn''t mean no one else can do the same." He turned to look at Xavier and snapped his fingers before saying, "Tell him, Xavier, didn''t we create the venom for the Impert Snake beast?"


    Xavier turned and looked at Azriel before stating promptly, "Lord Damien is speaking the truth, Healer Azriel. He indeed created the antivenom for the Impert snake beast. I watched him do it ¡ªhe also saved the life of one of your guild mates, Samuel.


    If you don''t trust him then you can ask Samuel, you will believe him right?" He added with narrowed eyes and Azriel''s expression turned twisted and embarrassed.


    "That''s¡ª that''s just," Azriel stammered while Gina turned to look at Damien with an impressed expression. "Is it true? Did you really create an antivenom?"


    "Of course¡ª"


    "He did!" A new voice joined them and as the four people inside the infirmary turned to look at the woman standing at the doorway, they realised it was Thalia.


    "What are you doing here?" Not satisfied with the interruption Azriel turned and red at the woman. "This is not a ce where you should be at the moment."


    "Why not?" Thalia retorted right back with a sneer. "Are you afraid that your lies wille to light?"


    "Thalia, do you even know the consequences of such lies?" Azriel couldn''t help but intervene. He nced at the woman with a stern gaze, intending to scare her off. "If you are found spreading rumours that are not true, you will be putting not only yourself but even your family at risk of being abandoned by the guild."


    "Azriel, are you threatening her?" Gina questioned harshly.


    "I am not, just telling the youngdy how things go around here¡ª"


    "I brought it!" Before Gina could say anything anymore, Adikus returned. In his hand was a ck vial.


    Ignoring the furious gaze with which Azriel was staring at him, Adikus walked past him. He handed the vial to Damien before saying, "I bought the venom, Lord Damien."


    Damien took the vial from Adikus. He unscrewed the cork of the vial and asked Dan, "Run a check on this venom. See if this is the same one as the one which was injected in the body of this beastman."


    "Right away, host," Dan blinked his eyes before they turned and morphed into bright blue orbs. Strings of codes flickered through his irises and after three seconds, he said to Damien, "It is the same one."


    Only then did Damien pick up the syringe from the cab and draw a decent amount of venom within it. He followed the same procedure as he had done before when he was creating the anti-venom for Impert Snake''s venom, causing the people in the infirmary to gasp.


    "What ¡ªwhat kind of idiocy is this?" Azriel asked, looking horrified. Was this man crazy?

 Chapter 75: Choosing an assistant— Part 2

    "It is not idiocy," Damien replied with a pale expression as he watched the system finish the final steps of the anti-venom-creating process. He raised his head and looked at Azriel before saying, "The first step towards saving one''s life is to put yours at risk. If you don''t take the risk then what''s the point of carrying the status that was given to us?"


    He turned away without waiting for Azriel''s response. With his hands steady and attention on Sigurd, he first administered the anti-venom.


    The anti-venom created by Damien was created using dragon blood, thus the second it was administered, everyone noticed a considerable improvement in Sigurdplexion at least he no longer looked as pale-faced as before.


    Adikus, who had been refusing to let Damien treat Sigurd, was now filled with awe as he noticed Damien''s skills. Azriel, who was certain that Damien was only pretending to be skilled, was stunned. He was certain that there was no way to treat this dog guard, thus he had refused to even touch him.


    Coupled with his disgust towards this guard as well as no spells to treat the poison in his body, he had refused to treat this man.


    And yet, Damien whom everyone looked down on could do what even the higher-ranking healers couldn''t.


    Azriel clenched his fingers as he stared at Damien at the same time his eyes flickered with greed, if this man could use his blood to create anti-venom then maybe he could do it as well.


    With his fame and the pride that his name carried ¡ª it would be child''s y to topple and take Damien''s credit himself.


    Damien had no idea that someone had already started to scheme against him. He was currently studying the report that was disyed on the screen and though the entire surgery was simple and seamless, there was a small obstruction.


    An assistant.


    He needed an assistant.


    The process of sewing and connecting the blood vessels was simple but it required great patience and attention. He needed someone to help him throughout the process as he couldn''t afford to get distracted.


    Damien raised his head and turned to look at the people behind him. He asked, "Would anyone like to assist me?"


    His question surprised everyone including Azriel.


    Xavier asked with a frown, "You want someone from among us to assist you, Lord Damien?"


    "That''s right," Damien replied.


    "But.. aren''t you afraid that someone would steal your skills?" Gina asked as she pointedly looked at Azriel beside her. "I mean you should be a bit more careful, Lord Damien. Not everyone is as honest as you."


    Though Damien was not paying attention, Gina had been watching Azriel closely. She didn''t miss the calctive look in his eyes a few minutes ago, however, she didn''t alert Damien as Gina didn''t want to disrupt the treatment.


    Azriel cleared his throat.


    He pretended as if he had no idea what Gina was saying and snorted. He remarked jestingly, "What''s wrong, Lord Damien? Did you all of your courage go poof? Why are you asking for help now?"


    Damien: "¡­"


    "My dear man, do you not understand the difference between assistance and asking for help ?" Damien asked feeling a bit annoyed. It was one thing that Azriel was not helping despite the skills that he had as a healer but he was trying his hardest to provoke Damien into making a mistake.


    "Of course, I do. How¡ª"


    "I will! I will do it!" Thalia raised her hand and interrupted whatever Azriel was going to say making the man turn and re at her with an infuriated expression.


    "You will?" Xavier asked, feeling a sense of crisis, not for himself but for his mistress. If this woman became Damien''s assistant then what would happen to his missy?


    However, before he could think of a way to stop Thalia, that woman stepped inside the infirmary and with a giddy voice said, "I ca¡ªcan do it. I am not skilled in many things but I can copy someone really well¡ª my mother¡­ well she was a part Lyrebird."


    Damien skimmed through the information disyed about lyrebirds on the screen while Azriel muttered, "Filfthy half-breed."


    His words were rather soft but Damien with his dragon senses heard him. He turned and looked right at the man who stiffened like a deer caught in headlights.


    "Very well," Damien curled his lips as he said to Thalia with a smile, "Then I will let you assist me."


    He nced at Azriel before saying, "Filthy half-breed was it? I will show you what a filthy half-breed can do."


    Damien hated it when someone looked down on others due to background or their parentage.


    As he was an orphan in hisst life, he knew all too well how it felt when others looked down on him because of his background.


    Azriel didn''t expect Damien to call out of him like this, he flinched and looked at Gina who was ring at him. She said to him, "Don''t worry, Master Azriel. This matter, I will not forget to bring it up to the Master Godric."


    "That¡ªfor what reason!?" Azriel sputtered. He told the truth!


    However, he backed away when Gina growled at him. He knew what this fox beast woman could do if she was truly furious. Though she did not use her beast form after the tragic death that took ce when she lost control of her beast form, Gina was dangerous nheless.


    He red at Damien hating the man for making him a target for this fox beast woman.


    "Alright, Thalia," Damien ignored the re pointed at the back of his head. "Can you put pressure right here?"


    Damien pointed to the other side of Sigurd''s face where the injury was.


    "Here?" Thalia asked as she ced her fingers on the side of Sigurd''s face.


    "Yes, a little harder!" Damien told her as he picked up the retractor. He showed it to Thalia and said, "Pay attention to how I use it, the next time you will be using it."


    "Yes!" Thalia nodded as she snapped out of her daze, she was so focused on Damien''s face that she almost forgot what she was doing.


    ''No wonder Lady Hestia says that a man focussed on his work is the most attractive,'' thought Thalia to herself.


    Damien showed how to use the retractor to Thalia before snapping his fingers. No sooner he did so than bright green fumes appeared at the tips of his fingers and enveloped Sigurd.


    [Anaesthesia Spell activated. Numbing of the body has begun.]


    Damien sighed in relief through the handkerchief on his face. He ced the retractor on the wound and stretched the skin, before saying to Thalia, "Increase the pressure."


    ???


    Can these chapters receive a few golden tickets? Please support the author for continuous updates.

 Chapter 76: Fallen Bet

    Outside the infirmary, stood an elderly man, peering inside the room with a curious look on his face. He nced at Master Godric before saying, "Is that why you called me in a hurry?"


    Master Godric shifted his head slightly such that he could look at his dear friend. He said to him with a charming smile, "Did you not say that you wanted to delve deeper into the world of medicine and healing?"


    "I called you to witness the start of a new era in the field of healing and medicine. Are you not happy, Gavin?"


    Master Gavin once worked as a healer in the Imperial Army but retired the very day when Emiliano took over the throne.


    He didn''t care what others had to say, Gavin was certain that the death of thete Emperor had something to do with Emiliano and not Damien.


    That man had neither the courage nor the wits to do such a thing.


    And Master Godric respected his friend for that very reason.


    Gavin snorted. He said to Master Godric, "Don''t make it sound like you did it for me. I am sure you have something that you want me to do in exchange, you sly bastard."


    Master Godric simply smiled upon hearing his words. He neither agreed nor denied the implications that were hidden in Gavin''s words.


    "Thalia, while I connect the vessels continue pressing this spot," Gavin who had parted his lips turned and nced inside the infirmarypletely forgetting the taunt that he wished to throw at Master Godric.


    "Here?" Thalia asked while pressing the spot that Damien had asked her to press.


    "That''s right," Damien picked up the thin needle. "We need to tighten the skin a little for the needle to pass through swiftly," he exined to her.


    And the next moment, he started sewing Sigurd''s skin and vessels together as if he were mending clothes.


    "He is repairing the blood vessels with the help of a thread and needle?" Gavin eximed in an awed voice, he had never seen a skill such as this one before.


    Gavin watched him sew the skin back together and his eyes widened. He felt shocked and thrilled at the new technique that Damien had disyed in front of him.


    Was there such a technique in healing and medical arts? Gavin knew that there was none. There was not a single book on medical and healing practice that he had not read and not one book told him about such an innovative approach to deal a wound.


    And the anti-venom!


    It was truly a miraculous discovery.


    "Well?" Master Godric asked with a satisfied expression. "What do you think?"


    Gavin nced at him while stroking his long white beard. He muttered with a pondering expression, "Wait for a while, the man is still unconscious. We will discuss the matter when that man wakes up."


    "Then you might as well think of what you want to do as quickly as possible," Master Godric remarked. "Look at Azriel. He seems like he wants to make Damien disappear¡ª he knows and understands what kind of changes Damien''s skills and abilities can bring."


    "Is that so? I on the other hand think that he is about to run for his Mama," scoffed Master Gavin. He had never liked Azriel, the man was too arrogant and eager to butter up the higher-ups.


    In the past, he used to behave like apdog in front of him but the second he realised that Gavin could not help him with what he wanted, he turned his back on him.


    These days his haughtiness was simply unparalleled in front of Master Gavin.


    He nced at Master Godric before speaking snappishly, "Of all people, you just had to choose him."


    "Well he was the only one eager to work for a fallen beastman like me," Master Godric chuckled as he brought the thick cigar to his lips and took a swig.


    Inside the infirmary, Damien finished patching Sigurd up. As he snipped the thread after the final stitch, he turned to look at Adikus and said to him, "For the next few days, just eat something light and clean the wound every morning and evening with alcohol."


    "I will take the stitches out after three weeks."


    Adikus felt relieved, it was as if the weight on his shoulders had finally lifted. "Thank you! Thank you, Lord Damien," he paused and lowered his head in a bow before saying, "And I am sorry for being rude to you in the afternoon. I was too worked up over the safety of my friend and ended up saying some rude things to you."


    Martha nodded alongside Adikus with teary eyes.


    "Lord Damien is really great! He is the greatest of all! The greatest! That''s right," Maui, who had stayed quiet throughout the surgery, finally spoke up. He looked proud and happy if others didn''t know better they would have thought that it was this stead who seeded in treating Sigurd.


    Gina giggled upon hearing the stead''s words, even Xavier cracked a little smile when he looked at him flying over their heads.


    Everyone was filled with relief except a certain man who was staring at the crowd that was cheering for Damien with a twisted expression.


    Seeing them cheer for Damien, he found it hard to breathe.


    Azriel was worried about this very thing. In the past, he had followed Master Godric because back then he was young and filled with foolish ideas that reached beyond his capabilities.


    And with the passing of every year he had gotten more and more used to being in power and truly adored the respect and reverie that he received from the guild.


    With the sudden appearance of Damien, Azriel couldn''t help but feel threatened.


    If this goes on, would he not lose the position that he held dear to him? Azriel thought to himself and panicked.


    No.


    He couldn''t allow Damien to take over. If he did then what would happen to him?


    The cogs in his head turned as his gaze fell on the unconscious man on the bed. A sudden idea shed in his head and Azriel turned to look at Damien with a smug look on his face.


    He raised his hands and started pping, "Bravo! Bravo! Lord Damien, you have really opened my eyes today by healing someone without using magic."


    Damien turned and looked at Azriel, having worked with a bunch of superficial hypocrites, he knew that this praise wasn''t free from sarcasm.

 Chapter 77: Fallen Bet —2

    "Healer Azriel," Gina also sensed the animosity that was leaking from Azriel''s words. She turned around on her heel and nced at the man with a stern look on her face.


    She hoped that her subtle warning would make Azriel back off but she had severely underestimated the greed Azriel now held for the position of the sole healer of the guild.


    He didn''t want to share the respect or the power that he wielded with anyone.


    So even when he sensed Gina''s threat, Azriel pretended to not hear her. She calmly blinked his eyes and looked at Gina before speaking innocently, "What? Did I say anything wrong? I am just praising Lord Damien for his utterly charming work."


    Ignoring the stern gaze that Gina shot his way, Azriel turned his attention to Damien. He smiled at the man before saying, "Indeed an excellent performance of your¡ªuh¡­ unexpected and unauthorised skills but ¡­why is this man still unconscious?"


    Everyone turned to look at Sigurd who was breathing evenly but hadn''t opened his eyes even after the treatment was over.


    "That''s because he is still under the anaesthesia spell," exined Damien. He knew that the man was trying to fault her, so he didn''t back away and instead stared right into Azriel''s eyes. "He also lost a lot of blood which he needs to replenish."


    Damien had used the anaesthetia spell for the first time. Though he had controlled the ''dose'', Damien had no idea how long it would take for Sigurd to wake up.


    He could only hope that the journey to La Land would not take long or else given how Azriel had been targeting him, he would me him for killing Sigurd.


    "I see," Azriel didn''t understand what Damien meant by an anaesthesia spell. He simply arched his brow and said to Damien, "But you know when we¡ª healers treat someone they wake up in ¡ª like in a minute or two. Haha, I mean this is why we use the conventional method."


    Damien smiled politely though his smile was more like ¡ª, how- long-are-you -going to -act like- a -clown. "I thought healers didn''t have any spells that could treat snake venom."


    The smile on Azriel''s face was wiped clean. He red at Damien, with his fingertips rubbing one another. "Lord Damien truly knows how to make a joke. Since you know so much I am certain that you already know how to replenish the blood that he had lost?"


    "You don''t even have a spell to replenish blood? What do you guys even do?"


    Azriel looked beyond offended. "Excuse me?"


    "A blood-replenishing spell?" Damien asked, trying to not sound too obnoxious, in case this man really knew how to use a spell like that. "Don''t you have something like that?"


    Azriel puffed up his chest in an affronted sort of way. "Of course, there is a way to replenish blood."


    "Then, what''s the problem? Why aren''t you moving¡ª"


    "Are you kidding?" He looked at him as if Damien had dropped from the moon. His eyes were filled with mockery.


    "What''s the problem now?" Damien demanded.


    Azriel had done nothing but obstruct him at every turn during the treatment. Not to forget he tried his best to bring Damien''s self-confidence down. If Damien was not a skilled doctor who had seen and experienced all, he would have certainly lost his mind and made a mistake.


    Something that Azriel was aiming for. Damien knew an asshole when he saw one alright. His asshole detection senses were trained from the day he turned six.


    "Lord Damien¡­ uh, the thing is," Gina began. "There is indeed a Blood Nourishing Pill but only the temple is authorized to sell it."


    Thalia who stood beside him nodded. "That''s right. And this pill is really difficult to get, Lord Damien¡ª the current situation is also truly challenging because this pill has a waiting time of three months."


    She seemed troubled as her gaze flickered between Damien and Sigurd.


    ''What''s going to happen now?'' Thalia thought worriedly.


    "Ahaha!" Azriel burst outughing when Damien''splexion turned ashen. He felt jubnt and relieved. "So? It seems like the great Lord Damien had lost eh?"


    "What do you mean by he lost?" Though Xavier wasn''t a fan of Damien, even he felt that Azriel was being too much.


    How was this Damien''s fault? If there was no other way to replenish blood, what does it have to do with Damien?


    "He did lose the bet, my dear young man," Azriel wriggled his finger at Xavier''s face before saying haughtily, "Lord Damien was the one who said that he was going to save this man, didn''t he? ording to the bet¡ª unless this dog guard opens his eyes ¡­ Lord Damien will lose the bet."


    Thalia turned and red at the old healer. She said to him, "What do you mean? Lord Damien did save him. He mended the blood vessels that were cut and even took care of the venom in his body. How can you say that he didn''t win?"


    "Ah, ah.. no.. no ¡­ no¡­" Azriel shook his head pompously. "The bet clearly stated that Lord Damien will save the life of this dog beastman. And as he cannot replenish blood, the bet has fallen through. Since he lost the bet¡ª"


    He raised his head and nced at Damien with such an air of superiority and smugness that Damien thought Azriel ought to be fined.


    "Now then," Azriel stepped forward, snapping his fingers. A swagger in his fluid actions, his malicious intent clear as the day. "Will you be leaving on your own or shall I call someone to drag you away?" He smiled and added, "Of course if you are feeling rebellious¡ª we have other means to kick you out of the guild.


    Personally, I would like it if you chose thetter." His eyes glowed with murderous force.


    "How dare you!" Maui hissed at the man who was threatening Damien.


    Xavier stepped forward, his hand reaching for his sword. "Master Azriel, stop when you still have time or else I will have no choice but to make you."


    ??????????


    Did you like the chapter? If you did. Bless poor old me with a few golden tickets. Thank you.

 Chapter 78: Dignity of the healer

    ¡Ì=


    "Are you threatening me?" With a look of disbelief, the elderly healer asked. Master Azriel had always been the one who handed down threats. The second it was his turn, his feathers were ruffled in the wrong direction.


    Xavier eyed the man with distaste. He said to him, "No. I am stating a fact, if you dare to touch Lord Damien then I will have no choice either but to rip your head off." His eyes narrowed slightly as he added softly, "I can''t have you touch my master, Lord Azriel."


    Lord Damien was his master ¡ª even if that man was no longer a full-fledged beastman with his core destroyed, he was the person whom Xavier was protecting.


    And anyone who dared to cause trouble for his master deserved to die.


    His eyes shed as his beast surged to his surface and a threatening growl rumbled in the room causing Master Azriel to stiffen.


    Silence solidified in the room as Xavier''s aura started to stifle the air, making it impossible for others to breathe.


    "Dan, are you there?" Damien called the AI system with a nk look on his face as he watched the sparks flying all over the room.


    "I am right here, Host," Dan replied with his arms crossed in front. He naively blinked his eyespletely unfazed by the trouble that was brewing in front of them.


    "Do you have anything ¡ª like a special reward or something for me?" Damien asked as lord Azriel raised his finger and pointed at Xavier as if he were using him of dire malevolence.


    His shrill voice echoed in the room, "How dare you threaten me! I will have you thrown in prison for disrespecting me, you filthy mutt."


    "A mutt?" Xavier''s eyes, if possible turned even more murderous as he unsheathed the sword from the sheath that was strapped on the side of his waist. "For that, I will rip that tongue out of your mouth."


    "Get away from me!!" Azriel shrieked as he hid behind Gina.


    Behind him, Damien could hear Adikus sobbing along with Martha.


    "It is all my fault. I am so silly and useless ¡ª I can''t even get a blood-replenishing pill for you."


    "Sigurd. I am sorry¡­ I am sorry."


    A tired sigh escaped Damien''s lips. He knew that if he didn''t do anything right now ¡ª chaos would reign in this room.


    "Hmm?" Dan blinked his eyes.


    Noise erupted all around them, with tearful sighs and curses, as if the entire room was about to turn into a battlefield.


    "Let me see."


    BOOM!


    "Hurry!" Damien said.


    [Ding.]


    [Congrattions! You saved another life.]


    [Rewards: +78 points.]


    [Total Fame Points: 756.]


    [Would you like to use these points to purchase Equipment for Blood Transfusion?]


    Damien turned and nced at the screen upon hearing the notification.


    The second he took a look at the price of equipment for the entire Blood transfusion, Damien sucked in a breath,pletely overwhelmed by the points that were supposed to be exchanged for this purchase.


    [Purchasing Points: 756]


    "This is unfair," he muttered while staring at the screen. His tone was filled with anger and frustration. "You capitalistic system, how can you ask me to use every single point that I have?" He had worked like a ve to collect so many points and was looking forward to purchasing a new scalpel.


    Dan calmly nced at him. He tilted his head to the side like a curious child and remarked in a casual tone, "Were you not the one who said that for the sake of saving a life, one should be prepared to take the greatest risk?"


    "Didn''t you believe that medical facilities should be provided to everyone irrespective of their position and status?"


    "Were you not hoping to change this world?"


    Damien was dumbstruck. He slowly turned his head and looked at Dan who stared right back at him. Neither of them said a word and yet somehow, a lot of things were said. Most of them involved curses and threats.


    "Are you going to purchase the equipment, host?" Dan asked.


    Like he had any other choice, thought Damien with a sullen expression.


    Taking onest final look at the points that were sitting at the close of the screen, Damien closed his eyes and jabbed his fingers at the purchase option.


    [You have purchased IV ess sessfully.]


    [You have purchased Blood Administration set.]


    [You have purchased an IV pole sessfully.]


    [You have purchased Blood Warmer sessfully.]


    [You have purchased Infusion Pumps sessfully.]


    [Tubestrip, Qseal Multi and air have been added to the inventory.]


    [The monitoring equipment kit has been sent to the inventory.]


    "Congrattions, host. You have sessfully purchased the blood transfusion equipment," Dan said to Damien.


    However, Damien couldn''t find the treat in this entire ordeal as the obnoxious and hateful 0 red down at him. The points have been used, leaving him dirt poor.


    But he didn''t even get a chance to cope with this sudden loss as Gina yelped when Azriel swiped his ws at Xavier who retaliated by snapping his fangs at his face, almost taking a chunk of Azriel''s nose away with him.


    "Stop everyone! Stop!" Damien turned to look at the brawl taking ce behind him. Gina was pulling Xavier back, while Thalia had her fingers knotted in Azriel''s hair, a huge chunk of hair had already been ripped off.


    Maui was biting Azriel on the cheek while Xavier and Azriel fought with their legs. Goodness, it seemed like he needed to teach them how to keep their silence in a ce where patients were treated.


    Of course, he expected much better from Lord Azriel but he shouldn''t have kept his hopes up.


    "Lord Damien?" Xavier turned to look at him, his eyes filled with disgust. "This slimeball needs his guts ripped out and shoved right up his arse for the things that he has said about you."


    "You¡­ such foulnguage towards a respectable man like me! I am going to file aint to the council!"


    "I said no lies."


    "Preposterous!" Azriel eximed before turning to look at Damien. "Is this how you teach your servants, lord Damien? You can''t even reign control and assert authority over this half-breed, how can you even be a healer?"


    "It is a dignified job."

 Chapter 79: Being Played

    Damien arched a brow. He wondered that in between caring about their dignity and reputation, the healers even had the time to care for the ones who were in need of their help.


    He hated being taunted and he hated being treated like he was beneath others just because his position and status weren''t as good as theirs. And Damien had plenty of experience in handling bullies like Azriel who relied on their big daddies behind them. He smiled at the man before turning to look at Xavier. "Xavier, what do you think you are doing?


    Don''t you know that men as old as him sometimes go senile? You shouldn''t treat a man who has lost his mind so heavily."


    ¡­.


    "Are you calling me crazy?" Azriel seemed to have cottoned on to what Damien was trying to say. His face turned red with embarrassment and anger.


    Damien gave the man a wicked grin. "Aww man, it seems like you still have your wits intact. With how you were going on and on about reputation, dignity and whatnot while not caring about the life and death of your patient, I thought that you had lost your mind."


    He couldn''t help it, this man reminded him of every bully that he had ever faced. From his senior resident doctors and those officials and higher-ups, including hisndlord.


    They all looked down at him, treating him as if he was a foolish bastard. Just because he didn''t have parents to back his case.


    "You have some really bold nerve for a man who only knows how to make bold ims," Azriel sneered. "I will see how long you can stay like that once I am done filing aint against you in the council. Once it''s filed¡ª you can forget about bing a healer." He snapped his fingers andmented, "Just like that.. mark my words."


    "Who said that I can''t back my im," Damien rolled his eyes as he turned on his feet and headed over to the bed where Sigurd was lying. "Step aside."


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was another snort behind him followed by Azriel''s snarky sneers


    "Lord Damien?" Adikus peered up at Damien through his teary eyes. What''s the matter?"


    "Why are you asking me this?" Damien raised his brow, he casually shrugged and stated, "I thought that you wanted to save his life. Is that no longer the case?"


    His words caused everyone to raise their heads and look at him in surprise. Even Azriel was too stunned to speak.


    "You¡ª you mean .. you have the blood replenishing pill?" Adikus asked looking surprised by Damien''s words.


    "I don''t have the pill but I do have another way," replied Damien as he summoned the blood transfusion kit. He looked at Adikus and asked, "Didn''t you say that you and Sigurd are closely rted?"


    That''s right¡­ the two of us are from the same litter," replied Adikus.


    Damien nodded as he reached his hand out and said to Adikus, "Let me take a little blood from you. We will run a test if your blood group is simr to that of Sigurd. If it is the same then you can then donate blood to Sigurd."


    Adikus didn''t understand what Damien was saying to him. But he did understand one thing and that was ¡ª he could share his blood with Sigurd which would then save Sigurd''s life.


    "Sure!" Adikus agreed. As long as he could save Sigurd''s life nothing else mattered.


    Once the dog beastman agreed, the rest of the process was much simpler. All Damien needed to do was to draw enough blood for Dan to run a test which didn''t take more than three minutes.


    And just as Damien expected and hoped, the blood group of Adikus and Sigurd was the same.


    He heaved a sigh of relief before drawing two bags of blood from Adikus. The dog beastman wanted him to take more but Damien refused. Even if the beastmen were stronger than humans, he dared not to test their limits.


    With the blood drawn and prepared, Damien attained the fine needle in the arm of Sigurd before attaching the other end to the bag.


    He waited for the fine needle to start working as the conduit for the new blood and the second it started working, Damien stepped away leaving Dan to monitor the vitals of the beastman lying on the bed.


    Damien sat down on the chair after he was done, however, no one spoke. They were all eying the weird set of equipment that Damien had pulled out of nowhere.


    In the end, Gina was the first one to speak, "Lord Damien what is this ¡ª thing? What are you doing with it?"


    "Hmm?" Damien turned to look at the woman who had spoken. Apparently, nobody could understand his actions which wasn''t a surprise as this world only relied on pills, potions or spells to treat wounds. "This is called blood transfusion."


    He exined the workings of the blood transfusion system while the other listened in awe. They had never seen anything like this before and found it truly revolutionary, even Azriel couldn''t help but ask, "Where can this thing be bought?"


    "You can''t buy this," Damien raised a brow and answered. "This is something that only I own." He had used all of his precious points for this thing¡ª what was Azriel even talking about?


    If it was that easy to purchase then why would he use his precious, hard-toe-by points?


    Azriel nced at Damien as if he didn''t believe him while eyeing the set of equipment like he wanted to etch them in his memory.


    Damien didn''t say anything nor did he stop the man. If Azriel could recreate the entire system he would hand it to him. At least Azriel had the decency to show off his greediness and ambitions.


    Unlike him, William had pretended to be his friend and mentor before stabbing him in the back. More than that, Damien had a feeling that someone was actually pulling a William on him while hiding behind the scenes.


    The nightmares that he was getting from thest few days were getting more and more vibrant and vivid. Which made him confused and mad, like he was being used by someone again.


    *************

 Chapter 80: Catching Gavin’s eye

    "Umm."


    Everyone paused and turned to look at Sigurd who had let out a moan which was between whimper and grunt. His eyelids moved before the man scrunched up his eyes and opened them.


    At first, nothing happened but then¡ª


    "Sigurd!" Adikus yelped excitedly as he threw his arms around the man and hugged him.


    "Umph?" Sigurd blinked his eyes. He opened his mouth and asked in confusion, "What''s going on?"


    "You bastard!" Adikus eximed though his voice sounded like he was angry, there was a smile ying on his lips. "You caused us so much trouble and yet you are asking what happened?"


    Damien heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Sigurd was awake. He looked at Adikus before saying to him, "Let him rest for another three hours." When Adikus nodded, Damien turned to look at Thalia and asked her, "Did you see how Itched the blood bag on the IV pole?"


    "Yes, lord Damien," Thalia replied. She had been following every action of Damien from the start of the surgery to him inserting the needle in Sigurd''s vein.


    "Then I suppose I can leave the matter of changing the blood bag to you?" Damien said to the woman before ncing at Azriel. "Because there is something that I need to take care of."


    Azriel stiffened. He stared at Damien warily before stammering, "What do you mean? What are you trying to do?"


    "What else?" Damien smiled with a sadistic glint in his eyes. "You have caused so much trouble to me throughout the entire surgery, Lord Azriel. An apology is what I deserve in the least, don''t tell me that after throwing those unfounded allegations, you were thinking of pushing the matter under the rug?"


    He was not a vengeful man but with the number of obstacles that Azriel had put forth in front of him, it was only right for Damien to take a little interest from this man who had made his blood pressure shoot through the roof.


    Azriel however didn''t apologise instead he stared at Damien mutinously. To him, nothing was greater disrespect than apologising to a man such as Damien. He was not even a proper beastman!


    He couldn''t even use spells to heal a beastman and relied on weird equipment to save the life of a beastman.


    How could a man like him be worthy of his apology?


    "I never said that I would apologise to you if you seeded in treating this man," Azriel retorted stiffly. Now he was d that he had never said words that could be used against him or else he would have to apologise to this man in front of him.


    "Of course you didn''t but I thought that as a decent person, you would know how to apologise after throwing around unfounded allegations at someone," Damien said amusingly. "Looks like I was wrong in thinking so."


    "Now just wait¡ª" Azriel pompously began but before he could say anything more, the infirmary''s door was pushed open and Master Godric stepped inside with an elderly man following him.


    "There is no need to wait, Azriel," remarked Master Godric, his grey eyes swiftly moved to one side as he nced at the healer who stiffened upon seeing Master Godric.


    ''What is this old dingbat doing here?'' Thought Azriel with a worried look on his face. Though Azriel didn''t have any respect for Master Godric anymore after seeing the rapid growth of the other guilds, he still feared the man.


    Master Godric had after all established this guild after losing his Beast nucleus which showed the true strength of


    this man.


    Azriel wouldn''t want to offend a man like Master Godric for no reason.


    Though Azriel was cursing Master Godric inwardly, he leaned forward in a bow and in an oily voice greeted the two men, "Master Godric, Lord Gavin. What are you two doing here? Did someone alert you?" As he spoke he nced at Thalia with a ming look.


    "Oh no," Lord Gavin answered with a jovial smile. He nced at Damien before saying, "No one alerted us. Instead, it was Godric here who called me to witness an ingenious way to treat beastmen. And goodness, do I have to say what a fantastic way it is. Never did I think that one could actually create anti-venom with their own blood."


    "And to sew skin together! That''s truly something, young man ¡ª you really know how to y by the risks," Lord Gavin praised Damien.


    Of course, Damien would have loved to say that he ate two or three risks like these in breakfast in the morning or that he was used to ying with the dangers.


    But he lowered his head as if bashful and replied, "Not at all. I do what I need to save the lives of people in danger."


    With how respectfully Azriel was treating this man, Damien knew that Lord Gavin was not a simple man.


    ''It wouldn''t hurt to get to know a man like him,'' thought Damien.


    "And humble too! My, my¡­ we don''t see healers like you nowadays," Lord Gavin stated with a cheerful smile and Azriel looked beyond disgusted.


    He nced at Damien who countered his gaze with a proactive gaze filled with mockery.


    All the blood in his head shot through the roof as Azriel noticed Damien give him that look. He turned and said to Lord Gavin, "You are giving him too much credit, Lord Gavin. He is nothing but a struggling man, not even worth fitting to be called a healer."


    "Who said that I wanted to be called a healer?" Damienmented. As Lord Gavin and the rest turned to look at him, he shrugged his shoulders casually before saying, "I told you that I was aiming to be the best Doctor of the beastman world. Never once did I show any interest in bing a healer."


    He had no interest in bing a healer.


    There was a pause before Lord Gavin asked, "Is this the title that you havee up with?"


    "Indeed," replied Damien.


    And then ¡ª


    "Hahaha!"

 Chapter 81: A Test

    "Goodness gracious, Godric! The members of your guild are truly amusing!" Lord Gavin pped his hands with amusement written on his face. He nced at Master Godric before saying, "You really know how to pick up people."


    Master Godric did not say anything, simply nced at the man with a smile. His shrewd eyes fell on Azriel whose face was twisted and it became even more twisted when he heard Lord Gavin say,


    "How about you let me be your disciple? Teach me how to connect nerves, will you? In return, I will help you with the healing spells?"


    "Lord Gavin, what are you saying?" Azriel spoke with a ttering smile on his face. "It''s good enough that someone like him is being revered by a powerful healer such as you. How can he¡ª"


    "Sure," before Azriel could finish speaking, Damien interrupted him. Azriel turned and red at him with a look of loathing but Damien did not even nce at him. He said, "But rather than a disciple, how about bing partners? There are a lot of things that I look forward to learning from you, Lord Gavin."


    "Same here, my boy. Same here."


    "Lord Gavin¡ª"


    "Azriel," Master Godric interrupted the man before he could say anything else.


    Azriel stiffened and raised his head to look at Master Godric who said to him, "Come with me."


    Master Godric turned on his feet before stepping out of the infirmary, Gina followed him while Azriel stayed where he stood. However, a secondter he stepped out of the infirmary and walked over to the small office of Master Godric.


    "Master," he said to announce his presence, for Master Godric was looking at therge mullion windows behind his table.


    Master Godric turned on the balls as Gina stepped inside the office with a gon of fire whisky.


    She gave him a look of pure disgust before walking past him.


    "Azriel," Master Godric nodded at him before taking a seat on the cushioned chair. "Sit," he said while tipping his chin at the chair opposite him.


    Azriel sighed as he knew that a big lecture wasing. He walked over and sat down on the chair right in front of Master Godric.


    As soon as he sat down, Godric said to him, "Do you still remember what you said to me when you joined this guild?"


    Azriel raised his head. With a surprised look on his face, he blinked his eyes before saying, "It has been so long, how can I remember what I said back then?"


    "You are right," Master Godric nodded, his grey eyes murky with unsaid thoughts. He interlocked his fingers and remarked, "Indeed it has been too long if it hadn''t then I don''t think you would have called your own guild member a filthy ''half breed,'' was it?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Azriel turned and red at Gina who simply raised a brow and said to him, "Why are you looking at me like that? I did say that this matter would be ryed to the Master, didn''t I?"


    Azriel clenched his fingers furiously berating Gina inwardly. He then turned to look at Master Godric before saying, "Did I say anything wrong? She is a half-breed. Is it wrong to merely state a fact?"


    "No, it isn''t," Master Godric sighed. "However, what''s wrong is to hold the blood status of your guild member against them."


    "I am not holding¡ª"


    "Oh you are holding it against them," Master Godric cut off whatever Azriel was going to say. He nced at the man before saying in a stern voice, "You are filled with a sense of pride like the rest. With thepany that you keep, you believe that you are better than the others just because your blood status is purer than theirs."


    "Do you think I don''t know how you have been refusing to treat the injuries of the half-blood beast men? Calling their wounds as light and not worthy enough to ''waste a powerful healing spell,''?"


    Though Master Godric showed no sign of anger, something inside the room shifted and Azriel felt his heart hammer against his chest as sweat started to cover his forehead.


    "M..Master.."


    "Did I or did I not tell you that every member of this guild is like a child to me?" Master Godric raised his head and stared right into Godric''s eyes. "I did, didn''t I? No matter what their position and status are,back then I asked you to treat them with kindness andpassion. Even if you cannot, I asked you to show them the respect they deserve."


    "But it seems like you have not listened to a thing that I said to you."


    "That''s not,"


    "Azriel," Master Godric interrupted him once again before saying, "Either you stop bringing the murky waters of the Temple into my guild or you stop being a member of this guild. Make your choice and tell me."


    "You¡ª you are asking me to stop associating with the temple?" Azriel was stunned. In his mind, this guild was just a stepping stone for him to pave his way to the temple where he would join hands with the higher-ranking healers.


    He had never once thought about stopping his association with the healers.


    "Yes," Master Godric replied. In fact, he knew that he couldn''t stop Azriel from associating with the temple. This choice that he had put in front of Azriel was simply to test where his loyalty lies.


    Azriel stared at Master Godric mutinously before getting up from the chair. He said, "You will regret it."


    After throwing those words, he turned on his feet and stormed out of the office.


    Gina watched him leave before turning to look at Master Godric. "Was that the right thing to do?"


    "Why? Do you think that I made a mistake?" Master Godric asked.


    "No," Gina shook her head and replied. "I just wonder if it is right to let him go like that."


    Master Godric sighed as he leaned back on his chair.


    He turned his head and stared out of the windows before stating in an airy voice, "Soon war will be heading towards us, Gina. Men like Azriel will only lead us to our doom."


    ?????


    If you like the book please support the author with golden tickets and gifts. Author begs you.

 Chapter 82: I will make you the King

    "How dare he!? How could he?" Azriel stormed past the guild hall as he muttered furiously. Seeing him walk away angrily, one of the guild members couldn''t help but say, "What''s the matter, Healer Azriel? Did Master Godric say something to make you upset again?"


    "What can that old man even say to me? Is he worth it?" As soon as Azriel heard the jeering voice of the beastman, he paused and turned to look at him with a cold look in his eyes.


    His words brought a frown on the faces of the beastmen who were yet to be asleep. One of them couldn''t help but reproachfully say to Azriel, "What are you doing, Healer Azriel? How can you disrespect Master Godric like that? He is the master of the guild and your elder."


    "He is no elder of mine!" Azriel hissed at the man like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I am no longer part of this guild." As he spoke, his gaze fell on Damien, who had just stepped out of the infirmary along with Xavier.


    Azriel''s lips curled up as he sneered at him contemptuously. "Instead, your respected Master Godric had allowed this good for nothing who treated a low-ranking dog guard to be the healer of this pathetic guild. You might as well rejoice!"


    The more he spoke, the more his words became crude and harsher.


    "Azriel! What nonsense are you saying?" Given the ruckus that was going on in the guild hall, it was impossible for the guild members to continue sleeping.


    Levi stepped out of his room and red at the elderly healer. He said to him, "Have you forgotten what this guild has done for you? When you had nothing, it was Master Godric who gave you a ce to stay."


    "Like he did it out of the good will of his heart," sneered Azriel. "The reason he brought me here was because this guild had no healer and he needed my skills to stabilize, and in return, this is what he returned me."


    "Azriel!" Gina, who stepped out of the office with Master Godric, roared angrily. She made a violent movement as if she was going to w his heart out but was stopped by Master Godric.


    "Now, now, there is no need to do such a thing," Master Godric said to Gina. He raised his head and smiled at Azriel before calmly saying, "Is it the anger or the sadness speaking, Azriel?"


    "If you ask me, it''s the madness that''s speaking," Gavin, who stood besides Damien, spoke up, causing Ariel''s face to turn even red in humiliation.


    He red at the rest of the guild, wanting someone to say that they wanted him to stay, but unfortunately for him, the guild consisted of broken and abandoned beastmen.


    Their loyaltyy with Master Godric, not Azriel.


    Seeing that no one was speaking up for him, Azriel nodded before spitting out a scathing, "Fine." Once he was done, he turned on his feet and rushed out of the guild.


    Damien watched the man leave before turning to look at Xavier. He remarked in a low voice, "Don''t you think that there is something very wrong with that man?" He tapped his forefinger on the side of his forehead. "Right here?"


    Xavier looked at him helplessly before saying, "Keep your words to yourself, Lord Damien. If someone hears you, there will be a lot of trouble."


    Though the guild members did not support Azriel, it was due to their loyalty and respect but that didn''t mean that they had epted Damien as a part of their guild.


    Just as Xavier expected, as soon as Azriel left the guild, everyone rounded at Damien before turning to look at Master Godric. They looked at him before Levi asked, "What did Azriel mean by that this man treated a low-ranking dog beastman?"


    "What else could it mean other than its literal meaning?" Master Godric remarked instead of answering the question. He then turned to look at the rest of the guild members who were staring at him with a mutinous expression and said to them, "Now, what did I teach you all? This guild is not a ce where one would be discriminated against or rejected because of their blood status."


    "Do not forget that there was a time when you were in a position the same as them, whom the high-ranking officials now reject."


    Master Godric''s voice was gentle as ever, but Damien could sense the authority with which he had spoken echo in every single word that he said.


    No one contradicted Master Godric, but Damien could sense that there were many who were not convinced by the words that Master told them.


    However, it didn''t matter.


    Rejection was the first key to eptance.


    Damien clenched his fingers as he looked at the members who were eyeing him warily as if silently determining whether or not he was worthy of bing the main healer of the guild and taking over Azriel''s position.


    It''s alright, Damien told himself. If he could do it once, he could do it again.


    Anyways, it was rather fun to prove others wrong, he thought with a smirk.


    Damien was worried about the tant rejection of the guild, but it didn''te as Gina turned to him and ushered him to a guest room. She said to him, "You must be tired. It will be too long of a journey to return to the Wolfe territory. For now, you should stay in one of the guestrooms."


    As she spoke, she caught hold of his wrist and pulled him along with her, ignoring the muttering and mumbling behind them.


    "Don''t worry too much," Gina said to him. She raised her golden eyes, which glimmered with curiosity and gentle warmth.


    "Though the members are a bit rough around the edges, they would not put you in harm just because they are doubtful of your ability."


    Damien smiled at her before saying, "There is no need to worry about it. It''s only right for them to doubt me, as I haven''t proven my abilities." Once it was proven that he was even more skilled than those healers whom they respected so much, Damien was looking forward to seeing the reactions of those who doubted him.

 Chapter 83: I will make you the King --2

    ***************


    On the other side, outside the guild, Azriel, who was striding towards his house, bumped into someone.


    "Watch where you¡ªLexiel?" Azriel eximed in surprise as he stepped back and looked at the man whose build was as big as that of a small hill.


    "Azriel," Lexiel greeted the man with a hoarse voice.


    "Azriel, where are you going?" A man with long silver hair peeked from behind Lexiel and looked at Azriel with a surprised expression on his face.


    "Leaving," Azriel huffed as he looked at the silver-haired man. "What about you, Jasper? Where did your team go?"


    Jasper''s eyes flickered as he raised his head and looked at Lexiel before saying to Azriel, "Oh, nowhere. Just on a little mission."


    He then changed the topic as he said to Azriel, "But why are you leaving? What happened?"


    As soon as Jasper asked this question, Azriel felt another surge of anger. He shook his head like an angry bull before saying in a gruff voice, "Don''t even get me started!


    The disrespect that they have shown me¡ª"As he spoke, he blurted out everything that he had been stifling, like a plug being wrenched out of the tub that was filled with water, causing all of the content to spill out in a whirlpool.


    By the time he finished speaking, Azriel felt much more relieved. He raised his head and said to Lexiel, "Don''t get me wrong, Lex. But your grandfather will lead the guild to crumble if he goes on like this, I am telling you."


    Upon hearing his words, Lexiel raised a brow. He tugged the strap of the bag that he was carrying on his shoulder before saying, "Don''t worry about it, Azriel. My grandfather wouldn''t have the chance to do such a thing." As he spoke, Lexiel smirked down at the man mysteriously. "Because he will no longer be the guild master."


    ****


    Damien didn''t know when his nightmare started. All he knew was that the second his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep at some point. And the second he drifted off to sleep, it was the beginning of his nightmare.


    He was standing in front of the three senior resident doctors, and his mouth was strapped tight with a gag, and so were his hands as they were tied with shackles.


    He was being forced to take the trainee exam that he took when he started as the resident doctor.


    The entire room was empty other than him and the three judges. William sat in the middle as he continued to say to Damien, "Come on, Dami. You are not an idiot, are you? Answer the question."


    As for the question or how to answer it, Damien had no idea about it.


    He struggled against his shackles while trying to spit out the gag in his mouth.


    Just as he was about to pull the shackles in the opposite direction, the man on the very end of the table said to him in a booming voice, "Damien, you need to get out of here, right? Then try a bit harder."


    Damien raised his head to look at the man, but he only caught the smile of the man before the shackles in his hands melted right off, and he fell through the floor of the auditorium where he was standing.


    William''s voice faded off, morphed, and changed into an ancient voice.


    There was a tinge of a hint of evil and cruelty in it.


    He was standing at the edge of the pit, which went deeper and deeper to the point where he could see nothing but darkness.


    "Did he return?"


    "Yes, the man did return."


    Damien carefully looked around and realized that he was once again standing in the barren and abandoned ruins where he ended up falling thest time.


    The voice in the pitughed in a bellowing voice. He asked, "And does he realize anything?"


    "Nothing; that fool has no idea that he is carrying a piece of your soul," said a reedy voice.


    Damien nced to one side and saw the silhouette of a man, but other than that, he couldn''t see anything.


    "Haha! Godric would never know what kind of trap is waiting for him. I have long despised him for keeping the peace that was supposed to be broken long ago."


    "But master, why do you rely on him? I could do the same; I am much better."


    "You?" The voice in the abyssughed jeeringly. "You, my dear servant, cannot make do. I need a vessel much better, one that could hold the might of my past, present, and future."


    "But my lord¡ª"


    "Silence," the voice boomed. "You will have your chance if everything fails. But for now, let me use the card that my dear brother has arranged for me. As long as those foolish guild masters are gone, I will have the strength to rise once again."


    "Damned their loyalty to my brothers and sisters¡ªwhen I could have given them much more power and authority to rule over this world. However, it matters not because soon I... he is here."


    The voice in the abyss was suddenly much more agitated than it was before, causing the silhouette of the man to jump. He looked around and nced in the direction where Damien was standing.


    "Impossible," that man said with a worried voice. "How can you be here?"


    "Unlike you, he found me much sooner; this shows why your father wanted him to take the throne," the voice said to the man. It then turned on him, even though the abyss was deeper than the darkness of the night itself. Damien swore that he saw two glowing eyes within the end of the seemingly endless pit.


    "So, you dare enter my realm, little warrior? Let''s see if you have the courage to enter further." The voiceughed at him, and Damien found himself standing in the middle of the ground.


    Power, rage, and authority brimmed within him as he raised his head and looked at the bloodbath that was taking ce on the battlefield in front of him. He watched as one of the beastmen charged at him with an axe, but before he could swing it down,


    His hands moved, and the head of the beastman rolled down at his feet.


    Damien tried to step away from the head that was rolling at his feet but couldn''t as the voiceughed at him, "This is what awaits you. Curse my brother for bringing you here, Damien. He has used you as a pawn to be sacrificed; chose me instead¡ªI will make you the king of thesends."


    The ancient voice started tough evilly again, and Damien found himself falling through the edge of the cliff.


    "Come! Come to me, my brave warrior!"

 Chapter 84: Music Box of Doom

    Damien woke up with a start.


    He looked to his left and was stunned when he saw Wistoria sitting on a chair and looking at him. No wonder he felt someone was staring holes in his head.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked her as he pushed himself off the bed.


    The silver-haired beauty arched her brow and looked at him with a sneer on her lips. "Why wouldn''t I be here?My husband was carried out of our bedroomst night and was brought here." She raised her left leg and crossed it over the right one before saying, "Of course, I need toe and see what''s going on."


    She then raised her head and looked at the dog guard that was resting at the corner of the infirmary and remarked, "They told me that it was you who saved his life." Her red eyes flickered with a hint of novelty as she questioned, "They said that you created an antidote for the poison of those slithering beasts."


    "Slithering?" Damien who just woke up was a bit slow on the intake. He opened his mouth and yawned loudly before saying, "Oh you mean to say the Kiem family? Yeah, that''s right."


    "By injecting their venom in your blood?" Wistoria asked with narrowed eyes. She never tried to get close to Damien in the past, but even then she knew about this man enough to know that he was not the kind of person who would put his life at risk for others.


    Damien nodded while rubbing the back of his head. He was still half asleep and didn''t notice the gaze with which Wistoria was looking at him. He replied, "That''s how the antivenom is created. Usually¡ª. -" He let out a long yawn before continuing, "Usually, we use it on horses or some other animals but I didn''t have the time to catch a horse and inject it with venom, so ¨C yeah¡­ I used my own. I mean,"


    He raised his head and grinned at Wistoria, "I am a dragon right? That ¨C That counts to something."


    Wistoria''s gaze flickered calctingly as she questioned him, "And you never thought of using someone from the lower-ranking beastmen? I mean¨C you do understand that even if disposed you are a prince. If you had died, Emiliano would have used it against my family."


    And here he thought that she was worried about him.


    "Don''t worry, I took a look at the risk factors before doing it. If I had died then I made arrangements to make my death look like it was suicide," Damien smiled at her but when Wistoria continued to stare at him coldly, he cleared his throat and said to her, "Don''t look at me like that."


    "I knew that my blood would be able to process the venom without any problems."


    "How?" Wistoria questioned.


    "What?"


    "How did you know that your blood would be able to digest the venom without any consequences?" she repeated.


    So she was not dithered.


    Damien thought as he nced at Dan who looked right back at him.


    He turned to look at Wistoria before replying, "Intuition, I guess?"


    Hearing his response Wistoria sighed before saying to him, "I don''t know what to say to you. Whether I should call you a fool or a genius, I have no idea."


    "Let''s settle on genius because I did seed," Damien muttered in a low voice.


    "And yet you let this process be seen by Azriel?" Wistoriamented.


    "So what?" Damien raised his head and asked.


    "So what?" Wistoria repeated with a derisive chuckle. "Do you think that man is a man of honour? He is not. He would definitely try to recreate the antivenom."


    "He can''t."


    "How could he not when he had seen you do it?" Wistoria asked with narrowed eyes.


    "Because," Damien drawled, causing Victoria''s brows to furrow anymore. Seeing the frown on her face, he leaned forward and smoothed it with his fingers, "There are only a few animals which are resistant to venom. In case someone was to inject the venom willy-nilly, I am afraid that the effect would not be the same. In the worst-case scenario, it can also result in death."


    Did he not know that Azriel was watching the entire process rather keenly? Of course he was, he was very much aware of it.


    However, the reason he did not stop that man was because¡ª


    Damien wanted Azriel to try it on someone.


    Though it would result in a tragic death, Damien knew that he had to be hard-hearted in some cases.


    Azriel was a troublesome man, if he wasn''t dealt with quickly he might be his enemy. So it was better to nip the bud before it could even bloom.


    Wistoria''s eyes widened as if she had realised something but maybe because of a silent tactic of understanding, she didn''t say anything lest anyone was eavesdropping.


    "For a fool, you are quite scheming," she told him.


    "I am not a fool," Damien said to her with a grin. "But thank you."


    The woman opened her mouth once again but halfway through, she paused and looked at something behind him.


    "Whats ¨C Whats wrong?" Damien questioned. When she did not reply, he turned to look over his shoulder but before he could look over, Wistoria reached out and caught hold of his cor.


    "Woah what¨C" he eximed but the rest of his words were interrupted when something soft and caressing was ced on his lips.


    Damien''s eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at Wistoria who was kissing him. He felt her tongue caress his lips and he yelped out, and that woman took this as an opportunity to thrust her tongue into his mouth.


    ''What the hell..'' Damien thought but a secondter, he closed his eyes and started relishing the caress of her tongue and the soft nips that she delivered to his lips while sucking on his tongue.


    That was until¡ª


    Knock. Knock.

 Chapter 85: Music Box of Doom - 2

    Startled, Damien pulled away from Wistoria and looked behind him.


    On the threshold of the infirmary stood Thalia, she was holding a tray with a sk and a te which held bacon, mashed potato anda sort of kidney bean pie.


    "Thalia," Damien greeted her with a smile. "Good morning," he slid a nce at Wistoria but the woman instead of looking annoyed was now smirking haughtily.


    And if women were a mystery to Damien before, they turned a whole new mysterious force to him after this.


    Thalia stepped inside the infirmary with the tray in her hands, she looked as homely as Wistoria looked wild. She ced the tray on the side cab where a small vase with a little white flower sat, before straightening up.


    She said to Damien, "Did I disrupt you ?" Her gaze was sullen as she nced at Wistoria with a gloomy gaze.


    "No, you did not," Damien replied, smelling the scent of gunpowder in the room. He asked Thalia, "Is there something that matters?"


    "Master Godric has asked for you," said Thalia as she turned to look at him, her gaze softened lightly while looking at Damien.


    "Master Godric?"


    "That''s right," Thalia nodded as she stated, "Master Godric has something to say to you, he asked you toe and see him after you are done with your breakfast." she paused and added, "Alone, that is."


    Wistoria raised a brow when she heard Thalia''s words but she didn''t say anything as a retort. Damien was thankful for that, as thest thing he wanted was for the two women to start a cat fight first thing in the morning.


    He quickly finished his breakfast before getting down the bed and rushing out of the infirmary.


    "Do you know something host, your actions look like a scumbag," Dan remarked as he watched Damien walk out of the infirmary. He, as an AI system, had a lot of data including a lot of useless daily soaps that he had downloaded in the human world.


    Damien''s actions thus collided with the scumbag who treated and yed with two women before taking his leave.


    "Shut up," Damien snapped at the AI system. He didn''t want to hear any nonsense first thing in the morning, what did he mean by that he looked like a scumbag? He was a pure man with a pure body.


    Damien marched down the office where Master Godric usually stayed when he had to talk about something serious.As he walked past the guild members he could hear some whispering happening behind him but Damien didn''t pay attention to them.


    With his pace, he soon arrived in front of Master Godric''s office. He raised his hand and knocked on the door and a beatter,


    "Come in," came a muffled response.


    Damien pushed open the door and entered the room where Master Godric was waiting for him. The old man raised his head and looked at Damien with a smile.


    "Close the door if you can please. Wouldn''t want our conversation to be eavesdropped and I don''t think you will like to hear the whispering," said Master Godric.


    "No, I think I had enough of whisperingst night," Damien remarked as he closed the door and walked over to the chair where he sat down when Master Godric didn''t say anything.


    "So," Master Godric asked as he pped his hands. "How are you feeling?"


    At first he thought that Master Godric was kindly asking him how he was withstanding all the whispering but then the man went on and said,


    "Main healer of the guild. It''s quite a responsibility," Master Godric smiled at him and Damien shifted in his chair ufortably. Something about Master Godric''s gaze was like one of those super ultraX raysers, it was as if he could see right through him. Not just skin and bones, but right into his soul.


    "Master Godric," Damien began. "Are you sure about this?"


    "What''s wrong? Feeling a bit less confident now that the night has passed?" master Godric said to him and Damien shook his head before saying to him, "It''s not that, if I be the main healer of the guild, there will be a lot of dissatisfaction."


    He paused and added, "And I am nothing special." He was speaking the truth. Dan was the reason why he could do half of the things,pared to the healers who could treat an injury with a snap of their fingers, he was on the slow side.


    "It''s alright. Even if the guild members are dissatisfied, it will only help us in clearing up the guild which we have avoided for a long time." He paused before continuing, "And as for not being special? Who said that you need to be special to do great things?"


    Damien felt a boost of confidence. It was a nice feeling, hearing someone speak with him with no spectism or doubt in their tone.


    "Anyway," Master Godric changed the topic. "I never expected anything special from you."


    "That''s good to know," stated Damien feeling the balloon within his chest puncturing.


    Master Godric smiled at him upon hearing his words. He interlocked his fingers and ced them on the surface of the table, "You will soon learn that only those who have no expectations weighing down on their shoulders, do great things."


    "Fulfilling others expectations is a bit taxing ¨C but fulfilling your own.. On the other hand," he trailed off before pushing a piece of yellowing paper in front of Damien. He said to him, "This is your first mission. The client has requested to follow her especially."


    "Geez, who is crazy enough to ask me to follow her on a mission?" Damien said as he pulled the paper towards him. He nced at the information on it and frowned before saying, "Music box? I have to look for a music box and destroy it?"


    What kind of childish mission was this?


    "Not just any music box¨C The Music Box of Doom. It was created by one of the transcendental beastman."


    _______________


    Please support the book by sending golden tickets and powerstones. It also motivates me, grins.

 Chapter 86: The Remains of the Last Transcendental Beastman

    "A music box? I need to take a mission where I need to destroy a music box?" Damien felt amused and angry at the same time. Was he that useless that Master Godric was sending him to a kiddie mission such as this?


    "You are thinking of the small music boxes that are sold in the market, Lord Damien," said Master Godric with a smile. "However, I am not talking about those boxes. The one I am talking about is a music box created by the powers of a transcendental supernatural."


    "One that has the power to kill millions with its melody the second it is yed."


    He paused before asking, "Have you ever imagined how the screams of those punished in hell might sound?"


    "Hellish?"


    His response brought a smile to Master Godric''s face. With a shake of his head, he told him, "Imagine countless people trapped in a pit of fire, screaming for help and crying in pain. What do you think you will feel if a sound as simr as that is yed in your ears?"


    "I don''t think I need a luby such as that," Damien said with a lighthearted smile while trying to ease the tension in the room. Because he for one was sure that he didn''t need to hear a melody such as that.


    Even imagining it was enough to make the small hair at the back of his neck stand up.


    Master Godric smiled at him before saying, "Of course you don''t. Now imagine a sound a thousand times worse than that, one that could evoke terror so worse that a person would like to die rather than hear it."


    "One that could make your soul shake with fear and agony until you are driven crazy."


    The elderly man leaned back on the chair before saying to Damien, "What do you think of it? Do you still think that it''s just a music box?"


    "I dare not," Damien replied with a calm voice even though he could feel his insides quake. What was Master Godric thinking about sending him to a mission as dangerous and important as that?


    "Did you not justin that he was treating you like a child?" Dan asked with a frown as he read the brain waves of his host.


    "Shut it," Damien told the AI system. "I wanted something in the middle, neither too high nor too low, what am I supposed to do about this?" He was neither a warrior nor a tactician.


    He was just a doctor!


    Master Godric nced at Damien who was looking at the corner of the room before saying, "We have heard some disturbing rumours ¡ªI thought that it was better to wait for a while before addressing this mission but it seems like we no longer have the time to do so."


    "Why?" Damien asked as he turned his attention to Master Godric.


    In response to his question Master Godric took out a crumpled-up paper which resembled the newspaper of the Aeloria City and ced it in front of Damien who took a look at the front page headlines and felt stunned when he saw the picture disyed on it.


    It was the same ce ¨C the one which he had been dreaming of these past few days.


    But why was this ¡ª


    Putting a halt to his thoughts he read the headlines above the picture.


    [Haunting Dig or the Beginning of Another Transcendental War?]


    ''Last night, the rumoured site where one of the remains of the leader of the Dark Ones was buried was not only explored but also dug up. Leaving the entire poption of beastmen in Brystoria scared and worried. The officials say that they had no idea regarding this and that there was no such thing as the alleged digging that others speak of.''


    ''That there were no remains buried in thends of their city, but it remains to be seen whether they are speaking the truth or not. Or is this just another attempt at squashing the rumours?''


    "What...do they mean by remains?" Damien questioned as he raised his head and looked at Master Godric who raised a brow and replied, "I thought that given how you are so interested in the history of the Brystoria Empire you will know about this."


    Damien cleared his throat before replying, "I did¡­ but how is that rted to this¨C"


    Master Godric sighed as he gripped the edges of the armrests of his chair. "In the first transcendental war, a beastman rose to the ranks of transcendental beastman by sacrificing an Impert Snake. You can probably understand how he was weed after hemitted such an atrocity. He was not epted by the council but he somehow managed to climb his way to the council that rejected him.


    But that wasn''t enough for him, he wanted more power ¨C more authority. One that would make it impossible for anyone to look down at him."


    Master Godric turned to look at Damien with his shrewd eyes and asked, "Can you tell me what it was?"


    "Umm.. the throne?"


    "That''s right," Master Godric nodded as he exined, "And that was how the fight for the throne began.At the end of the war, your ancestor cutAzazel''s limbs off and then cast his remains far and wide all over thisnd. The army of that transcendental beast dispersed but that doesn''t mean that they are gone."


    "Then ¡­" Damien frowned before asking, "Why would someone want to dig out the remains of someone who died?"


    "Died? Oh no, transcendental beastmen can never die. They are immortals for a reason whether agony or infort, they will stay alive. Whatever that is left of Azazel is very much alive in the graves where his remains were buried.


    He is still very much conscious of the pain that he was in at the moment when his body was cut off, and yet the desire to avenge and gain the power that he had once lost is still just as strong as it was when he was alive."


    "So someone is helping him¡­" Damien said.


    "That is the general idea," replied Lord Godric.

 Chapter 87: The Love of a Brother

    "What do you mean by that is the general idea?" Damien felt as if he was being yed, what was the point of telling him all of this and then end it with ¨C oh it was just the general idea.Either someone was helping that transcendental beaste back or it wasn''t.


    What was general here?


    "What I mean here is that unfortunately for us, Emiliano doesn''t seem to agree with this notion that almost everyone who has a mind of their own agrees with," Master Godric told him. "And while Emiliano, who is the Emperor, insists that there is no such thing as the remains of the transcendental beastman¡ª we are insisting that there is."


    "This has led the public to panic but at the same time believe that there might not be a situation which will prove as dangerous. After all, why would Emiliano lie and bring his reign in trouble? He is the Emperor and it''s his responsibility to take care of the country. "


    "And you know why he is doing this?" Damien asked as he had a feeling that Master Godric knew more than he was letting on. Discover worlds on m-v le-mpyr


    "I can guess ¡ªmaybe he is afraid to cause trouble in his reign after all, it will be quite troublesome if such a thing happened.. Or¡­"


    "Or?" Damien prodded when Master Godric trailed off without saying anything.


    "Or he is the one behind it."


    And on that happy note, Master Godric asked Damien to go along with the rest of his day and prepare himself for the mission. Like he could do it!


    At the Wolfe Mansion, Prisci ced a bowl of mushroom soup in front of Henry, she looked at her second brother and tentatively said to him, "It seems like brother seeded in treating that dog guard. I went to the town today and heard from the townsfolk that a healer treated a dog guard who was injected with snake venom."


    She paused and added, "And mother is also getting better. She went to take a walk in the garden this morning on her own, she didn''t even need a maid to support her. Isn''t it exciting?"


    "It is." Henry drank his soup silently while eating a loaf of bread. He had to admit that the prescription that his brother gave to their mother was indeed much better than the one that the healer gave them.


    But Henry still didn''t trust Damien. How could he? His brother wasn''t someone who could be trusted after all. He had seen how maddening and crazy Damien looked after he returned from his journey to the Royal court three months ago.


    No one else had because he was the only one brave enough to approach his brother and how did it turn out? He was nearly killed by his brother! He still couldn''t forget the feeling of Damien''s fingers wrapped around his throat as he yelled at him.


    ''If only¡ª you were not here! Then I will be able to go back. I can take back what''s mine! Mine!''


    Henry had not told this incident to anyone for he did not want to worry his mother or his sister. But the trust that he had for his brother was long broken.


    "There is no need for you to start trusting him so soon," Henry said to Prisci with a hint of reproach. He raised his head and looked at his sister before saying to her, "Brother Dami is not a healer nor is he skilled. He is only fortunate enough to seed in his tries, if he was even a tad bit unfortunate, he would have caused a lot of trouble."


    Damien, who had just returned to the mansion, heard the cold words of his brother and narrowed his eyes.


    This little ¨C he was not at all cute.


    Damien however did not bother with Henry, he walked inside the kitchen and looked at Prisci, "Prisci, is there anything to eat? I am hungry."


    "Brother Dami, you are back?" Prisci turned to look at Damien with a beaming smile while Henry got to his feet and walked out of the kitchen.


    Either he was still ufortable in Damien''s presence or was worried that there might be another row because of what he just said just now.


    Damien watched him leave but didn''t say anything. Instead he turned his attention to Prsici before asking, "Did you get something nice to eat today?"


    "Yes!" Prisic nodded as her eyes brightened. "They gave us roasted duck and fillet fish to try in the afternoon. For dinner I asked for something light and they brought some mushroom soup and bread with salted butter."


    She paused before saying, "But brother don''t worry. I saved you some roasted duck."


    "Did you?" Damien ruffled Prisci on the head as he sat down on the long dining table.


    Prisci went inside the small kitchen which was next to the dining room and brought the reheated roasted duck and mushroom soup. She ced it all in front of Damien before sitting next to Damien, "Brother Dami. Did you really create antivenom? Sister-inw told me that you did."


    Damien coughed upon hearing her words. "Sister ¨CSister inw? Did you call Lady Wistoria that?"


    "I did," the little girl responded with an innocent expression. "Mother said that I should start calling her sister inw."


    ''Mother!'' Damien felt another headache rise.


    He hoped that Wistoria was not waiting for him with a guillotine in their room.


    Did that woman even take him as her husband? And if she did ¨C to what degrees? Was he and his family even allowed to disrupt her day to day activities?


    Damien had countless thoughts which he kept to himself.


    "Ahem, I did. What of it?" Damien asked Prisci who looked at him and said, "Brother¨Cthe..then you would have gotten a lot of money right?"


    Damien thought of the pitiful amount of golden coins that Adikus, Sigurd and Martha gave to him before he nodded and said, "I did." there was no harm in telling a small lie to a child.


    "Then ¨CThen can you buy me a doll? A small one," she corrected herself at once. "I don''t want a big one." as she spoke she eyed Damien warily as if afraid that he would get angry.


    "Why a small one?" Damien said to Prisci with a smile on his face. He picked her up in his arms and raised her in the air, "Brother will buy you a big one and a dress as well."


    "Hahaha!"


    ----------------


    Please donate some golden tickets and gifts to this poor author.

 Chapter 88: A Single Hit

    On the other side, Henry was looking at Damien and Prisci through a small crack in the back door. He returned because he forgot to take his gloves with him before practicing swordsmanship.


    Never did he expect to see such a heartwarming scene.


    His brows furrowed lightly and the hand on the handle of the door fell to his side.


    "Henry? What are you doing here?" Lady Cecil, who had just returned from her walk, stepped s her second son. She looked at his wistful expression and then nced inside the dining room.


    Seeing the heartwarming scene in front of her, she seemed to have understood what was going on.


    She said to Henry, "Do you want to go inside?"


    "No, why would I?" Henry replied he turned his head and red at Damien even though he knew that Damien couldn''t see him.


    He then turned around on his feet and stormed away.


    "Mydy, shall I bring Young Master Henry back?" the maid behind Lady Cecil asked.


    "There is no need," Lady Cecil shook her head and refused. She nced at Henry who was walking away with a determined posture, but even so, he looked a tad bit lonely.


    Lady Cecil knew that even thoughHenry behaved like this, he truly cared for Damien in his own way. He must be quite upset upon seeing Damien give Prisci the care that he always wanted.


    **


    Damien had no idea about this small incident that took ce outside the mansion. He stepped out of the dining area after finishing his dinner and the promise of buying Prisci a doll and a dress and went looking for the only man who could help him.


    "Xavier," Damien called out to the man who was swinging his sword on the training ground.


    Xavier raised his head and looked at Damien before saying, "What''s the matter, Lord Damien? Why are you here?" it waste at night and Damien should have gone to sleep. So what was he doing here looking for him?


    Damien smiled at Xavier before saying to him, "I want you to teach me a little bit of swordsmanship."


    The tartrite nails in the back of his head had long melted under the venom and the blood of the Impert Beast Snake but Damien was yet to understand how to use the mana within his body.


    There was also the matter of mending his broken beast nucleus, thought Damien. Without that beast nucleus, he would never be able to take his beast form and for some reason, Master Godric''s words had left a kind of terror in his heart. Even though the man did not say it outright ¨C


    Damien knew that something was going on and it was all targeted at ¨CHim.


    The dreams that he was having as well as the warnings from Master Godric¡ª there had to be some sort of connection between the two.


    And ¨C


    ''They have brought you here to be their pawn,''


    These words were stuck in his head like a broken record, one Damien would have loved to throw out of the window but couldn''t.


    Damien didn''t like being a pawn, he had been used once and knew how it ended. There was no way on he was going to allow anyone to use him the same way as William had. No way in hell.


    It didn''t matter if he was at the bottom of the apex of this whatever pyramid that the beastmen had in this world but he was not going to let someone else y him like a fool.


    For that, he had to regain the strength his predecessor lost at all costs.


    Especially his beast form.


    But first thing first, he needed to get a hang of how to protect himself. As for the rest, he would think of itter on. Baby steps, that''s what he was going to take.


    "Swordsmanship?" Xavier frowned as he looked at Damien. Only then did he realise that the man was now wearing gloves which were worn while doing swordsmanship practice.


    "That''s right," Damien nodded. "I don''t want to rely on you all the time, in the future there might be t,imes when even you can not be by my side. So I might as well take this chance, and learn a few tricks to keep myself safe."


    "But¡­" Xavier began however he paused in the middle of his sentence. Now that Damien''s skills and the fact that he could create anti-venom were spread, there was a chance that he would be attacked for the anti-venom.


    If that was the case, then Xavier narrowed his eyes and walked over to the side of the training ground. From there he picked up something which looked like a brown bag. However, as soon as he turned around and threw it at Damien, the man realised that the thing he was gripping were actually ankle weights. Or something simr to that.


    "What''s this?" Damien asked as he stumbled under the weight of the ankle weights that were thrown at him.


    "Wear it," Xavier said to Damien.


    "What?" Damien let out a startled yelp as he raised his head and looked at the man with a stunned look on his face. "You want me to wear these? They are so heavy! Are you bullying me because you know that I have no mana?"


    Xavier sighed with closed eyes. He then opened his blue eyes and pointed to the armour that was thrown haphazardly by the guards on the ground and remarked, "Usually the new trainees are asked to wear these and swing their swords. However, I am only giving you ankle weights because I know you will copse under the weight of the armour."


    ...¡ã ¡ã ¡ã ( ¡ã¥î¡ã ) ?


    "Haha! Hahahahaha!" Dan who was flying next to Damien''s head burst outughing.


    The flush on Damien''s cheeks turned even more furious. He turned to the 3D hologram and snapped at him, "I thought that you did not understand human emotions!?"


    "I don''t," Dan answered honestly. He straightened up and replied in a calm voice, "However, I deduced the expressions and screams of the host in case he was to fall under the weight of that armor. It''s quite amusing."


    Damien: FML!

 Chapter 89: Start from the Basics

    Damien closed his eyes and breathed out heavily before turning to look at the man in front of him. He said to Xavier, "You are being unfair. If I wear these, I would be slower than you. At least you should wear a pair as well!"


    "I don''t need to," Xavier replied with a calm voice. "I will stand right here. All you need to do is hit me."


    "What?" Damien felt like he had misheard something and thus asked Xavier to repeat it again.


    The man raised his head and smiled at him before saying, "All you need to do is to hit me. If you seed in doing so, I will begin the next step of the training."


    If not for the fact that Damien knew that Xavier couldn''t make a joke even if his life depended on it, Damien would have felt like Xavier was pulling his leg.


    "So all I need to do is take a hit on you?" Damien said while tying the ankle weights around his ankles.


    Xavier''s lips curled into a small smile, he nodded before replying, "That''s indeed what you need to do. If you can," he added with a subtle glint in his eyes.


    ''This brat,'' Damien thought with a twitch of his lips.


    "Don''t you think you are being way too confident?" Damien said as he straightened up on his feet. Did this man think that he was so weak that he couldn''t evennd a hit on him?


    Xavier ced his hands behind his back before saying to Damien, "I don''t know if you have learned any swordsmanship before¡ª but given that you have no calluses in your hands it''s quite clear that the chances of you seeding in attacking me are close to nil."


    He paused before saying, "Nevermind that, just go ahead and attack me."


    Damien narrowed his eyes before saying, "Don''t regret it once I am done with you." He had worked so hard in the past, he had even carried multiple patients from the sight of idents. Landing a hit shouldn''t be a big problem right?


    "I also hope that you will be able to do it, Lord Damien," Xavier threw a wooden sword at him which Damien caught with his hand. "If not then it would take a long time for you to learn how to even swing a sword."


    This ¡ªbastard.


    Damien clenched the wooden in his hand as a cool breeze fluttered past him. He raised the sword a bit high in the air and heard Xavier say, "Go ahead and attack me."


    ''Though I have no idea how to swing a sword, I did learn a few tricks while learning fencing,'' thought Damien as he recalled the tricks that his trainer had taught him when he first joined the fencing club in his college.


    Damien gripped the sword in his hands and then lunged at Xavier, "Here Ie!"


    "There is no need to announce when you are going to attack, Lord Damien," Xavier sighed as he raised his own wooden sword and aimed it right in between Damien''s ribs.


    "Argh!" Damien gasped in pain as he stumbled on his feet and fell back on his butt.


    Xavier gave him an annoyed look and Damien felt like an ipetent bastard.


    "You have too many openings, if you lunged at a person like this in the battlefield, you will find yourself dead in a matter of seconds," Xavier told him with a light scoff. "And stop swinging your sword so much."


    "Ouch¡­ you¡­" Damien gasped as he tried to stand up on his feet. He was certain that Xavier had just poked him a little in between his ribs and yet why did it hurt so much?


    "Do you want to give up?" Xavier asked when he saw Damien trembling. He had only instilled a little aura in his attack, something that he did every time when he was training with the rest of the new guards.


    He never thought that a little aura would bring Damien to his knees. Did he overdo it?


    "N¡­No. This ¨CThis is nothing," Damien got to his feet with the support of the sword. "I wi¨Cwill go again. Th¨Cthis is not the end."


    This time around he would not lunge and attack, instead he would make a feint before making a straight thrust.


    With his quick speed he should get the hit right?


    Damien''s eyes sharply looked at Xavier who had not moved from his ce from the start and extended his arm as far as he could, with his footwork, he agilely leapt towards Xavier.


    He pretended to aim for the right but just as Xavier moved, he ducked and turned his thrust to the left.


    "Gotcha¡ª" Before he could even cheer, Xavier turned on his feet and stopped his sword with his own. He then swung his sword upwards, causing Damien to twist and fall on the ground.


    "Damn!" Damien griped as his head hit the floor of the training ground.


    "Hmm." Xavier looked at Damien who was on his fours and walked over to him. He raised the wooden sword in his hand and poked Damien on the back, "From where did you learn such skills?"


    Damien however was not in the mood to answer Xavier, he banged his fists on the ground before muttering, "Damn I knew that you were good but I never thought that you were this good."


    He climbed to his feet before saying to Damien, "Once more, give me a chance one more time."


    He was going tond a hit this time around.


    "There is no point," Xavier shook his head before saying to him, "You are not good enough for sparring with a beast man yet. You first need to learn the skills from the basics." he paused before adding, "Like how a child around the age of ten would."


    "Are you calling me an idiot?"


    "No, I am calling you quite special, Lord Damien," Xavier said with a calm voice. "Because only a few would need to learn from the basics at your age."


    ''If I learn how tond a hit ¨Cthen the first thing I am stabbing is this asshole,'' thought Damien as he followed Xavier who was already walking away.

 Chapter 90: Worse than a child

    "What do you want me to do?" Damien asked the man who was pushing a gigantic cage with his hands.


    When Damien looked at it carefully, he realised that inside the cage were round balls of fluff. They would have looked rather cute if not for the stingers and beak that seemed so sharp that Damien was certain that in case it stabbed him, he would need several stitches.


    "Can you see the Banshee''s Bane Owls?" Xavier asked while pointing to the cloud of fluff, stingers, and beaks that were flying inside the cage.


    "The what of what owl?" Damien asked while looking at the cage warily.


    "Do not worry," Xavier said to him. "The Banshee Bane owls are not harmful to beastmen. Our skins are thick and strong enough to provide protection against the stinger and the beaks of these birds."


    "And you want me to do what with them?" Damien asked with a look of suspicion on his face; he had a feeling that Xavier was going to ask him to the impossible. Discover what''s next at m,vl-em,py-r


    "You are going to use the wooden sword to knock them down," Xavier told him in a calm voice.


    "Have you lost your mind?" Damien asked him. "I cannot even hit you when you are standing in ce, and you want me to knock these birds down?"


    "They are the lowest ranking beasts in the world of beast men," remarked Xavier. He rolled his shoulder, and his muscles rippled in his uniform. "And there is no need to cry, Lord Damien. This is something that a beastman''s child learns to do when he or she is six years old. I am sure that you will do just fine."


    Damien could feel pressure build in the back of his neck as he looked at the screeching owls, which didn''t resemble an owl from any angle. In fact, if the owls could see these things being called by the same name as them, they might rally to have their names changed.


    "All I need to do is knock them down, right?" Damien asked. He had a feeling that there was a catch because there was always a catch when it came to Xavier.


    "That''s right," the man replied before twisting thetch and letting the Banshee''s Bane owls on him. "Don''t worry, it won''t be bad."


    Indeed, it was not bad, it was sheer pandemonium.


    As soon as those owls were unleashed, they charged at Damien as if they had been starving for days. They pecked, nipped, and used their stingers to sting him.


    And all of this happened so soon that Damien didn''t even have the time to raise his sword and aim at the birds as he was too busy trying to protect his eyes from their sharp ws.


    Xavier, who was watching the man run around the training ground, released a sigh before walking over. He raised the wooden sword in his hand and then aimed the tip of the sword at the birds that were pecking Damien.


    He closed his eyes and then lunged at the birds that were crowding around Damien. With the tip of the sword, Xavier hit the soft part of the cartge of the birds until they fell to the ground.


    "Lord Damien," Xavier called him with a soft voice. "I may be a bit rude here, but ¡ªwere you ever paying attention to your swordsmanship sses when you were young? I have never seen anyone asme as you when ites to swordsmanship."


    Damien flinched upon hearing those words. Honestly, he had no idea whether this body''s owner had paid attention to his swordsmanship training or not.


    However, Damien looked down at his frail arms, which looked so weak that they might snap like a twig. It was clear that this man was never serious about training; in the beginning, he must have beencent as he was crowned as the crown prince.


    Andter on, he must have been desperate to get out of this abyss in which he was pushed.


    So instead of focusing on something that he was not good at from the beginning, he decided to pay attention to something that he was good at.


    "Do you think that I can never learn swordsmanship?" Damien asked straightforwardly. Just now, when he was pecked by those owls, he realised how helpless he was to fend himself against any kind of danger.


    If this went on, then he would lose his life before Damien could even think of a counterattack to save his life.


    "Do you really have to learn it?" Xavier asked.


    "Yes," Damien answered without missing a heartbeat.


    Seeing the determined look on his face, Xavier stared at Damien with an appraising look on his face.


    He sighed before saying to him, "Very well."


    Turning on his feet, Xavier said to Damien, "Get up on your feet, Lord Damien. I have thought of a way to teach you how to swing your sword."


    Damien got to his feet and followed Xavier, who was crouching in front of arge, gnarled tree. However, a secondter, he straightened up and tied a fist-size rock from the branch of the tree.


    "Here, try to stab it with your sword," said Xavier while pointing at the stone that was hanging by a thin rope.


    "...Okay?" Damien blinked before stepping close to the stone that he was supposed to stab. It seemed like Xavier had given up on him; if not, why would he ask him to do such a simple thing ?


    "What are you doing, Lord Damien?" Xavier asked from behind, and Damien turned to look at the man behind him with a frown on his face.


    "What ? Did you not say that I need to practise by swinging my sword at this rock?"


    Xavier raised his hand and ced it on his forehead. He raised his sword and lowered it such that he could draw a line on the ground.


    "Anyone can swing their sword at that rock at that distance; you need to do it from here."


    ---


    If you like the chapters please support the author with golden tickets and gifts. I am totally broke. HAHA--cries.

 Chapter 91: Go Big or Go Home

    From there? Damien looked at the line that Xavier had drawn on the floor. If he was not wrong, then it was more than ten feet away from the rock that was dangling by the curved branch of the gnarled tree.


    "Watch me," Xavier said to him, and he pulled his hand back and ced his left foot on the line while cing his right leg behind him. With his sword raised in the air, he told Damien, "Do not look away, Lord Damien."


    ''I am not... but isn''t it way too far away?'' thought Damien while watching Xavier.


    However, he seemed to have underestimated Xavier. The man tapped the back of his heel lightly before saying to Damien, "Try to put a bit of your strength in your right leg and use that pressure to push your body forward. Usually, beastmen use their mana to give themselves a bit more of a lift."


    "But since that is not possible in your case, try to use your body''s strength to your advantage. As he spoke, he demonstrated Damien how to use his lower body to alleviate his body a bit from the ground before turning on his feet and stabbing the stone with the sword.


    "Of course if you have mana, you can also do this." Xavier tapped the stone with the tip of his sword, and a secondter the stone burst into countless pieces.


    "Wow," Damien muttered while looking at the pieces of the stone on the floor as Xavier tied another stone in ce of the one that he had destroyed. Does this mean that he could also do something so cool as that?


    "It''s your turn, Lord Damien." Xavier stepped aside after he was done tying the stone on the branch by the rope.


    "Okay," Damien nodded as he took position where Xavier was standing and raised his sword.But ¨Ca second passed by, a minute went by, and soon an entire five minutes were wasted by him.


    Seeing that he was not making a move, Xavier couldn''t help but ask, "What do you think you are doing?"


    "I am waiting," Damien replied while watching the stone swing back and forth. As he was not as skilled with his aim, he didn''t want to take any risks.


    A nerve throbbed on Xavier''s forehead; he raised his hand and then rubbed his temples. "Lord Damien," he said to him with a sigh. "Have you seen anyone stop in the middle of their attack? Do not forget that you are learning to fend against your enemies. In case you cannot do it, then you might as well quit altogether." Uncover more tales at m,vl em pyr


    "You want me to lie down and wait for my enemies to kill me?" Damien questioned the man.


    "If you cannot even stab a swinging stone, what''s the point of learning anything?" Xavier shot back.


    "You¡­" Damien paused. He closed his eyes and inhaled before exhaling deeply. What was he doing¡ªlosing his temper with a man who was half his age? Well, not half exactly, but he was still the older one here. exactly,


    Throwing a temper tantrum at his age didn''t suit him.


    Damien turned to look at the swinging stone and turned his entire attention to it. He took a breath before mimicking the same moves that Xavier had shown him.


    However, no matter how he moved, Damien was not able to hit the stone.


    He tried once and twice and thrice... and yet missed all of his hits.


    "If you cannot¡ª"


    "I will," Damien snapped at Xavier. He had a mission to take and fulfil. There was no way he was going there unarmed and unprepared. He had to learn how to use the water de.


    Without it, he would be at the mercy of others.


    Xavier watched Damien swing his sword.


    He did it once and then twice before going for a third time.


    Neither of them knew how much time had passed by; they only knew one thing and that was:


    Damien had actually attacked the stone a thousand times and only got five attacks.


    But even so,


    Xavier looked at the small hole in the ground where Damien was standing. He had to admit that Damien was rather stubborn and a determined man. Even though his arms were shaking like that, he was still not giving up.


    "Lord Damien, do you not want to stop now?" Xavier asked while looking at the man whose arms were shaking as if they were on the edge of falling off.


    ''Should I?'' thought Damien, as he was indeed tempted by Xavier''s words. His arms were aching so badly that Damien swore he could feel the tips of his fingers going cold.The muscles of his arms werestiff,f and moving them made him wince with pain.


    But¡ª


    The memory of his predecessor before his death was still fresh in his mind. If that man had known how to defend himself or even use his mana, then nothing would have happened to him.


    The pain and the agony of the injury made him grimace; Damien didn''t want such a thing to repeat itself. He had lost his life once, and he didn''t want to lose this chance again.


    And honestly,pared to the efforts and trouble that he went through to be a doctor, was this rock evenparable to that?


    Damien felt a burst of coolness in his breast pocket. He frowned and looked at the dagger that had been lying still with no changes for ages and grinned. It seemed to him that someone was just as eager as him.


    Since that was the case, then he might as well go big or go home.


    Damien threw the wooden sword on the ground before fetching the dagger that he always carried with him.


    He turned to look at Xavier before saying to him with a grin, "Let''s go crazy, Xavier."


    Xavier frowned upon seeing the man taking out the water de. He said to Damien, "Lord Damien, I understand how you feel but you have no mana. And without mana, you can never use this sword again."


    "Are you sure about it?" Damien asked Xavier with a slight grin on his lips. "Why don''t you tell me how to pour mana into my sword?"

 Chapter 92: On to the next mission

    Xavier looked at Damien with such an expression that thetter rolled his eyes at him.


    "Oh,e on, why are you looking at me like that? You are making me feel bad here. You are looking at me as if I have asked you toe with me and steal someone''s pants."


    "Lord Damien, is there something that you are hiding from us?" Xavier asked with a suspicious expression. "As far as I know, you have no mana left in your body due to the tartarite nails that were embedded in your head."


    Wasn''t this man useless when it came to mana and morphing? He could neither draw his strength and skills through his beast core nor could he change into his beast form.


    So why was he asking him to teach him how to draw mana? And that too after putting a halt to his training. Wasn''t this jump a bit too big?


    "That''s right, I did have my mana taken away but you see Xavier.. When you mix this and that and what and not, you will get apletely different result than you expect."


    "What are you trying to say, Lord Damien?" Xavier asked.


    Upon hearing his response, Damien grinned at him before saying, "It''s nothing. You remember that I injected the Impert Beast Snake''s venom in my body right? Originally, I was going to just create an anti-venom. But who would have thought that the venom would be so dangerous that it would melt tartarite nails?"


    "So I guess a bit of my mana is back?"


    Xavier stared at the man with a shocked and disbelieving look on his face. He stammered out, "And you never told us anything?"


    "It''s not that I didn''t want to tell you or anyone else anything," he said to Xavier coldly. "You know how I am being watched by the dogs of a certain someone. I can only hide that I have recovered, it''s not an act of betrayal but survival, Got it?"


    Xavier pursed his lips. He had to admit what Damien was saying was right. He sighed before saying, "Even if you have regained your mana, I am afraid it will not be as easy as you presume it to be."


    "How will you know if you do not try?" Damien raised a brow with a smile on his face he said to Xavier, "You just saw that I hit the stone that you asked me to no matter how long it took right?"


    Xavier seemed to haveprehended what Damien was trying to say, he blinked his eyes and said, "You mean to say that neither of us is allowed to go back until you seed in drawing mana in your sword?" He was staring at Damien as if the man had gone crazy.


    However, Damien simply smiled and said, "I have a mission to take, Xavier."


    Shit.


    *************************************


    On the other side, in the middle of Orc Forest.


    Inside a small building with a loose board hanging outside that read ¡ª Crimson Paradox Guild.


    "Is Clyde not back yet?" A man with a goatee asked while looking around the deserted hall.


    "If you cannot see him, then it can only mean one thing that he is not back, Ollie" snickered another man. With his legs propped on the table he was reading the magazine like a pamphlet in his hands. He sniffed before saying, "Man, I wished that they sold proper entertainment magazines. I mean why do they have to make the women wear clothes at all? Isn''t it better to have them pose naked?"


    "Have you lost your mind?" Ollie nced at the man who was holding a stack of crumpled paper bound together with a thread and multiple portraits of women drawn on it. "It''s illegal to draw images of beast women in clothing as small as this, make sure that you are not caught, Joel."


    "Humph," Joel snorted before saying, "It''s not my fault that those women walk around in clothes that leave nothing to imagine. If they are so bothered by people drawing them in such clothes, they might as well stay at home."


    "I was just¡ª"


    "You two," a man with crew cut stepped inside the guild hall. He was carrying a long, broad sword that was bigger than a human on his back. He nced at the two men who were quibbling at a useless matter and said to them, "This is not the time for you to talk about such useless things. This is the opportunity that we have been waiting for."


    He coldly smirked at the two men before saying to them, "Go and bring Clyde and Alton back. We are going to wipe the pests clean once and for all, at the yearly guild meetings."


    ____________________________


    Three dayster,


    "Why do I have toe with you?" Levi looked at Damien and Xavier with an annoyed look on his face. He raised his hands and clutched his hair with frustration before saying to Damien, "You could have stayed back at the guild while I deal with this case."


    "Do you think that I want to be here?" Damien nced at the midget who was making a fuss. "If you have something to say then you can take it to Master Godric."


    Levi dropped his hands and looked at Damien with annoyance. "This is why I hate you. You always act so chill, it is frustrating."


    "I have no love for you either, man."


    "Do you want some of this eh?"


    "You sure you can afford to do that?"


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Alright, you two, calm down." Wistoria looked at the men who were fighting like children and was suddenly concerned if she made the right choice by bringing them here.


    Damien turned to look at her and said to her, "I don''t want to hear that from you. Why did you not tell me that you were the one who posted the mission?" if she had, he would have prepared better! At least he would have requested to stay away from this man!

 Chapter 93: Axyria

    Wistoria looked at Damien''s why-did- you- have- to- do- this- to- me look and sighed.


    "If I had told you, then you would have definitely refused," she said to him.


    "And that would have been such a tragedy because?" Damien drawled. Somewhere behind him, Levy said to him, "Why are you showing such a pathetic expression, freak brain?"


    Hearing his words, Damien turned and nced at the man with a twitch of a nerve right above his forehead. He said to him with a smile, "What did you, shortie?"


    "I asked: Why are you so freaking ugly?"


    "Not more than you."


    "You two! Quieten down for me!" Wistoria raised her voice enough for the entire crowd to hear. She looked at Damien and Levy before saying, "Stop quarrelling; you are causing trouble for others. Can''t you even see that?"


    Levy and Damien looked at one another with the look of absolute resentment before turning to look away. Seeing the actions of the two men, Wistoria suddenly felt like this mission was not going to be as easy as she thought it was going to be.  stories


    "I feel like I brought a pair of children with me," she muttered.


    "You will be fine, Miss Wistoria," Xavier tried to cheer her up.


    Wistoria could only hope that they would be fine. She sighed and looked at the time on her pocket watch. Realising that it was the time of departure, she turned to look at the west.


    "Get in the carriage," she said to Damien and Levy, who were still ring in the opposite directions.


    "What carriage?" Damien asked. Wistoria just asked him toe out with her at the back of the Wolfe mansion, but there was no such thing as a carriage. If anything, he could only see a long field filled with weeds and horses digging in their vats filled with hay.


    Unless she was talking about an invisible carriage that Damien could not see, he had no idea where he was supposed to sit.


    "What an idiot," Levy snorted from the side, and Damien turned to look at him. His fists clenching and unclenching as he asked him, "What is the matter with you, man? Did I steal your only boxer brief or something?"


    "Stole what¡ª"


    "Your¡­"


    Damien didn''t get to finish his words, as a secondter a loud, ripping noise echoed in the clearing where he was standing with the rest.


    Startled, he raised his head and looked at the direction from where the sound came from, and to his surprise, he could see a gigantic rip in the air itself.


    ck thunder-like currents flickered around the crack, and a secondter, he noticed a long, skinny horse leg step out of the crack.


    The horse might have been the ride of the king of hell, thought Damien as he looked at the ck coat of the horse that was so dark that it seemed to gleam with a purplish glint.


    The ribs of the horses were sticking against their flesh, and their eyes were electric white. Like they would start spewing thunder at any moment.


    "What are these things?" Damien asked. He knew that he should know the answer to this question but at that moment he couldn''t care less about the fact that he was making himself look stupider by the minute.


    He needed to know what kind of monster this was¡ªthat looked as big as three horses ced on top of each other.


    "Axyria," replied Xavier with a calm voice. "They are usually found at the graveyards or ces where decay and death have taken ce. It is said that they were the first monster that Azazel created. However, they did not have any other power or skill other than their speed, and thus they were abandoned."


    "And you just decided to tame them?" Damien asked when he saw the sharp teeth on the side as well as at the centre of Axyria''s mouth. Wasn''t it better to leave them where they liked to stay?


    Xavier turned and looked at Damien with a bewildered lookon his face. "Isn''t it unfair to them? These beasts have done nothing wrong. They were not the ones who erupted from thin air but were created, and yet they were despised and abandoned. Isn''t it right to give them a chance to live a happy life?"


    Damien wanted to tell Xavier that the piranha mouth horses did not look like they were happy in the least, other than when they were looking at him as if he were their next favourite meal.


    "Hmm, this is quite a fascinating creature." Dan, on the other hand, did not share the same concern as Damien. He looked at the mouth of Axyria and carefully peered inside of it.


    He then remarked, "Host, it seems like this beast has the biting power to break even the bones of ten elephants. Isn''t it quite an amusing creature?"


    "Yeah, he is," Damien replied in a squeaky voice before stepping away from the leering horse tied in the middle that was eyeing his left leg like it was a roasted, glistening chicken piece.


    The four of them climbed up in the carriage that was tied behind the horses, and Damien gingerly sat down on the leather seat, which seemed a bit too suspicious.


    "Where to?" A voice echoed in their ears, and Damien looked around the entire carriage to find the source of the voice but he couldn''t.


    He turned to look at Xavier and asked, "Who spoke?"


    "Its the voice of the Axyria beast, who else?" Xavier replied as if his words were making all the sense in the world.


    "This thing talks?"


    "No, its just that we are sitting in the realm created by it, which is why we can understand what he is saying."


    "Of course,"


    "Cyrovonia," Wistoria answered the question, and no sooner did she finish speaking, Damien wished that she had never spoken.


    Because the horses didn''t run¡ªthey flew. Like a ne with no pilot.


    So as soon as the carriage shot in the air, the only thought that Damien had was ¡ª


    AHHHHHHHHH!

 Chapter 94: Horses that cannot see

    EVERYDAY someone learns something new. And that day Damien learnt that if he ever, like ever faced a choice where he had to walk barefoot or take a carriage driven by a skinny, ugly and terrifying ck horse¡ªhe should always choose to go barefoot.


    Because this thing was literally a ride to hell.


    The carriage shot straight to the sky as if a bullet shot from a gun.


    Damien then heard the horse in the middle say, "Turn left, I have a good feeling about it."


    Good feeling? What did he mean by good feeling?


    The carriage turned an inch towards the left and the one on the left stampeded his hooves in the air. "This is left, I told you that when Rem asks you to go right, you go to your right. Not mine."


    "Oh sorry."


    The one on the right apologised before turning to his right and shooting straight past the forest that was underneath them. Damien looked behind him, as he was certain that the trees must have been set on fire.


    And just as he expected the tops of the trees were lit up with mes.


    Damien felt his stomach churn and a secondter he heard Rem say, "To the left."


    Again the carriage shot as if it was being driven by an immature driver and Damien was sure that his stomach was left behind somewhere at the ground of the burning forest.


    He turned to look at Xavier before asking, "What about the fire?" Were they not afraid of starting a forest fire?


    "The fire will die down," replied Xavier. "The fire caused by the carriage of Axyria always dies down."


    Damien wanted to ask something more but when he saw that Xavier was looking queasy, he mped his mouth shut.


    "You idiot that was the Tempest of Ruins, we need to go Cyrovonia¡ªwe need to go through the Valley of Bane flows."


    "Well, I am sorry, I will see properly next time," said the one on the right. "Oh wait, I cannot see."


    Damien whipped his head to look at Wistoria. "They cannot see?" he asked in a hysterical voice.


    "Of course, they can''t," she replied to him. "They rely on their senses." Maybe his feelings were so loud that they were visible on his face because a secondter he heard her say, "Don''t worry, they are really good at hunches."


    "Hunches," Damien whispered in a nk voice. These things were flying hundreds and thousands of feet above thend, and they relied on their hunches.


    Next to him, Levy groaned and grabbed the seat underneath him.


    "I should not have drank so much."


    The three horses flew while squabbling, neither of them seemed to be in the mood to care about the queasiness of their passenger. If only there was a review option, thought Damien.


    He would have given these people ¡ª sorry horses¡ªa rating of minus.


    Such terrible service!


    "Host, you are showing signs of nausea and upheaval of emotions," Dan, who was devoid of any kind of human emotion, waspletely fine as he looked down at Damien, who was sitting on the seat.


    "Gee, thanks." Damien snorted. "Announce my stats when I am having a heart attack."


    "Your emotions are fluctuating, host."


    Dan naively blinked his eyes before asking, "What''s making you so angry?"


    YOU!


    Rem smashed against the horse on the left so hard that the entire carriage shook and swerved to the very end of what might be the starting point of the world.


    "I told you to go left! Idiot!"


    Levy groaned and sped his hands over his mouth before muttering, "I am feeling sick."


    Damien rounded on Wistoria before saying, "We are going to die."


    "You are exaggerating," said Wistoria even though she looked just as worried. "There is no need to worry." And she was saying these words while looking plenty worried, herself.


    They were now skimming against the clouds, a few hundred or a few feet above them.


    "That''s right, passenger. Do not be worried," Rem''s voice echoed in his head. "We will bring you to your destination at all costs."


    "In one piece or several?" Damien asked.


    To his surprise, Rem did not answer; instead the carriage plummeted several feet down before swirling right. Levy, who was sitting next to him, tumbled right onto hisp. And even though the two men had their differences at that moment, both of them were so severely terrified that they did not push one another away.


    While Damien clutched Levy''s waist, thetter hugged his neck.


    Their mouths were open in silent screams as they watched the sea under the clouds get closer and closer.


    FABOOM!


    The carriage came to a stop right above the surface of the water.


    "Host¡­I don''t know how to tell you this ¡ªbut it seems to me¡­you are really close to having your heart fail," Dan said to Damien.


    "I wonder why," Damien panted heavily while looking straight. His chest was moving up and down. He was staring straight at the window that overlooked the ind where they were supposed tond.


    "Are you alright?" Wistoria asked with a nce at him.


    "Jeez, let me think," Damien turned to look at her. His eyes were still popping as he looked at the woman beside him. "First, I wasn''t told about this mission. Second, I was made to sit in a carriage that nearly drove us to our deaths. Third andst, the carriage I am sitting in plummeted three hundred feet from the sky. How do you think I am feeling?


    I feel like I am about to throw up my guts."


    Wistoria smiled at him weakly before patting him on the shoulder, "Come on, brave warrior. Swallow your guts of steel; we need to get off."


    Damien red at her. However, he was so eager to get off the carriage that he didn''t bother wasting time quarrelling with Wistoria. Atst, he steeled his nerves and pushed the man sitting on hisp before getting up from the seat and stepping out on the ind.


    "Oh, I don''t feel so good."

 Chapter 95: The one behind it all

    Damien''s knees buckled as he tumbled on his arse. He had to put his head between his knees to stop himself from hurling whatever that was trying to climb up his throat.


    Xavier hopped down the carriage with Levy leaning against him.


    He looked extremely pale as he covered his mouth and spoke in a muffled voice, "Now, can I know why ¡ªark¡ªwhy were we made to sit in the carriage of damnation?"


    "Ah, yes. I haven''t told you. Did I?"Wistoria turned to look at the three men. A frown settled between her brows. "A few weeks ago, I went to the regions that are under the control of the Kiem family. Originally, I went undercover only to see what that family had been doing after taking charge of those regions.


    But¡­"


    She paused and turned to look behind her with a frown on her face as she searched for something.


    "Lady Wistoria, what''s the matter?" Seeing that she was staring behind her shoulders, Xavier asked. At the same time, he also peered in the direction where Wistoria was looking. However, he did not see anything.


    "It''s nothing," Wistoria turned to look at the three men again. "Anyway, when I was working undercover, I had to stop by a bar where the beastmen gather in the city of Cyrovnia."


    The sound of waves crashing against the winds echoed on the silent seashore. As Wistoria recalled the happenings of that day,


    "And among those beastmen, there were some who drew my attention."


    A few weeks ago,


    ''Hey! Where is my roasted orc leg?''


    Inside a raucous bar, among the many beastmen who were sitting inside therge hall, a gigantic man turned and shouted at the barmaid who was supposed to be serving them.


    Wistoria, who was calmly sitting in a corner with her hair dyed red,looked at the man who had shouted.


    He was sitting on a round table, with four other men.


    ''For the lord''s sake, move it,'' the man roared, his chair leaning on two legs.


    ''I ¨CI am sorry,'' the barmaid apologised as she rushed to the bar counter to bring the order of these men.


    The man spat on the ground and yelled at the woman, ''Hah, do you think your apology is going to fill my stomach?''


    The barmaid lowered her head, and so did the people behind the counter.


    ''Damn it, these idiots,'' the man snapped harshly as he red at the woman. ''We worked so hard to find that music box and yet it''s of no use to us! That damned seal! No matter what we do, it''s noing off!''


    The man banged his fists on the table as he red harshly.


    ''Idiot, will you pipe down,'' the man next to him snapped at him. His hair was tied with a bandana as he took out the cigar from his mouth. ''Do you want to announce it to the world?''


    ''Who even knows about that music box?'' The mountain of a man sneered as the barmaid walked over to their table and then ced therge wooden sks on the table.


    ''Even if no one knows about Doomsday, they will get suspicious if you keep yelling like that,'' said the man with a bandana.


    ''He is right, you are too loud.''


    ''Damn it,'' upon being scolded by his friends, the man stopped yelling.


    ''Why are you in a hurry?'' the man with the crew cut spoke. He raised the gon to his lips and sipped on the beer that was filled to the brim. ''I have thought of a way to undo the seal on it.''


    ''What really?''


    ''That''s our leader for you!''


    Wistoria sighed as she finished rying the information to the rest of the team.


    "Doomsday? That music box sure has a rather terrifying name," Levy remarked. "But why did you have to drag us here because of that?"


    Wistoria turned and looked at the man with a sigh before saying, "It seems like you have no idea about it."


    Upon hearing her words Levy frowned and asked, "Is this something that I need to pay attention to?"


    "Hah, this is something that even I know," Damien chimed from the side while squatting on the ground. Levy whipped his head and red at him.


    "Great job. It seems like you are not exactly an idiot," the man snapped at him and Damien got to his feet slowly.


    "Alright," Wistoria stopped the two in a clipped tone. "There is no need for so many unnecessary fights." She turned to look at Levy before saying to him, "All you need to know is that this music box is bad news and in the hands of the wrong people."


    "I believe you have heard of Andres, right?"


    "Andres? Are you talking about that man who was the leader of the assassination guild three years ago?" Levy said. He did seem to have heard about this man. If he was not wrong, this man was the master of an assassination guild a few years ago but he was soon caught.


    After all, taking a bounty and killing people was not legal in the Brystoria.


    "Wasn''t he caught?"


    "I thought the same thing," Wistoria spoke in a grim voice. "That''s why I did not recognise that man. After all, the council had disbanded his guild ages ago and he along with his guildmates were expelled by the council as well. Followed by an arrest for all the crimes that they havemitted; if everything that was ryed to themoners was right then these people should have been locked up."


    "But they aren''t," Damien pointed out.


    "You are right," Wistoria nced at him and nodded. "This means that these people escaped from the prison, and no one knows a thing about their escape. Or ¡ªthey might have been illegally released."


    The three men turned silent before Damien put forth the sticky question that no one wanted to ask,


    "You mean to say that the royal family released them?"


    Wistoria neither agreed nor denied. She simply blinked her eyes and stated in a cold voice, "We cannot be clear about it. The only thing we can hope for is, that the Royal family is not behind this."


    Because if Emiliano was the one behind these moves, then the matter would never end at just the deaths of a few dark guild members.

 Chapter 96: Decaying Mole

    "This is of course a possibility," said Wistoria. She closed her eyes before stating calmly, "But we will think of that matterter on because it will be an usation worth our lives."


    "For now we will take this matter as the dark guilds working on their own while ignoring the orders of the council."


    "If I had known that it was such a troublesome matter, I would have never taken this mission," muttered Levy.


    "You are not the only one filled with regrets," said Wistoria, bloodthirst oozing from every single pore of her body as she muttered, "If I had recognised that man that day, I would have skinned and his people alive."


    "I don''t think you could have taken them all on your own," Damien heard Xavier say. "Not to mention you are not allowed at the Kiem family''s territory. If you were caught lurking there, who knows how they would have turned the situation around for their own benefit?"


    "So you want us to catch these people and even get rid of that music box?" Damien asked with a frown as he got to his feet and let out a loud belch.


    Wistoria gave him a look of pure disdain as she said to him, "No. Our priority is to stop them from causing mayhem. You have no idea about the terrors that Azazel had caused when he was at the peak of his power. Because of that, even now beastmen feel terrified at the mere mention of that man''s name."


    "If the information about Doomsday gets spread among them, who knows what kind of trouble may arise?"


    Also ¨C


    Wistoria hadn''t forgotten how there were many supporters of Azazel waiting for his return.


    Many believed that Azazel''s means and beliefs were correct and proper. That only he deserved to be the ruler of their nation, even when the man had been nothing but cruel to many, the hysteria of pure blood was so deeply embedded in the hearts of the beastmen that they could not see reason.


    Wistoria feared that if the cursed music box that was created by Azazel was to make an appearance, these people would stir once again.


    She nced at the three men before saying, "We are going to spread out and look for them." As she spoke, she handed each of them a small ruby-red orb. "Here, take this; if something happens, then you need to inject your mana."She paused and looked at Damien before saying to Xavier, "You follow him."


    Damien had no mana. If he got caught in any trouble, then it would be nearly impossible for them to protect him. She would have followed him herself, but Damien would only drag her down.


    As Wistoria was worried about Andres and his guildmates, she had no time to take care of Damien.


    "Lady Wistoria," Xavier began but was stopped by Damien, who caught his wrist and smiled at Wistoria tteringly. He said to her, "Thank you very much."


    Xavier turned and nced at the man with a frown on his face. Why was he keeping the fact that he had recovered his mana a secret from Lady Wistoria?


    "What is it?" Wistoria questioned when she heard Xavier''s call.


    Xavier continued to stare at Damien before turning to look at Wistoria. He shook his head and stated, "Nothing; I wanted to ask if I could follow you."


    "Lord Damien needs you more than me," Wistoria reminded Xavier. She still didn''t believe that Damien had enough strength to protect himself, even if he had the brains.


    Xavier nodded.


    However, once Wistoria walked away with Levy, he rounded on Damien and questioned him, "Why did you stop me just now, Lord Damien?" His voice held an usatory note.


    "Do you think telling everyone that the tartarite nails embedded in my head have been removed needs a big hoo-hah?" Damien questioned the man with a raised brow. "Keep it to yourself until I am strong enough to protect myself without your help."


    Thest thing he wanted was a bunch of beastmening after him.


    Xavier didn''t seem to agree with him. He parted his lips, ready to tell Damien off, but thetter did not give him a chance to do so.


    "Do you think that someone is really trying to revive Aza¨C?"


    "Do not invoke that name, Lord Damien. Especially not when we are trying to go against his forces," Xavier sternly said to him. "And to answer your question, I have no idea. But the signs are certainly pointing in that direction. If Lady Wistoria''s guess is correct, then ¡ª"


    "It is not good," Damien remarked.


    Though he was not the one who suffered the humiliation, Damien wanted Emiliano to suffer. And Azazel too¡ªwhat was he trying to do? He didn''t mean anything by these words, but boy, if he was the one whose body was chopped into pieces with his limbs discarded in different parts, he would be too embarrassed to show his face again.


    Like that was enough signs with shing red res that no one wanted him around.


    But nope, it seemed like Azazel was one of those few men who always had a hard time understanding the signs of rejection.


    He was still bidding his time while suffering the agony that he had caused to others, and yet he was still waiting for his revival.


    All because he wanted to reign over thends he had once ruled and was disposed of.


    And if that was not bad enough, there was an idiot who was trying his best to help that transcendental.


    Wistoria said that she was only guessing, but Damien was certain that her guess was more or less close to reality. Other than that bastard, Emiliano, who else would let a bunch of dark guild members sneak off the prison?


    It had to be him. A psychopath who nailed his half-brother in the head ¡ª could there be anyone more crazy than him?


    "Is this really going to work out?"

 Chapter 97: Decaying Mole [Part 2]

    Xavier paused, and so did Damien. The two of them exchanged a look with one another before Xavier unsheathed his sword and rushed in the direction from where the voices wereing from.


    "AHHH!"


    A man screamed in surprise as he tumbled on his bottom, his expression was that of sheer shock as he looked at Xavier and Damien.


    "What¡ªwhat do you think you are doing?" the man questioned while looking at the two.


    "Who are you?" Xavier asked sharply. "What are you doing here?"


    "I am an adventurer," replied the man while breathing heavily. "We are here to hunt a rare beast. What about you? Why are you swinging your sword wildly? You nearly killed me."


    The man patted his chest while ring at Xavier.


    "We are adventurers as well," Damien answered. He decided that it was not a wise move to tell strangers that they were on their way to hunt a few members of the dark guild.


    His words caused the four men to jump. One of them eyed Damien warily before saying, "Are you here to hunt that rare beast as well?"


    Before Damien could even say that he wasn''t, the man smacked his hands in frustration before eximing, "This is why I asked you all to hurry and pick the mission. Look at this now."


    The other three men also seemed to be a bit annoyed, as if Damien had snatched thest bite of the cake that they had been saving for a while.


    He wished he could tell them that he had no such intention.


    "What kind of mission are you speaking of?" Xavier asked.


    "Haven''t you heard about themission?" one of the men said to them. "The mission is to kill the boss of the rare beasts, and in exchange for it, we are going to get 2.3 million gold coins."


    He paused and added, "You have heard about it, right?"


    "Yes, we have." The man was so stupid that Damien felt bad about making him feel even more idiotic.


    He nced around at their small group before asking Xavier in a low voice, "Are they really not rted to the dark guild ?"


    What if these men were lying and luring them into a trap?


    "I don''t know," Xavier replied. His eyes were assessingthe men in front of him as he said to Damien, "I have only seen Andres and not the rest of the guild members."


    And since neither of them looked like Andres, Xavier couldn''t know whether these people were the members of that dark guild.


    Seeing the two men whispering among themselves, one of the adventurers said generously, "There is no need for you to feel bad. If you don''t mind, then you can join our team; the reward price will naturally go down, but at least it''s better than losing the entire thing."


    The reason he suggested this was because the man knew that there was something different about the man who had swung his sword at him.


    Xavier and Damien nced at one another before Xavier said to him, "Let''s follow them for a while. It''s better to be safe than sorry."


    They would be in bigger trouble if these people turned out to be the members of that dark guild.


    "Alright," Damien turned to look at the adventures and nodded.


    "I am Gary," said the red-haired man who was attacked by Xavier. With his hand held in front of him, he shook hands with Damien.


    "I am Damien." With a light shake of his hands, Damien introduced himself.


    He turned to look at the other adventurer, who smiled at him while eyeing him and Xavier warily.


    "Willis," said the man on the far left.


    "Tommy and this is Glen," Tommy pointed at the man with a long white hood.


    "You are a healer," Xavier remarked, and Glen raised his head with a haughty smirk.


    "That''s right."


    What was with the healers and their unexined arrogance?


    "You must be a warrior," said Glen while looking at Xavier. He turned to look at Damien before saying to him, "And I don''t know who you are."


    "I am a doctor," Damien replied when he saw the confusion on the faces of the adventurers. He exined, "I treat the injured and sickly."


    "So, you are a healer," Gary said.


    Damien shook his head before exining, "No. I am not. I am a doctor."


    "You treat the injured and sickly. What''s the difference¡ª"


    "I don''t use spells to treat anyone," stated Damien.


    His words brought a sneer to Glen''s lips as he turned to look at Willis and started whispering.


    A secondter, Damien heard Willis say, "Glen says that since you two will be relying on us from here on. We will take the bigger chunk of the price."


    Damien arched a brow before questioning, "What if you all fail? Will my partner and I get the majority of the price?"


    Glen must have taken his words as a joke because heughed derisively.


    "Of course if we fail then you can take the majority of the reward. That is if you can."


    Glen smirked at Damien, who simply smiled at him before turning on his feet. He said to Xavier, "These idiots can never be part of the dark guild."


    "Let''s go," said Gary.


    While Xavier hesitated before saying, "Let''s wait a little."


    Damien shrugged. He twisted around on the balls of his feet and followed the four men, who had already walked quite a distance.


    "By the way," Damien began as he pushed a monstrous leaf away from his face. "What kind of rare beast are you hunting?"


    "A Decaying Mole."


    Gary turned to look at Damien before chuckling, "I know you must be surprised. We were just as surprised when we found out that the client behind this request wanted us to hunt a decaying mole. How can there be such a sweet deal?"


    "Indeed," Damien narrowed his eyes as he called Dan, "Look into this decaying mole."


    There was no way anyone would willingly hand out 2.3 million gold coins to kill a mole.

 Chapter 98: Fools

    "Updating your request."


    "Your request is being processed. Please wait a moment."


    A secondter, Dan''s eyes disyed a string of code and soon arge screen appeared in front of Damien''s eyes. It unveiled the disgusting sight of the mole that the adventurers were talking about.


    It was not only bigger than a cow, its eyes were red as rubies. Its long tail was decaying with blood and flesh dripping down it. To make things worse, there were countless skulls embedded in its tail and decaying front paws.


    And god those teeth really needed a visit to the dentist.


    In front of Damien the adventurers were still going on and on about how the task was too easy for the reward that the vigers had put on this mission.


    "I never thought that such a rare monster even existed."


    "And to think that the vigers are willing to take out 2.3 gold coins for a fucking mole."


    "You are right, there is no bettermission than this one, hahaha!"


    Damien''s expression changed as he paused in his stride. He looked at the group of foolish adventurers and asked, "Have you ever asked the vigers what kind of mole they asked you to hunt?"


    This decaying mole was a B-grade monster. Its tail held a toxic poison that not only melted the flesh off a person''s body it also absorbed it. Leaving only the bones to stick to therge tail as they got infused together with the decaying flesh of the mole.


    It was a terrifying monster.


    And only fools would think that the task was too easy.


    Either these men had no idea what they were facing or they were stupidly optimistic.


    Damien was leaning towards the former, as he had a feeling that these men were not as courageous as they made themselves.


    "No, of course, we haven''t seen one before."


    "No, we didn''t ask the vigers about it either. Why should we? It''s only a mole."


    Only a mole? Damien repeated as he turned to look at the healer who had mocked him earlier. This one looked like he had a steady head on his shoulders, but Glen dashed his hopes by shrugging his shoulders as he replied, "I have been a healer only for a few months. And as far as I know, investigating the monster that is going to be hunted is not my job."


    That arrogance of his! Damien raised his hand and used his fingers to press on his forehead.


    "You don''t even know what you are facing," remarked Damien. He dropped his hand and stared at the four men with a stern gaze. "Please tell me that you have at least stocked enough weapons and potions to take a monster down."


    "What''s the matter with you?" Willis arched his salt pepper brow and said to Damien, "It''s just a decaying mole; we only need a little fire and some sharp weapons to cut off its tail. There is no need for us to worry too much about it."


    Glen, on the other hand, looked at Damien with a smug look on his face. He remarked, "Don''t tell me that you are scared?"He then added in a subtle voice, "If you are scared then you can leave. After all, we only asked you toe with us out of courtesy; there is no need to follow if you have wits like a mole. Hahaha!"


    Damien curled his lips in a mocking sneer. He turned to look at Xavier before saying to him, "Let''s go, Xavier. We don''t want to fall into a pit of death with fools."


    Before Xavier could say anything, Damien turned around on his feet and started walking away.


    Xavier nced at Damien before turning to look at the bunch of adventurers. As a warrior, it didn''t suit him to turn his back on a challenge, but after his arse being handed to him more than once, he knew that there must be a reason why Damien asked him toe with him.


    He narrowed his eyes and nced at the men behind him before saying to them, "You all better be careful."


    He then turned on his feet and marched away.


    The four men rolled their eyes while Garymented under his breath, "Why are they acting like they know better than us?"


    "They are the ones who got scared and pulled out; we never asked them to."


    "Maybe," Willis lowered his voice and stated, "They must be trying to scare us into giving up this mission and then hunt the decaying mole on their own. That way they would be able to get their hands on the entire reward!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the others agreed with him. It did make sense. Better than sharing the rewards with them, that man must be trying to scare them into giving up and taking the entire reward for himself.


    "That bastard!"


    Fortunately, they did not believe his words, or else they would have certainly suffered a loss.


    On the other side, Xavier followed Damien. He fell a step behind Damien and asked him, "Is it really alright for us to leave them alone like that?"


    "What else can we do?" Damien arched a brow and questioned. He was not the one being heartless; it was them who were being foolish.


    And he was not a damn hero either. Why would he put his life on the line for someone whom he did not even know about?


    "The decaying mole is not as simple as they think," Damien told Xavier. "It''s a mutated monster, if I am correct. That thing has a poisonous tail that can melt and infuse the flesh of a person within itself. Do you think those men are heading to a mission?"


    Damien raised his head and smirked at Xavier, "No. They are heading towards a suicidal mission."


    "And you are going to let them?" Xavier asked in disbelief. "I thought that you were a doctor who saves lives!"


    "Of course, I am," Damien threw his hands behind his head and stated, "But even if I tell them to stop now, will they? So it''s better to wait for them to return crawling on their knees."

 Chapter 99: Two bodies

    "Get out of here,"


    "Ahhh!"


    A man was thrown out of the moving carriage. Slumped on his ass, the man red at the thug who had thrown him on the ground, "Who are you? What are you doing? I was the one who hired this carriage¡ª"


    The rest of the words that the man wanted to say came to a halt as Alton swiped his ws at his neck. The head of the man rolled on the ground with blood sttering all over the ce.


    "Now, Now," Ollie with a smile on his face said to Alton, "What do you think you are doing? You shouldn''t do such a thing. If you go around murdering people like that then people will call the council on us."


    "Its his fault for being so chatty," Alton dug his ear with his forefinger and spat on the corpse of the man lying on the ground. "I pulled him nicely, why did he have to yap like that?"


    "You threw him on the ground."


    "Exactly! I didn''t cut his throat off from the start, thats count as something, doesn''t it?" Alton rolled his eyes.


    "Stop quarreling and get on," said Soel, he yawned and snapped his fingers in front of his mouth. "We have already wasted enough time as it is."


    Ollie rolled his eyes but didn''t retort and stepped inside the carriage. Alton followed behind him, while the carriage owner stared at the bunch of thugs who have taken over his carriage.


    "but¨C"


    "Do you want to say something, sonny?" Andres raised a brow as he showed off his long broad sword to the carriage owner.


    "N..No."


    "Then get off," Andres sneered. "Are you waiting for us to drag you down from the carriage as well, like him?"


    He tipped his head to the body lying on the ground.


    The carriage was the life and blood of the carriage owner but when he saw therge sword on Andres''s back, the carriage owner dared not to refuse. He jumped down the carriage and watched helplessly as a bunch of thugs hijacked his carriage.


    He thought of going back home and filing aint but before he could even change into his bird beastform, he felt something pierce his chest.


    Puff!


    Blood gushed out of his mouth as he looked down at the long tip that was sticking out of his chest, horrified the man turned and looked at the thug who had stabbed him from behind.


    "Sorry, sonny," Andres had his tongue dangling out of his mouth as he jeered at the carriage driver. "Can''t have you telling anyone that we were here. Don''t worry, we will leave your body in a real good ce."


    "A bird bath. Hahahaha!"


    Andres pulled out the sword and kicked the carriage owner to the side of the street before dumping it next to the trash can.


    He then returned to the carriage and got on before sitting down.


    While the others turned to look at him.


    "So?" Soel asked. "What happened to the seal?"


    "When have I taken a job and not finished it?" Andres asked back. He took out the ck box that had 3D skulls carved on three sides. Each skull showed a different face of terror every time the box was moved.


    Even though the entire thing was closed and wasn''t ying any melody, the five men could still feel a sort of terror in their hearts.


    Clyde''s expression twisted. He looked at Doomsday with half terror and half excitement before saying,


    "So this is Doomsday."


    The thing was really worthy of Azazel''s creation. It could ivoke a terror worse than their worst nightmares. And too with just its presence.


    "Indeed," Andres leaned back on his seat while the carriage started driving away. "The real deal. Had a hard time getting rid of the seal but guess what? I got rid of it."


    "Thats our leader for you!" Ollie pped his hands while hooting loudly.


    "Who would have thought though?" Soel yawned while looking at the music box. "This thing was once a simple music box owned by the third transcendental and now its a full fledged demonic tool."


    "Thats not all," said Andres with an evil smile on his face. "This is not just a demonic tool. Its something worse than that, as long as the Doomsday melody is yed, people will die a death that they fears the most. Imagine the chaos that it will ensue and once the people of this ind dies in a mass murder¨Cour names will be written down in the history! Just like Azazel!"


    "Now my brothers, lets begin our mission!"


    ***


    "Mass murder?" Levy''s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Wistoria. "How did such a thing fall in their hands, I thought that the things rted to Azazel were either destroyed or sealed by the Imperial family."


    Wistoria nced at him before saying, "You are forgettong something, Levy. These men were supposed to be in prison as well but they somehow broke through the prison and are now moving freely without rising any rm."


    Her expression was grim as she looked around the streets of the city, hoping to catch something amiss. A bunch of dark guild members were moving together, there was no way the city would be at peace.


    "This is going to be a tough one," Levy sternly muttered. "A bunch of dark guild members making a move is bad enough but if they are carrying a weapon that terrifying, then I am afraid that the matter will be difficult for us to solve."


    "I know¡ª"


    "I am telling you that these two bodies just appeared here!" A woman cried to the guards who were surrounding her inn. "I did not kill them and they are not a guest of my inn. You can take a look if you would like."


    Her voice was filled with anxiety as she eximed.


    Wistoria looked at Levy who looked back at her.


    "Is this¡­"


    "This is definitely the work of Andres. He is known to leave bodies behind every time hees to a stop."

 Chapter 100: Never wrong

    "What''s going on here?" Wistoria made her way towards the crowd and questioned one of the men standing at the back. At the front stood the guards from the magistrate''s office, and Wistoria believed it wasn''t a good move to alert the authorities so soon.


    The man turned to look at her, and his eyes shed with glee when he saw a beauty standing next to him.


    With a smarmy voice, he replied, "It''s nothing. It seems like two men were murdered by a few thieves, and their bodies were dumped near the trash can in this alley. It''s not a surprise with how fast crimes are getting out of hand in this city."


    Wistoria frowned upon hearing the response of the man. She turned and nced at Levy; the two exchanged a dark look before Wistoria turned on her feet and walked away.


    The man, however, was not aware of it. He had his head lowered and was still speaking, "But there is no need to fear, miss. If you are scared, then you stay with me. I can see that you are not from here, and as I work as a knight, I can definitely keep you safe. Don''t think I am lying¨C I am on holiday today, which is why I am dressed like this¡­"


    He raised his head and turned to look at the woman beside him. The man hoped to see a starry-eyed woman, looking at him as if he were her prince charming, only to find an elderly woman standing next to him.


    "Will you really do that for an old woman like me?" The elderly woman spoke with a shaky voice. "I am so d that there are such courageous men as you in this city. Now if you don''t mind, can you help me with these bags?"


    The man stared at the elderly woman and her shopping bags dreadfully. He wanted to charm a woman into his bed, not be a free coolie!


    On the other side, Wistoria was walking down the streets with a strangely worried look on her face.


    "It seems like those men are in a hurry," she remarked. "They even hijacked a carriage, even if it attracted the attention of the authorities."


    "Isn''t that a foolish thing to do?" Levy questioned as the two of them dodged the people rushing over to see thefanfare at the end of the street. "Now that the authorities are alerted, it''s only a matter of time before they are caught."


    "Not if they do the damage that they intend to do before they are arrested."


    And on that happy note, the two of them rushed to a horse stable. Getting past the crowd on a carriage was near to impossible now, with how the entire street was filled with crowds of people.


    ''I hope we make it in time,'' thought Wistoria worriedly as she headed inside the stable to rent a horse.


    On the other side,


    Inside the carriage, Andres was staring out of the window of the carriage. His eyes flickered as he looked at the people who were rushing towards their house or somewhere else.


    He clicked his tongue and muttered, "These people really don''t know how to keep mum.Look at them making a fuss over such an unimportant thing."


    "Only two bodies, and they are out of their minds. What will they do once they find out that their deaths are not that far away either?"


    Ollie picked his nose with his pinky. He blew the gunk off the tip once he was done before remarking, "Well, that''s why you should have burnt those bodies, Andres. Now the authorities are going toe after us."


    No sooner did he finish speaking; he felt a sting on the back of his palms. A searing hot sensation spread all over his body like molten magma recing his blood, and Ollie tumbled off the seat where he was sitting.


    Andres looked at the kneeling man, his scorpion stinger retracting.


    With a re, he said to Ollie, "Do you think that such a small thing can disrupt my ns?"


    "Of ¨COf course not," Ollie replied while trying to stop the screamsthat were bubbling in his throat from erupting.


    "That''s right," Asher said to him and the rest of the men inside the carriage as well as outside. "There is no way a little thing such as that will put a halt to our grand n. Unless one of you is stupid enough to announce it to the entire world."


    "Don''t worry, leader," Clyden stated warily while looking at Ollie, whoseplexion was turning pale. He hoped that Asher didn''t use an exaggerating amount of poison or else ¡ª


    He shook his head before saying tteringly, "There is no way any of us will do a thing as stupid as that." He nced at the rest of the guild members, who nodded at once.


    "That''s right."


    "Of course not."


    The others agreed at once, for they feared Andres''s wrath.


    Satisfied with their response, Andres smirked. He turned his head to the left and stared out the window.


    "Hmm, what is that?" He mused with an amused glint in his eyes.


    Clyde and the rest turned to look in the direction where their leader was looking.


    In front of them stood four men facing a giant, decaying mole monster.


    "Well, well, well.. Would you look at that?" Andres chuckled. He pulled his leg up the seat and snickered, "It seems like those adventurers are killing that poor thing."


    "Hmm," he tilted his head to one side before remarking, "Well, what should we do?" His eyes were glinting sharply. "I feel sorry for that little guy."


    He fumbled around with his cloak and soon took out a small vial from one of the pockets of the cloak.


    He then opened the window and took aim.


    The vial that was in his hands slipped past his fingers and headed straight to the decaying mole.


    CRACK.


    The ss vial shattered, and Andres''s lips curled up in an even more satisfied smirk, "Have fun, little one."

 Chapter 101: Acceptance of defeat

    Boom.


    "Something is wrong," Willie said to the rest of the team members. He was staring at the Decaying mole with a frown on his face. "A moment ago, I swear it looked like it was going to go down. But now it seems to have regained a lot of strength."


    Willie wasn''t the only one; the rest thought the same too. They looked at the giant mole and stepped back.


    Gary raised his hand and wiped the blood dripping down from the side of his abdomen. The cut that he received from the Decaying mole was yet to heal; even with Glen''s healing spells, the poison injected by the Decaying mole made it nearly impossible for his injuries to heal.


    "You better be joking with me," Gary grimaced. "I can''t even stand up straight if that thing gets any stronger than we all are fucked."


    Gary''s question was answered almost at once, as the decaying mole let out a shrill shriek. It turned to look at the four men who were hiding in a corner.


    "Can it sense us?" Glen asked no one in particr while looking at the Decaying Mole with disbelief. He turned to look at Tommy before asking him, "Did you not blind that thing?"


    "I did," Tommy replied. His eyes mirrored the same shock that was in Glenn''s eyes. He was sure that he had blinded the Decaying Mole in thest attack.


    "It''s healing!" Willie gasped while looking at that Decaying Mole in shock. "It is actually healing!?"


    "What?" Glen and the rest gasped. They all turned to look at the Decaying Mole and it was just as Willie said, that motherfucking thing was really healing.


    And that too at an exponential rate!


    "How¡­ How is this possible?" Tommy clutched his arm that had been almost severed by that thing. Even Glen couldn''t heal his arm that was hanging by a sinew as the poison of the Decaying Mole made it impossible for the healing spells to work. They could only wait for their bodies to finish processing the Decaying Mole''s poison.


    Tommy looked down at his severed arm and muttered, "What''s going on? I should have gotten better by now."


    "What should we do now?" Willie turned to look at Gary. "Should we fall back?" Now he regretted not listening to the advice of that man.


    He warned them!


    That it was not as easy as they thought it was to kill a Decaying Mole and yet they foolishly thought that the man was trying to scare them. If they had been careful, then nothing like this would have happened!


    Doubling back and stocking potions and weapons seemed really tempting now.


    However, with a gigantic mole eager to absorb their bodies and essence, it was a tad bit difficult ¡ª


    The Decaying Mole smashed its tails against the ground and a huge crater appeared in front of them.


    Okay, it was a lot more difficult.


    "What now?" Willie asked nervously while clutching his sword.


    "We are going to take it down," Gary gritted his teeth. "There is no point in running away, the Decaying Moles are known for chasing their prey. It will follow us even if we were to run away. Since that is the case then we might as well try our best to kill it."


    "What if we cannot kill it?" Tommy asked with a gulp.


    "Then we die trying!"


    With that Gary charged at the Decaying Mole.


    "AHHHH!" Gary roared as he morphed into a gigantic gori. With his strong legs, he jumped in the air and brought his fists down heavily.


    BANG!


    The sound of the ground cracking echoed in the surroundings as clouds of dust rose in the air. But as soon as the dust settled, they saw that the spot where the Decaying Mole was standing was empty.


    "Where did it go?" Willie asked while looking at the empty ground.


    "UWAH!" Glen and Tommy let out a shriek when they felt the ground shake.


    "What¡ªwhat''s going on?" Willie yelped. He watched the ground rise higher and higher in the air, and soon a giant hole appeared on top of the giant anthill.


    And from the inside rushed out a bunch of mole skeletons.


    "Shit!"


    "What''s that?"


    Tommy and Willie cursed as they looked at the skeletons that were rushing towards them.


    "Go," Glen clenched his jaw and said harshly, "There is no point in escaping like Gary said. We can''t get out of here unless that thing is dead."


    The mutated beasts like Decaying Mole had a great memory. They would never forget their predators and attackers and wouldn''t rest until they killed the threats that targeted them.


    So escaping was not an option as this thing would chase them either through their scent or blood.


    Willie and Tommy nced at one another, but then the two of them gritted their teeth and charged at the Decaying Mole.


    Willie twisted in the air, and his humanoid form changed into a giant tarant while Tommy morphed into a fox.


    The tarant shot arge sticky spider web at the mole skeletons, while it did squash a few¡ªit seemed useless as the mole skeletons broke and then reformed themselves almost at once.


    And the second they reformed, they started to nibble and tear the sticky spider web.


    Tommy was also attacked by the mole skeletons, causing him to slump on the ground.


    "No, this can''t...argh!"


    Glen cursed in agony. He raised his head and looked at the gigantic Decaying Mole that seemed to have gotten even bigger than before.


    ''That thing¡­it can absorb my mana?'' Glen thought as he felt his mana draining at a rapid pace.


    How ¨Chow could it be possible?


    If this went on then¨C


    "We are going to die," Glen muttered.


    Crunch.


    The sound of something snapping and breaking echoed in his ears, and Glen looked down at his feet.


    Several mole skeletons were scampering up his legs ¡ª


    "No..No¡­No¡­ Someone save us! We were wrong! Help! Help!!"


    If he had known that this would happen, he would have refused that man!

 Chapter 102: King

    "Xavier!"


    The sound of a wolf howling echoed in the clearing, followed by a raging storm of fire that burnt the mole skeletons into piles of ashes.


    "Dear, Dear..this is why I asked you to listen to me." Damien stepped forward. "Look, you had toe crawling back to me, didn''t you?"


    He turned and looked at Glen, who was standing on the side with a smirk on his face. "Why should you listen when elders are talking, you see?"


    As he spoke, he snapped his fingers, and a bluish glow erupted all over the clearing where they were standing, and Glen felt like his mana that had been sucked recovered. Though it didn''t recoverpletely, it was much better than before


    "From the next time, use your heads a little," remarked Damien as he and Xavier stepped towards the battlefield. "Why would anyone put a reward of 2.3 million gold coins on a simple mole?"


    [You have used the newly acquired skill.]


    [The King skill has been used.]


    [Mana has been shared.]


    [With the application of the ''King'' skill, the mana has been restored by 25%]


    [Level up to share more mana.]


    Damien looked at the blue fumes that were rising and falling through his fingertips and clenched his fist.


    This was the new skill that he acquired after learning how to control his mana a few days ago. It was quite a surprise that he was able to awaken this skill, as ording to Xavier this skill was something that only the heir of the throne could awaken.


    Four days ago,


    ''I can''t do this anymore,'' Xavier dropped his sword on the ground. He sat down with his legs spread wide and his hands resting on his knees, He looked at Damien with an aggrieved expression before saying to Damien, ''We have been sparring for more than three days, even if I am a warrior¡ªI have my limits, Lord Damien.''


    ''Oh,e on.'' Damien ced his sword and supported his body with it. ''I just need a bit more push. I promise that I will learn how to circte my mana properly. At least enough to summon Waterde.''


    ''And I am telling you that it is impossible,'' Xavier deadpanned. ''Even if the Tartarite nails have melted off due to the Impert Snake venom, it''s not that easy to circte one''s mana. The children of beastmen learn how to control their mana in the beastcore from a young age.''


    ''And it''s only after sixteen or seventeen years can summon and use the weapons that choose them. As for controlling their beast form, that''s also really difficult. Many children stay in their beast form till they are ten or eight years old.''


    ''If they are not careful, then they end up twisting themselves.''


    ''Twisting?''


    ''They end up in a form that is neither that of a beast nor a human. It''s really difficult to return to one form after that, as the pain makes one crazy.''


    Damien didn''t wish to turn into a half-snake and half-human. How foolish would he look if he were to turn into a dragon with legs and the head of a human?


    He shuddered and said to Xavier, ''I am not trying to change into my beast form, Xavier. Just a little more¡­ I have a feeling that I am very close to summoning Waterde.''


    ''Even if I wanted to, I cannot help you anymore,'' Damien heard Xavier say as he got to his feet and dusted off the dirt on his pants. ''My mana has run out after sparring with you for continuous three days without much rest.''


    Damien frowned when he heard that Xavier''s mana had been emptied. He knew that the beast core was like a container that held mana within it, but he didn''t think about the capacity carefully.


    Do I have to spar alone? He thought. Damien didn''t think it was going to help him much, but at the same time, he didn''t wish to stop here and now. Especially when he could feel a force underneath the surface of his beast core.


    It felt like a suppressed water flow against the surface of the ground, all it needed was another push, another hit and ¡ª


    However, when he looked at Xavier who was obviously looking a bit sick, Damien held himself back from pushing him too much.


    What was he doing? Did he forget how William pushed him to work harder and harder? How did he feel back then? Didn''t he wish William to be a bit understanding?


    Now he was doing the same thing as William. Just because of his desire to get stronger, he was pushing Xavier to this degree.


    He sighed, feeling a bit annoyed.


    ''Xavier, I¡ª''


    [Congrattions! You have taken a step towards being a true monarch!]


    [Being understanding towards the pain and suffering towards your people is the first step towards being a good ruler.]


    [Reward unlocked: King.]


    [Allows the user to share 25% of his mana with a chosen target.]


    ''What the¡­'' Damien turned to look at Dan, who was hovering next to his head. ''What is going on? I don''t think that this is a skill rted to the medical field?''


    If he was going to give him a new skill, Dan should have chosen something else!


    Dan turned to look at him. However, for some reason, the 3D hologram looked a bit wiser than usual, and Damien heard him say, ''Who said that? You are forgetting that you are a medium between the beast world and the human world. Thus there will be times when you will awaken skills that are not rted to the medical field of the human world but the beast world.''


    ''You are an anomaly, Damien. Thus, your skills will be different from others.''


    Damien snapped out of the memory of that day and turned to look at Dan, who was fluttering next to his head. After that day, he had asked Dan about what he meant by those words, however, the AI system told him that he had no recollection of such a thing happening.


    As to whether he was lying or something took over him, Damien was yet to find out about it.

 Chapter 103: Take the Mole down

    Glen raised his head in surprise as he looked up at Damien in surprise.


    "Is there such a skill that can restore mana?'' Glen wondered.


    However, he knew that it was impossible.


    When he was a young trainee at the temple, he had asked one of his seniors whether someone could restore their mana after using it up.


    ''Why are you saying something silly for no reason? How can there be such a good thing? Do you not know that every beast man has limited mana, which they need to replenish before using it again?"


    ''Without proper replenishing, it is impossible for a person to restore their mana.''


    ''In the history of Brystoria, only one beastman could do something as crazy as that ¨Cand you know who it was.''


    "You¡­"


    Damien turned and looked at the healer who was kneeling on the ground.


    "Hmm?"


    As soon as he made a sound, Glen jumped to his feet and charged at Damien. He clung to his legs and shouted, "Just who are you? Are you Lord Ruben? Are you his incarnation or are you his disciple?"


    Other than Ruben Brystoria, the first transcendental beast man, no one had a skill where they could restore one''s mana. This man had to be rted to him!


    "T¨CThis lowly one had shown you disrespect; please forgive me for my imprudence!" As Glen spoke, he kneeled in front of Damien with his head pressing on the ground.


    "Dude.. what is wrong with you?" Damien stepped away from the man. He was all in when it came to being respected and treated as a hero, but someone kneeling in front of him as if he were a god was where he drew the line.


    However, Glen didn''t seem to be listening.


    "...I swear that I will never breathe a word of the grace that you have shown me. Please forgive me for not being able torecognise you."


    Damien felt speechless. He turned to look at Xavier, who was hacking down the mole skeletons. He had a feeling that there was something missing in the information that Xavier gave to him.


    "Alright, thank you for your wonderful support. Now can you step aside. We need to deal with these bunch of moles," Damien said to the man.


    "Yes! Yes," Glen said to him with a ttering smile on his face. "I will do as you asked; you can tell me to do anything, and I will do it for you, my lord."


    "Yeah, for now, how about taking care of the moles?" Damien asked as he walked towards the giant mole rat. In front of him, Xavier was having a hard time dealing with the skeletons of the moles as they charged at him. While he burnt most of it, it was as if the beast had an unlimited supply of mole rat bones.


    Which he did as its decaying tail had a multitude of bones stuck in its rotting flesh.


    No matter how many skeletons were burnt, hundreds and thousands of new skeletons would appear in front of them once again.


    Even Xavier was having a hard time dealing with them, as the wave after wave of skeleton mole rats was simply too much for even him to handle.


    His gaze fell on the three unconscious beasts who were lying on their deathbed because of the continuous attacks of the Decaying Mole.


    "Yes sir!" Behind him, Damien heard Glen speak, and a secondter he heard the man start chanting.


    "O'' dear Lord Icretus. I plead for your guidance; under the mercy of the heavenly being, lend me your power!"


    A bright golden light shed in the forest, followed by small, flowing waves of molten gold. Bit by bit, the molten streams of gold interlocked and intercepted one another as a giant, transparent beehive like structure formed in front of Damien and Xavier.


    The skeletons of the mole rats that were attacking them turned into bits and pieces as the shield touched them.


    The Decaying mole rat beast must have sensed that something was amiss. It stopped sending waves of mole rat skeletons towards them. Instead it let out a shrill roar.


    Xavier paused in his actions, and even Damien stopped as the two of them eyed the giant mole rat with a wary look in their eyes.


    They waited to see what kind of trick the monster was trying to pull and two secondster, as the bones of the mole rats moved and joined together to be mini copies of the gigantic mole rat.


    "This damn thing really took self love to a new level," Damien muttered as he looked at the two giant skeletons.


    Though they slowed down a bit due to the shield that Glen created, it didn''t do much damage to them.


    "Can you take care of them?" Damien asked as he grasped the vial in his hands tightly. Even if he didn''t feel like this n that he and Xavier came up with was going to work. He was going to try it.


    After all, one could only do what they thought was right and hope for the best.


    Xavier nced at the vial that he was holding in his hands and questioned, "Do you think that this is going to work, Lord Damien."


    "Don''t you trust me?" Damien asked.


    "No," Xavier replied with a shake of his head.


    "Good, I don''t either," Damien patted the man on his shoulder before saying, "We just have to try our best man."


    "Our best," Xavier breathed out as the ears on his head twitched. Hey don''t ask him how he could understand what Xavier was saying when all he was doing was growling.


    Xavier unsheathed his ws before remarking, "Then I hope that your best will get us out of here pretty soon, Lord Damien."


    Damien didn''t reply to his words; instead, he took three steps in front of Xavier before muttering, "Do you think that I want to stay here?"


    ____


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 Chapter 104: Inferiority

    There was a reason why this mole rat had a price of 2.3 million gold coins ced on his head. And that was ¡ªits tail.


    Damien dodged to one side when the mole rat aimed its tail at his head. If he was not careful enough then that thing would have taken his head off.


    [Disemboweling Poison.]


    This thing''s poison was not the usual kind. One touch was enough for it to melt off the flesh of its prey, if one wasn''t careful enough then they would seriously get hurt.


    ''Fortunately, I know just the thing to get rid of it,'' thought Damien. He clenched the vial in his hands tightly and absorbed the slightly brownish liquid. With his absorbing skill, it didn''t take long for Damien to infuse the pest repellent that he had created for this monster.


    Ginger and Castor oil.


    As castor oil was a medicinal oil, Damien used a few points to purchase it, and ginger could be found anywhere. They together created a scent that was fatal to mole rats, though this was not one of those cute mole rats¡­ Damien''s skill was not simple either.


    He charged at the Decaying mole rat and summoned the disinfectant spell. The brownish-golden fumes rose from his fingertips and then covered the mole rat that stood in front of him.


    Once the speed of the mole rat slowed down, Damien unsheathed the Waterde.


    "Now! Xavier!" Damien infused his mana in the sword, and three secondster, a de made from water itself appeared.Though the de was made from water, Damien knew that it was sharp enough to cut through the hardest object.


    He raised the sword with both of his hands and then aimed it right at the head of the decaying mole rat.


    On the side, Xavier also shed his ws at the hind legs of the decaying mole rat.


    SCREEE!!!


    ''What the¡­'' Damien''s eyes widened when he realised what the monster was doing. He turned to one side but the monster was faster, its tail whipped Damien across the waist.


    "Argh!" Damien grimaced in pain as he fell to the ground and rolled to one side.


    "Lord Damien," Xavier called out.


    "I am fine," Damien gritted his teeth as he pushed himself off the ground. He red at the monster and clenched the sword in his hand.


    He didn''t expect this thing to be so annoying.


    Even after having his head smashed with a sword, it was still standing.


    The two giant skeleton mole rats also turned to face Damien as if deciding that he was the bigger threat among the three men who were standing.


    Behind them, Glen was still chanting the spells, but when he saw Damien fall to the ground, he wanted to rush over and help the person.


    "O'' great being! Shall I heal your wounds?" He asked worriedly.


    "There is no need," Damien got to his feet as he swung his sword at the skeleton monster that snapped its teeth at him.


    It was surprising that even without its eyes, the thing was really sharp at catching his moves.


    "These damned things," Damien cursed as the two skeleton mole rats charged at him. If one was trying to bite his head off, the other was trying to take a chunk off his hand.


    Seeing him being overwhelmed by those things, Xavier had to temporarily set aside dealing with the Decaying mole rat and rush to his aide.


    HOWL.


    Xavier let out a howl and then charged at the two skeleton beasts.


    His ws shed at the limbs of the mole rats, while Damien shed his sword at the heads. The two were so engrossed in dealing with the skeleton rats that they forgot about the real thing.


    The Decaying mole rat took advantage of their momentary distractions and charged at Damien.


    "Ahhh!" Damien let out a scream of agony as he looked at the mole biting his arm. He raised his hand and released more of the pest repellent before pulling his arm away from therge teeth of the mole rate.


    [Caution.]


    [Abnormal condition.]


    "You are losing too much blood, host," Dan said. "Would you like to use your Vibrant Vitality?"


    "Wait a bit longer," Damien suppressed the scream that was lodged in his throat. He could feel his arm almost on the verge of snapping in half and falling onto the ground. This damned thing.


    It actually tried to cut off his dominant arm.


    "It seems like you are quite smart. No wonder you are a rare monster," Damien muttered while eyeing the beast. He picked up the Water de with his left hand and clenched it with his fingers. "But what should we do? As a doctor, I can use both of my HANDS."


    He charged at the monster and swung his sword heavily.


    SCREEE!


    The Decaying Mole let out a shriek as it raised its body on its hind legs and brought it heavily down. Damien rolled to the left while Xavier dodged to the right; the two charged at the thing together.


    And it was then ¡ª


    Ba dump.


    Damien felt his heart skip several beats as the Waterde in his hand turned into a normal sword. Even Xavier''s pace slowed down, and his beast turned that of a half human and half wolf.


    "This thing can actually use Inferiority," Xavier was half impressed and half annoyed. "It can suck the mana of a person," he exined when Damien turned to look at him with confusion in his eyes.


    Good guy.


    Damien cursed the monster beast as he sheathed his sword and took out a dagger. He looked at the decaying mole rat with a look of trepidation on his face.


    "Quite smart, aren''t you?" This monster used its ace skill at the right moment, such that Damien wouldn''t be able to use his skills properly.


    But what were they supposed to do?


    Damien charged in, his lips curled in a smirk as he opened [Eye of Observation] and at the same time summoned the pest repellent spell.


    "I don''t rely on mana to beat a dead rat''s ass."


    He twisted in the air before smashing the tip of his dagger right into the throat of the rat.


    __


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 Chapter 105 : Tower of Helion

    Thud.


    The Decaying mole rat fell on the ground as blood started to pool underneath it.Damien heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that this menace had finally stopped causing trouble.


    With a sigh he looked down at his ripped arm and the blood seeping from the wound at his back. He said to Dan, "You can use Vibrant Vitality now."


    [Skill Activation.]


    [Vibrant Vitality]


    [100%]


    [Wounds detected.]


    The wound on his arm glowed before the rip in his arm waspletely healed.


    "I really thought I was going to die," he said to Xavier who walked over to him. His pants were hanging low on his waist as he looked down at the Decaying Mole lying on the ground. "Fortunately, I didn''t even lose my hands or legs.I was sure that I was going to walk out of here as an iplete man."


    "Don''t worry, Lord Damien," Xavier raised his head and looked at Damien with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Even if the monster had attacked you, that thing is too small for it to bite properly."


    "Too what¡ª small?" Damien questioned and after a short pause he realised what the man was trying to say. His expression turned dark as he pointed the dagger at Xavier''s face and said, "Don''t make me strip in front of you. Because I will surely do it."


    "Will it change anything?" Xavier remarked.


    "You bastard¡ª"


    Damien was interrupted by a loud ding as a notification bar appeared in front of him.


    [You have killed a rare monster.]


    [Congrattions for unlocking an achievement.]


    [You will receive a reward.]


    ''I should be given a reward,'' thought Damien as he looked at the notificationbar in front of him. After all this was all hard work.


    "Let''s see what kind of reward I am going to receive," Damiem muttered as he tapped on the notification screen.


    [Performance reward is being deduced.]


    {You have received a new skill.}


    [Acupuncture Gallery.]


    As soon as he finished reading the words on the screen, a model of the human body appeared in front of him. From the top of the head to the little toe, every single acupuncture point was disyed on the screen.


    "This¡­" Damien''s eyes widened. If not for the fact that he had another thing that he needed to deal with, he would have already sat down to read the information disyed in front of him.


    ¡­This was really too good.


    As a resident doctor, he only learned the modern medicinal procedures but he never paid any attention to the traditional ones. However , it seemed like the system was bent on making him omnipotent, even giving out an entire glossary of acupuncture points.


    If he was to learn these acupuncture points, a lot of problems would be simplified.


    It was indeed quite a sweet reward.


    While Damien was studying the acupuncture dummy, Glen rushed over to his side.


    "O'' great one. Thank you so much for your help," he came to a stop beside Damien and bowed his head.


    "Ah, Healer Glen. You did a great job," Damien praised while looking at the healer who shook his head.


    He said to Damien, " Compared to you, I didn''t do anything. It was all thanks to you that I was able to survive today. Don''t worry, I will not say a word about this to anyone."


    "Will you spare me the nonsense and wake your team members up?" Damien smiled at the healer. "I still need to talk about how the reward is going to be distributed."


    "Y¨CYes!" Glen turned to look at the three men, while Damien turned to look at Xavier. The man was picking something up from the corpse of the Decaying Mole.


    He brought it to his nose and sniffed it quietly .


    "What''s wrong?" Damien asked as he looked at Xavier whose expression had turned sombre.


    "Its Amplyifying potion," Xavier replied. His eyes flickered uneasily as he sharply looked around the forest. "This potion is used by the dark guilds to strengthen and mutate the monsters. It was banned ages ago but it seems like¡­ someone got their hands on it."


    Damien''s brows furrowed immediately as he too looked around. "You mean to say those people went past this forest."


    "They must have," Xavier clenched the piece of the broken shard and crumbled it into dust. "This is bad, this path leads to the Tower of Helion."


    Damien had no idea what Xavier was talking about, but it made him nervous.


    Xavier however didn''t waste his time. He fetched the messenger orb from the sack that he was carrying and then called Wistoria,


    "Xavier."


    "They are heading towards the Tower of Helion," Xavier told Wistoria without waiting for thetter to speak.


    When Wistoria heard that the dark guild members were heading towards the Tower of Helion, her eyes flickered with unease. Today was monday which meant that there would be a lot of beast men offering and praying at the Tower of Helion.


    If those people were to y the melody of Doomsday at the Tower of Helion. It would be no different than a massacre.


    "Understood, I am heading over there," Wistoria said to Xavier. She ended the connection of the messenger orb and turned to look at Levy before saying to him, "We are heading to the Tower of Helion."


    Levy''s eyes flickered with unease but he nodded in response. Squeezing the sides of his horse, he whipped it at the hind leg, "Giddyup!"


    On the other side, Damien turned to look at Xavier. He asked, "Do we head over to the Tower of Helion now?"


    "Yes," Xavier replied. They didn''t have time to waste.


    Damien frowned at his response before turning to look at the three men who were in need of critical help.


    They seemed to have lost a lot of blood. If he were to leave them alone, the chances of them dying would be rather high.


    After a quick thought, Damien said to Xavier, "You go first, I will follow youter on."

 Chapter 106 : Followed

    "Lord Damien," Xavier began, but Damien shook his head. He pointed to the men lying on the ground and said to him, "I cannot leave them alone. If I do, then they will certainly die."


    Behind him, even though Glen was sweating profusely, the injuries of those three men were not getting any better. And the more time Glen wasted, the more those men would lose blood. If this went on, then one of them would certainly die!


    If not¨Call of them!


    Xavier looked at Damien. He gritted his teeth and asked, "But how will you find us?"


    "Don''t worry! I will be with Lord Damien!"


    Just as Xavier finished speaking, Maui, who had been hiding in the tufts of leaves, flew out and raised his paw. He looked quite thrilled about it!


    Damien and Xavier not so much.


    "What are you doing here?" Damien asked while looking at the flying stead.


    He was sure he left Maui at the Wolfe mansion and asked Prsici to take care of him.


    Maui stiffened when he heard Damien''s question. He blinked his eyes before turning around, but before the rabbit could fly away, Damien caught hold of the rabbit ears and pulled him back.


    "Where do you think you are going, hmm?" Damien asked with an evil smile. "You dare to run away from me?"


    "N¨CNo¡­ I just wanted to relieve myself," Maui replied with a ttering smile.


    Damien didn''t say anything; instead, he carefully peered down at the stead. "Tell the truth," he ordered.


    Maui trembled before answering, "IfollowedyouwithThalia." He sounded like he had swallowed a dictionary and was now regurgitating.


    "What?"


    The stead inhaled sharply before saying in a low voice, "I followed you with Thalia. The two of us were worried that something might happen to you, Lord Damien."


    Damien blinked his eyes and then turned to look at the bush that trembled behind Maui. He exhaled heavily before asking, "Thalia, is that you?"


    "No, I am ¨CI am a cat."


    Damien: ¡­


    "Come out," Damien said to the woman sternly. He couldn''t believe these two!They followed him all the way here and didn''t even tell him.


    A secondter, Thalia stood up from behind the bush where she was hiding. With twiddling thumbs she walked over to where Damien was standing and smiled at him charmingly, "Lord Damien."


    Her voice was hoarse and seductive causing Damien to tremble. He pointed at her and said strictly, "Speak properly!"


    What was she doing calling him in that voice?


    Thalia pursed her lips as she straightened up and called Damien as she usually did, "Lord Damien."


    Damien felt angry, even upset. He had asked the two to stay behind because he knew this mission was nothing but a crazy way to die. If they were not careful, there was a very good chance that someone might die.


    He didn''t want to put their lives in danger, which was why he asked them to stay at Aeloria and they did not listen!


    "Thalia," he began but the woman didn''t give him a chance to speak, she knelt on the ground and said to Damien,


    "I know that you are angry with me, but I just wanted to follow you and serve for all the help you have given to my father and I."


    Damien was indeed furious enough¡ªto start rapping the scolding that he had prepared in his mind, his anger crumbled the second he saw the woman kneeling in front of him.


    Forget it.


    Since she and Maui were already here, there was no point in getting angry anymore. It wasn''t as if he was going to send them back now that they were here.


    "Get up," he said to Thalia.


    He turned to look at Xavier before saying to him, "See? Now you don''t have to worry. I will arrive at the tower with Maui."


    ''Now, I have to worry even more,'' Xavier thought while looking at Thalia, who was staring at Damien with eyes that held hearts. He couldn''t understand what the woman even found attractive in Damien.


    But when he thought about how Wistoria would have to deal with those dark guild members alone, he closed his eyes and nodded heavily. "Very well. But if I don''t see you in an hour," he turned to look at Maui and said to him, "I am skinning that stead alive and roasting it."


    "EEEP!?" Maui flew behind Damien while peering at the wolf-beast man with a terrified look on his face. This man¨C he was not a good person!


    Damien also felt that Xavier was being a bit too overbearing. Why was he bullying a poor rabbit for no reason?


    "Don''t say such threatening words," Damien reproachfully said to the wolf beastman. "You are scaring him."


    "It was not a threat." Xavier turned to Maui and stated, "It was a fact. So keep your eyes peeled and wings spread, understand?"


    After he finished speaking, Xavier turned on his feet and morphed into his beast form. The pants that he was wearing ripped into shreds as he charged past the forest.


    Maui felt his threatening words ring in his ears and turned to look at Damien. "Lord Damien! You have to go with me to the Tower of Helion in an hour! Might as well go now, or else I will turn into a roasted rabbit."


    "Don''t worry. It''s alright," Damien patted the head of the poor stead. "He was just saying those words for fun; he would never do such a thing to you."


    Damien said that, but he looked doubtful.


    ''I don''t believe you.'' Maui looked at the man and immediately decided to write his will, which included his favourite pillow and hay.


    While Maui was worried about his life and death, Damien walked over to where Glen stood and looked down at the three men with pale faces.


    "What did you do?" Damien asked.


    "I-O'' great one. I gave them the blessings of Icratus," repliedGlen fretfully. "But it seems like¡ªit''s not enough. Their bleeding is not stopping."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 107: Universal Blood Type

    Damien nced at the three adventurers and crouched down. He told Dan, "Assess their conditions and tell me their stats."


    "Right away, host," Dan agreed as he flew over to the three adventurers and, with a pondering look, started assessing their conditions. His little hand rested on his chin as he continued to do so.


    After two minutes, multiple screens appeared in front of Damien depicting the health status of the three men.


    The bone alignment of Willie''s foot was disturbed. He didn''t look good with the continuous blood loss, and the other two were the same; one of them had their arm snapped off, and only a little skin and sinew were holding it together.


    And the other one had a deep gash on his abdomen.


    As for the blood loss, it was better to not even start on it, as the three men had lost quite a generous amount of it, and to make things worse, neither of them was from the same species.


    Damien pursed his lips after he finished reading the stats.


    This wasn''t good, thought Damien as he stopped reading the information written on the screen and turned his attention back to the three adventurers.


    "Dan, is there a way to perform a blood transfusion without the necessary blood type?" Damien asked. They were stranded in the middle of a forest; where was he supposed to get his hands on a gori, a tarant, and a fox?


    And even if he somehow managed to find these three beast types, would these three men be able to wait till then?


    It was better to think of another alternative!


    "Hmmm," Dan mused. "There is indeed a way."


    "What way?" Damien asked with an eager voice.


    "You can turn your blood into an omnipotent blood type," replied Dan, and Damien immediately understood what the AI system was telling him.


    "Like a universal blood group," he asked, and Dan nodded.


    "That''s right. It will be much better to have your blood changed into a universal blood type," exined Dan. "The beast world is different from the human world. Thest time you got lucky, the man who needed the blood had someone born from the same tribe and species. There were slightplications, but it worked in the end; however, you cannot start a blood donation camp, can you?"


    "So it''s better for you to use a special skill and change your blood type into a universal blood donor, like the O blood group in your world."


    Dan paused and added, "As the blood that flows in your veins is that of a dragon, I believe that it should work."


    "Then what do I need to do?" Damien was willing to take the risk as he wished to save as many lives as possible. How many lives have been lost due tock of blood? It was better to turn his blood type into a universal one.


    But soon Damien found that there was a problem with what Dan said; he was just one person... How could he take out so much blood to save the three men?


    If he donated so much blood, wouldn''t he be the one who had to lie down and recover for three days and a week?


    "You don''t have to worry, host," Dan said with his arms spread wide like a child, telling him that he had won a prize in the games. "I have just the thing to make your blood universal."


    "Really that''s¡ª" Damien paused and narrowed his eyes suspiciously while looking at Dan. "Why didn''t you give it to me back then? What''s the catch?"


    "There is no catch," Dan shook his head. He said to Damien, "The points that you earn are like little chunks of mana. The more mana you earn the more Dan can create new rewards and skills to aid you host."


    The reward was indeed tempting but Damien had a feeling that there was something terribly wrong with what Dan said.


    But when he thought about the threatening condition these three men were at that moment, he gritted his teeth and agreed.


    "Very well," Damien said. "Give it to me."


    Dan smiled before snapping his fingers. A small packet that resembled a powdered drink appeared in front of Damien. He caught it in his hands and looked down at the packet.


    "What is this?"


    "Don''t question anything, just drink it," Dan said to him.


    This only made the rm bells in his head ring even more harshly. He looked at Dan who looked back at him, Damien was certain that there was something wrong with what the AI system was asking him to do.


    But he still tore the packet open and poured it in the vial of bottle that he was carrying with him.


    He moved the bottle two to three times in an anticlockwise direction before lifting it to his lips.


    It just tasted just like how it looked¡ªorange juice. Almost immediately, a warm sensation spread through his limbs. It was pleasant at first, but then it turned painfully hot, searing as if his insides were being cooked.


    He doubled over, and the sk fell from his hands. "What kind of thing did you give to me?"


    "Don''t worry, host," Dan said. "The pain will pass; you just need to hang on a little more."


    Damien felt like Dan was asking for a bit too much. His entire body was shaking, and he felt the jitters so hard that he was sure his bones were quivering.


    "O'' great one! Are you alright?" The healer rushed to where Damien was crouching.


    Damien tried to tell him that he was alright, but the pain was simply excruciating. It nearly made him ck out.


    However, after three or four minutes, his insides that were bubbling hot started to cool down and by the time the sensationpletely stopped Damien heard a ding go off in his head.


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked universal blood type.]


    ''Fuck your mother,'' that was thest thought Damien had as he slumped on the ground.


    __


    Please leave a golden ticket, my dear readers! The cry of a broke author''s heart.

 Chapter 108: Tower of Helion

    Damien didn''t ck out, the pain was too much for him to faint. With his body slumped on the floor, he breathed in and out before pushing himself on his fours.


    "O'' great one, are you alright?" Glen asked while looking at Damien, who waved his hand and slowly got back to his feet.


    "I am fine," Damien felt like his insides had been cooked. And boy, it was a feeling that he would never want to have. He walked over to the three men before summoning the blood transfusion kit from his inventory.


    Instead of wasting his time deciding whom to help first, Damien turned to look at Gary, whose injuries were the first. With his blood now a universal group, he started the blood transfusion while sewing back Gary''s torn arm, which nowy limply on the ground.


    [Congrattions! You have treated another patient.]


    [Fame: +32]


    [Precision: +4]


    [Would you like to use the points to purchase the blood transfusion kit?]


    Damien gritted his teeth and cursed the system for sucking his blood; nheless, he stillpurchased the two more blood transfusion kits. He had earned these points by making pills and now ¨C


    Sobs.


    Damien could feel his heart break worse than the time when his girlfriend broke up with him.


    Who said that the worst thing that could happen to a man was heartbreak? Just spend a day being broke!


    "Don''t worry host," Dan heard Damien''sints and said to him, "This is for your own good, the more fame points you exchange with me..the more helpful I will be to you."


    "Don''t you still want to find a way to refine the cancer treatment potion?"


    Damien''s actions paused when he heard Dan''s words. Did he? Of course he did!


    ''Dami, stop crying. I am fine.'' the woman lying on the bed smiled at him while cupping hischeek.


    Damien who was only eighteen back then cried in an ugly manner. He couldn''t understand why God had to be so unfair to him, he was left at the orphanage and grew up without parents.


    The only person who was kind to him was the director of the orphanage.


    And she too¨C


    ''I will find a way. I will save you¡­ this ¡­this cancer will not take you away from me,'' Damien promised and the director smiled at him even widely.


    ''Of course, you will. With you here, how can I worry?''


    But of course¡ª with his skills how could he save her?


    Damien''s eyes dimmed and he clenched the needle between his fingers. Back then he couldn''t save the person whom he cared for the most. But was he not going to let anyone go through the same pain as him?


    Without saying anything to Dan, he continued treating the three men.


    Once he was done sewing the torn arm, Damien used the rewarded points to purchase two more blood transfusion kits. He attached them to the two men before dealing with their other injuries.


    "Eye of observation," Damien called out. A screen appeared in front of him. The X-ray showed the broken bone which was snapped into two halves.


    Fortunately the bone was cleanly snapped and not into tiny bits or else he would have to perform a surgery.


    "Do you have a piece of cloth?" he asked Glen who nodded and turned to run towards the cloth sack that he had brought with him. From the sack he pulled out a piece of cloth and handed it to Damien.


    Damien took the piece of cloth from him before looking around, when he didn''t find what he was looking for, he turned and said to Thalia, "Go and find me two blocks of wood. Not too thick but sturdy enough to hold things together."


    "Yes!" Thalia replied. She walked over to the tree on their left and used her talons toswipe at the trunk of the tree. Two square wooden pieces fell on the ground which she brought to Damien happily.


    Damien took the pieces, sterilised them and then used the two to set Willie''s broken leg. However as soon as he moved his leg, Willie woke up yelling.


    "Keep him still," Damien said to Thalia, who pushed Willie down.


    "AHHH! What are you doing? What do you think you are doing?" Willie screamed as he tried to shake off Thalia, who was holding him down.


    "Calm down; we are just fixing the broken bones in your leg," Damien said to Willie, who was moving his leg too much.


    "Let go! It hurts so much! I said stop¡ª"


    SLAP!


    He didn''t even finish what he was saying when Thalia raised her hand and pped him.


    "Quit iling around; you are an adventurer. A warrior! And a warrior breaks bones every day. Why are you crying like a sissy?"


    The men were stupefied.


    Damien, who was about to use an anaesthesia spell, looked at Willie, who had turned silent. He brought his hand down and, with a snap, set the broken bone.


    "Clean their wounds with alcohol and warm water," he told Glen while sewing the wound on Timmy''s abdomen. "If you leave them unattended, then they will fester. So it will be better if you use clean piece of cloth, alcohol, and warm water to clean these wounds, understand?"


    "Yes, great one," Glen nodded.


    Damien hummed in response.


    He withdrew his hands once he was done. He turned to look at Thalia, who promptly helped him wash his hands.


    "I will be leaving now," Damien told Glen as he straightened up on his feet. "But make sure to deliver the money to me if you dare betray me¡­" he narrowed his eyes and red at the man, causing Glen to stiffen. He bowed his head and immediately agreed,


    "Don''t worry, great one! I dare not to keep your money to myself."


    Damien withdrew his gaze satisfactorily before turning to Maui. he said to him, "Take me to the Tower of Helion. "


    _____________


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 Chapter 109: Tower of Helion (2)

    "Everyone, this area is dangerous; please stay back." a guard said to the crowd standing in front of the Tower of Helion. He looked at the people who were pushing one another and frowned before raising the transparent orb in front of his mouth.


    "This tower is now closed due to some management problems. Please step back!"


    "What do you mean by that it is closed off? We came here to pray!"


    "Do you even know how long I have travelled to pray to Lord Helion?"


    "My daughter is sick! I cannot go back without praying! Please let us in!"


    .The guards pushed the crowd back while the crowd pushed the guards back. The situation turned more and more chaotic as the crowd refused to leave.


    "Step away," Wistoria said to the men and the women who were pushing the guards. "We need to go inside."


    "What are you doing¡ª"


    "Hey, we came here first, Lady," a man said to Wistoria, his hand reaching out to pull her back. But ¡ª


    "AHHH!"


    The man screamed and yelled in pain as he stumbled back. He was clutching his wrist that had been dislocated and raised his head to re at the man who had broken his hands.


    "Wha¨Cwhat do you think¡ª"


    "Do not touch, Lady Wistoria," Xavier hissed at the man who had tried to get handy with Wistoria. His eyes shing with murderous intent as the man backed down.


    "Lady Wistoria?"


    "Did he say Lady Wistoria?"


    As the man fell back, the crowd started buzzing with excitement. They had heard about Wistoria and knew that she was the only female general of the Brystoria Empire. She had been stationed at Aeloria long enough for others to know about her fame.


    "What is she doing here? Is she here to pray?"


    "I don''t think so, she is wearing her armour. This shows that she is here for battle," one of the men said to the one who made the remark. "I believe something happened inside the Temple of Helion. And this is why the guards are stopping us from going inside."


    "What do you think happened?"


    "Did the high priest die?"


    "No, don''t be silly. I am sure that it is due to the terrorists! They must be the one causing trouble."


    "How can there be terrorists? The dark guilds were long destroyed."


    "Then why do you think that Lady Wistoria came to this ce?"


    Wistoria, who had caused the entire crowd to buzz, pretended to be deaf. She stepped forward and looked at the guards before saying to them, "Step aside."


    "Lady Wistoria," the guard looked at the woman with a hint of nervousness on his face. He seemed reluctant to let her inside but he also knew that if Wistoria was determined to head inside the temple, he was not strong enough to stop her.


    "I said¡ªstep aside," Wistoria repeated in a cold voice. "You know it already; even if you stop me, you will only lose your head. And it will also waste precious time; the hostages inside the temple don''t have that much time."


    The guards pursed their lips. They looked at one another before stepping away from the door. Indeed, they could stop Wistoria from entering or even dy her, but would that help the hostages who were held by those dark guild members?


    Wistoria stepped inside the temple with Levy and Xavier.


    "It seemed like the guards were trying to control this situation," said Levy as he looked around the now silent tower of Helion.


    "They are¡­." Wistoria agreed with him solemnly as the scent of rusted iron filled her nostrils. "But I don''t think they seeded."


    She came to a stop, and so did the two men.


    "What the¡ª"


    Levy looked at the number of corpses that were lying in front of them. Some had lost their heads, some had lost their limbs, and some of the corpses were mutted to the point that they no longer resembled the human form of a beastman.


    Dried-up blood was sticking on the pure white columns and pirs as well as the ground.


    "Those bastards!" Levy cursed as he looked at the massacre in front of him. More than fifty guards were killed by those men.


    Xavier, on the other hand, took a sniff of the air and muttered, "These are all low-ranked beastmen."


    Hearing his response, Levy stiffened and turned to look at Xavier.


    "They are dead," he snapped with his eyes filled with disbelief. "How can you say such a thing to them? They lost their, and all you want to say is that they were low-ranking beastmen?"


    "That¡­"


    "You are taking his words in the wrong way, Lord Levy," Wistoria turned her head just a degree to the right and said to Levy, "What Xavier wanted to say is that such a heavy and dangerous task was handed to the low-ranked beastman. Was it because they took this case as a light one mistakenly? Or did they deliberately dispatch the weak guards?"


    Once she finished speaking, Wistoria headed inside the tower; her fists were clenched tightly as she walked past the corpses of the low-ranked beastmen.


    No matter what status they held in society, Wistoria believed that they did not deserve a death as painful as this one.


    "Hurry," Xavier nced at Levy. "Who knows there might be some survivors?" Explore more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Levy pursed his lips. He nodded and chased Wistoria inside the tower of Helion.


    "Andres," Wistoria called out to the man who was sitting on the throne in the middle of the praying room. This throne was built for God Helion, but now Andres was sitting on it as if taking himself as the god of this world.


    "Ah, lovely to see you, Wistoria," Andres smirked at the woman who was standing at the door of the praying room. "I had a feeling that you woulde looking for me. That day, I did notice someone paying quite a lot of attention to me."


    "I thought that it was an admirer, but it turned out to be you."

 Chapter 110: Doing Gods work

    Andres slowly rose to his feet.


    "I knew you woulde," he said, stepping down the throne, and the sound of his heavy footsteps echoed in the praying hall. "Wistoria."


    Wistoria stared at the man who dared to take her name withoutusing the honorifics.


    "Andres," Wistoria contemptuously sneered at the man. "Don''t you think that it is quitete for you to start praying?"


    Andres came to a stop in front of the throne and burst outughing. He said to Wistoria, "Hahaha. You really know how to joke. Me? Praying? Hah!" He brought his head down and looked at Wistoria before saying to her, "The only one who needs to pray here is you and the one you need to pray to is me."


    "You bastard," Xavier took a violent step towards Andres but Wistoria raised an arm and pushed him back.


    "What are you trying to do, Andres?" Wistoria asked with a re. "You better answer me without any lies or else¡­" she trailed off as she unsheathed her ws.


    "You are treating me way too harshly," Andres said to her. He stepped forward and syed his hand on the side where the priests were tied and gagged. They were tied to the ceiling like smoked hams.


    He said to Wistoria, "We are just ying around with them a little. Do you know what they said when I entered the temple? That a beast man of my kind is not allowed to pray in the main hall."


    "My kind! Hahaha!" Andres guffawed once again. "You should have seen how quickly he changed his tune when I showed him my skills and nearly peed himself when he begged me."


    "Let me ..I will not dare to do it again¡­ Forgive me ..forgive me.." He mimicked the voice of the head priest in a squeaky manner.


    "Hahaha!"


    The guild members behind him also chimed as theyughed and booed the priests that were hanging by the ceiling.


    Wistoria lunged at Andres, but the man tapped his heel on the floor and jumped to the ceiling, where he stood upside down. His giant scorpion tail looped around the beam as he looked down at Wistoria and the two men who came with her. "My¡ªthere is no need to be in such a hurry. I am not even done speaking yet, and you are already attacking me? A good woman shouldn''t interrupt a man when he is speaking."


    "That''s what I was taught."


    "There are a number of things that you were taught about which I would like to say a few chosen words," Wistoria remarked as she stared at the man hanging upside down by the roof.


    "Haha, of course you do," Andres chuckled. "But what you do not know is about the speciality of this temple, do you?"


    As he spoke he jumped to another beam and came to a stop at an arched window. He peered out of the window and looked at the giant tower where therge bell was hanging along with multiple orbs that allowed the sound of the bell to be transmitted to the entire city.


    "You¨Cwant to y Doomsday for the entire city to hear!" Wistoria had already guessed what these men were trying to do but now that her guess hade true, she felt her heart shudder.


    The situation was turning bad to worse.


    "Do I?" Andres tilted his head to one side as heughed lightly. "Maybe I do? What can I say? It''s not my fault¡­There is no need to look at me like that." he pouted when Wistoria red at him. "It breaks my heart when a beautiful woman such as you res at me like this."


    "You are about to kill an entire crowd of innocent people, and you dare say that you are not in the wrong?" Levi couldn''t believe the nonsense that wasing out of the mouth of the man.


    "Kill? Me?" he pointed to himself with an innocent expression before shaking his head. "This is not murder, no¡­no. This is a purge! A cleansing!" Andres told them in a loud voice.


    "Those fools who are standing outside pray to the Beast God every day; they will travel far and wide to pray to him, but when their backs are turned¡ªthey would beat, torment, and even kill low-ranking beastmen."


    "Should they not be kind if they are praying and telling others that they are the servants of Lord Helion?" Andres questioned with a wild glint in his eyes. "But look at the tragedy in front of you. I am doing the job of God! Cleansing and cleaning these bastards who rob the rights of others."


    With his hands spread wide, he stared down at Wistoria and said to her with a jeer, "These people, they only tout about their rights and positions while forgetting about others. I am purging this world and saving it from fools like these." he pointed at the priests.


    "Don''t talk like you are fucking right," snapped Levi. "You speak as if you have never harmed anyone, how many lives have you taken for the sake of earning money and running your guild?"


    "When did I say that I was in the right, hmm?" Andres turned his head to one side as he sneered at Levi. "We are talking about absolute control here, as long as this sweet thing is in my hands, everyone has to bow down to me."


    Xavier''s eyes shed with annoyance as he pounced at Andres but before he could reach him, someone came hurtling and tackled him back down on the floor.


    "There is no way you are getting through us," Ollie said to Xavier as the two of them came down on the floor harshly. "We would have loved to show you the rise of the glory of the dark age. But since you don''t know what is good for you.. You might as well die!"


    He let out a roar before running towards Xavier with full speed.

 Chapter 111: Braveheart

    Xavier jumped back just as Ollie smashed his fists on the ground.


    "You got lucky, eh?" Ollie curled his lips in a smirk. He straightened up and charged at Xavier, who raised his arm just in time.


    Boom.


    The second the two men collided, the floor of the hall broke, causing a crack to appear underneath them. A green and orange aura emanated from the two men as they stood in a deadlock.


    "It seems like I just didn''t get lucky," Xavier said to the man who was staring at him with a look of wanting to kill but not being able to kill.


    "You-damn¡ªbastard," Ollie cursed.


    While the two of them were entangled in a battle, Wistoria and Levi eyed the three men who were advancing towards them.


    Wistoria raised her head and looked at Andres. She had wanted to deal with this man first, but she also understood that it was going to be impossible. With these men protecting Andres so fiercely, unless she killed them all, there was no way she would be able to touch him.


    "You all take care of them here," Andres said to Clyde and the rest. "I will go and make the preparations for our show to begin."


    "Andres! Don''t you run away," Wistoria screamed but the man had already jumped out of the window and when she tried to follow him, the three men immediately stepped forward to stop her.


    "YYou are not going anywhere, Missy," Alton snickered while eyeing Wistoria, his eyes flickered all over her body and he licked his lips in anticipation.


    Wistoria gritted her teeth, she turned to look at Levi and Xavier before saying to them,


    "Go and chase after him. Leave these men to me."


    They couldn''t let Andres y Doomsday. If that man seeded then this ce would turn into a mass grave.


    "Huh?"


    The two men looked up at her stupidly.


    "Go!"


    "But Lady Wistoria ¡ª"


    "I am not that weak that I will need you to protect me," Wistoriasaid to Xavier coldly. "I can take care of myself."


    Xavier stared at Wistoria when he saw the determination in her eyes, he tightened his jaw and turned around on his feet before running out.


    "You go with him too," Wistoria said to Levi.


    "Are you sure?"Levi asked. He peeked at the men in front of him, none of them looked like they could be easily trifled with.


    "I am sure just go," Wistoria said to him.


    Levi nodded and he too ran out of the praying hall.


    "Damn, they are running away!" one of the men screeched.


    "No, they are not!" Alton punched his fist in his other hand as two eagle wings erupted on his back. "They are not going anywhere!"


    He rose to the air and then flew out of the same window from where Andres jumped out earlier.


    "I am going too," Clyde hissed as he twisted his body and turned into his cheetah beast form. "There is no way I will let them bean obstacle in our path."


    He too rushed out of the praying hall before Wistoria could stop him. She turned to look at the man who had intervened in between and sharply narrowed her eyes at him.


    "Don''t be in such a hurry," chuckled Soel as leered at Wistoria. "With us here, do you even need someone to keep you entertained? We are enough, aren''t we?"


    As he spoke he turned to look at the men whom they had brought together with them,


    "Isn''t that right my boys?"


    "Right! You are master Soel."


    "You really have no dignity," Wistoria unsheathed her sword and infused her mana into the de. Soon the entire de was burning like a raging inferno as she raised the de and pointed it at the man who had disrespected her. " Insult me one more time and I promise that you will not live to see the sun tomorrow."


    "She has her own blessed sword," one of the men with Soel eximed enviously.


    Those with high ranking status and position were given weapons that were blessed with mana and the blessings of the beast God.These weapons were only limited and given to the nobility and beastmen like them could only rely on their beast form to survive.


    "There is no need to be envious," said Soel with a hiss. He stepped back and his lower body turned that of a snake. "Once these people are wiped clean by us. We too will have our own blessed swords because after this, there shall no longer be any distinction between lower and higher ranking beastmen!"


    He swung his tail at Wistoria who dodged it before bringing down her sword heavily.


    "ARGH!" Soel hissed in pain as the de swept through his scales.


    He red at the woman and morphed himself into his beast formpletely. He unclenched his jaw and spat out a bunch of poisonous needlesthat were aimed at Wistoria.


    "This damned Keom family," she cursed before swinging her sword at the countless needles that were sent in her direction.


    She should have known that the Keom family would not stop at all costs.


    ''I hope that those two will be alright,'' Wistoria thought as she swung her ws at the man who charged at her from the right and at the same time jumped in the air when Soel attacked her with his long fangs, trying to bite off her body in half.


    On the other hand,


    "You ..are you sure this is the right way?" Damien asked as he spat out a bunch of leaves from his mouth and threw a re at Maui.


    The stead looked at with a guilty expression and immediately rose in the air before saying to him, "Don''t worry this is the right path."


    Though he said that Maui was also a bit worried, he felt that there was something amiss because no matter how he searched he couldn''t find the right path.


    It was as if something was stopping him.

 Chapter 112: An Illusionary Monster

    Damien scrunched up his brows. He had a feeling that there was something weird happening in this forest.


    "Maui," he called the stead. "Are you sure we are headed in the right direction? Because I swear, we already went past this tree three times."


    "Elendil."


    "What?" Damien turned to look at Thalia, who was flying next to them with her wings outstretched.


    "Elendil," she repeated as if it cleared everything up. "It''s a monster; Ipletely forgot about it." She added with a sheepish expression.


    "Yeah, you did," Damien nodded before saying, "But what about it? What can this monster do and how is it rted to us not being able to reach the Tower of Helion?"


    "It''s because of the toxic mushrooms that grow at the back of its shell," Thalia replied to Damien. "These mushrooms release fumes that can create an illusion, one so powerful that it can trap a person. However," she frowned and spoke in a subtle voice, "I heard that there are no Elendil on this ind. So how is this even possible?"


    Damien''s brows furrowed as he looked at the scene in front of him; if Thalia hadn''t told him, then he would have never believed that this vivid image in front of him was just an illusion.


    "What should we do now?" Damien asked. He knew that something was very wrong; if Elendil could not be found on this ind, there was only one possibility. Someone brought it here, and this someone was the reason why he was trapped in this ce.


    "The illusion created by Elendil is not that easy to break," Thalia said with a frown. "But if it''s you¡­" She bit her lip as if realising something and stopped speaking.


    "What do you mean by if it''s me?" Damien blinked.


    "It''s nothing. Elendil is not a high-ranking monster," Thalia told him. "As long as a high-ranking beastmen uses his mana, the chances of this mist dissipating are really high."


    Damien understood why Thalia stopped speaking just now.


    ''Mana,'' Damien pursed his lips. He didn''t know how much mana he had within his beastcore, but he was sure that it was nowhere close to clearing up this entire forest.


    "Host, you don''t need to clear the entire area," Dan reminded Damien. "You have the eye of observation; if you use it, you can definitely see through this mist."


    "That''s right!" Damien eximed so suddenly that Maui flinched and let go of him in surprise. Fortunately,, he caught him before he could plummet to an early death.


    "Lord Damien, what are you doing?" Maui asked Damien with a frown. "You scared me just now,"


    "I scared you? You scared me." Damien could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He really thought for a second that he was done for.


    "But you¡ª"


    "Alright, I know," Damien patted his chest before saying to Maui, "Stop for a second. I need to concentrate."


    Maui closed his mouth just as Damien asked him to.


    But¡ªhow was Damien going to find a way through this mist? He heard the servants saying that Damien was a waste of space as he didn''t have mana.


    One of the servants even remarked that Damien was just fortunate and nothing more.


    Of course Maui knocked the teeth of that servant out of his mouth after he disrespected Damien like that¡ªbut the fact remained the same: Damien didn''t have any mana.


    [Eye of Observation has been activated.]


    Damien didn''t have the slightest bit of inkling regarding the thoughts that Maui was having. With his eye of observation, he could see through the mist and felt his heart jump all the way to his throat.


    How could it be now?


    They were just a few feet away from a mountain range, with rickety, fang-like mountains erupting all over the greennds. And within those fanged mountains, Damien could see gigantic vultures and not just any vultures¡ªfire-breathing ones.


    Right in front of him, one of the vultures opened its long beak and let out a jet of mes out of his mouth.


    The birds flying in the sky ended up turning into roasted chickens. Damien swore that he saw two roasted chickens flying as the birds died before they could realise that they were dead.


    The monster vulture waited for the roasted meat to fall and


    GULP.


    With a big gulp, it swallowed it all.


    "Lord Damien,"


    "STOP! Don''t go any further!" Damien bellowed at Maui when he felt him move a bit further. He had been roasted once! He had no desire to be roasted once again.


    The feeling was not that pleasant that he would want a redo.


    "What-what''s the matter?" Maui heard the panic in the voice of Damien and felt anxious as well.


    "It''s a death trap," Damien ryed what he just saw, and once he finished speaking, both Maui and Thalia looked sick and nervous.


    Maui''s wings were fluttering behind him nervously as he said to Damien, "Thank goodness you saw through the mist, Lord Damien, or else we would have turned roasted meals for these monsters. And just in case anyone wants to hear it, roasted stead meat doesn''t taste all that good."


    "Go far back," Damien told Maui. "Turn left.. And go straight and don''t turn until, I tell you."


    "Yes, Lord Damien," said Maui before turning left.


    On the other hand, Clyde looked at Damien and curled his lips in a sneer.


    "What a weird man," he muttered. He was chasing after Levi but stopped when he sensed someone enter the barricade that he had created at the entrance of the forest.


    He didn''t wish anyone to cause trouble for him and his team; that''s why he came to see who this trespasser was.


    Clyde expected that using the monstrous fumes was enough to make Damien give up and leave.


    "I heard that he was a waste," Clyde mused with an evil and curious look in his eyes. "But he can see through the mist. I am really curious¡ªHow can he do this?"


    A cruel smirk etched on his lips as he turned into his beast form and chased after Damien.

 Chapter 113: Ulterior Motive

    Bang!


    Levi burst the door to the tower of therge bell open. He dropped his foot down and looked at the empty hallway with the winding stairs that reached the Giant Bell.


    A furrow settled in between his brows as he sniffed the air and realised that he couldn''t smell Andres''s scent.


    "Why isn''t he here?" Levi frowned as he looked around the tower. "This is weird," he remarked. "Shouldn''t he be here?" If Andres wanted to use the orbs to broadcast the sound all over the ind, he should have been here.


    But even though the man left the praying hall before them, he wasn''t there.


    "Someone should be here," Xavier swept his gaze sharply through the entire circr hall in front of them. "Since broadcasting the Doomsday melody is their goal, someone should havee here."


    As the two men were looking around the tower, they didn''t notice the man who was hanging upside down at the side of the circr tower. His lips curled up in a sneer as he stretched out his fingers and then shot out a spray of spider webs at the men who were standing on the ground.


    As the sticky web got closer and closer to the two men, Alton''s smile turned wide. He let out a triumphant scoff¡ª


    But just as the spider web was an inch away from Xavier, the man jumped and dodged the attack with a whoosh.


    Levi on the other hand twisted and swung his hand on the web string smashing it against the wall and tearing it in half.


    For his small size, the crater that he created on the wall was way too big.


    Slip.


    The man who was sticking on the side of the wall like a spider slipped down the wall with the help of a web string. He looked at the wolf beast man and the boar one.


    He sneered at them, "You two really have sharp instincts. Because of those survival instincts, you are still standing."


    "It''s you." Levi shook off the web strings that were sticking to the back of his hand. "Why is it you?"


    He thought that they would be facing Andres aftering here.


    "Our leader has more important things to do than take care of a few flies," Alton remarked with a tilt of his head."He doesn''t have the time to y with you."


    "It seems like you have some other n," Xavier said. "Do you really have to work so hard to cause trouble for us? Can''t you use your brains to do something worthwhile?"


    "That''s right,"said Levi but then he paused and blinked. He seemed to be quite surprised with the fact that he had agreed to something with Xavier.


    He turned to look at the man and raised his fist before saying to him, "Now you bettere clean with us, what are you aiming for."


    At the Guild Masters Association,


    "Godric, how are you doing? I heard that you have picked another weirdo... Why do you always pick weirdos?"


    A woman said to Master Godric. She was dressed in a mboyant white dress that showed off her voluptuous figure. She leaned down and showed off her generous bosom, while looking at Master Godric, "But is the man good looking though? If that is the case then I might be able to understand your actions."


    She winked at Master Godric who simply smiled at her.


    "Master Bloom, it seems like the men in your guild are not able to satisfy you," he used his forefinger to push the woman away from him. "Is that why you are targeting someone from my guild? I don''t think this is right, though."


    "Haha, of course not," Lady Bloom tittered lightly as she leaned against Master Godric. "I was just curious. You always pick some really interesting beast men, thest time one of them blew an entire port away, did she not?"


    "If you are talking about Gina? Then she indeed did it but I assure you that the person was asking for it," Master Godric said to Bloom who chuckled in response.


    "Of course they were," Bloom agreed with him. "Gina is a sweet soul, she wouldn''t have done anything that would harm others for no reason." as she spoke she lifted the drink in front of her and took a swig from it.


    Her expression turned sombre as she lowered her voice and asked, "Did you hear about the rumours that are flying around the city?"


    "I did," master Godric replied. His expression was no longer calm as he turned to look at Bloom and asked her, "Have you heard about Doomsday as well?"


    "I did," Bloom replied as she tucked a strand of her ck hair behind her ear. "I even tried to warn the guards as well as the magistrate but it seems like they are not going to make a move unless something really tragic happens."


    Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    "Or maybe they know that the tragedy is not going to take ce in the city?" Lord Godric remarked with a sharp gaze.


    "Not in the city?" Lady Bloom raised a brow and questioned, "Where do you think those people are going to attack?"


    "Who knows?" Master Godric muttered as he peered out of the window that was on his side.


    **


    The sound of chattering echoed outside the Tower of Helion. The crowd standing outside, did not leave if anything they redoubled their efforts to enter the temple after they saw Wistoria and the others enter.


    "Why did you let them go inside but not us!?"


    "We want to pray too."


    "Let us go inside as well."


    The people yelled and screamed as they looked at the guards who were stopping them from entering the temple.


    "Please go back¡ª"


    "Look, someone ising outside!"


    No one paid attention to what the guard was saying, instead they all turned to look in the direction in which the man had pointed at.


    A dark silhouette could be seen moving towards them which made the crowd excited but when the silhouette turned clearer, they all stepped away.


    "Head.. it is the head of a person!"

 Chapter 114: A trick

    "What''s ¡ªwhat''s going on?"


    Murmurs filled with trepidation echoed outside the temple as the crowd looked at Wistoria, who was walking towards them. Their gazes drifted to the head in her hand and then back to her face covered with blood specks.


    "Lady Wistoria, what''s going on?" The guards who were standing outside the temple saw the woman walking towards them and rushed to where she was standing. "What happened inside?"


    Wistoria didn''t answer their question. She walked past the guards and came to a stop in front of the crowd. Throwing the detached head on the ground, she addressed the crowd,


    "Anyone who values their lives, you better run away from this temple as soon as possible! Dark guild members have taken control of this ce, and they have a cursed weapon potent enough to kill everyone in the vicinity. Unless you do not wish to die, you better get away from here!" Wistoria warned the crowd. Her loud voice echoed in the surroundings, causing the crowd to fall silent.


    But three secondster the crowd exploded, and cold sweat covered their faces.


    "AHHH!"


    "Get me out of here!"


    "Dark Guild beastmen!"


    "There are dark beastmen in there!"


    Everyone had seen and felt the terror of the dark guild beastmen when Azazel was still alive and in power. They have not forgotten how these people have killed and ruined ordinary beastmen like them.


    They had absolutely no power to resist in front of them.


    "L¨CLady Wistoria, you cannot say these things to themoners. If they were to know the truth they would panic¡ª"


    "Just because the officials do not care for their lives, it doesn''t mean that we should lose our conscience either," Wistoria turned and looked at the guards before saying to them, "It''s better than seeing them all die."


    She then said to them, "Your colleagues are already dead. If you are waiting for them, then you might as well run away with the crowd because those whom you are waiting for are not going to return."


    "My condolences," she added before turning around on her feet and walking back inside the temple.


    The two guards behind her turned teary-eyed as one of them crouched down on the floor and buried his face in his knees.


    The sound of sobbing echoed through the now silent temple, and Wistoria closed her eyes. However, she only paused for a second before marching forward. There was no time to waste.


    Doomsday, it was a curse beyond the understanding of many. Only a transcendental beastmen with power unknown to them could create a curse as strong as the one that Andres had in his possession.


    And he was plotting tomit mass murder using it.


    But if that was his n¡ªwhy did he not do anything when the crowd was still standing outside? Wistoria couldn''t help but question.


    "What is he nning¡ªwhat the fuck?" Wistoria''s eyes widened as she turned to look at the mist that had surged forth and surrounded the entire temple.


    "Wa¨Cwhat is this," Wistoria eximed as she strode towards the wall of mist. She raised her hand and tentatively touched the wall of the mist that was surrounding the entire temple.


    Hiss


    The smell of burning flesh wafted over to her nostrils, and Wistoria reeled her hand back, she looked down at her arm, which melted upon the touch of the mist.


    "Hmm, what are you doing here?"


    Wistoria wheeled around on her feet and turned to look at Andres who was standing on the top of the entrance door.


    He ced his hands on his chin and muttered, "What a fascinating sight¡­and here I thought that my men would be able to keep you inside the temple for a while," his gaze fell on the head that was lying on the ground and clicked his tongue. "Truly a disappointment, I thought that he would amount to more than this¡­. Looks like I expected too much from these low-ranking beastmen."


    "Andres," Wistoria took three steps back, she couldn''t see him clearly as he was standing on the other side of the mist-making. "You did this? What are you trying to do?"


    "What am I trying to do?" Andres mimicked with a jeer. "Why don''t you stay inside and try to think about it? I am sure you have a lot of time on your hands."


    "And of course don''t try to get out of this mist wall because if you dare to touch it, then you will end up turning into a puddle of flesh and blood. Even your bones will melt."


    "What¨C are you trying to do?" Wistoria bellowed.


    "Like I said, use that pretty head of yours," Andres chuckled as he looked away. "You and your foolish teammates have already wasted enough of my time. So I don''t have time to answer your question."


    "ANDRES!"


    "What the hell is going on," Wistoria clenched her hands, causing blood to drip down. "Wasn''t this temple your target that you wanted to attack?"


    However, no matter how loud Wistoria screamed, no response other than the hissing and popping of the acidic mist was given to her.


    WHAM!


    "Anyone who stands against us deserves to die," Alton guffawed as he chased after Xavier and Levi. Behind him were countless spiders that bit and nipped Xavier and Levi.


    And if that wasn''t all, Alton continued to attack them with his spider webs and tiny needle-like missiles.


    "Andres isn''t here which means that you are only here to stop us," Levi raised his foot and mmed it on the ground, causing the entire floor to rise up and stop the thin needles that were aimed at them.


    "Ahaha!" Alton chuckled as he remarked, "You both are really smart. You cottoned on it so soon."


    As he spoke he raised his hand and waved it aside causing strings of sticky spider webs to shoot through his knuckles. Xavier jumped to the right while Levi jumped to the left, causing the sticky spider web to cover the staircase making it impossible for anyone to climb it up.


    "This bastard¡ª"

 Chapter 115: Shouldnt have played with us

    ''This beastmen didn''t even hesitate to ruin the only pathway that led to the Giant Bell,'' Xavier skidded to a halt. ''Either he is too reckless or ¡­.'' His eyes narrowed dangerously. ''They never intended to use this bell from the start!''


    He heard the sound of wind moving and immediately dodged the attack that was aimed at his neck. He unsheathed his sword and swung it down; a wave of fire rose in the air and burnt down the spider web.


    "Ah, the blessed sword," Alton eyed the sword in Xavier''s hand with an envious expression on his face.


    "What are you fuckers nning?" Xavier asked the man. After living with Damien for so long, curse words seemed to fly out of his mouth without the slightest problem.


    "Hm, since you are asking so nicely..." Alton curled his lips in a smirk. He took threerge strides towards Xavier while shooting a stunner sting at Levi.


    "If I am not wrong, Master Andres and Clyde must have created a Dome of Poisonous Mist."


    He swung his fist at Xavier, who dodged, but this time around, just as he turned left, Alton twisted his feet and kicked him on the side of his waist.


    "Argh!" Xavier gasped. His eyes widened slightly before he sucked in a breath and said to the man, "What do you mean? Wasn''t this temple your target from the start?"


    "Hahaha!" Alton ced his hand on his forehead. "Only fools like you will believe such a foolish thing. Do you really think that we will not make a n B in case the first n was to fall through? We indeed nned to take down this temple including the priest and the people of this ind¡­"


    He dropped his head and looked at the two men. "But who asked you toe butting in? It was your fault that you intervened. So we changed our ns."


    "The whole reason we decided to attack this Temple was because we wanted to put a halt to all the activities. As long as this city falls in a high alert mode, no one will be able to go past this ce ¡ª and fortunately for us, all the cities including the Empire are joined to this ind."


    "As long as the rides to this ce are halted¡­ what do you think will happen?" Alton jeered. "Why don''t you use your heads?" Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    "Flex those tiny brains of yours and think¨C about what will cause the foundation of this Empire to shake?"


    As he eximed, Alton threw stunners at the two men.


    BAM!


    "Levi!"


    Xavier yelled when the man was hit by a stunned sting, the man stumbled and his movements turned sluggish. But it was as if the orc beastmen couldn''t sense anything. Ignoring the pain in his lower abdomen, he raised his head and looked at Alton, "You mean ¡ª THE ONES THAT YOU ARE AFTER ARE THE GUILD MASTERS?"


    Ba thump!


    Xavier felt his heart skip a few beats as he turned to look at the man behind him.


    He was smiling with a twisted sense of humour, "That''s right!"


    "You are crazy." Levi breathed harshly. "Do you think that you can take on a bunch of transcendental beastmen¡­ even Master Godric who lost his beastcore in a war is not someone you can look down on."


    Alton looked pretty banged up with all the hits and punches he had taken, but he still grinned at him with a smile filled with delight."Those old bastards have no idea what ising for them. Everyone thinks that we are at the temple thanks to you fool, hahaha. Those old bastards must be waiting for you to bring them good news¡ªhow will they know that it was all a feint?"


    Levi lowered his head, he thought of Master Godric who had taken him when he was just a child even though he was nothing in the eyes of others. They all looked down at him as he was just an orc beastman.


    A low ranking beastmen.


    How could he be of any use to anyone?


    But Master Godric had taken him in, he never expected anything from him. Even when he spent his time drinking and sleeping ¡ª that old man had treated him like a family.


    And yet¨Cthese fucktards! They dared to threaten his old man!


    He pulled the small hammer that he was carrying with him.


    Alton had no idea what wasing, he was still speaking with excitement, "Now that you fools have helped us so much, I don''t know how to thank you. But don''t worry, we will not kill you. We will just destroy your cores."


    "Just you wait! Those who have insulted and threw us in the prison ¡ªthey all will have to pay the price for their actions! We will ruin them all ¨C and when these masters who have stopped us from getting what we wanted are dead, we will rise to glory!"


    BAM!


    "Shut up!"


    The two men charged at Alton, and while one swung his burning ws at him, the other raised his hammer, which had turned twice his size, and smashed it right in Alton''s face.


    "AHH!" Alton screamed as he stumbled back; he raised his hands and touched his nose.


    "Bl¨CBlood," he muttered. He raised his head and looked Levi,evi whose entire attitude seemed to have changed as he sipped from the sk that was hanging on the side of his waist.


    "You are bold; I will give you that," said Levi as he stepped towards the man. "But you know what? I like it when bugs like you scamper on the floor without biting anyone. Because when they bite someone."


    He raised his hammer once again, and his eyes shed with a reddish glow.


    "It is better to squash them."


    And before Alton could summon the army of spiders, Levi brought his hammer down on his head.


    BANG!


    The hammer fell on Alton''s head causing it to burst open like a watermelon.


    "You should have known the consequences before trying us."

 Chapter 116: Facing his fears

    Bam!


    Wistoria delivered a kick to the man who was feebly stirring on the ground. He was one of the few ones whom she had left alive for questioning.


    "Tell me where Andres went?" She ced her foot on the head of the man and pushed it down harshly.


    "I don''t know ¡­I really don''t know¡­" The man shook his head. "I just joined their guild; they told me nothing other than the fact that we needed to stop you here."


    Hearing his response, Wistoria raised her foot and brought it down.


    "AHHH!"


    "You don''t know anything about where he went? Then what about this mist?" Wistoria lowered her head. "How are we supposed to get rid of it, huh?"


    "I have no idea!" the man squeaked. "I told you, they just asked me toe and join their guild. I was never involved in their decision-making from the start. Andres only trusted those five and no one else; they must know something."


    "Are you trying to anger me¡ª"


    "Lady Wistoria!"


    Wistoria paused and turned to look at the two men who were running towards her.


    "What''s wrong?"she asked.


    "Something is very wrong, Lady Wistoria," Xavier said to her in a hurry. "These people, they never wanted to kill the priests in the temple. They just wanted the entire ind to fall into an emergency. Their real targets are the masters of the various guilds."


    "That''s where they want to y the melody of Doomsday."


    Xavier felt flustered.


    The guild masters were one of the pirs who have restrained the dark guild beastmen. If they died then what would happen to the bnce of Brystoria?


    Especially with Emiliano doing god knows what.


    "Is that what you were nning?" She turned to look at the man who was lying on the floor. When the man flinched, Wistoria knew that he had been lying to her all along.


    "Are you going to tell me the truth or not?" as she spoke she unsheathed her sword and then ced it against the neck of the man. The burning de caused the skin to burn and the man hissed in pain. "You better confess the truth before I cut your head off."


    "I¡ª" the man opened his mouth. Whether to speak the truth or say another lie, neither of them got to know about it. As the man''s eyes suddenly popped out of the sockets and ¡ª


    Boom.


    Flesh and bones sttered all over the pearly white walls. Large drops of blood trickled down onto the floor.


    "Lady Wistoria are you alright?" Xavier rushed to where Wistoria was standing and looked at her with concern.


    Wistoria wiped her face with the sleeves of her shirt. "I am fine," she spat on the floor and looked at the corpse that had exploded into millions of pieces. "It seems like we finally have our answers."


    It wasn''t that these people didn''t want to answer.


    Something seemed to be stoppingthem.


    "What now?" Levi kicked a corpse aside and said to Wistoria, "If we stay trapped inside this ce, we will lose the precious time to go after Andres."


    Wistoria turned and remarked, "I know but we cannot take the risk of stepping past the mist." Her brows were furrowed as she looked at the mist that was hovering outside the temple. "If we step through it, the chances of our bodies melting and turning into a puddle of flesh and bones are very high."


    "How do you know?" Levi asked.


    "Because I have once seen people walk through this mist you idiot," Wistoria sneered. "In fact, it''s not even a mist. It''s a mosquito cloud¨C the Mosquitoes found in the Valley of Iris."


    "No," Levi instinctively refused when he heard her words.He had heard of these mosquitoes.And knew very well what these Mist Mosquitoes were capable of. They were like mini-mini-even more mini¨Cpiranhas.


    They moved together in clouds as if mist were moving from one ce to another. And everytime something moved past them, only bones were left behind and in case these Mist Mosquitoes were really hungry, they wouldn''t even leave the bones of their prey behind.


    If this mist really consisted of those mosquitoes then wouldn''t they be locked here for who knows how long?


    "I am afraid that there is no point in denying," Wistoria nced at the man before stepping towards the entrance of the temple. "Now we can only hope that Damien will be able to get us out of here."


    Hearing her words, Levi scoffed.


    He rolled his eyes and remarked, "If we are relying on the man then we might as well think of something ourselves."


    As he finished speaking, he walked out of the temple without looking behind him.


    Xavier watched him leave when he heard Wistoria say, "How is that man''s mana training going?"


    "Lady Wistoria ¡ª"


    "There is no need to look at me with that expression," she said to the man with her lips curled in a smile. "But I dare say you are quite bold to hide something from me in my house."


    "I didn''t¨C" Xavier wanted to say something but Wistoria raised her hand and stopped him. She said to him, "Spare me the reasons. Just tell me whether or not my husband will stay alive after this ¡ªI fear I will not look good in ck."


    "You will look fascinating in ck, mydy."


    "Xavier."


    "Yes, I am sorry," Xavier lowered his head. "He should be fine as long as he doesn''t lose his headpletely."


    "Then you mean to say that the chances are really low?" Wistoriasighed. She crossed her arms in front and looked up at the sky that was blurred due to the cloud of mosquitoes.


    Damien¡ªyou better stay alive.


    "Achooo!" Damien skidded down a cliff. But he didn''t stop running as he charged down the cliff and turned to look behind him.


    When he saw the cheetah beastman following him, he turned and looked at the front. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    Damn this life!


    He wanted a refund!


    __


    Please leave a power stone or golden ticket: My wallet is crying.

 Chapter 117: Activating Waterblade

    "Why do such things happen to me?" Damien screeched as he jumped, trying to dodge the cheetah that was chasing him. He turned to look behind him and shouted at the beastman, "I don''t taste good. There is a lot of fat and carbohydrate in my body. I don''t think you will be able to digest me. The chances of getting constipation are very high."


    "Very.. very high!"


    Whether the cheetah beastman understood what he was trying to tell him or not, Damien didn''t know. The cheetah beastman simply let out a roar, causing goosebumps to rise all over his arms.


    He turned and looked at Maui before saying to him, "I have a feeling that the beastman is not shy of getting fat."


    "I think so." Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin


    The two of them looked at one another before they started running faster.


    The two of them were flying towards the Tower of Helion when they ended up running into this cheetah beastman. Or it was better to say that it was he who ran into them. The two of them were flying past a cliff and that bastard jumped down from nowhere and the three of them tumbled onto the floor.


    There wasn''t a reckless pouncing department in this world or else Damien would have definitely filed aint against that cheetah beastman. If there was a beastman who deserved to get his hunting licence revoked. It was him!


    ROAR!


    Damien gritted his teeth and sped up.


    "How long are you going to run, host?" Dan asked while looking at Damien with a confused expression on his face. "Don''t you think that it is better to knock that beast down."


    "I want to knock him down too," Damien gritted out. "But¡­" he turned around and flicked the anaesthesia spell at the cheetah beastman .


    The green fumes knocked the cheetah beastman off their trail for a while but then it scoffed and coughed before chasing after them once again.


    "It needs a stronger dose!" Damien yelled. He didn''t carry that much anaesthesia with him.


    Who would have thought that such a situation would arise?


    "Then why don''t you try to fight it?" Dan suggested. "Were you not preparing for something like this?"


    He was. He indeed was but¨C


    When Damien looked behind and saw the giant cheetah beastman chasing after him, the courage within his heart started to dwindle. Back then he was sparring with Xavier; he knew that the man wouldn''t kill him, which was why he was not worried.


    But this cheetah beastman was different. If the two of them fought, he would definitely kill him.


    He was scared.


    "Then are you going to continue running?"


    Damien snapped out of the daze and looked at Dan; for some reason he was looking human once again.


    "It''s you." It was not a question but a statement.


    "Believe in yourself." Whatever had taken over his AI system looked at him with a serene expression. "You are not as weak as you think."


    "What¡ªwhat do you mean by that?"


    ROAR!


    Damien didn''t have the time to question the being; he wheeled around and looked at the cheetah beastman that had gotten too close to him.


    "Lord Damien, turn around and run," Thalia stepped forward in front of him and said, "I will hold him down."


    Damien looked at Thalia who was already bleeding in several ces and gritted his teeth. Was he going to hide behind someone once again?


    "No," He said to her and unsheathed his sword. He told her, "Step aside."


    He was not going to hide behind a woman and let her take the risks for him. It was not only really uncool, it made him feel defeated.


    What was the point in living a life like a loser?


    Damien stepped in front of the cheetah beastman and raised his sword, "You want to get some? Come and get it."


    The cheetah beastman let out a roar that sounded like a snicker but Damien wasn''t bothered by it.


    He clutched the hilt of his sword and inhaled before exhaling.


    Just then the cheetah beastman sliced at him. His long andrge ws swatted against his chest and Damien let out a hiss, that momentary distraction led to a second dy.


    However, another secondter the sword in his hand was wrapped with water. The de turned and twisted like a little wave that was moving with a continuous stream of water.


    "That ¡ª how did it¡­" Thalia''s eyes widened when she saw Waterde''s true form.


    Wasn''t it said that Damien''s beastcore was ruined? Was it a lie? Or did he revive his core?


    However, was that even possible?


    The cheetah beastman halted in his actions when he saw Damien awakening his blessed sword. His eyes narrowed at Damien but another secondter, he charged at the man.


    Even if Damien had recovered his mana. There was no way he would be able to control all of it. Because if he could, then this man wouldn''t be standing and facing him with a sword.


    As long as he was stronger than him no matter what the status of their beast form had in the apex, Clyde was certain that he would be able to kill Damien.


    When he thought about his victory over a dragon beastman, Clyde felt his blood turn hot.


    He let out a roar and then charged at Damien who narrowed his eyes and ducked.


    The cheetah beastman snarled as he raised his hackles. And his fur crackled with electricity. He raised his front paws and then brought them heavily down.


    "AH!" Damien gasped when he felt the electricity current travelling through his body. He closed his eyes and twisted in the air beforeing to a stop away from the cheetah beastman.


    [Activating Eye of observation.]


    He heard the system state, and a secondter a screen appeared in front of him. He carefully looked at the X-ray, and he quickly found the weak point of the cheetah beastman.


    Eyes set on the weakness of the cheetah beastman, Damien charged at him.

 Chapter 118: Medium

    Damien shed his sword at the legs of the beastman; however, the cheetah beastman didn''t let him get close to him. He sparred just as easily and quickly as Damien, despite being in Beastman form.


    Hisrge ws swatted and sliced at Damien, who ducked and dodged. Damien felt like a child trying to fend off an adult and not just any adult¡ªone who was the size of a mini mountain.


    He couldn''t control his mana as well as he thought he would.


    ''Think,'' he said to himself. ''Think of something.''


    Because Damien knew that there was no point in going back and forth like this. He didn''t have the advantage of neither a big build nor sharp ws. Because his mana was unstable, he couldn''t use Waterde properly either.


    He looked around, carefully searching for something. His eyes and ears were wide open, and it was then¡ªhe heard the sound of water flowing.


    Damien''s eyes brightened; however, that momentary distraction cost him quite a lot. Because just as he turned to look at his left, the cheetah beastman brought down his ws.


    ''Fuck,'' Damien cursed as he felt a burning sensation on his left shoulder. He turned and looked at the deep gash that was profusely bleeding.


    Not wasting another second, Damien turned around and ran right in the direction of the water source. This beastman waspatible with thunder and lightning, while his powers werepatible with water. Damien knew that the chances of him getting roasted were really high. But he needed to try it.


    If someone was watching over him, then that someone might as well help him fend this beastman off.


    ''You fucker, you better have my back for all the mess that you have made me go through,'' Damien muttered as he dashed towards the stream that was not far from where he stood.


    The cheetah beastman was momentarily stunned when he saw that Damien had turned on his feet and ran away. As a warrior ss, even if he joined the dark guild, the beastman was taught to never show his back to his opponent.


    Seeing Damien run away from him left the beastman shocked enough to pause. But the shock onlysted for three seconds before he let out a roar and charged at the man who showed his back to him.


    "Maui!" Damien called out.


    He knew that the chances of him winning a race against a cheetah beastman were close to none.


    Maui gritted his teeth when he heard Damien''s words and rushed right behind him. One of his wings was moving unnaturally because of the fall that he had received. Though Damien had treated it, it was still notpletely in order yet.


    However, Maui''s loyaltyy with Damien. If his master had called for him, then he would follow his order no matter what.


    The sound of wings fluttering echoed in Damien''s ear just as Maui caught him by the back of his clothes and then flew towards the stream.


    Behind him, he heard another roar, which could either mean I shat my pants or I am going to have stead for dinner. Given the shudder that passed through Maui''s, Damien knew that it was thetter.


    Muttering a quick apology to Maui, he asked him to drop him the stream, which he did.


    Once Damiennded in the flowing water, he waited for some kind of magical barrier to erupt all over him or something, but nope¡ªnothing happened.


    He turned around and saw that the cheetah beastman was getting closer and closer. A tinge of panic surged in his heart as he looked at the cheetah beastman that was getting closer.


    What now?


    What was he supposed to do now?


    Focus on the flow of water.


    A voice spoke in his head, and Damien''s eyes widened, but he had no time to waste while wondering who it was. He closed his eyes and focused his attention on the sound of the flowing water; it was quite difficult given that his heart was thumping wildly and the loud footsteps of the cheetah beastman.


    A furrow between his brows appeared slowly, and sweat dripped down his face. Damien was sure he was about to be the dinner of this cheetah beastman when something happened.


    He felt a cold current channel within his body and the centre of his chest, where the beastcorey.


    Damien opened his eyes and looked down. Waterde was no longer as unstable as it was before. The curve of the de was smooth and no longer flickering.


    So this was what he was missing? A medium.


    Damien never thought that he would need a water source to channel his mana properly because he didn''t see Xavier standing in a pit of fire to control his mana, and that man didn''t tell him that there was a need for a medium either.


    Maybe he didn''t know it himself, thought Damien as he turned to look at the cheetah beastman who was right in front of him now.


    This time around, Damien wasn''t scared. Who knows from where he got the courage? But he knew that he could take this cheetah beastman down.


    He charged again, but this time around his movements were smooth, and he was moving as if gliding on water itself. His thrust, rend, and did every impossible stunt that he was sure he would have never been able to do.


    The cheetah beastman who had been winning till now was shocked when he saw the changes in the man; he thought of running away, but Damien didn''t give him a way out. Clyde was pushed further and further back until¡ª


    Damien swathed waterde at the weak spot.


    SLASH


    ROAR


    Pain shot through his left leg, and his beast form unravelled itself.


    "What are you?" Clyde breathed out as hey slumped on the ground.


    "Do you think you are in the position to ask me, "Who am I?" Damien remarked. He looked down at the beastman and ced his sword against his neck. "You better tell me everything, and I will make your death smoother."


    The cheetah beastman curled his lips derisively.


    "You¡ª"


    BAM!

 Chapter 119: Centipede in heart

    Damien''s eyes widened as he looked at the fanged dagger that was stuck in the middle of the forehead of the beatsman.


    Blood sttered on his clothes, and he wheeled around in a hurry; his gaze fell on a dark silhouette that was running away. He turned on his feet and chased after the one who had killed the cheetah beastman.


    Past the forest and the swampy bog around the river, he didn''t ask Maui to help him this time because he could feel energy coursing in his veins. He didn''t feel tired nor did he feel exhausted. Your next read is at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    tired,


    Soon he was catching up with the beastman who had killed Clyde. He raised his sword and infused his aura within it, and sliced it at the man''s legs.


    "AHHH!"


    The man screamed in pain before falling.


    "Who are you? Why did you kill him?" Damien asked. He pressed his sword against the neck of the man.


    "Because¡ª because he was going to tell you the truth," Ollie grimaced as he looked at Damien, who kicked him on the shin.


    His features reminded Damien of a small rat. The way his eyes were flickering and he was looking around as if he were thinking of running away.


    "You are lying," Damien had learnt one thing after living and growing up in the orphanage, and that was that rats like bastards like him never spoke the truth.


    "N-No, I am not lying," His eyes once again flickered as he looked left and right.


    "Yes, you are. I know a liar when I see one," Damien sneered as he dug the de of his sword into Ollie''s flesh. "You better tell me the truth!" The authority that rang in his voice was so strong and prominent that even Damien was shocked by it.


    It was as if he was born tomand.


    Most probably it was due to dragon blood that coursed in his veins.


    The man was shaken up by Damien''s authoritative voice. He parted his mouth as if he were just about to tell Damien what kind of truth he was keeping within his heart, but another secondter¡ªDamien saw the left side of the man bulge.


    "What the¨C"


    Damien cursed and immediately jumped backwards.


    BOOM!


    A good thing too, because the second he jumped away from the man, his body exploded. Bits of flesh and blood flew all over the forest and soon little micethat were hiding in the small mouseholes came crawling upwards when they smelt blood.


    Damien''s expression was not good, he got to his feet and then looked at the man''s corpse. Just now when this man exploded like he had eaten a million crackers, Damien was sure that he saw his chest bulge like¡ª there was a centipede crawling inside the flesh.


    His expression turned sombre as he walked over to the remnants of the corpse. Some mice scampered away while others decided that he was not worth paying attention to.


    But there was one thing inmon, neither of them troubled him which worked just fine for Damien as he came to a stop at the feet of the man.


    [Eye of Observation.]


    [Heart Controlling Worms detected.]


    [Status: Dead.]


    If Damien''s expression could turn any worse, it must have.


    He knew that this world was not simple, but he never really went too deep regarding the dangers and risks. But now that he had seen a man explode and die so cruelly, Damien seemed to have gotten a much better hold of the darkness that lurked within this world.


    He turned to look at Maui and Thalia who looked sick and said to them, "Let''s go."


    "Y¨Cyes," Thalia looked sickened because the sight of a man''s chest exploding and torn from the centre along with his heart sted off into pieces, was not something that could be counted as pretty.


    Maui didn''t say anything. He let Thalia hug him and didn''t say a word. Damien too followed them but he paused and then ¡ª


    With a light turn of his head he walked over to where the man was lying.


    "Master Damien¡ªeek"


    Squelch.


    Damien pulled the remnants of the Heart Controlling Worm and threw it inside his inventory.


    "Dan, try to run a check on this worm,"he told the AI system. If anything this worm made Damien feel restless, he had a really ¨Creally ¨Clike ¨Creally bad feeling regarding this worm.


    The three of them walked for another three hours, Damien was almost certain that they were lost again. But that was until he came to a stop in front of arge funnel of what seemed like mist but when he carefully observed it, he realised that it was not mist but tiny mosquitoes.


    [Mist Mosquitoes: Flesh Eating mosquitoes, they are tiny and really hard to see through the naked eye. Which often leads to prey stumbling past them without careful observation.]


    Damien''s expression darkened. He was tired, sweaty and just wanted to take a nap. Don''t get him wrong, he was not a sleazy bum but he was truly tired.


    "Are you sure this is the tower of Helion?" Damien silently wished that Maui would refuse but the stead nodded and replied to him. "This is indeed the Tower of Helion."


    Fucking Damn It.


    Damien red at therge funnel shaped cloud of mosquito but then calmed down. There was no point in losing his temper here.


    He said to Dan, "Is there a way to get rid of these mosquitoes?"


    "There is," Dan replied after searching the entire space around the temple. "There are a bunch of Citrone leaves that are growing at the back of the temple. You can use it to create another potion to deflect the mosquitoes and repel them."


    Damien: "..."


    Are you sure that I am a doctor and not an insect repellent?


    Though annoyed with the turn of events, Damien still sighed and went around the back to look for the Citrone leaves.


    These leaves were different from the ones that were found in the human world. They were spiky and tall, and to make matters worse, there was arge bird nest ced on top of the tuft.

 Chapter 120: Ironclaw Eagle

    "Now what?" Damien asked while looking at the next that was sitting at the top of the tufts of the leaves.


    "I will go and take it down," Thalia said to Damien. She paused and asked, "Will that be alright?"


    Damien nodded. Earlier, he had refused her to carry him because his pride didn''t allow him to let a woman hold him in a princess''s carry but he didn''t see any problem with her bringing down the giant bird nest.


    Upon seeing him nod, Thalia smiled happily and then flew to the top of the citrone leaves. She gingerly caught hold of the nest and brought it down.


    "It seems like the mother abandoned this one," she remarked as she ced the nest down on the ground.


    Damien peered inside and saw a lone egg lying between the eggshells. It was pitifully small, like a quail egg, and its shell seemed really thin.


    "It''s a runt," Maui remarked while crouching and looking inside the nest. "Of course, it was going to be abandoned. If you are not strong enough to survive, even beasts will not be willing to take care of their children."


    Damien felt ufortable upon hearing those words. Was that the reason that he was abandoned by his parents? Because they thought that he was not going to survive? He remembered his thin and scrawny self when he was young, and the feeling intensified.


    He crouched down and picked up the egg that was lying in the nest and said, "We should dig a grave for it. It''s better to bury it in the ground rather than leave it here."


    Maui opened his mouth to say something but then held himself back.


    It only took Damien a few minutes to dig a grave for the tiny egg. He was about to put the egg inside of it when he felt it move in his palm.


    "Woah¨Cwhat?" He gasped in surprise.


    "What happened, Lord Damien?" Maui asked while looking at Damien, who was holding the egg in his hands.


    "It moved," Damien replied while eyeing the egg warily.


    "Moved? Are you sure?" Thalia asked. "Maybe you felt it roll? The shell of the egg is too thin; I don''t think it can survive."


    "Maybe you are right," Damien remarked, feeling a bit dubious. He was sure that he felt the egg move, but he also agreed with Thalia. The shell of the egg was too thin, and it had been left in the nest without the care of his mother for who knows how long?


    With that thought, he once again lowered his hand, but this time around, the sound of cracking echoed in his ears, and it was so clear that Damien couldn''t miss it even if he wanted to.


    He, Thalia, and Maui whipped their heads to the tiny egg in his palm and watched the shell crack.


    "Thi¡ªthis ¡­ how could it be possible?" Maui whispered. "Shouldn''t it be dead?"


    Not only was the bird not dead, it was quite lively. It pushed through the shell of its egg, its bald head peeking through the thin film of the egg.


    [Momma.]


    "I am not your mother," Damien told the little bird.


    [Momma. Momma.]


    The bird, however, didn''t seem to understand what Damien was saying to him. He kept rubbing his head against Damien''s palm.


    "Its an Ironw Eagle." Maui looked at the baby eagle in awe. He never thought that he would see an Ironw Eagle hatching.


    "Will this bird be dangerous when it grows up?"


    "Definitely," both Thalia and Maui nodded and replied.


    Damien sighed and turned to look at Dan before saying to him, "Disy the information on Ironw Eagle."


    [Command epted.]


    [Collecting data.]


    [Information is being prepared.]


    [Ironw Eagle: They are predatory birds with a medium build. The Ironw Eagles are, however, considered deadly because they have supervision and grip strength. An adult Ironw Eagle can take down a C-grade beast monster.]


    Truthfully speaking, it didn''t sound all that impressive. But that was until Damien saw how big this thing could grow. And if this was a D-grade monster, he shuddered to think how big the C-grade monsters might be, and yet this thing could take it down?


    He had to admit that it was pretty impressive in its own way.


    [Meat! Meat! ]


    The Ironw Eagle shouted, and Damien, who could hear and understand his chatter, felt his brows twitch. He got up and handed the baby eagle to Thalia and said to her, "Go and bring something for this beast to eat."


    He didn''t know whether it was because this Ironw Eagle was a monster, but it was way too smart for its own good. It was so young and already knew that the crying child got the milk first.


    Thalia, who was given the charge to feed the baby eagle, was stumped. She looked at the baby eagle, and the eagle looked back before the two of them exploded at once.


    "I can''t take care of this thing."


    [Momma!]


    "Do you think I have the time to find rats for him to eat?" Damien turned with a soul-shuddering smile on his face. "There are people waiting to be rescued, you know? On top of that, I am hungry and tired," He pointed to the cloud of mosquitoes that was swirling around the temple.


    "So you better not piss me off."


    Thalia and the baby eagle almost immediately quieted down and went to look for something to eat.


    Damien watched them go and snorted. Really, with his luck, he could only run into weirdos. Even that baby eagle was quite an odd one.


    He turned to look at the citrone nt and sliced off a few leaves with his dagger.


    Once the leaves fell in his hands, he used his space ring and brought out the pestle and mortar.


    He said to Dan, "How long do I need to do this before I can get a skill that could turn these leaves into potions on its own?"


    Dan looked at the empty bnce on the screen and honestly replied, "As long as you are alive, there are enough chances to win such a skill."

 Chapter 121: Rescued

    Damien didn''t waste his time quibbling with him. He finished preparing the potion and activated his skill.


    [Potion Infusion has begun.]


    [Please wait.]


    [Potion has been absorbed.]


    "Let''s get this over with." Damien walked as close as possible to the temple before raising his hand and releasing the potion that he had just absorbed. The fumes wafted from the tips of his fingers, and Damien let it circle around the cloud of mosquitoes.


    The green fumes rose and rose higher until they reached the top of the funnel. Soon the scent of citrone scattered all over the vicinity, and the Mist Mosquitoes disappeared.


    The mist that was covering the temple slowly dissipated and soon thinned, until itpletely vanished.


    "You are here," Wistoria said. Though her tone was casual, she obviously looked really relieved.


    "I am," Damien nced at Xavier and Levi after taking a look at Wistoria.


    All three of them were covered in blood.


    "Are you all alright?" he asked.


    "What do you think?" Levi sourly replied as he walked out of the temple; his right leg was bleeding, and he was walking with a limp.


    "What happened to him?" Damien asked as he turned and looked at Xavier.


    Xavier''s mouth was twitching as he replied, "He tried to slice his way through the mist despite Lady Wistoria telling him not to. He is lucky that he only received a little injury and didn''t lose his entire leg."


    "He would have if you hadn''t pulled him back," snorted Wistoria. The reason she brought this man with her was because she truly thought that he would be of help to her. But Levi was far more impulsive than she thought.


    She then turned to look at Damien and asked, "Where were you? I thought I was going to turn fifty by the time you arrived." Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    "Sorry. I had this cheetah beatsman chasing after me; from the next time if something like this happens, I will ask them for a time out. I will first rescue you and then go back and resume my fight," Damien said sarcastically.


    The woman raised her head and looked at him with a cold gaze, and he was certain that she was going to change the map of his face, but Wistoria only snorted and then walked out of the temple.


    Xavier, who didn''t leave, walked over to where Damien was and said to him, "I thought you were done for."


    "I thought the same," Damien remarked. He was quite sure that the woman was about to take a swipe at him.


    The two men looked at one another before Xavier asked Damien, "How did the fight with the beastman go?"


    "It went alright," Damien then ryed the details of the fight with the beastman.When he came to the part where he arrived at the river, Damien exined the miraculous findings that he found.


    "You mean to say that your control over mana became better once you stepped in the water?" Xavier frowned and asked again to clear up his confusion.


    When Damien nodded he pursed his lips.


    "What''s the matter?" Damien asked.


    "I have never heard about anyone getting a better grip over their mana by using the element closest to their kind," Xavier started with a frown. "But if this is possible then I believe that we might be able to break through."


    Even he became hopeful.


    "What are you two doing there?" Wistoria looked at her husband and Xavier. The more she looked at them, the more it felt like they were a married couple instead of her and Damien.


    The two men heard her and rushed towards the carriage that Levi had summoned.


    And as Damien stepped inside the carriage he released a bit of the citrone scent to help with his motion sickness.


    This Hell''s carriage was definitely not his favourite ride.


    Meeting Hall of the Guild Association Building,


    "Hah! Hah!" Andres looked at therge building that was standing tall and proud in front of him. He wiped the sweat off his cheek and smirked when he saw the masters of the many guilds sitting inside the hall and having a meeting.


    ''Good, it seems like I wasn''t toote. The meeting is still going on,'' thought Andres as he slid down the tree where he was hiding.


    He stepped down and looked at the hall which could be seen through the window.


    The distance was perfect in Andres''s mind. From where he was standing, the melody of Doomsday could be heard without any trouble.


    This was it¨C he was finally going to taste victory.


    He raised his hand and ced it on the winding tool of the music box. But just as he was about to twist it, he heard someone walk over.


    ''Shit,'' Andres turned around on his feet and then hid behind the tree. Was he caught this easily?


    There was no way, right?


    "What is it, Godric?" Bloom stepped out of the association building and looked at the man walking in front of her.


    "It''s nothing; I think I saw someoneing here," Godric swept his gaze which paused when it fell on the tree where Andres was hiding.


    Ba-dump.


    Andres felt his heart jump to his throat. Did he notice him?


    So what if he noticed him? He thought boldly. As long as he yed this melody, there was no way this man would be able to escape.


    He swallowed hard and started winding the music box.


    Just a bit more¡ªa bit more ¡ª


    "STOP!"


    Someone charged at Andres.


    The man flinched causing the music box to fall to the ground. He raised his head and saw Wistoria running towards with three men.


    ''What were they doing here?'' Andres''s eyes widened. He turned on his feet and tried to escape but was stopped when a bunch of butterflies created a wall right in front of him.


    "My," Lady Bloom remarked in a coy voice. "What''s this? Who are you, and why did you trespass on the association?"


    Andres was about to turn into his beast form when ¡ª


    "HAHAHA!"

 Chapter 122: Monster!

    When they heard theughter, everyone couldn''t help but shudder. It was terrifying¡ªnot just terrifying¡ªsoul-trembling terrifying.


    "Haha, you all are really useless."


    "The sound ising from the music box," The wolf ears on Wistoria''s head twitched as she found the source of the sound.


    Once one of them located the source of this terrifyingughter, they all looked over to where it wasing from. Damien was the first to find the music box, and he sure as hell didn''t like the sight of it.


    The skulls that were carved on the music box were smoking. Smoke and fumes as dark as ink flowed out of the mouths of the three skulls that had different kinds of terror etched on them.


    "I can''t stand this anymore," the voice boomed as the smoke swirled higher and higher until it was ten¡ªno, fifteen feet tall. "I had high hopes for you boy, but it seems like I put too many expectations on you."


    "That music box¡ª"


    "It''s enchanted," Wistoria finished for Levi while looking at the fumes that were taking a physical form.


    She turned and looked at the people behind her and said to them, "Run! These fumes are taking shape. It''s an enchantment!"


    Toote, Damien thought as he saw the fumes take a monstrous shape.


    And soon in front of them stood a gigantic figure.


    Damien at once knew that it was not a simple monster or a beast; it was something worse. His heart within his chest was pumping loudly, and all kinds of sad and terrifying memories swept up and around his mind.


    What was the point in surviving? It was better to give up and die. He was not worth anything. What was he even doing here? This was not his world.


    He didn''t belong to this ce¡ªhe wanted to get out of here! He had to; he was just a doctor after all. What could he do when facing such a terrifying beast?


    "Snap out of it!" A roar filled his ears, followed by a sharp zap on his wrist.


    When Damien snapped out of his daze, he looked down and saw that he was actually holding a dagger in his hands and was pointing it towards his heart. Another second, and he would have stabbed himself.


    He let go of the dagger at once and turned to look at Wistoria, who stood beside him.


    "What''s going on? I never ¡ª" He began, but Wistoria held her hand up and said to him, "I know. But if you don''t pay attention, you will find yourself in a situation worse than this."


    Damien raised his head and looked at the monster in front of him before saying, "What is that thing?"


    "A transcendental beast," Wistoria replied with a frown on her face. "It is one of the mutated beasts that Azazel created. I never thought that he actually sealed these beasts in such a manner."


    "Look at you," Damien heard the beast speak. "What''s the point in standing and fighting like this? Give up."


    He stepped forward, and Andres, who was not far from the transcendental monster, tried to make a run for it. But he was much slower than a thirty-foot gigantic transcendental monster. That thing could cover more than a hundred metres with just one step and still look like it was tottering.


    So, how could Andres have the chance to escape? He came right under the foot of the transcendental monster and ¨C


    BAM!


    A horrible sound of bones crashing, flesh exploding, and meat churning and turning into meat patties echoed in his ears.


    Damien winced, and so did the others as they turned on their feet and ran away from the transcendental monster.


    "Oh dear, what kind of trouble did you all attract here?" Lady Bloom who was wearing high heels looked behind her and flicked her wrist.


    Almost at once, more than a hundred butterflies rushed out of thin air as if they were magically summoned and then charged at the transcendental monster.


    They attacked and nipped at the dried up skin of the transcendental monster that made it dried-up like a dried fig.


    However, Damien knew that the butterflies could not stop that thing. If they wanted to get away from it then they would have to think of a way to solve it.


    "We can''t continue running," he told Wistoria who nodded grimly.


    Behind them they could still hear the monster yelling.


    "AH! Annoying little beasts! I will kill you all," he swatted his giant hand and caused more than fifty butterflies to fall on the ground.


    Damien felt sorry for them. Not because he was an activist but because he knew that now that half of the butterflies were dealt with, the transcendental monster was going to get even closer to them.


    Which he did just a secondter.


    "Come to me," the transcendental monster spoke in a surprisingly gentle manner. "There is no point in running; let me feast on your soul¡ªand you will be free of the burdens that trouble you."


    And Damien had to admit that if the transcendental monster was running for presidential elections, he would have definitely won them. He always convinced him to lie down on the ground and be his meal.


    If not for the fact that Dan delivered another snap of electricity, he would have truly thrown his hands in the air in surrender.


    He turned his head to look at the transcendental monster before ncing at Wistoria. Though the woman was still running, she was slowing down, and her eyes were zed as if she were lost in thought.


    Damien caught hold of her wrist and pulled her hard before snapping at her, "Come on! What do you think you are doing?"


    She had saved his life just now; of course he was not going to leave her behind. However, just as he touched her wrist, he found himself trapped in memories that didn''t belong to him.


    He was looking at Wistoria, who was younger than she was now; she was trapped in a sort of cell, and a man who resembled him but not him was standing outside the prison.


    "Ria, why can''t you understand?" the man said to her. "As long as you join hands with me through marriage, we will be the strongest force in this Royal court. No one will be able to refuse us, and we will stomp on the feet of those who looked down on us."


    "No," the woman, though young, had the same arrogance as the present Wistoria. She looked at the man and stated in a cold voice, "The answer will be no, Emil. No matter how many times you lock me up or threaten my family, I will never ept this hideous offer that you have presented to me."


    Her eyes turned angry and grieving as she red at the man and stated, "I believed in you because you said that you wanted to rebuild this world. But what you have in mind is nothing but purge."


    "You are wrong," Emil replied. His agitation was clear in his voice as he said to her, "This is not a purge, it''s clearance. What I am doing is nothing less than helping those whom no one helped. Only by destroying the present can a future that we want be built. What''s wrong with the proposal that I have inmind?"


    Wistoria shook her head. "You are not in the right mind, Emil. I wish I could help you see through things but I cannot because you are no longer the same person whom I knew."


    ''So, she knew Emiliano?'' Damien thought as he let go of Wistoria''s hand and acted as if he did not see anything.


    Wisteria''s eyes cleared up, and she frowned before her face turned cold. She turned to look at Damien as if trying to gauge his reaction when she saw that he was calm. Wistoria heaved a sigh of relief before turning her head and looking at the transcendental monster.


    "This must be Living Mana," she said to everyone. "I have read about it in the history of the first transcendental beastmen war."


    "I should have known that Azazel wouldn''t ept defeat so easily," Lady Bloom sneered as she came to a stop and turned to look at the transcendental monster. "That man has never been one to ept his defeat so easily."


    "You speak as if you knew him personally," Damien remarked while eyeing the woman who was standing beside him.


    Lady Bloom turned her head and looked at him with a grin. She replied, "Because I did know him, boy. I had known him since that man was a child."


    "What?" Damien''s eyes widened as he looked at the beautiful woman who did not look older than thirty and stammered, "But ¨CBut that was so long ago? Wasn''t Azazel from history? Like super ancient records or something?"


    Lady Bloom tilted her head to one side and pinched his cheek harshly. "What is your point, boy?"

 Chapter 123: Surging Courage

    "Nothing at all," Damien grunted, feeling the skin of his cheek almost tearing off. Damn it, he just asked a normal question: Was it worth tearing his cheek off for?


    Lady Bloom finally left his cheek after she was satisfied with his answer. Damien raised his hand and rubbed the cheek, which was pulled to the point that he was sure the skin was hanging loosely on the side.


    "Why is she so strong?" Damien muttered, and Xavier turned to look at him with wide eyes. He remarked, "Why else? She is a transcendental beastman."


    "What?" Damien screeched as he turned to look at Xavier, who closed his eyes and then opened them a secondter. "Why are you so shocked didn''t you know it already?"


    No. he didn''t.


    Damien turned his gaze to look at Lady Bloom and saw her rise in the air with two golden wings behind her back. She looked like a humanoid butterfly, but when he saw her fly towards the transcendental monster, he realised that she was not weak at all.


    She was fast and sharp.


    And the supersonic scream that she used every time she came close to the transcendental monster was so loud that Damien couldn''t hear it. ording to Dan, it was because the noise was way beyond the limit of humans.


    Beastmen could still hear it, which exined why Wistoria and the rest were in pain, but Damien, whose beastcore was still in the process of mending, couldn''t hear a thing.


    Because of this, Master Godric and him were still standing while the rest were on the floor.


    [Scary, this is so scary.]


    The Ironw Eagle was twittering noisily while burying his head in Damien''s hair. However, even he couldn''t look away from the intense fight. Master Bloom put another burst of speed, and she was no longer visible anymore. At times they could see an orb of golden light but other than nothing.


    ROAR!


    "You puny bastard!" The transcendental monster let out a roar as he turned and opened his mouth. A secondter, a brust of ck mes erupted from his mouth, and Wistoria, who was standing beside Damien, rushed forward.


    She dashed towards the transcendental monster as if she were flying on the air.


    Damien noticed how her form changed and twisted before the sound of bones breaking and realigning echoed in the forest, and yet not once did the woman flinch.


    "Fifteen seconds," Damien calcted the time that Wistoria used to reach the transcendental monster and was left stunned. Was this the power and strength of a normal beastman?


    Wistoria jumped in the air, her hands were covered in fiery mes which she brought down heavily on the thigh of the transcendental monster.


    BAM!


    The sound echoed in the forest followed by the scent of something burning.


    "We need to help her." Levi charged at the transcendental monster just a few secondster after Wistoria and so did Xavier.


    The two of them changed into their beastforms before attacking together.


    While Xavier wed the arms of the transcendental monster, Levi summoned his giant hammer and banged it loudly against the chest of the transcendental monster, after he seeded in using a tall tree as a spring board.


    Seeing them fight the transcendental monster without even breaking a sweat, Damien was a bit envious. If only he was this skilled as well, then he would be fighting together with them instead of staying here.


    "What are you standing here for?" he heard Master Godric ask him and turned to look at the elderly man.


    "What?" Damien was sure he had misheard him.


    Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    "I asked you what are you doing?" Master Godric repeated sternly. "Don''t forget that more than your power and strength, its your courage and practice that matter the most. Before giving up, at least try once."


    Was he asking him to attack that thing?


    Damien clutched Waterde in his hand and thought, What''s the worst that could happen? That thing might swat him away a couple of feet, but he had Maui and Dan.


    These two wouldn''t necessarily let him die.


    Since that was the case, why doesn''t he try just once?


    Maybe he would be able to get a better control over his powers?


    Damien however didn''t go too crazy. He knew that he was nowhere close to the four beastmen who were attacking the transcendental beast. So he stood where he was and then poured the water in his vessel onto the ground before stepping into it.


    All of a sudden he felt a surge of cold in his veins and thought, so I wasn''t wrong. Water is indeed the correct way to connect with my core.


    As for how long he had to use water as a medium, Damien had no idea but he was not in a hurry. As long as he worked hard, he would certainly get better and stronger.


    He raised his hands and took a stance with Waterde raise in the air. Just then Wistoria flicked from one limb to another of the transcendental monster and tried to get towards his face.


    "Watch out!" Damien felt his heart fall when he saw that the woman was almost right in front of the mouth of the transcendental monster. And that monster opened his mouth right at that moment.


    BOOM!


    "NO!" Damien screamed; he didn''t know how he did it or how he even got the energy to do it, but his gut twisted painfully, and a wave of water rose in the air before shing down the brust of mes that was aimed at Wistoria.


    "Lady Wistoria!" Xavier changed into his human form just as Wistoria fell on the ground and even Damien rushed towards the woman, slumped.


    "What were you thinking?" He asked when he came to a stop beside her. Her right arm was covered in burns and looked rather hideous. If she was not lucky, then she would have lost her entire arm.


    He looked down at her body, which wasn''t covered with a shred of clothing, and took off his jacket beforeying it down around her torso.


    "I wanted to blind that thing in the eye," Wistoria winced as she tried to sit up but grimaced and fell down.


    "You might as well stay down," Damien told her. At the same time, he asked Dan, "Do we have any medicines to treat burns?"

 Chapter 124: A Murky Defeat

    "We do," Dan replied. "There is a silver sulfadiazine ointment in the inventory. You can buy it for less than 400 fame points."


    Damien, who didn''t even have 40 points at the moment: "..." Good guy, he was lucky that he was just a set of data; if he were a human, Damien would have beaten him up for his unscrupulous ways.


    "Can''t you see the bright 0 on the side of the screen?" Damien asked Dan.


    "I can," Dan turned and looked at the 0 on the screen and stated in a cold, static voice, "But rules are rules, host."


    Damien felt like strangling someone upon hearing those words. Who was the one who said to him that it was necessary for him to save as many people as possible? Who was the one who told him that he should work hard and be a really talented doctor? Was it not him?


    However, Damien had long learned not to rely on the AI system alone. He turned to look at Xavier and said to him, "You can go and deal with that thing. I will help her."


    Though Xavier and Wistoria didn''t have any other rtionship other than that of a master and a servant, he still felt ufortable when he saw the two being close.


    Damien stuffed that feeling at the back of his head and then helped Wistoria up.


    Seeing that Damien had it under control, Xavier turned on his feet and charged at the transcendental monster at once.


    Damien, on the other hand, helped Wistoria to one side of the forest and helped her down on the ground against a tree.


    "Show me the wound on your arm," he said to her.


    Usually Wistoria would have refused, but seeing the stern expression on Damien''s face, she held her arm out.


    Damien crouched down and looked at the burns on her arms.


    "These are second-degree burns. You are very lucky that you managed to get away on time." If he was a secondte, then this woman would have lost her entire arm.


    Burns were difficult to tend and heal; if they were not taken care of properly, there was a very high chance that a person might lose the function of the burnt region.


    Damien was a doctor, but he was no genius when it came to treating someone. He had his limitations, as he was not a god.


    "You speak as if you are worried about me," Wistoria raised the side of her lips and smirked at him.


    "I am a doctor," Damien raised his gaze and red at her coldly. "Taking care of the injured is my responsibility. Do you think you did something cool just now? If you had stayed another minute longer in the fire, you might as well forget about using your right arm. Fortunately, there is still a chance of recovery."


    Wistoria raised a brow and tried to move her arm, it was just as Damien said, she could not move it as well as she could before it was burnt.


    However, she was not too worried. She had faced all kinds of things when she was fighting in wars. There was a time where she continued to attack her enemies even when she was pierced with the thorns of a porcupine beastman.


    Compared to that, this burn was not bad.


    "It''s alright," she told him. "This kind of injury will not kill me."


    Damien red at her when he heard her response. Could she not y the role of a hero for once?


    He shook his head and then took out the vessel of water that he was carrying and poured it on Wistoria''s wound. The woman scrunched up her brows in pain when the water was poured on her arm.


    "The burns are quite severe, please bear with it," Damien was used to coaxing patients thus he used the same tone that he used with others on Wistoria causing her to raise her head and look at him in confusion.


    Was he mocking her or was he truly worried about her?


    However, when she saw his serious expression, she didn''t say anything.


    Behind them, Master Bloom rose high in the air before she came crashing down. Her wings, which looked gentle and softer than snow, cut off the head of the transcendental monster.


    "No!!" The monster yelled in anger and surprise before he fell down on the ground.


    Thump.


    The ground shook under their feet before the beastmen who were fighting with the transcendental monster morphed back into their two forms.


    Bloom wiped the sweat off her forehead as she picked up the shawl that she had thrown on the ground and wrapped it around her naked torso.


    "We were lucky that the mana within the music box was not as strong as it once was; it looked like the breaking of its seal led to some of its mana getting lost," said Master Godric as he crouched down and picked up Doomsday, which was no longer as terrifying as it was before.


    The mana inside the music box had disappeared, which meant that it was no longer dangerous.


    He wanted to keep the box inside of his space ring, but a secondter the music box melted and slipped through his fingers.


    "Wickedly wise," he muttered. Azazel had always been a man of many talents; though he was raised to power by following sinful means, no one could deny that the man was wiser than most.


    He was always ahead of others.


    No wonder he almost overturned the entire bnce back then when he was alive.


    Levi looked at the melted remains of the music box and remarked, "With this we have no evidence that Azazel is trying to return."


    "True." Lord Godric looked down at the bubbling dark liquid with his hands behind his back. He then raised his head and looked up in the sky before saying to the rest, "We will take some rest here and then return home. I have a feeling that there is someone waiting for us."

 Chapter 125: Dragon Scale

    Master Godric brought them all to an inn that was not far from the building where the guild masters were having their meeting. Once they arrived at the inn, Master Godric asked Damien toe and see him.


    Though Damien thought it was important to treat Wistoria, he knew that Master Godric would not call him for no reason. So he asked Xavier to keep an eye on Wistoria lest she leave her room.


    And he went to look for Master Godric.


    When he arrived in the room where Master Godric was resting, he heard the man say, "You arete, boy. But by all means,e on in."


    Once Damien sat down, Master Godric fetched a rhombus-shaped golden object from the drawer of the table where he was sitting and ced it on the table.


    "Do you know what this is?" he asked.


    "I don''t," Damien replied, as he had never seen such a thing before.


    "Take it," Master Godric said to him without exining what it was, and Damien did as he told him.


    He picked up the golden crystal that Master Godric had set on the table and almost immediately felt an affinity with it; as soon as he touched it, he felt a power surge inside of his body.


    "Can you feel something?" Master Godric asked, and this time Damien nodded.


    "I feel a weird sensation, but in a good way."


    "I expected as much," the elderly man said. When Damien looked at him with confusion written on his face, Master Godric smiled at him and exined, "This is a dragon scale, and no, it''s not your usual scale that was shed by a dragon when moving. No, it''s much more dangerous than that; sometimes transcendental beastmen get these bursts of energy, which sometimes makes them unstable and crazy."


    "They be bloodthirsty and murderous; sometimes they would kill their own family when they lost control of their power. To resolve this issue, the first Emperor Ruben created a magical crystal called Dragon Scale."


    "These crystals are infused with the blood and power of the greatest beast man, which is why they can carry a huge amount of mana without breaking."


    "Why are you telling me this?" Damien asked as he looked down at the dragon scale.


    "Lady Bloom picked it up once the transcendental monster was gone," Master Godric replied with a stern expression. "It seems like that man used the dragon scales to mutate beasts into transcendental beasts."


    "And you are giving me this because..."


    "Because you are the only one who can absorb this crystal without causing an entire city to explode," Master Godric dropped the shocking information as if he were telling him about the weather. "As you are a dragon beastman, you should have some affinity with this dragon scale."


    "Try to process this dragon scale; it might help you in your recovery," Master Godric told him.


    Damien nodded. He took the dragon scale and ced it inside his inventory.


    He was slowly going to process the dragon scale instead of taking all the mana in one go.


    "Is there something else?" Damien asked when he saw that Master Godric had not allowed him to leave.


    "There is indeed something else," Master Godric nodded. He picked up arge bag filled with gold coins and a small velvet box that he ced on the surface of the table. "This is something that a few hunters sent here; they said that this was something that belonged to you and asked me to deliver it to you."


    Damien pulled the bag towards him and looked at the shiny gold coins.


    ''Ah, those hunters turned out to be quite honest,'' Damien thought. He was worried that they would not send the money to him as he left them in a hurry.


    It was a good thing that they were honest, though; in case they tried to fool him, he would have buried them the next time he saw them.


    He then picked up the velvet box and then saw a purple orb lying in the centre of the cushion.


    [Rare item obtained.]


    "Rare item?"


    "Mutated beasts usually go through many changes," Master Godric exined to him. "Because of this, they sometimes develop their own mana cores. This is a mana orb. It''s one of the most basic resources that you can find in mutated beasts. Though it is called rare because not many mutated beasts can be hunted."


    "What can this do?" Damien asked if the AI system alerted him, and he was sure that this was not a normal mana orb.


    "It can induce mutations, and it can also strengthen your body. Each mana orb, however, has a different effect on the body of a beastman," he exined. "Without proper processing, it could be fatal to a beastman; you have to be very careful while purifying this thing. Usually, only the high-ranking healers can purify it, which is why most of the time hunters sell these orbs."


    "But I think you will be able to think of a way to deal with this orb," Master Godric said to Damien, with amusement shining in his eyes.


    For a moment he looked several years younger but then he turned solemn before saying to Damien,


    "It seems like your beast core has recovered?"


    Damien knew that there was no point in hiding the truth, so he nodded and replied, "I did." He then exined the cause and effect of the venom of the Impert Snake Beast to Master Godric.


    "Who would have thought that the venom of that beast can be used like this?" Master Godric remarked but then again, only Damien was an anomaly who survived after infusing the venom of that beast within his blood.


    "Anyway," Master Godric interlocked his fingers and thought. "Emiliano will soon know about this, since that is the case then we have to think of a way to begin a new training regime for you."


    "I thought my responsibility was just to heal and treat people," Damien sighed.


    How did his position jump so suddenly?

 Chapter 126: The True Capabilities

    Master Godricughed at his disappointed expression. "I never thought that I would one day meet a beastman who would feel annoyed at the thought of bing a warrior; usually, the beastmen are dying to be warriors. Don''t worry, I am not asking you to be a warrior beastman. This is only a measure to make sure that you will not die in a predetermined attack."


    "The more you learn, the more your chances of survival will increase."


    Master Godric had already nned to change the training regime of Damien. Instead of focusing on his strength, he decided that it was better to first hone the powers that Damien had so that he could control his beast core as soon as possible. If he couldn''t morph into his beast form, he was worried that Damien would be in a difficult situation in the future.


    "I understand." Damien nodded before taking the things that Master Godric handed him. "I will try to process these things as soon as possible."


    The sooner he infused these things in his body, the sooner he would be able to get through another breakthrough. At least that was what Damien believed.


    Master Godric nodded before letting Damien know about the training regime that he had prepared for him. "For now, just keep your faith in me. I will try to find more dragon crystals for you, but they are hard to find as most of the transcendental beastmen have long gone into hiding or have just faded. No one knows where they have stored their dragon scales."


    "You should also try to look for resources that would help you recover your beast core and control over your mana as soon as possible. For the first half of your training, you should focus on controlling your mana. I heard from Xavier that you can understand and talk with beasts and beastmen in their beast form? Is that correct?"


    "That''s correct," Damien nodded. "Is there something wrong?"


    "No, but I will like it if you keep this matter to yourself. I have already told Xavier to not tell this skill of yours to others. You might not remember this, but only the heir of the throne can understand the voices of the beasts and the beastmen. Usually, only the same kind of beastmen understand what their kinsmen are saying, and when faced with others, they cannot understand a thing."


    "If Emiliano finds out that you have such a skill, then he will try his best to remove you from his path; I don''t think you will like it?"


    "No, I won''t," Damien swallowed hard.


    "I knew that much," Master Godric started with a twitch of his lips. "For now, start with the Ironw Eagle that you rescued. Try to control it; if that baby eagle obeys yourmands, then I will think of a way to make you and the beasts who vow their loyalty to you grow together."


    "The history rys that the heirs of the dragon throne can control and share their strength with the beasts they form a contract with, not only that they can fuse their bodies together with their contracted beast."


    Damien looked shocked. He asked, "Are you sure that such a thing is possible?"


    "We won''t know until we try, but till then, try to pay attention to the thing that I have asked you to do," Master Godric stated.


    Damien thought about it and nodded. If he could really learn how to control different beasts would he still need to worry about some deadbeat brother trying to kill him?


    Master Godric then presented him with a different set of books, which looked ancient. These books were all about transcendental beastmen, skills, and the dragon beastmen.


    "I will leave these books to you, read them thoroughly and try to understand the true essence of your power," said Master Godric. "The more you understand the history of your kind, the easier it will be for you to get a hang of your mana and powers."


    "At the very least think of a way to absorb the mana stored within the dragon scale," Master Godric asked him.


    He then asked him to leave and Damien returned to the bedroom where Wistoria was resting with the stack of books. When she saw him return, Wistoria asked, "Why are you carrying so many books?"


    "Master Godric presumes that these books will help me in recovering my mana," Damien informed Wistoria. He then looked at her arm and asked, "How are you feeling now?"


    "Just the same," she replied.


    Which meant that her condition had not worsened.


    Damien nodded and immediately thought of a way to create a burn healing ointment. With the information that Dan had stored in his head, Damien did not need to worry about not being able toe up with a way to deal with this injury.


    [Burning Ointment for Beastmen: 2 Mallow Stones, Wing of Cone Cork, and three stalks of Wooly bush.]


    He was carrying these medicinal ingredients; thus, it did not take long for Damein to prepare the ointment and then pour it all inside a vial.


    "What are you doing?" Wistoria asked when she saw Damien pour the ointment that he had created onto his hand: Should he not use it on her?


    "Amplifying the effects of the potion," Damien ryed to her as he absorbed the potion and used it to create a cooling spell.


    [Cooling spell unlocked.]


    [236 Fame points are rewarded.]


    [Would you like to purchase the burning ointment andbine it with the cooling spell?]


    Damien tapped on ''yes'' without thinking twice.


    [Thank you for your purchase.]


    [Ointment effects are amplified by +2%]


    Damien smirked before releasing the spell. Silvery fumes like glow lit up the room before those fumes wrapped Wistoria''s armpletely.


    "This¨C" Wistoria''s eyes widened in surprise, as she had never seen a spell like this before.


    Healers could treat burns as well, but the process was not as painless as this one¡ªshe heard that the healers used spells to destroy the burnt skin and then regenerate new ones.


    It was quite a painful process, but now she didn''t feel any pain at all.

 Chapter 127: Temptations in my dreams?

    "Its done," Damien finished the treatment. He stopped using the spell and looked at Wistoria''s arm. Though her arm had notpletely recovered, it no longer looked as scary as before. The scars had lightened, and as long as she paid attention to the treatment, Damien knew that her arm would get better.


    He told her, "From now on, try to rest your right arm as much as possible and make sure to receive treatment from me three times a day. As long as you follow my orders, your arm will get better in three days."


    This was an amplified version of burn ointment, and coupled with Wistoria''s healing rate, three days should be more than enough.


    "Are you sure?" Wistoria asked. "The healers can treat burn wounds in seconds. So why are you taking three days to heal me?"


    She was curious to know what the difference was between Damien and the healers.


    "I have read all about their ways of dealing with burns." Damien was disgusted when he was reading about the cruel and inhuman way to treat burn wounds. Those healers actually used spells to destroy the burnt skin and then infuse mana for new skin to reform.


    Though it did heal the burn wounds in a matter of seconds, Damien knew that it also leftsting effects on the beastmen. He had studied the records of the beastmen who got their burns treated by the healers and after a few years they ended up with quite a lot of problems.


    One of them was not being able to control their limbs as easily as they could in the past; it was all because of the quick spell that they used, causing the nerves to be damaged.


    He could not even imagine what kind of idiot came up with the idea of treating burns in such a horrendous way.


    He raised his hands and fluffed the pillow before saying to Wistoria, "Unless you don''t want to lose your arm, I will suggest you listen to me." He yawned and added, "If not, then you can do whatever you want."


    After speaking, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. This time around, he was standing in the middle of a courtroom. At the centre of the hall, therey a small sealed box.


    He heard a voiceing from inside the sealed box and realised that it was the same cold voice that spoke to him thest time.


    "So?" The cold voice snickered. "Did you find anything worth fighting for? Struggling at the bottom of the apex. If you were toe to me, I will help you rise through the ranks in a matter of seconds."


    Damien parted his lips to speak but soon realised that he couldn''t. His voice just won''te out.


    While the voice inside the box chuckled, each one of his chuckle was getting louder and louder, and he then heard that voice say,


    "Poor littlemb, you will soon realise that you are making a mistake. Only I can help you rise and let you have what you deserve."


    Damien wished to tell the voice that he had no desire to rise to the top; he was content with where he was when the room shifted and Damien found himself standing in the middle of another room. ''


    His feet stumbled, and he found himself looking at a man with a long, jarring scar running from one end of his face to another. He was looking down at the centre of arge table, which had a curved hollow in the middle.


    It was glowing with a brilliant blue light, which lit up the entire dark room, including the face of the man.


    "DAMIEN!"


    The man screeched with such animosity that Damien felt his rage even in his dream.


    And at the same time, the cold feeling seeped into his very bones. He heard the voice say once again, "You were lucky this time, but will you be lucky tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow?"


    "AHAHAHA!"


    Bang!


    Damien woke up with a start when he realised that something or someone had knocked right against his forehead. He opened his eyes and found the culprit.


    "What do you think you are doing?" he asked Wistoria, who was holding the Iron w Eagle in her hands.


    He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead that was stinging slightly.


    "This bird was tweeting over your head. I thought you would wake up, so I wanted to stop it. However, this thing did not listen and tried to peck you just now," Wistoria exined. "I tried to stop him but ended up smacking you on the forehead."


    Damien''s lips twitched. She pped him because she wanted to help him? Amazing.


    He then turned to look at Ironw Eagle and heard him creating a racket,


    [You bad, evil witch! Let go of me!]


    [Just you wait, once I grow up, I will not forget to take revenge for this humiliation.]


    Damien was grateful that Wistoria could not understand what the Ironw Eagle was saying, or else he was afraid that the tweeting bird would have soon turned into a roasted bird.


    The Ironw Eagle then turned to look at Damien and said to him,


    [Mom, I just wanted to eat. I am so hungry. These people ate so much meat but only gave me a few bites. I am a growing bird; how can a few bite work?]


    Oh, this one really knew how toin, Damien thought as he slid down the bed and took the bird from Wistoria before saying to her, "He is just hungry; it seems like he didn''t get to eat his fill just now, which is why he is acting up."


    [Mom, you are great. I love you! You really understand me!]


    ''Shut up, don''t call me ''mom,'''' Damien told the bird, but the chattering eagle did not listen to a thing. He was simply overjoyed by the fact that he was going to get more meat to eat.


    [Meat! Mom, I want to eat beast orc meat!]


    "If you want to eat meat, then you need to call me as: Master. If you dare call me your mom, I will roast you instead."

 Chapter 128: Resolve

    In the end, under Damien''s stubborn persistence, the bird finally changed his way of calling him. Damien took the Ironw Eagle to the dining region of the inn while Wistoria followed him.


    She sat down on the chair opposite him and asked him, "Where did you find this chatterbox?" Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    [You are the chatterbox! Who are you calling a chatterbox? Look at me; I am so demure.]


    Damien nearly choked on the sip of water that he had taken before saying to Wistoria, "I found him in an abandoned nest."


    "So it''s a runt?" Wistoria frowned. She looked at the bird, and it did look quite small.


    [This evil witch!]


    The Iron w Eagle ruffled his wings and red at Wistoria angrily. Clearly, he did not like how she was calling him a runt.


    "Why are you calling her an evil witch?" Damien couldn''t help but ask as he ordered for orc meat as well as a te of roasted chicken and cream pasta.


    [Because she is evil. You don''t know how she chased after me just now. If I was not lucky, she would have snapped my body and squashed it into pulp. Fortunately you woke up, Master.]


    Dan looked at the bird that was speaking nonstop and turned to look at Damien. With a betrayed expression that was quite simr to the one that Damien saw in a movie, he said to him, "Host, you are really a scumbag. When I speak to you, you find me annoying and ask me to shut up. But you are letting this bird speak to you without a pause."


    "It''s not what you think," Damie said to Dan.


    However, when Dan noticed Damien pushing the boneless orc meat towards the Ironw Eagle, he shook his head and said to Damien, "You don''t have to say anything, host. It seems like all human men are like this. They like the new and forget the old one, humph."


    Damien, who had taken a bite of his meal, choked once again, and Wistoria had to thump him on the back before saying to him, "What is wrong with you? Can''t you eat and drink in peace?"


    "I assure you that I want to. I really want to."


    Throughout the entire meal, he listened to theints of the AI system and the baby eagle. In the end, he asked Dan to shut up and threw w out of the room.


    Once he regained some silence, Damien took the dragon scale out of the inventory and ced it in his palms. As soon as he touched the crystal, he could feel a sort of warmth trickle into his body. At first the current was hot, it was so hot that Damien felt himself sweating but soon when the current reached his beastcore, he felt it turn cold,


    However, the absorption rate of the energy was too small and slow. Damien frowned. If this goes on, when would he be able to process all the energy stored in this dragon scale?


    He thought of something and then went to the bathing room, where he poured a bucket of water in the tub and climbed inside.


    This time, the absorption was faster¡ªnot exceptional but faster.


    It seems like I was right. A medium is really necessary for a novice like me, Damien thought.


    Throughout the afternoon, he tried to absorb the energy inside the dragon scale. He only stopped when it was dinner time and his stomach was rumbling with hunger. As for the rare orb, he threw it to Dan and asked him to deduce the properties of the orb.


    When he stepped out of the bathing room, he found w flying around in the room. To his surprise, the bird was a lot bigger than it was before; its bald and hairless body had grown some plumage, and he looked rather cute.


    "What happened?" Damien asked.


    [I don''t know, this afternoon I felt like I was getting stronger all of a sudden. Master, do I look good?]


    ''So this was what Master Godric meant?'' Damien''s eyes widened. It looks like as long as he could imprint on a beast, he would form a bond with it; as long as he grew stronger, these beasts would get stronger as well.


    Does this mean that he could borrow w''s strength and skills?


    He tried to make a swipe in the air, but nothing happened, and Damien clicked his tongue.


    It isn''t as easy as I thought, eh? He shook his head, realising how different reality was from imagination.


    However, he did not give up. Now that he knew that there were supplements that could help him recover his beastcore faster, he was going to work harder and research the things that would help him grow.


    [Master should we go and eat? I am hungry?]


    He heard w say to him, Damien wanted to question him if it was his hunger that was resonating with him but refrained. Damien did not think that he and w were so closely bonded that they would start sharing the same bodily functions.


    It must be because the baby eagle was still growing and only knew how to eat and sleep.


    "Let''s go," Damien nodded and then stepped out of the room. He was hungry as well. Upon reaching the dining room, Damien ordered a bunch of things and finished it just as quickly as w.


    Once they finished their meal, Master Godric asked them to pack up, and they left the inn that very night. No one knew why Master Godric asked them to move in a hurry, but that was until Damien got his hands on the next morning newspaper.


    On the front page, there was a headline that ryed rather detailed news of how an innkeeper suddenly went crazy and lit the entire inn on fire.


    Fortunately, no one was hurt, and everyone escaped from the inn. Only the innkeeper was burnt to death.


    Damien shuddered. He was d that they left without staying the night or else!


    _____


    Send a few golden tickets and gifts, please.

 Chapter 129: Mana Stones

    "Brother, you are back?"


    Prisci ran over to Damien and hugged him around the waist. She smiled happily at him and said to him, "When did you return? Why did you not tell me that you were returning? That way I would have cooked something for you."


    "There is no need. I already ate," Damien patted Prisci on the head before looking over at the empty living room. "Where are Henry and Mother?"


    "Mother is taking a walk in the backyard, and Brother Henry¡ªhe went to take the holy water from the temple," Prisci tentatively replied. She knew how hard her brother was working to treat their mother, and yet Henry was still refusing to acknowledge the skills of their brother.


    Damien arched a brow but did notment on Henry and his stubbornness. Instead, he said to Prisci, "Get ready. Brother earned a lot of money; I will take you out. The two of us will buy something really good for you."


    "Did you really?" Prisci asked, feeling a bit sceptical.


    Damien nodded and showed her the bag of gold coins that he was carrying in his space ring. "See this? Brother can buy three dresses for you instead of one."


    When Prisci saw the bag full of golden coins, her eyes brightened. She said to her brother, "I will go and get ready now!"


    Damien smiled when he saw how cheerful she looked; fortunately, he took a nap in the carriage or else he would be too tired to take Prisci out.


    "Do you not want to take a little bit of rest?" Xavier looked at Damien, who walked over to the couch and sat down.


    "I am not tired," Damien replied with a smile. "And if I were to take a nap now, then I am afraid that I will end up sleeping for days. Might as well fulfil my promise before doing that."


    He knew that he was about to get busy with the new training regime and everything else. Since he did not want to break the promise that he made to Prisci, Damien chose to take advantage of the leisurely time that he had in his hands.


    Xavier looked at the man who was putting the joy of his siblings before hisfort and lowered his head. It seems like Damien has indeed changed quite a lot.


    It did not take Prisci to return after getting ready, and the three of them made their way to the small market that was not far from the Wolfe mansion. Damien looked around the stalls and the shops while holding Prisci''s hand, with Xavier following behind him.


    "Brother, this shop looks good." Prisci turned and pointed to a small shop that had children''s dresses disyed behind arge ss window.


    The dresses looked alright, and Prisci seemed to like them as well.


    Damien had no idea about girls'' fashion, so he followed Prisci inside the shop before letting her choose the dresses that she wanted.


    It took a while, but when he saw the smile on Prisci''s face, he thought that it was worth spending his time and money on the dresses and the shoes.


    So this is how it feels to spend money on one''s family? Damien thought, feeling content.


    After buying the dresses, they went to the doll shop, where Prisci picked and chose before buying a rabbit doll.


    Once they were done shopping, Damien walked out of the shop with his little sister and suddenly smelt the sweet smell of the sea.


    He turned to look at his left and saw a small stall that was selling stones. All kinds of stones, whether small or big, were ced on the stall, and the man behind the stall was yelling in a loud voice, "Come and take a look at these mana stones! Believe me, you will not find any stone better than these."


    "These mana stones are created by the mages of the magic tower themselves; buy one before they are sold out!"


    Damien turned to look at Xavier and said to him, "Take Prisci to eat some cakes. I will follow you soon." Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Xavier wanted to refuse, but seeing Damien walk over to the stall not far from the cake shop, he turned on his feet and took Prisci to the cake shop.


    This much distance should be alright. If there was an attack, he could still save Damien on time.


    Damien had no idea what Xavier was thinking; he walked to where the stall owner was sitting and said to him, "What kind of mana stones are you selling, Mister?"


    "You name it, I have all kinds of stones. These red and yellow ones are fire stones; the white ones are wind stones, while the brown ones are earth stones, and the blue ones are water stones."


    "There is an old mage in our vige, and he personally infused mana in these stones. He once worked in the Magic Tower, so you can rest assured that these mana stones will definitely work."


    "Really?" Damien picked up the blue stones before saying so to the stall owner. "How can these stones be used?"


    "Oh, these are normally used by beastmen to cultivate their skills and strengthen their beast cores," replied the stall owner. "As long as you are aware of your elemental powers, you can use the mana stone that is closest to your kind."


    [Master, take it.]


    Damien heard w speak and knew that this thing was good stuff. He looked at the stall owner and said to him, "How much?"


    "Three silver coins a piece," the stall owner replied at once.


    "Three for the pile or else we can forget about the deal," Damien knew that this stall owner was lying. There was no such thing as a mage in his vige, he somehow got his hands on these stones and more than half of them were useless.


    Only a few truly held mana within them.


    The stall owner hesitated but after a while, he sighed and nodded, "Fine. Take it."

 Chapter 130: Contempt

    Seeing the Stall owner agree so easily, Damien felt a bit regretful. If he had known that it was going to be this easy, then he would have gone for two silver coins for the entire pile.


    However, the deal was done, and there were no take backs. He paid for the stones and then left the stall. He did not even walk three steps away from the stall when he heard an old man say to the stall owner, "You are lucky, mate. It seems like you finally got your hands on a fool. He actually brought so many useless stones for two silver coins."


    The stall owner hissed at the old man and asked him to stay quiet because Damien was not far from the two of them. What if he returned and asked for money?


    However, Damien had no ns to return these stones. Only time would tell if these stones were useless or not.


    The three of them returned home after Damien finished buying the stones. Once he returned home, Damien headed straight to his room. He sat down on the bed with the water stones in his hands.


    Damien did not know how to absorb the mana stone in his body, so he decided to do it the old way. However, after standing in the bathtub for an entire two minutes, He knew it was not going to work.


    It seemed like the mana stones were different from the dragon scale. He then stepped out of the bathtub and walked to the bedroom where he sat down on the chair and studied the mana stone.


    "Dan, can you tell me what the properties of these mana stones are?"


    [These mana stones are formed and created by elemental magic. Each mana stone has a thin, solid film that covers the mana inside of it. However, this thinyer can be broken if they were to infuse together with the element they are created from.]


    "You mean to say that I can break this mana stone if I were to drop it in water?" Damien asked.


    "That''s right."


    Damien looked dubious, but he still picked up a mana stone that had the smallest amount of mana inside of it and then ced it inside the ss of water.


    At first, nothing happened, but then the ss of water started to move more and more. Ripples formed inside the ss of water; it went on and on for a while before it came to a stop.


    Damien looked at the ss of water before turning to look at Dan and asking, "Do you think that it''s safe to drink?"


    [You will not die, host. That much is affirmed.]


    [Yes, master. You will be fine after drinking it; maybe we will get stronger.]


    [Drink it quickly; I want to get stronger.]


    After finding out that his growth was directly rted to Damien and his cultivation, w wanted Damien to get stronger as soon as possible. Only when Damien gets stronger would he be able to be a C-grade beast.


    Damien rolled his eyes and ignored the antics of the eagle. He picked up the ss of water and then brought it to his lips before drinking it in a gulp.


    It was a mistake.


    The water whipped inside of his body, and Damien felt like his body was tearing into pieces. The pain was too much for him to bear, and he almost knocked off the chair on which he was sitting.


    Power constantly flowed within him, and by the scrunched-up look on w''s face, Damien knew that the beast was suffering the same agony as him.


    He did not know how long it went, but by the time it stopped, Damien was soaked in sweat.


    When he stood up, Damien swayed on the spot and had to sit back down on the floor.


    He had to stay like that for an hour only then was his body able to process the energy that was surging within it.


    However, when he opened his eyes he realised that his body felt much stronger than before.


    "It seems like these mana stones are really helpful when ites to cultivation."


    He stood up from the ground and walked over to the mirror in the room. When he saw his reflection in the mirror, Damien was surprised.


    It was him alright.


    But much taller and buff. He raised his hand and squeezed his forearm and was stunned to find that this schrly body had muscles.


    "What a wonderful breakthrough," Damien muttered, feeling pleased with himself.


    But what pleased him even more was when he sat down and opened the acupuncture records that were given to him as a reward thest time.


    He looked down at the screen and was surprised to find that the information was simply flowing inside of his head; he did not need to read anything more than three or four before he understood the concept that was noted down in the records.


    "This is excellent," he muttered while flipping through the information provided to him. Though it was not incredibly fast, it was still better than before. It seems like the mana stones can actually strengthen the senses of a beastman.


    Damien was quite satisfied with the changes in his body and eagerly finished reading the records. By the time he was done, he realised that it was dinner time and headed down the dining room.


    When he arrived, he found his family and Wistoria sitting in the dining room.


    "Where were you?" Wistoria asked him as she looked at him with a frown. "We have been waiting for you for fifteen minutes."


    "Sorry, I was reading an acupuncture book and ended up losing track of time," Damien replied honestly as he sat down on the chair and picked up his cutlery.


    "Acupuncture?" Henry raised his head and looked at his brother mockingly. "Did you already give up on your silly dream of bing a doctor and take another route?"


    He was d that he brought the Holy Water for his mother. If he relied on his brother, who knows what would have happened to his mother?

 Chapter 131: A stubborn brat

    "Sorry to tell you," Damien ced the fork in his hand on the table harshly before saying to Henry, "I haven''t given up anything. Acupuncture is one of the branches of treatment and can help me in saving a lot of lives."


    What was the matter with this kid? Does he really have to go against him at every possible turn? Damien thought that he had proven himself by joining the guild and spreading his fame far and wide.


    But it seems like no matter what he does, Henry will somehow find a way to oppose him.


    Maybe he doesn''t even want to trust him.


    The thought alone was unsettling because nothing was more annoying and hurtful than a person doubting the skills of a doctor.


    "That''s some bold words from someone who is just ying around," Henry scoffed and this time around Damien could no longer stop himself.


    He banged his fists on the table and snapped, "What''s your problem? Why do you have to go against me all the damn time?"


    "I did something wrong? Fine. I am trying to change, aren''t I? At least I am trying to do something to help mother. Instead of sitting and crying like a child who doesn''t know any better."


    "I am not crying!" Henry''s voice rose to a shrill shriek as he red at his brother.


    "You are doing a darn good show of it," sneered Damien. "I have been polite with you because I thought that you were a child and sooner andter you will learn and ept that I am only trying to help our mother."


    "But now I seem to have understood that no matter what I do or how I try to convince you nothing will change because you are blind! You only see what you want to and refuse to ept that you are wrong."


    Damien stood up from the chair and red at Henry, "I don''t care if you stick to your principles that you adhere to and believe to be correct. But don''t try to push them on me."


    He knew that the reason Henry was having a hard time epting him was not only because of his hatred towards his predecessor but also because he refused to ept Damien''s skills as ''official''.


    "Dami, calm down," Lady Cecil raised her hand and tried to stop the quarrel from happening. She wanted her family to be closely knit, they already had a bunch of people against them, so they did not need to turn against one another as well.


    Damien nced at Lady Cecil and Prisci who were looking at him. Their eyes were filled with worry and fear.


    Realising that he had lost his temper, Damien ran his fingers through his hair. He pushed the chair with a screeching sound and said, "I am done with my dinner."


    Lady Cecil wanted to stop him but Wistoria stopped her. She rose to her feet and said to Lady Cecil, "He must be feeling frustrated with theck of respect and support. Please don''t worry, I will go and talk with him."


    She then turned to look at Henry who was sitting in the chair, looking mutinous and then said to him, "Henry, I know that you have someints regarding your brother. But so does he. The only difference is that your brother is willing to move forward and you, on the other hand, are still not willing to take a step forward."


    With a gentle push, she stepped to one side and added in a subtle voice, "Don''t keep on clinging onto the past so tightly that you will lose all the opportunities to make up for the lost time."


    After she was done speaking, Wistoria headed out of the dining room.


    Henry watched her leave and clenched his fists in hisp angrily.


    Was he really wrong? But how could anyone trust that man who had once tried to kill them?


    What if this was another one of his ploys to get rid of their mother and their family?


    Wistoria wasn''t sure where Damien went, she simply whiffed the trace of his scent and followed it until it took her to the training area where she found Damien swinging his sword with the Ironw Eagle nipping at the dummy as it attacked it with its beak.


    She heaved a sigh of relief before walking over to where he was training.


    "Would you like to go down to the training areas? I think you will find it helpful if you see actualbat in the training areas," Wistoria did not say anything about what took ce in the dining room, instead she looked at him and offered to help him.


    Damien raised his head and looked at her before saying, "You will let me see it?"


    "Why not? I think that it will help youe up with a way to find your own strengths," Wistoria stated with a smile. "Master Godric did ask me to help you with this matter."


    Damien nodded. Since Wistoria was willing to lend him a helping hand, he might as well take it.


    Taking a look at the training grounds might also help him with the anger that was bursting inside of him.


    Wistoria led him out of the training grounds where he usually practised with Xavier, to the field which was far from where he practised.


    "Isn''t it quite far?" Damien casually remarked while walking.


    "The training grounds where you practise is for the anomalies, those who can not control their elemental beast power, practise there," Wistoria replied and Damien couldn''t help but frown.


    Anomalies? Then was Xavier an anomaly?


    Before he could question Wistoria, the two of them arrived at the training grounds where the guards of the Wolfe family were training unarmedbat techniques as they changed into their beast form.


    Or at least they were trying to do so.


    Damien noticed that the guards were having a hard time changing into their beast form while focusing on the fight.

 Chapter 132: Developing new skill?

    "What are they doing?" Damien asked as he watched another get drop-kicked as he tried to change into his beast form.


    "They are practising Transfixing," replied Wistoria. "Changing between their human and beast form within a matter of seconds. The morphication from the human to beast form requires quite a lot of energy and concentration and it takes time. But in battles, you don''t have the time to sit and focus."


    "Those who learn how to transfix, can change their forms at will and use whatever attack they deem fit in the middle of their battle. Usually, beastman cannot change their forms once they shift that''s where Transfix can help us," she exined to him. Wistoria turned to look at him and stated, "But you are still far from practising this skill."


    "Funnily enough, I know that," Damien remarked as he turned his gaze away from the guards.


    "Xavier told me that you have learned how to thrust but you are still far from learning defensive skills. You should have already noticed this while fighting that cheetah beastman."


    "If you fighting with a beastman who can make long-range attacks then you will have a hard time fighting. You need to learn a skill which will help you fend against these attacks."


    "Today I will teach you a way to dodge and block. The more you practise, the better you will get each day."


    "How do you want me to do that?" Damien asked.


    Wistoria raised her hand and pointed at w.


    "I have heard of your special circumstances," she told him with a smile. "Master Godric thinks that my family''s special training will be able to help you in increasing your affinity with this beast. I have no idea how it is going to happen, but since Master Godric''s n usually works¡ª We will try it."


    Damien frowned when he heard her response. What was Master Godric doing? Was he not the one who asked him to keep this skill a secret?


    However, he was too eager to get stronger and decided to think about this matterter on.


    "What do I need to do?" He questioned her.


    "Oh nothing much," Wistoria smiled at him. "Iron w Eagles are known for their strong wind attacks. So, all you need to do is defend against these guards and try to connect your beast core with his." She pointed at w. "If you are lucky then you will unlock a new skill."


    "And just in case, I didn''t get lucky?" Damien questioned and the woman smiled even wider.


    "Then you and I will be sporting the same burnt marks," she chuckled.


    Somehow, that description made Damien worry and it only turned even more foreboding when Wistoria turned to look at the guards and called them to stand in front of them.


    Damien noticed that these men, despite listening to her,cked the respect that Xavier had for Wistoria. They all were looking at her with a frown as if they could not believe that Wistoria actually dared to interrupt their training.


    "Now," Damien did not know whether Wistoria noticed their tant disrespect or not but even if she did, she pretended to not notice it. "I need you to spar with Lord Damien here," she turned to look at Damien before adding, "There is no need to worry, they just finished their elementary training. So they are not really far from you. At most, they will only throw pesky balls of fire."


    Almost at once, the guards red at Wistoria as she said those words.


    Though they did not say anything, their thoughts were loud and clear.


    "Alright," Damien nced at the guards before smiling at them. "Sorry for the trouble, mates." And a few res turned his way almost immediately.


    "There is no need for you to apologise," Wistoria stated coldly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "They are loyal to the Wolfe family, following and supporting the Wolfe family members and listening to their orders, is what they live for."


    She nced at the guards sharply before saying to them, "Isn''t that right?"


    The guards did not dare to refuse her. After all, she was their master, even if they respected Nichs more than Wistoria. No matter how dissatisfied they were with what Wistoria asked them to do, they had no choice but to follow hermands.


    Anyway, to them this training was no different than their usual training.


    Wistoria asked Damien to stand in the centre of the ring which was in the middle of the training grounds. She then picked up a wooden circr board that had a target drawn on it and threw it at Damien before saying to him, "Hang it around your neck."


    Once Damien did what she asked him to do, Wistoria turned to look at the guards.


    "Alright, you only need to aim at the target and not Lord Damien. I will remind you to only attack the target and attack to aim and not kill. Lord Damien will try his best to fend against your attack. With fifteen of you and him alone, you should know how to let this training take its course right?"


    Her voice turned stern as she repeated, "Don''t even think of killing him. That will be thest thing you will do."


    The guards nodded.


    Only then did Wistoria nod and say to them, "Then have fun. Try to push yourself to the extreme because even controlling your mana is a type of training."


    The guards turned to look at Damien. They raised their hands and summoned a few fireballs that they shed at Damien.


    Damien frantically tried to dodge them, while trying to summon the energy from w, however, he was so busy trying to escape the charging ws that he couldn''t even concentrate.


    He jumped and started shing with his own sword as he tried to stop himself from getting charred in ces.


    "You are not focusing," Wistoria told him. Stay tuned to m-v l|e''-NovelBin


    "Yeah? I wonder why?" Damien sneered as he fended against another attack.

 Chapter 133 : A good job

    Damien panted with exertion as he swung his sword at another beast man who sliced his ws at him. Forget about drawing energy from w; he felt like he would pass out. Throughout the entire training, he only learnt one thing, and that was that Wisteria was a very bad teacher!


    She asked him to control his mana and feel the connection between him and w. ording to her, since the contract had been formed, he shouldn''t have any trouble. But she never once told him how he was supposed to control this connection.


    The guards who found the taskborious soon started to enjoy themselves as they swung their ws and sent small attacks Damien''s way. Though Damien was not as skilled as them, he was agile and quick on his feet. Thus, it gave them a chance to hone their attacking skills.


    Earlier, they thought that Wistoria was trying to humiliate them by bringing Damien. Who did not know that the man had lost his beast core and did not have any skills? But it seemed like they had underestimated this man.


    Even if he didn''t have his beast core, he was quite a good fighter.


    With everyone at the same level, they had to take constant breaks as they didn''t have enough stamina to continue with their attacks. Damien had to crouch down and take multiple timeouts while trying his best to breathe in and out to recover his stamina.


    Wistoria on the other hand looked at Damien. She had to ept that the man was much more skilled than she had thought; though he was just a doctor, his hands were agile and his feet were quick.


    He didn''t waste any moment and took a clean swipe at his opponent.


    How was she supposed to know that Damien, who had worked as a resident doctor for years, was used to rushing in and out of the emergency ward? What was more, when he was saving the lives of his patients, he had to be clean and precise. If he was not skilled, how could he dare to pick the scalpel up?


    For Damien, saving the lives of those who were dying was no different than fighting a battle against time. So how could he not be skilled?


    Damien and the guards practised until they were sweating and tired. In the end, neither side won as Damien was too slippery for them to attack, and Damien couldn''t bring even a single guard down as he was trying his best to protect himself.


    However, this was still a really good training session. Damien felt his stamina get a bit better, while the beastmen also learnt a little bit about how to control their mana without losing control.


    "You did a good job," said Wistoria as she walked over to Damien who was sitting on the ground with his hand on his knee. He raised his head and looked at her before saying,


    "Is this your way to say that I was totally shitty?"


    "No, I was honestly praising you just now," Wistoria told him. "I think you did not notice it just now. But your speed and attack speed have gotten better. Though you still cannot find the core connection of the beast contract, you are instinctively using it as well."


    Damien was stunned. He looked back at his performance and realised that he indeed performed better than before.


    "This¡ª"


    "This is the authority of the king," Wistoria exined with a hint of pride in her voice. "You might no longer be as powerful as you were before, but you are still the heir to the throne."


    "Beasts and beastmen are obliged to obey you."


    She then nced at the man who was staring at her with a stunned expression and arched a brow. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did you never think of the possibility that you might be the right heir and Emiliano had taken over your rightful ce?"


    Honestly, he had never once considered such a thing. He only wanted to be strong enough to protect himself and his new family while saving as many lives as possible.


    As for ruling andmanding the beastmen, did he even have the power to do so?


    Seeing that he was not speaking, Wistoria was disappointed, but she did not show it on her face. No matter what, this was Damien''s decision to make. Whether he wants to take the throne or continue living like this, she has no right to make the decision for him.


    "Are you hungry?" she asked.


    Damien raised his head and nodded before replying, "A little." He was grateful that she was not waiting for an answer. He


    The two of them didn''t go to the dining area; instead, Wistoria took him to a small restaurant.


    "What do you want to eat?" Wistoria asked as she sat down.


    "I am fine with anything," Damien replied.


    [Master, don''t forget my meat!]


    w flew around Damien''s head, causing Dan to look at him. Though the AI system was smiling, which was his default expression, Damien had a feeling that there was something really wrong with Dan.


    "Are you fine with drinking?" Wistoria asked as she raised her hand and called for a server to take their orders.


    "I think I should be alright." Damien hoped that this body of his was used to drinking and was not someone who got knocked out in just one shot.


    Soon, the drinks and the dishes that they ordered were served. As the restaurant was filled with all sorts of beastmen, no one paid attention to the giant pile of mice meat on the table from which an Iron w Eagle was eating.


    "Howe you never told me how to control the core connection?" Damien asked as he raised the sk and drank through it.


    "It''s not that simple." Wistoria took a bite of her meal and frowned before stating, "Only the members of the royal family know how to find the link of the core connection. As for the rest of us, we can only y by the trial and error method."

 Chapter 134 : Harming others and one self

    "Trial and Error?" Damien frowned.


    "Yes, the royal family has always been secretive about their training methods. Maybe it was due to the betrayal of Azazel, but all the traces of the studies and training regime of the Royal family were cleared up.This is also the reason why Master Godric asked the four big families to teach you their skills."


    "He is trying to find the one training regime that will resonate to your core the most. Our family relies on strength, agility, and power, which is why we hone our skills throughbat. I asked you to participate in thebat with the guards because I believed that you would be able to connect the core connection in case you were to feel threatened."


    "Of course, we can''t say that it was correct or incorrect because there were cons and pros." Wistoria finished exining and drank some alcohol to quench her thirst.


    Damien slowly stomached her words and asked, "Then these four families¡ª"


    She understood what he was trying to say and stated in a firm voice, "Don''t worry. Though we are no longer as strong as we were when thete Emperor was in power, we are not that weak to sumb to Emiliano''s tricks and treachery."


    Damien wanted to ask Wistoria whether she and Emiliano had some kind of past together as he recalled the memories that he had seen when he was helping Wistoria thest time.


    But¨C


    "HEY YOU BASTARD!"


    Damien stiffened and looked back. He knew that it was too peaceful. With his luck, something should have happened within thest twenty-four hours; since nothing happened, Damien thought he was safe, but nope.


    The horrendous luck of being a patient ma proved that he was being too optimistic.


    He turned to look at the three men who were hitting a single man and frowned.


    "I have never seen a bastard like you before, clearly I won the fightst night, why did you sleep with Rachel?" the man who was punching the man on the ground yelled angrily.


    "You asshole, it was her who invited me because she said that you were not good enough. I was just doing you a favour," said the guy who was being beaten up.


    [Host, this is the matter of ¡ª]


    "I know there is no need for you to tell me," Damien could tell at one nce that the man who was cuckold was someone who had overindulged himself. His eyes were sunken, hisplexion slightly yellow, and he panted at the smallest exertion.


    If he was not wrong, then this man had long contracted syphilis.


    And if this man slept with the woman and the man being beaten took the baton in his hands, then he could only pray for these three people.


    "Shut up, Dale," another beastman roared at the man who was being beaten up. "We won fair and square, and you went around and took our prize?"


    Damien: Good, what an excellent show. Should he think of a way to warn these people?


    But when he thought about the attitude of the people of this world towards sexually transmitted diseases, he held his tongue.


    He came here to eat food and not punch.


    "Brad, you¡ªhow many times do I have to tell you it''s a mistake?"


    Damien turned to look at Wistoria and asked, "Do you know what''s going on?"


    "They are from the Silver Fox tribe," Wistoria replied with a frown. "The beastmen of this tribe are not really powerful but the females are pretty and their fur also has quite a lot of defensive measures. Because of this, many of these beastmen are caught and enved by the higher-ranking beastmen. Since the females of their tribe are getting lower in the counts, the males of the tribe have started a new way to copte."


    "They arrange for a battle to win a beauty for a night. The winner gets to stay with the beast woman and give birth to a litter of pups."


    "It seems like this man might have broken the deal that was sealed," Wistoria remarked, feeling a bit annoyed; she was used to seeing a number of beastmen changing partners every second day. But she had never seen such a farce before.


    It was truly embarrassing.


    "You fucking bastard, how dare you lie?" The man with sunken eyes punched the man in the face. "How dare you go back on your word? I could have gotten a pup of my own but now because of you¡ª"


    "Stop... stop fighting!" the woman shrieked.


    "I will teach you a lesson that you will never try to trick me again like this. Not only did you cheat, but you actually brought her out like this?"


    Damien looked at the man and was speechless. Did this man even know what he was talking about? Was he really unaware of his situation, or was he pretending to?


    No matter what the case, Damien hoped that nothing would happen. The fight was getting more and more chaotic; if this went on, then something might really happen.


    And no sooner did he finish having this thought, than Brad raised his hand and punched Dale on the side of his head.


    Bang!


    Wait¡­thats¡ª


    That hit was a dangerous one.


    "Ah!" The man who was hit slumped on the floor; his eyes rolled back in his sockets, and he let out a gurgling sound.


    "Now do you understand that you shouldn''t have ignored the rules?" Brad asked angrily. Because he was lost in momentum, he did not notice that the man on the ground had long stopped moving.


    "Hey¨Cwhat''s wrong?" Colby, who stood next to Brad, noticed that something was amiss; he looked at Dale, who was lying on the floor without moving, and sensed something was amiss. "Something''s wrong; he is not moving."


    "What do you mean?" Brad turned and looked at Dale, only to find him unresponsive on the ground. "This¡ªI didn''t do it!"


    ___


    Please leave some golden tickets and power stones for constant updates. The author''s motivation is down the slumps.

 Chapter 135: Saving a life

    "Is that..Is that man dead?"


    "Did these men really kill someone?"


    "Was he beaten to death?"


    "He is fine!" Brad, who had punched the man in the face, crouched down and pulled him up from the ground. "Get up! There is no need for you to y dead."


    However, even if he shook the man with all his might, Dale didn''t move.


    "He¡ªyou really killed him!" The beast woman, who had been silent till, turned to look at the three men who were dumbstruck. They really killed someone?


    "No! We didn''t," Colby shouted as he turned on his feet and ran away. The other two men also turned on their feet and ran out of the restaurant. Neither of them cared about the man who was lying on the ground.


    The woman who was left alone was stunned. She saw the men running away and looked around. What was she going to do now? After a quick thought, she kneeled on the ground and shook the man.


    "Dale."


    "Dale, Dale! Get up!"


    Among the four men, Dale treated her the best which was why the woman agreed to be with him. If not for the constant hunting and killing of silver foxes, she would have chosen to be with Dale and not anyone else.


    "...What a mess," Wistoria sighed. "It seems like I have to go and catch those men. How can they kill someone and run away?"


    The reason she did not react till now was because she thought that the man was pretending to be dead. Who would have thought that he really died? It was just a simple punch.


    "I need to check up on him," Damien said to her as he got to his feet.


    "Hey, what are you ¡ª"


    Damien didn''t give her a chance to stop him as he crouched down on the floor and looked at the man. He ced his fingers against the neck of the man ¡ª


    "This.."


    He wasn''t breathing!


    Nor did he have a pulse.


    If he was correct then ¡ª


    [This is cardiac arrest.]


    Dan finished his thought; he looked at the condition of the man before saying to Damien,


    "Host, this man needs CPR as soon as possible, or else there will be no chance to save him."


    "Everyone get back," Damien said to the crowd that was mouring to see what was going on.


    "Are you a healer?" one of the men in the crowd asked, but he didn''t wait for Damien to reply and then kindly said to him, "I will suggest that you give up. This man has stopped breathing; there is no way you can rescue him."


    "Don''t worry, I have a way to save him," Damien replied.


    Since he knew that there was a chance to save this man, Damien knew that he had to try.


    "You mean to say that you can save him even if he has stopped breathing?" someone asked in the crowd.


    "Yes, this looks like an emergency. So please step aside," Damien said to the crowd.


    Wistoria stepped forward and looked at Damien, she wanted to see what this man was going to do.


    Damien knew that others were watching him; after all, these beastmen must think that he must have lost his mind.


    A man who stopped was dead; what was the point in trying to save him?


    He ignored the gazes that were locked on his back and tilted the head of the man to clear the airways. Once that was done, he ced his hands on the chest of the man and started the cardiopulmonary resuscitation.


    He applied pressure on the chest of the man, trying to revive his heart.


    However, even after pumping for a while, the man remained unmoved.


    Damnit. This man was still so young. This should have been enough to wake him up.


    But why was he not breathing?


    Damien cursed as he hooked his fingers around the nose of the man and pulled his mouth open.


    "What¨Cwhat is he doing?"


    Everyone was shocked and disgusted when they saw Damien kissing a man and blowing air in his mouth.


    What kind of revival was he trying to do? Was it not just some kind of kink?


    Even Wistoria frowned. What was this man trying to do?


    Someone in the crowd could not help but say, "Hey it''s over¡­he is dead. You might as well give up."


    "Yeah, you should stop."


    "I don''t think that there are any chances to rescue this man."


    Though Damien could hear the words of the people around him, he did not give up.


    There was no way.


    "Just a bit more," he muttered to himself as he pumped the chest of the man. He could definitely save him. He will save him!


    He raised his hands and gave onest push.


    "Damn, just breathe!"


    "Ah!" the man who was lying on the ground unconscious woke up with a gasp. His eyes flew open and he looked around in panic.


    This¡ª


    This man really saved someone? No! He brought someone who died back to life!


    Wistoria''s eyes widened, and her mouth went ck. She knew that Damien was skilled, but she never knew that this man was this capable!


    Even healers would refuse to treat a patient once he stopped breathing but Damien¡ª


    She turned to look at the man in front of her with an appraising gaze. Howe he knew things that others didn''t?


    The people in the crowd were also looking at Damien; they all had the same stunned and surprised expression on their faces, as they couldn''t believe what just happened.


    This man¡ªhe really saved a dying man.


    "This is amazing."


    "I have never seen anything like this before."


    "Damn it, doesn''t this show that my brother could have been saved? He also fell unconscious before dying. If those healers had tried a bit more ¡ª"


    "Hey, what are you saying?" Another man sneered. "They are great healers; how could they care about people like us? This man is too kind, and he did so much to save the life of this man."


    At that moment, Damien was simply like a saviour to them.

 Chapter 136: A friendly warning

    "...What happened to me?" The man looked around; he held his head and turned to look at the woman who was standing beside him. "You¡ªwhat happened, Rachel??"


    "You fool! You idiot! This is why I asked you to wait, who told you to bring me out and provoke those three? You are lucky that we had a miraculous healer with us, or else I would have to prepare for your funeral!" Rachel was furious.


    She had asked Dale to stop and not cause trouble with those three men. However, he refused to listen and said to her that he was not doing anything wrong. He was just treating her to a meal.


    However, she knew that Dale wanted to provoke the three men.


    All because he was defeatedst night and was embarrassed.


    "What¨Cwhere are those three bastards?" Dale asked, looking confused and dizzy. He just fell unconscious. Why was Rachel acting like he really died? What did she mean by arranging his funeral?


    "They ran away because you died, you idiot!" Rachel snapped as she pointed in the direction where those three men ran away. "You are fortunate that you are alive."


    "Wh¨CWhat?" Dale looked at Rachel with a stunned look on his face. He was panting heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead and chin. "I¨CI died? When?"


    "Just now!" The woman eximed agitatedly. "This gentleman here saved you, or else you would have never woken up. Even a healer could not have saved you." Her eyes turned red as she stated, "You stopped breathing."


    The man was stumped when he heard that he stopped breathing, He turned to look at Damien, who nodded and said to him,


    "I saved you just now," said Damien as he cleared up the confusion at once. "If I hadn''t helped you, then you would have turned into a corpse by now."


    He then looked at the man who seemed to be getting agitated and said to him, "You should stay calm for a while and don''t move around too much. Lay back down on the ground and breathe properly."


    The man did as Damien told him, and once hey down, he felt much better than he did when he was sitting upright.


    "S¨Co, you really did save me, Lord?" the man asked. "How did you do it?"


    If he stopped breathing, how did this man bring him back to life?


    "It''s a simple process," Damien replied. "If CPR is used at the right time, there is a chance to rescue people who have fallen unconscious because of sudden shock."


    Of course no one understood a thing that he said; if anything, they felt like what Damien was telling them was anguage of another world.


    "What are you¡ªah!" Dale gasped in pain as he raised his hand and pressed his hands against his forehead. "My¡ªMy head is hurting¡­ , why is it hurting so much?"


    The pain was so intense that he could not even breathe or think properly.


    "This is why I asked you to calm down a little," Damien said to the man. "Your heart stopped beating just now, and when a person''s heart stops beating, it''s the brain that suffers the most damage."


    Damien crouched down and ced his hand on the forehead of the man and red at him before saying sternly, "Now it will be better if you stop moving or else you will die. Again. So just lie down quietly."


    "W¨CWhat? Okay! Okay!" The man immediately turned quiet and stopped moving. Even though his head was hurting so much that it felt like it was splitting in half, he did not dare to move.


    He stayed like that for quite a while before standing up and thanking Damien, "Thank you so much my lord. If you had not helped me then I would have died."


    As he spoke, he took out a pouch filled with silver coins and handed it to Damien. "Please take this; take it as a small gift of gratitude for your lifesaving grace."


    Damien looked at the pouch before taking a look at the clothes of the two people in front of him.


    They were dressed in refined clothes, which showed that they were not poor.


    Doesn''t this mean that there was no need for him to feel guilty about taking their money?


    "Are you sure about it?" Damien asked as he looked at the pouch that was filled with silver coins. "This seems to be a bit too much."


    "Of course it''s not," the man smiled and offered the pouch into Damien''s hands. "You brought me back to life; if you had not helped me, I would have died. Thanks to you, my lord. I am still fine."


    Seeing that the man was really grateful and honest, Damien did not refuse and took the money from him.


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    In return, he said to the man, "You should still go and check up with a healer."


    Damien reminded the man in a soft voice, causing Dale to blink his eyes and look at the man in front of him in confusion.


    Was there something wrong with him? The man thought.


    There was a reason; Damien asked the man to go to a healer. He knew that if he was to say that this man had syphilis out loud, he would definitely be embarrassed and angry.


    Not to mention, it was not a good thing.


    Surely, the man would refuse to ept that such a thing was possible.


    It was better for him to hear about his condition from a healer; at least that way this man would know what was truly going on with him.


    Seeing that the man was confused, Damien raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder. "In case there is something that you can''t solve, make sure toe to the Wolfe mansion."


    Once he finished speaking, he turned on his feet and said to Wistoria, "Do you want to continue with the meal?"


    While Damien had the mood to still, Dale''s mood waspletely ruined. He couldn''t help but worry about Damien''s warning and rushed to the temple with Rachel.

 Chapter 137: New skill: Unlocked

    Wistoria waited till they were done with their meal and stepped out of the restaurant; only once they stepped out of the small building, she asked Damien, "Why did you ask that man to go and get himself checked by a healer? Are you not confident in yourself?"


    "If I wasn''t confident, do you think I would have saved him just now?" Damien was amused when he heard the words of the woman walking beside him. He then said to her, "There are some things that the man wouldn''t believe unless a healer says to him; that''s why I asked him to go and visit a temple."


    "Such as?"


    "Such as," Damien lowered his voice and replied, "Syphilis, or Philoid."


    As soon as Damien finished speaking, Wistoria couldn''t help but step away from him. She looked at the man as if he had gone crazy.


    "And you touched him? You knew that he was suffering from philoid, and you touched him..you even¡ª" She closed her eyes when she thought about how Damien had used his mouth to blow in the mouth of that man.


    Was he trying to kill himself?


    "There is no need to look at me like that," Damienughed lightly. "Syphilis is not amunicable disease."


    "But¨C"


    "I know what you are going to say. You want to tell me that beastmen who oftene in contact with beastmen suffering from philoid end up catching it, right?" He knew what was going on in her head without even giving it a second thought.


    Wistoria nodded, and Damien motioned for her to get closer.


    When the woman leaned in close, he ced his mouth as close as possible to her ear and whispered, "That''s because those idiots slept with one another. Only after getting involved in sexual activities can this disease be transmitted."


    "I believe those beastmen who spread the word that syphilis was amunicable disease were worried that others would know that they had gotten way too chummy with the carrier of the bacteria that they spread this matter. Thus, they made a rumour and told everyone that it was amunicable disease."


    "You mean to say that simply touching a person infected with this disease will not harm anyone?" Wistoria asked with a furrow.


    "Of course not," Damien shook his head as he entered the mansion. "A person with this disease can live as a normal person as long as he or she doesn''t involve themselves in things that they should not do or take medicine."


    "They only need to take care of some careful measures, and everything will be fine."


    As he walked to his room, he turned to Wistoria and said to her casually, "Being sick is not a sin. I believe that ostracising someone just because they are sick and suffering is not the right thing to do."


    He turned to climb up the stairs andmented lightly, "But of course that is my own judgement."


    Wistoria watched the man step inside the room.


    "So you can also judge right from wrong?"


    Inside his room, Damien was lying in his bed. He was looking at the dragon scale and wondering how to collect the rest of the energy that was stored within it. He knew thatpared to the rest of the beastmen, he was like a toddler who had just started learning how to walk.


    With the difference between him and them, he had to buck up and pick up his pace. But how? He was not even close to getting a breakthrough.


    What was more¡ª


    He raised his head and looked at the notification screen. He didn''t know how it happened, but after he got his hands on this dragon scale, he saw that there was another task bar that opened at the very end of the screen.


    [Special Reward.]


    Damien asked Dan about this new addition, and his AI system exined to him that it wasn''t too big of a surprise. This system was created through the mana of the predecessor; thus, as long as his mana increased, there were a lot of skills that he could activate.


    Damien did not know what these skills were, but he was quite eager to unlock them.


    But for that, he had to infuse this mana inside the dragon scale within his body.


    While he was wondering what to do with the dragon scale, Damien fell asleep. The dragon scale in his hand glowed with a brilliant golden glow in the dark room.


    "What the¡ª" Damien awoke to a great surprise the next day. He looked at the dragon scale that was one fourth empty and felt the surge of mana within his body.


    [Skill unlocked: Lucky Wheel.]


    Not only did he unlock a new skill, but Damien also realised that he had actually found the link that he couldn''t find while fending off the beastmen yesterday. It was rather weak, but Damien still recognised it.


    He looked at w, who was pruning his wings, and clenched his fingers before the words shed in his mind.


    [Misty Wall.]


    The absorption of the mana had allowed Damien to fuse his skills and powers together with w. Though it was a bit weak and only a D-grade skill, Damien knew that it was better than nothing.


    At least this was a start.


    "Now this is great. It looks like this dragon scale seems to have an affinity with my mana. I didn''t even have to do anything, but it was still absorbed," Damien clenched and unclenched his fingers before turning to look at w. "Do you feel any different?"


    [I feel the same, just a bit more powerful.]


    As the eagle spoke, it raised his head and looked at Damien with a haughty look.


    Damien did not know whether it was his eyes that were ying tricks on him or if that was really the case, but w seemed to be bigger and mightier.


    "You look powerful as well," Damien stated with a chuckle. He then slid down the bed and said to his contracted beast, "Lets go and try this new skill."

 Chapter 138: The ultimate goal

    Damien couldn''t help but finish his breakfast in a hurry; he wanted to try this new skill as soon as possible. As long as he could strengthen this misty wall, he could protect himself against some attacks.


    It wasn''t a great thing, but in case of dire need, this skill might save his life ande in handy.


    "You seem to be quite happy," Xavier turned to nce at Damien, who was humming a soft tune. "Did something good happen for you to be this chirpier at this hour?"


    "Hmm?" Damien turned to look at his best guard before shaking his head. "Nothing too great; you will know once we arrive at the training grounds."


    Xavier nced at Damien but did not ask him to exin further.


    As for Damien, he was so excited to try his new skill that hepletely forgot that he wanted to ask Xavier about the anomaly that Wistoriaspoke of.


    Damien arrived at the training grounds and met with Wistoria, who nced at him before greeting him.


    As for the guards, they all turned to look at Xavier with an uneasy look in their eyes.


    It seemed like they were too terrified to even speak in the presence of Xavier.


    "What did you do to them?" Damien asked when he saw the reactions of the guards.


    "Nothing," Xavier replied with his lips twitching slightly.


    Nothing? The look on their faces was clearly saying that you did a lot.


    However, Damien did not ask Xavier to borate since the man did not look like he wanted to discuss this matter anymore than he had already done.


    Damien wasn''t sure what was wrong with him, but he had a hunch that it was most likely something to do with his anomaly.


    However, once he stepped inside the training grounds, he did not have the time to worry about Xavier.


    As all the guards who were relieved upon seeing that Xavier was not their opponent turned to look at him with a gleaming look in their eyes.


    Good. Did he look that easy to bully?


    "w, do you think that misty wall will be able to take them down?"


    [No. It''s a defensive ability between water and wind. It can only defend, not attack.]


    [But if it''s upgraded then there is a chance to use it as a smokescreen and cover arge area.]


    w''s reply didn''t surprise Damien. He knew that it was impossible, but one could always hope.


    "Begin!" Wistoria said somewhere on his left.


    And the guards did not waste a single minute.


    They pounced right on Damien, who raised his hand and waved it, causing a shimmery, misty wall to rise around him. Though it wasn''t enough to cover the area, it was enough to hide him.


    The guards were stunned.


    However, they only lost their momentum for a while before they started attacking again. But it was more difficult thanst time, they could not see where Damien was standing, and it was really not easy for them tond an attack.


    "What kind of skill is this?" One of the guards could not help butin, "I can''t even see past the mist; how am I supposed to attack?"


    "Idiot, at moments like these, you need to open your eyes and use your senses." Another guard rolled his eyes. "Aren''t you a wolf beastman? Why are you panicking just because you cannot see through the mist?"


    "That''s right. Instead of wondering what kind of skill this is, use your nose and ears," a guardughed and advised. "You cannot use your eyes, but you can smell and hear, right?"


    As soon as the guard finished speaking, he turned on his right and lunged.


    The fiery ws cut through the mist only to be attacked by a slice of water cutting through his attack.


    "See?" The guard turned to the one whoined just now.


    "Alright, alright," the guard was annoyed when he saw that others were mocking him. He rolled his eyes before ring his nostrils and taking a whiff of the wind before turning on his feet and charging in the middle. Instead of using his ws, he used his feet, hoping to get maximum range.


    However, as soon as he twisted on his feet and attacked, a figure flew past him, caught hold of his leg, and flew up in the sky. The guard tried to struggle, but no matter how much he moved and iled, there was absolutely nothing he could do.


    Like a mouse, he was dragged more and more higher.


    "Damn! That''s an ironw eagle," one of the guards whistled.


    "Oh, he is in so much trouble," another guard remarked and winced a secondter as the guard was dropped from a great height.


    BANG!


    "Damn, that must have hurt. No wonder, beastmen often said that the ws of the Iron w Eagle were the ws of death."


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    Once the training was over with the guards, Damien took a bath and headed over to the guild. He was exhausted but satisfied with the cooperation between him and w. As long as they continued like this, they wouldn''t have to worry about the dangers to their lives anymore.


    "Lord Damien!"


    When he arrived at the guild, he heard someone call his name and raised his head. In front of him was a plump man with a smiling face.


    Though the man looked kind and friendly, Damien was sure that he had never seen this man before.


    "Yes?" He blinked his eyes and greeted the man who walked over to him and shook his head.


    "I am Robert," the man introduced himself to Damien. "I am a healer at the temple of Axion."


    "Okay? How can I help you?" Damien had a feeling that this man was not looking for him for no reason.


    And his hunch was correct as the man smiled at him and excitedly rubbed his hands. He said to Damien, "I heard that you brought back a man to life yesterday."


    Ah, so this was his goal.

 Chapter 139: Superior contempt

    "I wouldn''t say that," Damien refused to take credit for doing such a miraculous thing. "I was just lucky; since the heart of that beastmen stopped only for a few minutes, I was able to rescue him, but if it was anyter than that, I don''t think I could have saved him."


    There was always a time limit while saving any patients; admitting that he saved a man who died would only bring trouble.


    "You mean to say that the skill that you usedes with a time limit?" Robert was slightly disappointed when he heard Damien say that he couldn''t bring just anyone to life. But after a pause, he suppressed the disappointment and asked, "Can you tell me which spell you used to save that dying man?"


    "I did not use any kind of spell," Damien told the healer.


    "What do you mean? You mean to say that you saved that man without using a spell?"


    "Of course," Damien nodded and stated, "I don''t even have a beastcore and a proper supply of mana, how can I use a spell?"


    Robert''s face went ck as he looked at Damien in shock. "Then how did you save that man''s life?"


    "I just gave him CPR," Damien replied as he exined the functions and the process of CPR to the healer.


    At first the man was stunned, but the more he listened to Damien''s exnation, the more his eyes shone with excitement. He stepped forward and shook hands with Damien.


    He eximed, "Ingenious! Really brilliant. I never expected that such a process even existed. Was it your master who taught you this?"


    "No," Damienughed as he shrugged his shoulders and let w sit on it. "Where will a beastman like me with a broken core find a master? I learnt it on my own."


    "You discovered it on your own?" Robert gasped, but then he stepped forward and right into Damien''s personal space. "Can you teach me this skill? I am sure that this skill can be helpful for us healers. If possible, we too would like to make use of this skill and save as many lives as possible."


    "I don''t think that ¡ª"


    "Please," Robert said to Damien with his eyes filled with determination. "I would also like to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation."


    "I am even willing to pay for it."


    Xavier watched Robert request Damien to teach him CPR and was quite surprised. He did hear from others about this skill, but he did not think much of it as he had seen Damien do even greater things.


    He, however, never expected that the skill was so useful that even a healer was willing to learn it.


    Damien couldn''t refuse the enthusiasm of the healer, but before he could say anything, he heard a loud, booming voice behind him,


    "Goodd, Robert! You are actually trying to steal my research partner?"


    Damien turned around and saw Gavin walking over to where he was standing. The elderly man looked annoyed as he red at Robert. He was staring at him as if he were his enemy.


    "You really know how to dig corners, don''t you?" Gavin said to Robert with a roll of his eyes.


    "I just want Lord Danien to teach me a skill that will help me save the lives of others," Robert stated smoothly. "I mean no harm."


    "You are¡ª"


    "This guild is getting worse and worse with every passing day. Look at this; even a broken beastman is being given the respect that he does not deserve."


    The loud and jeering voice caused the entire guild to turn quiet.


    "Lexiel!" Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    Damien raised his head and looked at the man who was standing on the second floor with a frown on his face.


    "Lexiel, watch what you are saying," Gina, who was standing behind the counter, looked up and stared at the buff man with a frown.


    "I am just being honest." Lexiel leaned on the railing and sneered at Damien. "Did I say anything incorrect? He is a beastman who lost his beastcore, and yet he is being treated as if he is better than the rest. A guild is a ce where only the powerful stand tall, but I don''t know why our guild is different from the rest?"


    "Lexiel," Lord Godric raised his head and turned to look at his grandson. "You are forgetting that our guild is a ce where beastmen rise and fall together. We grow together and we learn together; there is no such thing as stepping on the heads of others and standing tall."


    Lexiel''s sneer widened even more when he heard the words of his grandfather. "That''s why this guild is going nowhere, old man. It''s because you are not smart enough to lead it."


    "Lexiel!"


    Levi raised his voice as he summoned his blessed weapon. He red at the man with red eyes and snarled, "Apologise. Lord Godric has done so much for this guild, including you; how dare you say such things and disrespect him?"


    "Hah, did I say anything wrong?" Lexiel remarked, looking unrepentant. "Look outside, Levi. If you take a look then you will realise that the other guilds are making chunks of money by taking S ss missions. But here?"


    Lexiel''s gaze dripped with contempt as he looked at Gina and then at another woman who was silently sitting in the corner.


    The woman raised her head and smiled sweetly at Lexiel, but Damien could see that there were thorns hidden in that smile.


    Seeing her smile, Lexiel snorted and stated, "We only have three to four Superior Beastmen, and none of them are close to breaking through the transcendental rank. It''s bad enough that we have no transcendental beastman but what''s even worse is that the superior beastmen are refusing to take S rank missions, causing this guild to fall to this condition."


    He then turned to look at Damien and contemptuously sneered, "And now we have another broken beast man. Did you really let go of Azriel for this idiot, old man?"


    "Hey," Damien wanted to argue but was pulled back by Xavier who shook his head and said to him, "He is a Superior rank beastman. You cannot fight him at your level."


    Damien was not even an awakened rank beastman at the moment.


    How could he take a superior rank down?


    Even if he had some skills, Lexiel was way above his station.


    "That''s right," the man mocked Damien from the second floor. "If I were you, I would lower my head and live my days peacefully. Don''t try to act like someone that you are not."


    He then turned to look at Lord Godric. "You know that I am the greatest beast man, old man. As long as you give me the resources that you waste on others, I will definitely climb to the transcendental rank."


    "So, why don''t you give it up."


    Once he was done, he turned on his feet and walked away.


    "That damned," Levi stopped in the middle of his curse and then strode away. He picked up a mission crudely from the mission board and marched out of the guild.


    "I willeter on, Lord Damien." Robert did not expect that such a small matter would escte so drastically. He bowed his head and left the guild as well, while Gavin snorted and walked over to Lord Godric.


    Damien on the hand headed to the bar and questioned, "Who was he? And why did he give so many sermons?"


    Gina sighed. Her face looked tired as she replied, "He is Lord Godric''s grandson. Like Merium, he is a superior rank beast man. You can also consider him as the top candidate for the next guild master after Lord Godric."


    "If he is the next guild master, then I will sell my soul to the devil in exchange for Lord Godric''s long life," Damien muttered. He could not understand why this Lexiel guy suddenly went crazy just now. It did not seem like he did anything that offended that bastard.


    "Don''t take his words to heart," Gina poured pumpkin juice in a sk and handed it to the young woman sitting three seats away from Damien. "Lexiel doesn''t respect anyone. Even his grandfather. He believes that he is better than the rest, thus the superiorityplex."


    "This is not the first time such a thing has happened."


    Damien nodded.


    "Why did youe to the guild today? Do you want to take a mission?" Gina asked.


    "No," Damien shook his head when he thought about the matter from yesterday. He asked her, "Do you have cheese?"


    He went to the kitchen of the Wolfe familyst night and did not find any; thus, he could onlye to the guild in hope that he would be able to get lucky here.


    "Cheese?" Gina blinked her eyes. "Yes, we do have a block, but how do you need it? Do I need to slice it or grill it with biscuits?"


    "Just the block, please," there was something that he needed to do with it.

 Chapter 140: Hide,Seek and Defend

    "What are you going to do with this giant block of cheese?" Xavier asked as he looked at Damien, who was walking in the front. No matter how he looked at it, he could not understand what Damien was trying to aplish now.


    Damien turned and looked at him with a calm expression. He replied, "Nothing. Just trying to do some small research."


    "Research?" Xavier mused. "What kind of research?"


    "A research to deal with Philoid," Damien replied as he pushed open the door of the small shack that was a bit far from the main mansion. "I don''t think the healers here have a spell to deal with syphilis; since that is the case, I want to try something."


    "Can you treat syphilis?" Xavier''s eyes popped out as he eximed. His voice echoed in the silent shack.


    "Not yet," Damien ced the giant block of cheese. The only way he could think of dealing with syphilis was to create penicillin. However, there were three big obstacles in front of him.


    Firstly, he needed to get as many samples as possible to generate citric acid.


    Secondly, he needed to find a way to sterilise and extract the mould.


    Lastly, he needed a fermentation tank.


    And unfortunately for him, he had neither of these three things.


    But Damien did not want to stay still and wait for an opportunity to present itself in front of him.


    "Lord Damien," Maui and Thalia returned with the melon as well as the citrus drinks that Damien asked them to bring.


    They entered the shack, and Maui looked at the poor spread in front of him and said, "Lord Damien, did you lose all the money that you received from the mission? Howe you are eating such things?"


    Damien rolled his eyes; he leaned down and flicked Maui''s forehead before saying, "Who says that this is for eating? This is to grow mould."


    "Why would you grow mould?" Maui was stupefied. Though cheese was not a good thing, there was no need for him to rot it.


    "You will know soon," Damien said to Maui as he left the things in the open. He was going to return to the shack after three or four days.


    "What did you say?" Damien looked at Gina, who was smiling at him.


    "I told you that Master Godric arranged for beast games," Gina pointed to therge forest behind her. "He must have told you that he is trying to train you, right? Thus, this game is something that is for you to train."


    He was so busy studying the mould that was growing that hepletely forgot that he was supposed to train.


    Damien raised his head and looked at the beastmen, who looked way bigger and stronger than him. One of them stepped towards Gina and Damien who were standing outside the forest and questioned, "Gina, are you sure? Did Lord Godric really allow him to join in the beast games? Is he not afraid of him getting torn into pieces?"


    "I will suggest that you hold back," Gina warned the man. "If you go too far like thest time, Warren, I am afraid that you will lose the chance to win the prize and you will also drag your team with you."


    Warren touched his nose and walked away.


    "There is a prize?" Damien asked.


    "Indeed," Gina nodded. "Why do you think so many beastmen are willing to join this game? It''s because the reward is a vial of gorgon lion''s blood. You might not know this, but this blood can help with their cultivation. Thus, not only do they fight¡ªthey fight quite cruelly."


    "And yet you want me to join this game?" Damienughed dryly. "I am touched by the care."


    Gina smiled at him as she patted him on the shoulder.


    Damien watched her leave and frowned when he realised that Gina was actually sitting out of this game.


    Soon, Lord Godric walked to the training ground.


    He said in a loud and booming voice, "Alright, brats, calm down. I will call the Hiders, and the seekers can step back."


    One by one he called the names of beastmen who walked over with a resigned expression. Damien watched them tie a bandana on their heads and was just wondering what they were used for when


    "Damien!"


    Stunned, he raised his head and walked over to where Lord Godric was standing.


    "You will be a hider," Lord Godric told him as he handed him a red bandana. "Remember to keep this on your head as long as possible. I will wish you luck."


    "Ahaha! Old man, you want a broken beast man to join in the games?" Lexiel chuckled. "And here I thought that you couldn''t go any lower."


    Damien turned to look at the buff man who was standing behind him and narrowed his eyes.


    Lord Godric acted as if he did not hear what Lexiel was saying and continued, "You know the rules. The seekers will look for the hiders, while the defenders will be in charge of keeping the hiders safe and sound. The one with the most bandanas at the end of the game will be the winner."


    "But remember, this is not a battle to see who is better or best. This is just a part of your training; do not try to maim, kill, or hurt your guild members. If you are found killing your guild members, then you will be kicked out without a trial."


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    "Secondly, you are allowed to use your skills on your opponents, but only until you do not steal the bandana. Once you steal it, seize all attacks."


    Soon, Lord Godric created defender teams who would be protecting the hiders from the seekers.


    Damien turned to look at the beast men whom he did not even know and felt a headache. Was he really going to leave his safety in the hands of these people?


    Could they even do it? He asked himself while looking at the beastmen in front of him.

 Chapter 141: Hide, Seek and Defend—2

    One of them was a goat beastman for sure, and no, Damien didn''t realise this just from all the shaking and trembling the beastman was doing. It was because of the number of goat pellets that were left behind on the trail.


    "Dom, can you stop taking your furry behind?" Damien heard the woman who was walking towards them say, and he recognised her as the same woman with whom Lexiel had a quarrel thest time Damien came to the guild.


    "Easy for you to say, Serena," Dom snapped harshly while nibbling his nails. "Lexiel has been looking at us from the second the team was decided. I think that he is going toe after our team."


    Serena and Damien turned to look at Lexiel, and indeed the man was staring at them with a leer on his lips.


    "Oh,e on," Serena rolled her eyes and turned to look at the goat boy. "There is no need for you to worry. He can''t kill you."


    "Yeah, but he can have me pummelled me to a bloody pulp," Dom retorted. "I cannot understand how he got the best of the best."


    Damien didn''t know whether Lexiel''s team was best among the rest, but when he saw the tall and muscr beastmen in Lexiel''s team, who looked just as mean and scary as him, he knew that Dom was not lying.


    Damien tied the bandana across his forehead and turned to look at Serena and the rest of the team. He hoped that they knew what they were doing more than him.


    "You have five minutes toe up with the best strategy," Lord Godric stated from the side of the training ground. "Once the fight minutes are up, the hiders will run inside the forest and hide. While the defenders will follow them. As for the seeker teams, they will have to wait for a total of ten minutes before chasing the defenders. Remember, attacking the hider is not allowed!"


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    No sooner, he finished speaking, a hush fell around the edge of the forest, and everyone started to think of a strategy to win the game.


    "Alright, what kind of skills do you have?" Damien asked the team.


    "Does it matter?" asked the lynx beastman.


    "Given that my safety depends on you three, I think yes," Damien tried to hold himself back but couldn''t.


    "I¨CI can control objects of nature," Dom replied as he showed his skills to them. A small, tiny bud bloomed in his hand while the Lynx Beastman was only good with his speed and nothing else.


    Dom turned to look at Serena and asked, "What about you?"


    "Nothing too grand," Serena smiled sweetly and Damien had a feeling that the woman was ying with him.


    However, he did not have the time to waste with her.


    "I have a few skills as well, but I don''t think that I can defend against a superior-rank beastman," stated Damien honestly. "If Lexiel has really decided to attack us, then I am afraid that we are pretty much screwed."


    "That''s why we need to stay close," Serena said to Damien; her eyes made him really ufortable, as if she could see through things that others could not. "We will be in charge of taking the bandana of Lexiel''s team down, while you need to do only one thing."


    "What?"


    "Hide," Serena deadpanned. She pointed to the buxom woman in Lexiel''s team and said to Damien, "That woman can turn anyone into a statue, so you better not look in her eyes. Try to avoid her as much as possible. The rest are just dangerous, but there is a chance for you to escape with them, but not with Eli."


    "If Lexiel is really going to target us, then he will send Eli after you."


    "Everyone! Time is up! Hiders, ready, set, and go!" Lord Godric shouted.


    Damien did not need to be told twice. He turned on his feet and ran past the others. However, as soon as he ran inside, he felt the forest closing behind him, and when he turned his head, it was just as he expected. The opening from where he ran inside the forest was closed!


    "Watch out!"


    Serena screamed, and Damien turned to look in the front. As soon as he turned his head, his eyes widened and ¡ª


    BANG!


    All the air in his lungs was knocked out as arge, gnarled tree attacked him.


    He was sent flying and would havee crashing down if not for Samuel to catch him.


    "Thanks," Damien gasped while nursing his waist.


    "You are wee," Sam said to him as he helped him down. "Pay attention to your surroundings; this is an elf forest. They do not allow beastmen to enter so easily. There will be all kinds of obstacles."


    "d to know that," Damienmented as he got to his feet. He said to the rest, "I think it will be better if we take a look at the obstacles in front of us."


    "How do we do that?" Dom asked.


    Damien nced at him before he activated his eye of observation and looked around. "I will be in charge of telling what lies in front of us, and you will be taking it down. Is it alright?"


    Serena looked at his glowing eyes and nodded. "Alright."


    Dom was not happy about taking the lead, but he still followed Damien as he seemed to know what he was doing. With Serena and the rest in front, Damien started walking in the middle.


    "On your right, there is a tree that seems to be moving," Damien told the rest.


    At the same time, he turned to look at w and asked him to circlethe perimeter lest they remain unaware of their opponents and their movements.


    "The Whipping Wisps," Serena frowned when she heard Damien say that there was a moving tree in front of them. "It''s a guardian tree; there is no way we will be able to cross it without permission."

 Chapter 142: Whipping Wisps

    "Is it difficult to go past it?" Damien asked.


    Serena sighed and nodded heavily. She squinted her eyes as if she were trying to see through the thick thatching of the leaves. She stated in a calm voice, "The Whipping Wisps is enchanted by elf magic. It stops anyone who enters the forest; even when the elves abandon the forest, these trees would still protect thend as if the master was still living in the forest."


    "If I had known that this forest was actuallynd abandoned by the elves, I would have brought some orc''s blood; that way we would have gotten past this hurdle," Sam said with a frown.


    While the rest were worrying about how to cross this hurdle, Damien was trying to find a weakness of the enchanted tree. If he could find the weakness of a beast, then he could certainly find the weakness of an immobile tree.


    He looked around for a long time and finally realised something. There were little pores on the trunk of the tree and from the data Dan collected, these pores were responsible for the entire mechanism of this tree.


    They absorbed the absorbing scent from the surroundings and activated the defensive mechanism of the tree. Most probably the spell that was cast on this tree was to keep anyone with a different scent that did not mingle with the forest outside.


    Since that was the case ¡ª


    "Come here." Damien called for the rest of the team.


    Serena and the rest looked at him in confusion but they still walked over.


    Damien raised his hand and then said to the three people, "Now stay still."


    Before any of them could ask what he was doing, Damien cast the spell that he had used to drive the mosquitoes away in the temple of Helion.


    "What is this awful smell?" Serena sniffed her clothes and gagged; as a beast woman with sharp senses, she felt the scent was too sharp and piercing. She raised her hand and fisted Damien''s shirt in her hands and said to him, "What the fuck do you think you are doing?"


    "Woah, hey," Damien raised his hands in the air in surrender and exined, "I am just trying to get us past this hurdle. This tree relies on absorbing the scent of its surroundings; because it has stayed in the forest for long, it can urately detect the scents that belong to the forest or the ones that are foreign."


    "Using this sharp scent, we can hide our own and walk past it."


    "Are you sure?" Serena thought that he was bullshitting.


    Damien shrugged and stated, "Why don''t we try? Or you all can stand here and let the seekerse and beat us up before defeating us gloriously."


    His words annoyed Serana; beast woman and men werepetitive by nature; there was no way she would be willing to be defeated.


    She thought about it before pushing Damien in front of her. "You first."


    Damien rolled his eyes but he still marched ahead. When he arrived at the same spot where he wasst smacked, he sucked in his breath before walking past the tree.


    He wasn''t the only one; the other three were also unconsciously holding their breaths. But when they saw that Damien had walked past the tree without getting hit, they cheered silently before rushing right behind him.


    "I thought we had it," Dom whispered as they strode down the path.


    "Me too," Sam patted his chest and grinned at Damien before saying, "You are quite smart; how did you realise that this is the case?"


    Damien looked at the man who had thrown his arm around his neck before exining, "It''s not that difficult. Since Elves and Orcs are each other''s enemies, everyone thinks that the whipping wisp is scared of the presence of the orc. However, that''s not the cause of itsck of attack."


    "Orcs and Elves live as enemies because they live in the same forest. Thus, even if whipping wisps can fend against outsiders, it cannot and doesn''t detect orcs as its enemy."


    "Ah, so that is the case!" Dom pped his hands. "I thought that it was because elves feared the orcs."


    Serena nced at Damien; she admitted that she was quite impressed by his ability to see through the situation so quickly.


    [I am back, my wings are tired.]


    [If I had known that I would be this tired, I would have eaten a few more rats. They don''t taste good when raw but they will suffice for now.]


    Damien looked at the bird on his shoulders and then said to him, "Did you go hunting or to work? I asked you to keep an eye on things."


    [Which I did.]


    If eagles could roll their eyes, w certainly did.


    [I was looking around the entire forest. It was just as this woman and goat boy said, that bad man chooses the same path as you master. He is trying to make his way towards you and your team. The rest of the teams went to the east thinking that it was safe.]


    [But they ended up getting caught in a swamp and now most of them have been eliminated.]


    [The third path has little spider beasts; they shoot tiny web pins. Though they are not dangerous, it makes it impossible for others to walk past them. Thus they ended up getting caught as well.]


    "I didn''t think that they would be so united," Damien remarked.


    [What are you talking about, master? These teams were all taken down by that bad man''s team. He even beat up those whom he shouldn''t have! He is really a bad man, you should run away quickly.]


    "What did you say?" Damien was so shocked that he couldn''t control his voice and it turned shrill.


    "What''s wrong?" Serena paused and turned to look at the man behind her with a frown.


    "Lexiel¡­ he defeated every group. And now he ising after us."

 Chapter 143: Tactical retreat

    "I should have known that he would do something this sneaky and cheap," sneered Serena at once. "That man has always been like this."


    Damien did notment; he had more or less understood the kind of person Lexiel was from the moment; that man had mocked him while trying to emphasise that he was better than the rest.


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    It wasn''t a surprise that he did such a thing. Lexiel seemed like the guy who would lick his bread such that no one took it.


    "Now, what are we supposed to do?" Dom asked with a tremor raking through his body.


    Serena frowned and stated, "If it was someone else, then I would have fought fair and square. But Lexiel doesn''t fight fair; he fights to win."


    "If we face him head on, then I am afraid that we will be defeated without even getting a chance to retaliate."


    "Then what do you suggest?" Damien asked, wanting to hear Serena''s input.


    "We will have to keep ourselves hidden," Serena told them. "Especially you," she tipped her chin at Damien, who pursed his lips in response. "We cannot defeat that man but what we can do is to drag this fight as long as possible. Though he had snatched a lot of bandanas, the rules clearly state that only when the hiders arepletely defeated can the seekers be the winners."


    "If we somehow manage to keep the bandana safe till then, the winning team will be ours."


    "Except for a small problem," Dom remarked. "Lexiel''s senses are way too sharp."


    "Then all we need to do is y with these senses of his," Damien suggested.


    His three team members turned and looked at him in confusion before Serena asked, "How are we going to do it?"


    Thirty minutester, the four of them were sitting behind the canopy of the thick leaves. Mist covered the entire region and hid them behind the thin veil. Though it was not too thick, it was enough to hide them.


    And with the scent of mint fluttering in the air, their scents have been long masked.


    "I never thought that one day I will hide so cowardly like this," Serena muttered as she eyed the surroundings.


    Damien rolled his eyes before saying, "This is not hiding; it''s called tactical retreat. Their team is stronger than ours; if we face them head-on, I am afraid that not only will we lose but we will lose quite spectacrly."


    "By doing this, we are at least using our skills to our advantage. If you ask me, this cannot be considered hiding. This is what we call using one''s skill to their advantage."


    [They are heading towards this location. There are four of them, and another two of them are heading to the south.]


    They picked the simplest path, thought Damien. He had to admit that Lexiel was quite smart. Instead of wasting his time, he first sent his team members to the paths that had the most obstacles, where he eliminated the hiders as well as the defenders.


    Even the rest of the seekers were dealt with once they were tired down by the defenders.


    Now that he had dealt with everyone, he was looking for them.


    "Be prepared," he told the rest as he took out his own sword.


    On the other side, at the small training ground, Lord Godric was sitting on a chair with the elders of the guild.


    "Hmm, this man is really smart but it seems like hecks courage," one of the elders frowned andmented while watching what was happening in the forest in a flying orb. "I mean, he is a beast warrior; how can he not face the challenges that are heading his way?"


    Gina, on the other hand, turned to look at the man who had spoken. She smiled and stated, "You are wrong, Elder Dex. Just as Damien said, this is a tactical retreat. He knows that his strength is not on par with Lexiel, so why would he make the foolish mistake of fighting with him? Isn''t that equivalent to losing?"


    "She is right," another man spoke up while watching the scene in front of him. "They are a team of defenders and hiders; their main task is to keep that bandana safe and not have it snatched by the seekers. I think it''s a good strategy; at least in case it works, they will be the winners."


    "I believe that he is doing the right thing as well," chuckled another elder. "Have you forgotten when we had to y the same game? We ended up running into a superior-rank beastman. And you, being stubborn, charged at them. Not only did you lose the bandana, I remember you almost got your tooth knocked out."


    Elder Dex red at the man who brought up old matters and snorted, "Alright, alright. There is no need for you to say so many words; I understand."


    Back then, the game that they yed was not this tame. The guilds where they grew up only relied on one motto and that was The Strong Stands at the Top.


    Thus, they were beaten, mutted, and sometimes they were even sent to the infirmary for more than three weeks. Now, the situation was a bit better. At least Lord Godric didn''t pursue strength and power blindly. If not, then this guild would be the same as the ones who were at the top of the list, but behind that glory, there was the blood of many beastmen who lost their battles because they were not strong enough to survive till the end.


    Thus, they were plucked like useless weeds and destroyed. With only a few strong ones remaining, how could those guilds not rank first and second? The superior-rank beast men were being used to their bones as they were necessary for the rise of these guilds.


    On the other side, Damien was waiting for Lexiel to lead his team to where he was hiding.

 Chapter 144: Sore loser

    Damien didn''t let the team walk around the forest. They hid behind the lush leaves and waited for Lexiel and his team to arrive. With w flying above in the sky, they did not have to worry about circling the area where they were hiding.


    w ryed Lexiel''s attempts to walk past the Whipping Wisps.


    Boom!


    The sound of something exploding echoed, followed by the ground shaking.


    "I hope he didn''t destroy a century-old tree," Serena muttered. She turned to look at Damien and asked, "Please tell me he didn''t."


    Damien smiled at her question before whispering, "I am sorry to tell you this but he is not much of a heritage protector."


    "That fucking ¡ª" she caught herself in time before turning to look in front.


    [They are heading towards the northwest side of the forest.]


    Among Lexiel''s team, there were three warriors and one tactician. It was one of the best bnced groups, and despite being outnumbered by a bunch of defender teams, they were still able to rise to the top.


    "Are you sure that they are here, Eli?" Jasper asked the woman walking beside Lexiel.


    "Are you doubting my skills?" Eli turned and scowled at the man. "Did I make a mistake with the rest? I assure you that we are on the right path."


    "I hope that you are right," Landon stared around the surroundings before muttering, "There are only twenty-two minutes left for the game to end. If we do not find them, then all our hard work will be down the drain."


    "Don''t worry ¡ª"


    "Are you saying that we will be defeated by a group led by a pathetic man who can''t even be considered a beastman?" Before Eli could finish speaking, Lexiel turned and looked at Landon.


    His gaze was so terrifying that Landon immediately lowered his head.


    "I apologise."


    "Humph!" Lexiel sneered as he said to the rest of the team. "You all better open your senses. There is no room to make a mistake."


    Their team moved towards the northwest again and Damien asked the group to go hide further.


    "Twenty more minutes," Dom quaked. "Why couldn''t the other teams stay on guard for a few more minutes? How could they go down so easily?"


    "Calm down; even though they are headed in this direction, they are still a bit off," said Sam. "I don''t think that they will seed in finding us."


    "Shh!"


    The two men turned silent as they waited for Lexiel''s team to walk by their hiding spot. When only twelve minutes were left in the end of the game, Lexiel''s team headed over to the mist-covered ground, looking for Damien and the rest of the team.


    "They are doubling back," Damien ryed. "They are almost here."


    Dom squeaked behind him and hid even further in the plumage of leaves.


    While Serena and Sam prepared themselves for the attack.


    Lexiel arrived at the centre of the mist-covered ground. He looked around and saw that the grass had been disturbed and stepped on. He crouched down and whiffed thend before letting out a frustrating groan, "Whats going on!? I can''t smell their scents at all."


    "Are you sure that they headed this way?" Lan asked.


    "There could be a possibility that they walked past this ground already. Though this ground is covered with mist, the fog is neither poisonous nor dangerous. It could be easily waded through."


    "Stay on guard. It seems like they are ying with our senses; there could be a possibility that they are hiding and waiting for us to fall in their trap."


    Eli turned to look at the man and questioned, "Do you think that those low-ranking beastmen can really do something like this? Serena, yes but what about the rest?"


    "There is nothing wrong with being careful."


    They walked past the ground cautiously and headed towards the spot where Damien and the rest were hiding.


    Damien nced at Serena and the rest, and they all stopped moving at once. They had walked a bit further in the deep foliage and crouched closer to the ground.


    With w helping them, they were able to find the most advantageous position.


    [w, try to stay as far away as possible in case the fight starts. I am not sure what kind of beastmen Lexiel is; we cannot take risks. So try to use long-range attacks this time around and don''t try to grab him.]


    [My ws are the most effective defensive measure.]


    [I know but we cannot use those measures for the time being.]


    He then turned to look at the rest of the team and said to them, "Once they get closer, try to engage them in a battle. But don''t get caught; just try to drag this fight as long as possible. Go for the warriors first."


    "No," Serena refused. "We need to stun Eli first. That woman is dangerous; one look at her eyes and we will turn into a statue for the next three hours. We have to take her out first."


    Lexil''s team came into sight and they all rose to their feet. Enjoy exclusive content from mvl


    "They actually hid here; do they think that they can take us down?" Lan joked while looking at the four dark silhouettes.


    Jacob rubbed his fingers; he had mastered a skill that would allow him to control and create beasts closer to his own kind. Though the range was only four creatures for the time being, it was enough to deal with these people.


    Damien had no idea about the skills of the four beastmen in front of him. He could only think of tactics that would dy this game as long as possible.


    "Attack!" Lexiel shouted as he and his team charged at the group in front of them.


    Damien narrowed his eyes when he saw Eli pulling down the sses that she was wearing.


    It seemed like they were indeed trying to turn them into statues.


    [w distract that woman.]


    Since they wanted to use dirty tricks, don''t me him for matching their energy.

 Chapter 145: Sore loser (2)

    Lexiel sent a thunderbolt in the direction where they were hiding. Damien dodged to one side while Dom raised his hands and created a barrier with the help of the branches and the leaves. And at the same time, Serena stepped forward. She raised her hands and formed a hand formation.


    Damien watched her actions and noticed a slight boom in the air, which knocked Eli down.


    Seeing that everyone was doing their best, Damien didn''t want to hideeither. He activated the eye of observation and detected the weak spot of all four beastmen in front of him.


    He raised his sword and snuck behind Eli, who was trying to get back on her feet. Seeing this, he turned the sword such that the hilt was facing the back of the woman and attacked her right on the base of her neck.


    "Damn!" Lan turned to look at Eli, who fell to the ground. He raised his ws and shed at the mist behind him, but Damien had long expected this to happen and rushed over to the other side.


    "What the fuck just happened?" Jacob looked around; he really did not expect that they would be ambushed. What was more, they did not sense the other party at all!


    Lexiel narrowed his eyes as he looked around the forest; he knew that there were only three minutes left for the game to end. If he did not deal with this group, then the victory would go to them.


    He was so close to winning; how could he allow anyone to ruin his victory?


    "What the¡ª"


    Damien fell to the ground when he saw the man crazily shooting thunderbolts all over the surrounding region.


    [Host, please stay low. The intensity of these thunderbolts are enough to kill a person.]


    Dan announced a warning and Damien cursed in a low voice. This man was crazy; did he forget the rules or what? He was aiming to kill!


    He turned to look at Serena, whose eyes narrowed, and a secondter, Damien saw her send four winding but invisible forces in the air that knocked the two men down to their feet, and at the same time it sent Lexiel back a few steps.


    However, it was not enough to stop the crazy man. Thus, Damien sent a vicious uppercut with Waterde, which caused Lexiel to be stunned.


    A xon-like sound roared behind them, announcing the end of the games and Damien sucked in a breath. He rolled his shoulders and slid down on the floor. After using the little mana that he had, he was really tired.


    "Ah, finally the game is over. I thought that¡ª"


    "AHHHH!"


    Dom was still speaking when suddenly his entire body wrapped up in a golden electric current.


    "Dom!"


    "Lexiel, what the fuck are you doing?" Serena yelled at Lexiel, who had his hand raised in the air. "The game is over!"


    "It''s not over until I win!" Lexiel snarled. He looked like one of those bullies from his school. They acted the same when they lost a football game.


    Lexiel stepped forward and said, "You bastards, how dare you y with me?"


    His chest rose and fell while he eyed Damien and his team. He couldn''t believe it, no he refused to believe that he lost in the hands of the beastman who did not even have a core.


    He summoned his spear and charged at Damien.


    "Woah, hey!" Damien dodged to one side under the threat of being speared by an electric spear.


    "What are you doing?" Damien demanded while eyeing the man who went for another attack.


    Lexiel sneered and instead of answering, he stabbed his spear once again and this time Damien was not able to dodge. And the next thing that followed was a sensation that he never wanted to feel ever again.


    It was like getting caught in the middle of a bunch of electric eels. His bones ached, his skin stung and burned. His mind wentpletely nk and he couldn''t even open his mouth to scream. However the pain was excruciating.


    BANG!


    Damien flew back and knocked against the floor but he did notin. The pain of his shoulder knocking against the ground was much better than getting electrocuted to death.


    "Argh!" Damien gasped while wrapping his hand around his waist. He got to his feet and turned to look at Lexiel. "Are you crazy, you bastard? Why did you attack me for no reason?"


    "That''s right, Lexiel,"Serena stepped in front of Damien and red at Lexiel. "We won fair and square; what you are doing is against the rules."


    "You damn bitch¡ª"


    Whatever he was going to say was interrupted as the entire area where they were standing started glowing and they all returned to the starting point where they all started the game.


    "Lexiel, lower your spear." Lord Godric looked at his grandson. His gaze was stern as he stated, "Serena is right; what you have done is against the rules. Damien and his team won the games with their own wits. They won the game fairly. "


    Lexiel turned his head and red at Lord Godric. For a whole minute, Damien was worried that Lexiel was going to stab the old master with how the entire ground was getting filled with a heavy atmosphere. However, Lexiel only snorted and then turned on his feet before walking away.


    His team followed him.


    Everyone waited with bated breath and only when Lexiel was far away did the teams that lost the game walk over to their team.


    "That was an impressive victory," Levi praised with a disgruntled expression on his face. He was covered in a blue liquid, which was healing the side of his cheek that was burnt by Lexiel''s attack.


    "Yes, it was. Can''t you see how much I had to pay for it?" Damien nursed his aching bones and then asked, "How did they transport all of us together?"


    "They must have used an ancient transmitter," Levi answered. "Lord Godric is friends with the archmage of the magic tower of the capital."

 Chapter 146: The discussion

    "Good job, mate," One of the beastmen pped his hand on Damien''s back.


    "Damien, was it?" Another one grinned at him with his arm thrown around his neck. "You did a fantastic job just now; I never thought it would be your team who would defeat Lexiel."


    "Right, I thought you three would drag down, Serena."


    Damien smiled in response without saying anything. The thunderbolt just now was quite intense.


    "Alright," Gina walked over with Lord Godric. "Stop badgering him."


    She turned to look at Damien and asked, "Are you alright?" Her eyes skimmed up and down his body as she took in his battered condition with a frown.


    "I feel like my insides just got cooked but other than that, I am fine," Damien told her.


    The woman sighed before handing him a vial. "Drink this; it''s the essence of spring dew; it will help you feel better."


    Damien looked at the vial that held icy blue liquid before pulling out the cork and drowning it in a gulp. No sooner did he finish drinking it, a weird feeling simr to a hot liquid freezing slowly spread all over his limbs, easing the stinging sensation.


    "Well, I must say that you all have done a really good job. It''s quite ingenious to use your skills to ambush rather than attack. Normally, the warrior ss would choose to stand up and fight, but it seems to me that ambushing someone and using your wits to defeat your opponent is just as exceptional," Lord Godric praised with a smile.


    He turned to look at the guild members before saying to them, "None of you have objections against their victory, do you?"


    No one raised any objections and Lord Godric nodded his head. He took out the vials of gorgon lion''s blood and handed them to Damien and his team members.


    "Alright, you brats. Go and get cleaned up; you all have done a good job. This performance will be recorded andter evaluated during SS games. It''s been a long time since I have seen something interesting. "


    Damien''s team raised their heads and puffed out their chests while Dom excitedly told everyone who would listen how he single handedly dealt with Lexiel.


    ording to Serena, the performance records would be considered when the selection of the beastmen for the Superior rank beast-man would start.


    Though Damien didn''t need it, he was already quite satisfied with his growth as a beast man who lost his core; it still helped boost his confidence.


    These games helped him see through things much more clearly.


    The misty wall skill was indeed an excellent skill but it could be better. It didn''t block the attacks but Damien knew that if he was to upgrade this skill to its full potential, there was a chance of doing the same. And w, he had to think of a way to unlock more skills; his contracted beast couldn''t even perform in the games as Damien stopped him from swooping down and using his iron ws.


    What kind of skills could he unlock, though? He had to study the skills of Ironw eagles much more deeply once he returned home.


    While Damien was lost in his thoughts, others were eyeing him curiously. Though most of the fight was unclear to them as only the elders watched it, they still sensed that there was something different about Damien with how Lord Godric and the others were paying attention to him.


    And with the performance that he had shown them, they couldn''t help but wonder if there was a possibility of him turning into a ck horse of the race.


    "Do you want to shower in the bathing halls of the guild? We can have lunch and rx a little together if you like," said Sam.


    Dom smiled at Damien as he nodded and said to him, "You shoulde with us. There is this bubble bath that you will really like; it''s real good for your muscle ache and makes you rx."


    "By the way, are you really married to Lady Wistoria?" Sam asked as they headed inside the guild hall. He sounded envious as he questioned, "How does it feel to be married to the most wanted woman of the city?"


    Damien simply shrugged while trying to act calm. Honestly, he had no idea how it felt because he didn''t even hold hands with Wistoria yet.


    However, in the eyes of the other two men, he seemed to be acting proud and mysterious, which led to the two getting even more envious.


    Sam couldn''t help but sigh, "You really are lucky, though; you have such beauty by your side. As for us, we can only wait for such games to get close to the women of our guild. I just wish I could have talked with Serena a bit more; she is way too popr and we never get a chance to get close to her."


    Damien raised his head and turned to look at Serena with an assessing gaze in his eyes. He had to admit that the woman was indeed stunning; if she were in the modern world, then she would have certainly be a supermodel. She was the kind of beauty any man would die to have by his side. He was not interested; thus, he did not take another look at her.


    But given that she was a superior-ranking beast woman with that face, it was not a surprise that she was so popr.


    "Just be d that we are not in the same situation as Pepe. Have you forgotten? He confessed to her and ended up getting kicked in the nuts. I heard even the healers could not help him," Dom gave the man a look.


    The two men sighed together as they arrived at the bathing room, where they took a rxing bath and then returned to the dining room.


    Damien ran into Xavier, who was waiting for him and asked with a smile, "How do you think I performed?"

 Chapter 147: Colour of Coffin

    "As always¡ªyou performed fascinatingly weird," Xavier replied


    Damien rolled his eyes before picking up a few dishes being served at the bar and going to sit at a table. He waited for Dom and Sam to join him, but the one who joined him was not them but Serena.


    "Don''t wait for those two," she told him as she sat down. "They were caught by one of the guild members and taken to another mission. It was a quick and simple mission to earn money, so they agreed."


    "So they ditched me?" Damien shook his head as he began eating.


    "Quite true." Serena nodded as she ced a book and started reading while she too began eating.


    "What do you have there?" Damien asked when he saw her reading with such a focused expression. Xavier nced at the book while standing behind Damien.


    "Hmm, this? It''s a book on mana waves. It''s one of the important skills for owl-ss beastmen; we can use and control our mana to create an invisible force that could be used to attack our opponent at the same time this skill helps us control our mana pool such that we do not over-exert ourselves."


    "It''s something that all owl beast men have to learn, as we are more skilled in controlling mana rather than fighting the battle with our agility and strength. It''s better to rely on our mental force than our physique but for that, we need to train our mind until we can control our mana in the way we like it."


    So she was an owl beast woman, thought Damien as he nodded.


    "It sounds like a lot of work." Damien took a bite of his mashed potatoes.


    "Indeed, it is," Serena nodded. "But if we want to get stronger and survive all kinds of hurdles thrown at us, then intense study and practice is the only way to survive." She paused and added, "You should also think of a way to get your hands on some books or scrolls that will help you in your training, Lord Damien."


    Damien sighed andmented, "I would like to do it too. But there are no books that will help me in my training. I can only practice my fighting skills and hone my abilities as much as possible. No one knows how to help me train, so we are just going through the trial-and-error method. So unless I finally get a way to achieve the desired results, I will just have to y by the wind."


    "That''s tough," Serena gave him a sympathetic look. "If you would like, I can share some of my notes. Maybe they might help you a little."


    "Sure," Damien had nothing to do at the moment, so he agreed without refusing.


    Serena nodded before standing up and sitting right next to him. She ced the book in front of the two of them before she started to exin about mind and mana control as well as the impact of the mind on mana.


    It was not until the woman sat next to him and started talking did he realise the full impact of what those two men were talking about. Serena looked even more beautiful close up and even the scent of jasmine that wafted off her skin was rather delicious.


    "What''s wrong?" Sensing his gaze, she raised her head and looked at him with a light frown on her face.


    "Nothing," Damien cleared his throat before turning to look at the book. "You were talking about mana control, right?"


    "Right," Serena nced at the man who was pretending to be focused on the book and nodded before turning to look at the book as well. A light flush was creeping to her cheeks as she drew in close and ced her fingers on the page and once again started reading and exining.


    Xavier nced at the man and narrowed his eyes but refrained from saying anything.


    The two of them studied for three hours silently; by the time they stopped, the guild emptied a little and the sky outside darkened.


    "You are really smart," Damien praised.


    "Well, it''s nothing much." Serena closed her book and smiled at him. "Owl beastmen are known for their wisdom. Wit beyond measures: that''s our motto."


    They finished packing up and returned their dishes to the bar before stepping out of the guild.


    "Lord Damien."


    Damien had just stepped out when he heard Thalia''s voice.


    He turned and looked at Thalia, who had just arrived at the guild and raised his brow before asking with a smile, "What''s wrong?"


    "The thing is ready," she told him while ncing at Serena with rm bells ringing in her head. "Do you want toe with me and check up on it?"


    "Alright," Damien replied before turning to look at Serena and saying to her, "I will see you tomorrow then?" He didn''t know whether she was willing or not but Damien found the study on Mana and Mind too explosive and interesting.


    And as someone who was dependent on all kinds of theories and skills, he felt that there was nothing wrong with learning something.


    "Okay," Serena nodded as she too liked discussing the theories with Damien. He was a smart man who didn''t rely on a boorish show of his strength but he listened to what she was saying and gave his input when needed.


    All in all, he was quite goodpany.


    Damien nodded as he took his leave.


    Serena watched him leave before hugging the book in her hands.


    There were a lot of notes that she had made and written; maybe she would bring them tomorrow and discuss them with Damien.


    "How is your father?" Damien asked Thalia as he got in the carriage. "Are his injuries recovering well?"


    "He is doing alright," Thalia replied with a smile, looking quite grateful and happy with Damien''s attention. "However, there is only a small problem. My father drinks the alcohol that I buy to clean his wound, and because of this pus has started to form on his injuries."


    "Is that so?" Damien had expected such something to happen. He thought about it for a second before smiling as he said to Thalia, "Then will you ask a question to your dad for me?"


    "Of course, what do I need to ask him?"


    "Tell him what colour coffin would he like?"

 Chapter 148: A better place

    ''I guess this will do,'' Damien thought while staring at the mouldy cheese block. He nced at Dan and asked, "Do I need to let it ferment a bit longer?"


    "No, this production of penicillium chrysogenum is perfect," Dan shook his head and replied. "Now all you need to do is a sterile fermentation of the mould."


    And that was where the problem arose. Damien had asked one of the cksmiths to make the fermentation chamber but ¡ª


    He turned to look at the metal box that the cksmiths had sent him back. There were many problems with these fermentation chambers and as the production of penicillin required strict requirements, this won''t do.


    "What''s the matter, Lord Damien?" Thalia asked when she saw Damien frowning.


    "It''s nothing," Damien rubbed the back of his head and sighed. He pointed to the fermentation chambers and exined, "There are multiple openings in the chamber. What I needed was a perfectly sealed container."


    He sighed again and muttered worriedly, "If this goes on, then it will be troublesome when the patients start pouring in."


    It was difficult to produce penicillin inrge quantities to begin with; with such a defective container, he was going to waste the sterilised mould.


    "Is that so?" Thalia frowned. "I did ask the cksmith to create a box with no chance of air leaks but the cksmith told me that it was impossible to do without magic."


    She shook her head and said, "We can only hope that we will be lucky enough to run into a mage."


    Lucky?


    That''s right, lucky.


    Damien''s eyes shone with brilliance as he immediately turned to look at the screen in front of him and he immediately tapped on the lucky wheel section.


    Krr.


    Chak. Chak.


    Churrr.


    The noisy wheel rolled and rolled some more before a brilliant white light shed in the shack. Damien closed his eyes and only opened them when the light disappeared.


    "Lord Damien, what is this?" he heard Thalia say when arge metal container appeared in front of them.


    "This is the key that we have been looking for," Damien grinned as he examined the fermentation chamber closely. It closely resembled the modern penicillin fermentation chamber and Damien nodded satisfactorily.


    With the problem of the chamber being solved, Damien collected the fungus and then ced it inside the fermentation chamber and left it to ferment.


    "H¨Chello,"


    Damien heard a childish voice as he pulled away from the fermentation chamber and turned to look behind him.


    "Who are you?" Thalia asked the little girl standing at the threshold of the shack.


    "I¡ªI am Wendy¡ªI live on Mable street," the girl replied with a stammer. "Are you the doctor about whom everyone keeps talking?" she asked Damien.


    "That''s right," Damien nodded.


    The little girl clenched her fists before raising her hands as if in prayer. She trembled as she said to Damien, "M¡ªMy lord, ple¨Cplease treat my mother."


    As she spoke, she fell to her knees and continued speaking, "My mother is sick, and I¨CI can''t do anything to make her feel better." Tears started to flood down the eyes of the little girl as she sobbed and cried, "I am willing to do anything to save my mother. I can cook and I can also clean and sew really beau¨Cbeautiful dresses. I can also wash dishes."


    "So... please... Please save my mother. Just once, Lord Doctor."


    "Hey, little girl," Thalia raised her hand to stop the girl from crying. "I know that you are worried but¡ª"


    "Thalia," Damien interrupted her as he ced a sheet over the fermentation chamber to cover it. He turned and looked at Wendy before saying, "Little girl, go and bring your mother here."


    Wendy''s eyes brightened when she heard Damien''s words. She bowed in front of him as she thanked him profusely, "Thank you! Thank you so much, my lord!"


    As she dashed out of the shack, it did not take her more than ten minutes to return with her mother.


    Damien took a look at the woman''s pulse before saying, "There is no need to worry." He picked up the quill and noted down a list of medicinal herbs. "This is just the flu and nothing serious. Because you did not pay attention to when it started, it had dragged on for so long."


    "Just go back and drink this concoction for three days. It will get better."


    However, drinking the medicine was not enough. Damien looked at the woman whose hands were thinner than a stick; no wonder Xavier told him that the condition of the city and its people was getting worse by the day.


    The Keom family really knew how to suck the blood of the people. Stay updated with mvl


    "Thank you, my lord," the woman bowed her head while panting lightly. "I will think of a way to pay the fee somehow."


    "Ah, of course. You have to pay the fees but before that," Damien took out a silver coin and handed it to the woman. "You need to get better; if something happens to you, then I am afraid that I will not get my fees back."


    The woman looked down at the silver coin in her hands and raised her head before saying, "My Lord, I cannot take this. Its too much¡ª"


    "You don''t need to worry too much," Damien said to the woman. "Your healthes first; if you feel bad, then try to get better as soon as possible."


    "Once you feel better, then you can pay me back."


    "My lord¡­"


    "Lord Doctor, thank you so much." Wendy lowered her head and thanked Damien. She had never met a healer as kind as Damien; just the day before, she went to the temple and begged the healer to take a look at her mother but the guards threw her out and told her that she needed to wait till Friday when the healers take a look at themoners.


    But that was the busiest day of the week for the temple and the healers; where would the healers get the time to heal her mother?


    If only they had been kind enough to take a look at her mother just like how they treated the man in the big carriage.

 Chapter 149: Holding hands

    "Thank you! Thank you so much!"


    Damien waved his hand as he bid farewell to Wendy and her mother. Once the two of them were gone, Damien turned on his feet and headed back into the small shack where he was working on penicillin.


    "You are really a great doctor, Lord Damien," Thalia praised with stars in her eyes. "Usually healers don''t even allow a person to step inside the temple unless they pay a generous donation to them."


    "I am not a great person," Damien shook his head. "I am just lucky that I had enough to help them; if I were a poor healer with no money in my pockets, I wouldn''t have been able to help them."


    "But still¡­" Thalia picked up a rag and cleaned the table before saying to Damien, "For people like us, this is still a great thing. I can only imagine how worried that little girl would have been if you refused to help her."


    As someone who had almost lost her father, Thalia understood the worries of the little girl. Even if there was nothing wrong with her mother, that poor girl would have spent her days in worry until her mother got better.


    At least now she would be free of that worry.


    "But I cannot help them all the time.." Damien sat down on the chair and crossed his legs. "Because if I were to continue helping them like this, then it will be hard on both me and the people who get helped."


    He sighed and pressed his fingers on his forehead before saying, "It would have been better if they could get back on their feet. Making a living on their own is better than relying on anyone. But that is a little hard, especially in the current situation."


    Thalia clenched her fingers as she said in a cheery voice, "But as long as they are willing to work hard and continue making an effort, then I am sure¡ª"


    "Do you really think that the people are not working hard at the moment?" Damien asked with a light shake of his head. "They are but with the higher-ups suppressing them and asking them to pay undefined taxes, do you think that this problem will be solved with just working hard?"


    "If you want the people to get better and stand on their feet, then first those who sit in the higher and more powerful position need to stop with their suppressing," Damien told her. "Only a world where those who are powerful are willing to help the one''s in need will be a better ce."


    Thalia nodded as she agreed fervently, "You are right! Lord Damien, I really hope that there will be a day when the world will turn into a better ce like you imagined."


    "I will try to help others, just like you.I believe that as long as there are more people like you, then certainly this world will be better."


    Enjoy new chapters from mvl


    Damien looked at the woman who was speaking passionately. Once she finished speaking, she raised her head and looked at Damien, who remarked, "You really know how to dream quite incredibly."


    "A¨CAre you teasing me?"


    "Of course not," Damien raised to his feet and picked up a book. "I don''t think that I have the right to tease you. But I also hope that there will be more people like you who will be willing to change the world."


    "Lord Doctor!"


    "Master¡­ please help me¡­"


    "My child has been constipated for more than three days."


    "Lord, take a look at my husband."


    "Whats going on?" Thalia turned and looked at the door. She let out a gasp when she saw a crowd of people waiting to be treated.


    Damien nced at the crowd before sighing and picking up his gloves. He turned to look at Thalia and said to her, "What are you waiting for? Bring the patients inside."


    Three hours quickly passed by, and the moon in the sky rose higher and higher as the sky turned darker.


    By the time Damien finished treating thest patient, the two of them were so tired that they couldn''t even stand still.


    "Finally, its done!" Thalia slumped down on the floor. She wiped her sweat with the back of her hands and turned to look at Damien. She asked, "Lord Damien, will the number of patients increase in the next few days?"


    "I suppose." Damien raised his head and smiled at her, "I hope you are prepared."


    Something about his smile made Thalia tremble with worry.


    Only if Thalia knew about Damien''s fame as a patient ma would she have understood where this feeling of trepidation wasing from.


    "Are you done?"


    "Wistoria?" Damien turned and looked at the woman who was standing outside the shack. "Why are you here?"


    "I wanted to see what you were doing." Wistoria looked around the shack before turning to look at Damien. "You werete for dinner, so I came to look what was causing the holdup."


    She was still quite surprised, as she never thought that the reason Damien waste was because he was treating people for free.


    Her eyes softened a lot as she said to him, "Let''s go or else the dinner will turn cold. The chef cooked roasted dual-head turkey tonight; it won''t taste good if it turns cold."


    Damien nodded in response. He turned to look at Thalia before saying, "I will see you tomorrow."


    "Alright," Thalia responded in a small voice as she turned to look at Wistoria, who smiled back at her. Her smile was enough to make Thalia clench her fingers in anger as she red at Wistoria before taking her leave.


    Once she was gone, Wistoria turned to look at Damien and held her hand out, "Lets go."


    Damien nced at her hand before taking it as the two of them walked past the small shack to the mansion. Behind them, Damien could hear a lot of whispering from the servants, who were surprised to see them holding hands together.


    However, he did not pay attention to their whispering. It wasn''t until the two of them reached the dining hall, where his mother nced at their hands and smirked, did Damien pull his hand out of Wistoria''s hand.


    "Ahem¡­I feel rather hungry," he cleared his throat as he sat down.


    ___


    Can the author get a few golden tickets or power stone please?

 Chapter 150: Military Officer

    The sound of owls hooting echoed in the eerie night, and as the moon rose higher in the sky, most of the beastmen returned to their homes.


    "What did you say?" A man holding a wine ss raised his head and looked at his aide. "You mean to say that someone saved a beastman who was already dead? Have you drank too much, Colton?"


    He brought the ss of wine to his lips and drowned it in one go before saying to his aide, "You really know how to joke. But then again, it''s quite fitting with the amount of liquor you have drunk."


    "Lord Julian, I am not joking," his aide released a helpless sigh before saying, "More than fifty people witnessed that man saving the life of the beastman whose heart stopped beating. My brother was among these people as well."


    "Even if it''s just a rumour, as long as there is the slightest bit of possibility, I believe we should give it a try, my lord."


    Julian curled his lips as he poured himself another drink. He looked at his reflection in the transparent liquid in the ss before drinking it in one go.


    "So, did you find this great healer for whom you have been running around for quite some time?" Julian asked as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.


    "I have heard and followed the rumours," the aide replied promptly. "But ording to what I have found out, this man is a beast man with a broken core. He doesn''t have any mana and relies on weird skills to treat his patients."


    "Doesn''t have any mana?" Julian set down the ss in his hand on the table. He looked a bit concerned as he mumbled, "If he doesn''t have any mana and yet seeded in bringing a dead man to life, then he might as well be Beast God himself."


    "I believe that it''s better to bring him here and at least give it a chance, my lord," the aide bowed his head and stated, "With how the healers have failed again and again, I believe there is nothing wrong with trying something new."


    Julian narrowed his eyes as he drowned another shot of the liquor without agreeing or denying.


    The next morning,


    Damien woke up feeling slightly hot. He frowned and opened his eyes, but just as he pushed himself off the bed, he realised that he couldn''t move his body. Still asleep, he tried to raise his upper body off the bed once again but failed once more.


    "What the¡ª" he muttered before turning to look at the restraints.


    A slender arm was thrown against his waist, with Wistoria''s face buried in the crook of his neck. Seeing the sight in front of him, Damien was so excited that he tumbled off the bed.


    His sudden actions caused Wistoria to frown and wake up. She sat up straight on the bed and rubbed her eyes before saying, "What are you doing?"


    "What am I doing?" Damien squeaked. "What are you doing? Why are you in my bed?" Though he liked the feeling of a beautiful woman pressed against him, the problem was this woman came with ws sharp enough to shred him into pieces.


    He couldn''t take it easy, peasy, lemon squeezy alright.


    Wistoria yawned as she arched her arms and back. The sight was enthralling enough to make Damien gulp.


    "Why are you making a mountain out of molehill, hmm?" she said to him as she pushed the nket off and Damien took a sharp inhale of breath when he saw her loose nightgown bunched right around her thighs.


    Wistoria turned on her bottom and then slid down the bed, and her nightie slid down as well, hiding her long legs. Experience exclusive tales on mvl


    Damien pursed his lips to hide his disappointment as the woman swaggered over and leaned down to pat him on the cheek. "You should get used to sleeping with me; it will be really worrisome if you were to react like a poor beauty who is being harassed."


    Once she finished speaking, Wistoria turned to walk away. However, just as she took a step away from him, Damien shot to his feet, caught hold of her wrist and wheeled her around.


    "What¡ªmhmm?" Her eyes widened in surprise when Damien kissed her.


    "Oh¨Cumm.." Wistoria closed her eyes when Damien nipped at her lower lip and tangled his tongue with hers. She could feel him slither and taste every nook and cranny of her mouth.


    And it didn''t take long for her to start panting with the need to breathe.


    "Now who is the beauty here?" Damien looked at the woman whose bosom was moving up and down with the impact of her harsh breathing.


    He turned on his feet and walked to the bathing room, leaving Wistoria shaking and swallowing hard. She raised her hand and touched her swollen lips with her finger tips before turning to look at the closed door of the bathing room.


    "That damn man¡ª" was hell of a kisser.


    Damien didn''t take this small episode to his mind. Take it as a smallpensation for the time where she had locked him up in prison. He cleaned himself up before heading to the dining hall, where he found Prisci sitting and eating her meal.


    When she heard the sound of footsteps, she raised her head and smiled at Damien.


    "Brother Dami, good morning," she greeted him.


    "Good morning, Prisci," Damien smiled back at the little girl. "Something smells really good."


    "It must be because of the Venus mangoes." Prisci picked up her fork and pierced a piece of the yellow pulp that was cut into cubes and ced on the te. "The Venus mangoes are known for being a really healthy fruit. They are not only delicious but also filled with benefits that help the mind and body of a beastman."


    She looked around and then whispered, "Brother Henry used to eat these before the exams as they helped him learn better. Don''t tell him that I told you this though; he likes it when others think of him as a prodigy."

 Chapter 151: Military Officer (2)

    Damien chuckled lightly.


    "Then don''t mind if I do," he mimicked her actions and then forked a piece of mango on the fork and took a bite from it. As he snacked on the mangoes, he had to admit that the effect of the mangoes was almost instant.


    He felt refreshed and his mind was much clearer than before.


    The two siblings finished their meal in silence before Damien went to the library, where he took out all the books that he could find on the imperial family and the transcendental beastmen. There were not many books on these two topics but Damien still somehow managed to wade his way through the important topics.


    He was still reading the onset of the transcendental beastmen when someone walked over to his table and set down. A bit annoyed at the person who had disrupted his study time, Damien looked up, and his gaze met with Luke, the personal healer of the Wolfe family.


    "What?" Damien asked when he saw that the healer''s eyes were glowing with the eagerness of saying something.


    He knew this gaze really well after all. When he was working as a resident doctor, many of his juniors came to look for him with the same look in their eyes.


    Luke smiled at him and said, "I heard from Xavier that you will be teaching Healer Gavin and Healer Robert the thing called CPR?"


    "I am. What about it?"


    "Then do you mind teaching me as well?" He asked Damien with a polite smile. "If you don''t mind, then I am willing to share some of my books on medicinal books and a few more things. I can also help you by arranging a few medicinal herbs."


    "Are you sure?" Damien asked. "Don''t say that I took advantage of youter on."


    "No, of course not," Luke shook his head and said to Damien, "I am willing to share these things with you in exchange for learning how to perform CPR and sewing back severed nerves."


    "As long as I want?"


    "As long as you want," agreed Luke.


    "Deal," Damien shook hands with the man before closing the book. He was already bored with the thick books and after reading and studying so hard when he was trying to be a doctor, Damien couldn''t focus anymore.


    Since he was given a chance to get away from studying, Damien decided to hold it until he could not anymore.


    "Let''s go," Damien said to Luke. "I am going to hold the ss at the guild; it''s up to you whether you want toe with me or want to reach the guild on your own."


    Once he finished speaking, he turned on his feet and walked out of the library with Luke closely behind him.


    Damien didn''t make anyment when he ran into Xavier and the three men arrived at the guild around one in the afternoon, where he started teaching them about suturing and CPR.


    He was half way through the lesson when Healer Robert pped his hands and said, "This is truly an ingenious and smart move. Though the spells of healers can heal the wounds of a beastman, they do not repair the damage to perfection, which leaves space and chance of the wound festering and getting worse. Sometimes, if the spell is cast hastily and with not enough mana to heal a wound, the beastmen can even die."


    "And it is the cause of deaths most of the time," Healer Rober shook his head with a sigh. "Because only a few healers have mana enough to heal such delicate wounds, while the rest are only trying to wade their way to fame."


    Damien knew this already. He had read books on healing spells with Healer Gavin and when he asked him why there were no spells to reattach limbs or remove tumours,.


    In response, Healer Gavinughed at him and told him that such a thing did not exist to begin with. ording to what Healer Gavin told him, the healers had a limited amount of mana and the degree of injuries that they could heal was directly rted to this mana that they had.


    Since many healers did not have an unlimited supply of mana, they at most could heal a few injuries that were not severe. As for the high-ranking ones, they could heal severe injuries but to a degree, depending on their own mana and strength.


    As for reattaching limbs and taking out tumours, Healer Gavin was certain that even the high priest at the Temple of Ax, couldn''t do it.


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    "This will help us in saving a lot of lives if only we get the hang of it," said Gavin as he picked up the thin veins that Damien had sutured as an example to teach them.


    "Indeed," Luke nodded as he finished writing his notes.


    "Is Healer Gavin here!?"


    A startled and panicked voice echoed in the guild hall causing everyone to pause and look at the man who had rushed in.


    "Healer Gavin! You are needed, a military official from the Eren City is here and is calling for you."


    ''Military officer,'' Damien nced at the man who came looking for Gavin and frowned lightly. Why was a military official looking for Gavin?


    "What''s the matter?" Gavin got to his feet and asked.


    But before the beastman could reply, the military officer rushed in himself.


    He was a tall man, dressed in full armour with a thick helmet and a red mohawk. A spear was tied to his back along with a giant axe.


    "Healer Gavin, pleasee with me. While fighting the wild monstrous beasts, many of our soldiers got injured," the man said worriedly. "Their injuries are quite severe and most of them are on the verge of dying. This is an emergency! Pleasee and save the lives of those soldiers."


    __


    Please leave a few golden tickets or power stones to motivate snorex or he is going to sle¡ªyawn¨CZzzzzz.

 Chapter 152: Controlling mana

    ''Wild beasts again?''


    "How did this happen?" Robert asked with a frown. "I heard from thehead of the Keom family that they had already taken measures to stop the beasts from attacking."


    The military officer did not remark; he just smiled with an ugly demeanour.


    "Let''s go; this will turn into a big problem," Gavin said with a grim look. "There is no point in asking how it happened and why weren''t the beasts taken care of."


    Were the words of the Keom family''s head worth taking into consideration? That man only knew how to live his life in debauchery. It was good enough that he didn''t cause trouble by forcing women into prostitution and killing the men in their family. How could they expect him to care about the official duties?


    Robert nodded. He turned to look at Luke and asked, "Are youing?"


    "I might as well," Luke agreed with a nod.


    The three healers were in such a hurry that they forgot all about Damien. Seeing that they were living without them, Dan couldn''t help but remind Damien,


    [Host, this is the perfect time for you to hone your skills and earn points by saving lives. You cannot waste this opportunity.]


    Damien would have agreed to go with the three healers even without that reminder. He stepped forward and said to the three men, "Wait, I want toe with you as well."


    This attack sounded like it might be something to worry about. The military officer who rushed to find healers to help the injured soldiers was also limping. This was something that Damien noticed the second the officer rushed inside the guild. The one who came to look for help was obviously injured as well, so how poor might be the condition of those who were so severely injured that they had to send a limping soldier?


    It would be really problematic if he didn''t go with them.


    The three healers paused and turned to look at Damien. Gavin nced at Damien with an assessing look before nodding as he agreed, "Alright. Hurry up, Damien."


    That''s right, if he were to bring Damien with him, then he would be able to see the true calibre of Damien''s skills with his own eyes. Whether or not he could bring the dead to life, they might as well see it on their own.


    Damien nodded as he hurried after the three men.


    [What do you think, Dan? Do you think that we can improve our skills before taking this task if I were to concentrate and try to circte my mana better?]


    [I cannot give an urate answer. But it should help you, you can try first and see what happens?]


    Damien nced at the AI system and knew that the thing that had taken over it thest two times was missing; the reason he asked this question was on purpose. He wanted to see whether the thing or spirit that had taken over Dan thest time would appear if he was to ask a question rted to the beast world.


    However, he was clearly wrong. It doesn''t seem that the thing would appear if he were to ask Dan questions. Maybe it had something to do with his life being in danger? There could be a possibility that the thing that took possession of Dan might only appear when he was in danger.


    But why?


    They are using you as a pawn, boy.


    The cold voice echoed in Damien''s head once again and he tightened his jaw with slight annoyance.


    Don''t take him as a damn fool!


    He got into the carriage and started concentrating on his beast core. At first nothing happened; his beast core remainedpletely still. In fact, it was even more unresponsive than his ex-girlfriend.


    Damien realised that it was not working so he tried to take a different course. He started infusing the mana like how Xavier taught him, but this time instead of pouring it all in Waterde, he started circting the mana within his beast core for a smooth flow.


    [Ah! It feels good, Master. What are you doing? No matter what you are doing, keep doing it. I can feel my body getting stronger.]


    The two of them were connected by a magical contract so as long as Damien got stronger, so would w.


    Damien knew that he was doing something right and continued to channel the mana within and outside the beast core. He circted the mana-like rings around his beast core, letting it soak the mana properly instead of infusing it directly.


    Xavier watched Damien and narrowed his eyes; he noticed a faint change within Damien''s aura. It was too weak to be noticed but as he suffered from chaotic mana explosions within his beast core, he sensed something amiss at once.


    During the three-hour ride, Damien continued to control his mana flow. Though something did happen and he chose the right method to do it, it was still not enough to give him instant results.


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    Damien sighed when he opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and empowered. How he wished that this practice would have given him instant results!


    "We are here," The military officer opened the door of the carriage and looked up at the five men. "The attack happened at the Valley of Dick."


    "Thus, we had to build a makeshift camp here at the top of the cliffs."


    Damien nced at the three healers who nodded at him and the four of them got down the carriage. The military officer guided them through the jagged rocks and the forest that surrounded the camp that they had built before finally bringing them to the camp that had multiple tents erupted all over thend like wild mushrooms.


    When Damien stepped inside the camp, he could not help but frown when he saw that there were only lightly injured soldiers.


    Didn''t the military officer say that these beast-man soldiers were gravely injured? But they only had small injuries and broken bones!


    "S¨Csave me."

 Chapter 153: Saving lives

    Damien paused and turned to look in the direction of the tent that was at the far corner of the main camp.


    "Argh¡­"


    "It hurts so much¡­"


    "He¨CHelp me."


    Without letting Gavin and the others know where he was going, he headed to the camp from where the sound of mournful and painful yells and whimpers wasing from. Xavier saw him walk away and followed him at once.


    "Where are you going, Lord Damien?" he asked.


    Damien did not reply; instead, he continued to march forward. When he came to a stop at the mouth of the tent, from where the painful whimpers wereing from, he pushed open the p of the tent and entered.


    The second he stepped inside, the scent of blood almost knocked him out. The fishy scent was overflowing inside the tent as the beastmen lying on the ground were gravely injured.


    ''It was just as I expected,'' Damien pursed his lips as he looked at the severely injured beastmen. Their injuries were too severe and because they could not be treated by the healers, they were left to die here.


    They had ced all the beastmen who had no hope of surviving away from the camp, Damien couldn''t help but feel a bit ufortable at the sight. Even if they knew that there was no chance of these beastmen surviving, couldn''t they have at least tried to save them?


    "Master Damien, what are you doing here?" Luke who followed Damien was surprised when he saw that Damien came to the camp where the severely injured beastmen were ced. "You should leave them alone and treat the ones outside. We will take a look at themter on."


    Gavin, who was healing a soldier who had a cut on his leg, also straightened up when he heard the words of Luke. He walked over to where Damien was and agreed with Luke, "He is right. It''s better to check on the patients who have the chance to survive rather than wasting time on those who are destined to die."


    Though it sounded harsh, they had no other choice. Were they going to waste the precious time that they had in saving someone who had no chance of survival?


    "....No," Damien stepped inside briskly as he rolled the sleeves of his shirt. "You can deal with the patients outside but these patients need me; I cannot waste anymore time. These are the patients who need urgent saving."


    "Wh¨Cwhat?"


    "He¨CHey, Lord Damien. I know that you feel sorry for them but there is nothing that you can do about them," said Robert with his hands spread in front of him helplessly.


    "That''s right, that''s the reason they are gathered here."


    While the other convinced Damien to leave, one of the beastmen on the ground blearily opened his eyes. He heard someone talk and heard a man talk about saving him and the rest of the gravely injured soldiers.


    He knew that his condition was hopeless and he had already given up hope. But when he heard someone say that they were going to save them, he couldn''t help but feel slightly more hopeful.


    He stretched out his hand weakly and grasped hold of Damien''s trousers.


    "My lor¨Clord," pleaded the man. "Sa¨CSave me, p¨Cplease.. I have¡ªI have a wife and a son¡­ J¨CJust th¨Cthree years ol¨Cold."


    Damien nced at the man as he crouched down by the side of the man. He studied therge porcupine thorn that was sticking out of the abdomen of the man.


    "I will do whatever I can." He did not make any promises because he suspected the wound of the man was a stabbing one and not a simple pration on the skin.


    [Activating Eye of Observation.]


    The skill activated at the smallestmand of Damien and soon arge X -ray screen opened in front of Damien and started examining the condition of the man. It took three seconds before the condition of the internal organs of the man was disyed in front of Damien.


    ''Damn it,''


    Damien cursed ashis suspicions came true. It was just as he suspected. Though the majority of organs were alright, the porcupine thorn was sticking in therge intestine of the man. The bleeding was severe and Damien had no choice but to cut open the stomach of the patient.


    When the man saw that Damien''s expression had turned sombre after seeing his condition, he couldn''t help but say, "Lo¨Cmy¡­my lor¨Clord, I ¨CI don''t want to d¨Cdie."


    "Don''t worry," Damien took his hand in his and spoke in a determined voice, "I can save you, just trust me."


    He then turned to look at Xavier and said to him, "Bring me a table and a clean piece of cloth."


    Xavier''s eyes widened when he heard the swiftmands of Damien but he still did as hewas told.


    Lives were at stake and they could not waste any time.


    Xavier arranged for a clean table along with a few pieces of clean clothes that were sanitised by Damien.


    Once the man was moved to the table, Damien pulled on the gloves and released the anaesthesia spell. He waited for a few minutes for the spell to take effect before studying the pulse and the breathing of the man.


    "I will be opening the stomach of the patient now," he told the men behind him. "If you feel queasy, then you might as well leave now." Enjoy more content from §Þ??


    They might be used to healing people but Damien knew that seeing a person''s body being cut open and sewn together might not be a sight that they would be able to stomach.


    What¨Cdid he say? The three men were stumped; even Xavier was startled upon hearing Damien''s words. He was going to start cutting the stomach of the man open?


    How could that be done?


    However, before anyone could even stop Damien, thetter had already summoned a scalpel, which he used to slice open the skin of the injured man.


    !!!!

 Chapter 154: Saving as many lives as possible

    No way, he really cut the stomach of a living beastman without any hesitations, Gavin thought as while sweating profusely. He felt a bit unstable upon seeing the sight in front of him.


    The sound of flesh tearing and blood gushing made not only Gavin but the other two men troubled as well.


    Damien didn''t pay attention to their troubled looks; he first sliced open the stomach and removed the broken piece of the porcupine needle that was sticking out of therge intestine. As soon as he did that, blood gushed out of therge intestine, making a bloody mess.


    This was enough to make the three healers nervous but Damien didn''t even break a sweat.


    "The cause of internal bleeding has been removed; now I will suture the intestine that is bleeding," he said to the three men while cleaning the tongs that he had used to take out the broken piece of the porcupine thorn.


    "What¨C? Are you sure?" Robert was stunned when he heard Damien''s words. The cut was so small, could it even be sutured?


    Damien nced at the healer but didn''t say anything; instead, he turned to look at Gavin and said to him, "Come here and stretch the abdomen a bit. And Luke, try to wipe the blood inside the stomach or it will clot."


    He then added, "Healer Robert,e here and wipe my sweat. We cannot let the wound fester in case it spills within his wound."


    "Okay!"


    Though the three men were a bit nervous and dubious, they jumped to action at once.


    Damien picked up the sanitised needle before he started to sew the cut on the intestine back together. He was definitely going to save this beastman no matter what.


    The hand of clock continued to run at its usual speed and yet the three men who were supporting Damien felt like each minute was passing too slowly.


    They looked at the suturing on the abdomen of the beast man and pursed their lips.


    ''I never thought that such a thing was possible. In fact, I thought that this man was skilled enough just because he could sew the nerves of a person. Who would have thought that he can do such a great thing such as sewing the small cut onrge intestine as well?'' thought Gavin.


    "I will be finishing now," Damien told the three men as he cut the thread.


    Once he was finished suturing, he heaved a sigh of relief through his mask. "It was a sess," he told them as he pulled away from the makeshift surgical table. Your journey continues with §Þ??


    "Is he alright?" Luke asked when he saw that the man was still lying on the table without showing any signs of waking up.


    "He ispletely fine," Damien replied as he washed the blood off his hands. "The reason he is not awake is because he is still under the effect of the spell; once the effects wear off, he will wake up."


    As he finished, he handed Luke a vial that had purely transparent liquid within it. He said to him, "Pay attention to him; if he wakes up, then feed him this potion. It will help numb the pain or else the pain would be too much for this beastman to bear."


    He did not know how capable the beastmen were when it came to handling pain or what their pain handling capacity was. Nor did he care; as a doctor, it was his responsibility to make sure that his patients suffered as little as possible and he was going to keep following this belief of his despite the patient being a bunch of beastmen.


    His skills impressed the three healers. They had to admit that even though the medical arts that Damien showed them were a bit gruesomepared to the clean spells that they used, these skills were truly great.


    If they could learn these medical arts, then they wouldn''t have to worry about watching a person die in front of them. And even if they were to fail, at least they would be able to reduce the rate of beastmen deaths.


    "Now, we should start saving the rest of the beastmen," Damien said to them as he turned to look at the other beastmen who were gravelly injured by the wild beasts.


    "Yes!"


    Hoot.


    Hoot.


    The sound of owls hooting echoed in the night, followed by the sound of beastmennding on the ground from the sky. The group of owl beastemen stopped a bit further from the camp and Julian shifted back to his human form.


    As soon as he shed the beastmen form, someone rushed ahead and covered his bare body with a robe.


    "Tsk, those bastards! They really are doing whatever they want now, aren''t they?" Julian cursed as he tied the strings of the robes in a haphazard manner.


    The Keon family had gotten more and more out of hands, with Emiliano''s desire to suppress the four families and control the court, the attacks on the four generals have increased. If this goes on, then would they even have a way left for them to survive?


    No wonder his father kept sighing and said to him that the nation was about to be ruined. This was the fate that lies in front of the nation with an ipetent ruler!


    Julian wished he could return to the imperial city and ask Emiliano what he was trying to do. Why was he relying on those who were ipetent and destroying the foundation of the families who have supported the imperial court for ages?


    He turned his head and looked at the wounded beastman who was being carried in the arms of one of the beastmen following him.


    "What is the condition of Uncle?" he asked the healer who was taking care of Jami.


    "I am afraid that his condition is truly bad, my Lord," the healer replied promptly. "I ¨CI cannot heal a severe injury of this degree."


    ¡ª


    Support this book with golden tickets for extra chapters. If it reaches 500 golden tickets, author will release 50 chapters.

 Chapter 155: Stepping up

    "Useless Bastard!" Julian scolded the healer, who knelt on the ground almost immediately. At that moment, even the healer felt regretful. He took over this task because he wished to climb up the ranks and be a formidable healer.


    But this task that he took turned out to be much more difficult than he expected.


    "My lord, calm down." One of the beastmen stepped forward and said to Julian, "Even though you are angry, you need to control your temper. This healer was appointed by the head priest of the temple; if you were to kill him, then the temple will try to make things difficult for us."


    Julian snorted. If possible, he wished to decapitate this healer and send his body back to the temple. But he had a sneaking suspicion that if he did that, then things might be even more problematic for the Patterson family. Thus, he could only reign in control of his temper.


    "Lets go," he released a heavy sigh and turned on his feet before heading to the camp. Behind him, the healer heaved a sigh of relief. For a second, he thought that he was going to die.


    "You should remain low for a few days," stated an owl beastman with an annoyed expression. "Don''t go prancing around in front of Lord Julian."


    "Yes," the healer lowered his head and agreed. However, inwardly, he felt furious. He might be a low-ranking healer but he was still a member of the temple. How could they treat him like such?


    The healer paid attention to the actions and words of the owl beastmen and swore to ry the same to the high priest upon his return.


    "Call healer Carl,"manded Julian with a scowl. "Tell him that the healer he sent is not up to mark and cannot save Jami. Is the temple going to watch a hero die just like that?"


    Jami was not only his uncle but also the vice general and a talented beast-man who had a bright future in front of him. If not for the sneak attack by that beast, Jami would have never fallen like this.


    He nced at his uncle, whose breathing was getting shallower by the minute. It seemed like it was toote.


    The group arrived at the camp, and as soon as Julian arrived at thecamp, they noticed that the soldiers in the camp were unusually agitated. They were crowding at the p of the tent where they had ced the soldiers, who had no chance at survival.


    When Julian saw them crowding the tent, he couldn''t help but frown.


    What were they doing? They were in the middle of an attack. No matter how many soldiers died, did they think that they had the time to waste like this? Even he didn''t have the time to grieve, how could these soldiers let go of their emotions like this? Was this what he taught them?


    "Have you all lost your mind?!" Julian shouted. His booming voice echoed in the surroundings. "What are you doing? Do you think that we have the time to grieve like this when we are under attack? The beasts might have retreated, but they will soon attack again."


    His voice startled the soldiers. They all jumped up three feet in the air and turned to look at Julian. One of the high-ranking soldiers rushed to where Julian was standing.


    "What are you doing? Why did you not stop them from crowding here like this?" said Julian with an annoyed expression on his face.


    "L¨CLord Julian?"


    The high-ranking soldier immediately came to a stop in front of Julian before rying, "Its not that. No one is grieving here."


    "Then why are you crowding this tent?"


    "Its the healer¡ªno, the doctor. The healers brought a doctor with them and this man can actually save those soldiers whose internal organs were bleeding. We were just watching this miraculous doctor who can save soldiers who almost died and that too without using magic!"


    "He saved six men who were pierced by procupine needles. And now he is on the seventh one."


    "A doctor, you mean¡ª"


    ''ording to rumours, they say that there was a man who saved that man without using any magical spells.''


    That man¡ªwas he here?


    If what these soldiers said was true, then that man can also save Jami.


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    Julian turned to look at the people behind him. He said to the beastman who was carrying Jami, "Bring Uncle Jami to the tent as quickly as possible. Be quick; there is no time to waste."


    Since the healers at the temple didn''t care about the lives and deaths of his soldiers, he wouldn''t necessarily lower his head in front of them either.


    The healer who was following Julian was stupefied. What did this fool say? That there was someone who saved the lives of the soldiers who were pierced and attacked by the procupine beast''s needles?


    How could there be such a possibility? And even if there was such a healer¡ªwhy wasn''t he at the temple?


    He stepped forward wanting to take a look at this man but was stopped by Julian.


    "What are you doing?" Julian said to the healer. He nced at the healer contemptuously before saying to him, "Since you cannot save the life of my uncle, there is no need for you to stay here."


    "Come someone bring this healer back to the temple."


    "No¡ª" The healer wished to refuse but he was dragged away by the rest of the beast men. They were after all just as dissatisfied with this healer as Julian.


    Once the healer was pulled away, Julian turned to look at the tent and strode inside.


    Ignoring the scent of blood that was so overwhelming that it was nearly making it impossible for him to breathe, he stepped inside and called, "Is anyone here? There is an emergency."


    Damien frowned and raised his head to look behind him.


    Who was this man? Why was he interrupting him?

 Chapter 156: Tetanus

    "Lord Julian?"


    "Why are you here?"


    Gavin and the rest rushed to greet the man. Seeing how eager they were, Damien frowned slightly.


    "He is Julian Patterson, the heir of the Patterson family who rules the north of Brystoria," Xavier exined upon seeing the confusion on Damien''s face. "Or they used; their situation is more or less simr to the Wolfe family in the east."


    "They are being suppressed by someone?"


    "You can say that."


    Damien''s brows furrowed when he heard Xavier''s response; he truly could not understand how anyone could be this stupid. If he was sitting on the throne instead of Emiliano, he would have been respectful and considerate of the heroes and their families who had once protected the borders of thisnd.


    Instead of doing everything possible to offend them.


    "Good day, my lord," Damien greeted the man out of courtesy. "I am Damien De Brystoria. It''s nice to meet you." Continue reading on §Þ??


    ''This man. He has mana but it''s really weak. Is he really capable?'' thought Julian with a light frown on his face. However, when he recalled the grieving and helpless words of the healer, he knew that other than Carl, no one might be able to save Jami.


    As for the chances, they were slim even if the high-ranking priest was toe here and treat Jami.


    He didn''t want that.


    He wanted a 99% chance of recovery, not 9.


    "Are you the doctor here?" Lord Julian asked. He pivoted on his heels and pointed at Jami, who was being carried in the arms of the beastman. "Can you treat him?"


    "I need to check on his injury first." Damien took off his gloves and looked at Julian. "Without it, I cannot tell you whether I can save this man or not."


    Julian nced at him lightly before saying, "Then go ahead."


    Only then did Damien walk past him and ask the beastman who was carrying Jami on the makeshift stretcher. Once the patient was lying still, Damien crouched down and started examining his wounds.


    The man had aceration on the upper half of his body. Though his rectus abdominis was damaged, the blood vessels were fine. As long as Damien stopped the severe bleeding, the man would be fine.


    Julian waited for three minutes and when he did not receive a response from Damien, he couldn''t help but ask, "Can you save him?"


    "His wound is critical," Damien replied, causing Julian to clench his fingers. His hope started to slip through. However, before Julian could lose all hope, he heard Damien say, "But there is still hope, so I can possibly save him."


    "You mean to say that you can really save him?" Julian asked while trembling. He was filled with relief as he felt the weight on his shoulders ease down a bit.


    "Yes, I can," Damien stood up from the ground. "It''s not a difficult wound to heal."


    "Then treat him quickly," Julian said to Damien.


    But Damien knew how to manage his patients; though this man was injured gravely, he was not in a life-threatening conditionpared to the rest.


    So he shook his head and ryed, "I will treat him once I am done with the rest. Till then, help him rest over there." He pointed to a clean cornerbefore walking over to his next patient.


    "Hey! What do you mean by "you will treat himter on?" Julian caught hold of his forearm and pulled Damien back. "You have to treat him now! He is my uncle; how can you¡ª"


    "My lord, your uncle''s injury is not life-threatening," Damien shrugged off the hold that the man had on his arm. "Even if his injury is dyed a bit, he will be able to survive but as for the rest, they don''t have that much of a time. If I save your uncle first, then those whose condition is not good will die."


    "Are you going to choose your uncle over the rest of the soldiers who had worked and sacrificed just as your uncle?"


    The grip on his arm loosened, and Damien turned on his feet before pulling on his clean and sanitised gloves. "In the emergency room, there is no such thing as uncle, sister, or mother¡ªdoctors do not care about what your rtionship with the patient is; they will only save those who are gravely injured before moving forward with the light injuries."


    "And as a doctor, I will do the same. So it will be better if you step aside and let me do my job. I will take a look at your uncle when I am done treating these soldiers whose lives are hanging by a thread!"


    Julian stared at the man, feeling a bit ufortable and confused. This was the first time someone had refused him; usually healers and officials alike would listen to his orders to get the little fame that they were chasing. But at the same time, he respected Damien for standing up to him and putting his point so sternly.


    "My lord!" A soldier rushed inside the tent as he nced at the patients with a worried look on his face. "The group of the Mega Porcupine that we pushed back has returned. They are now attacking the vige at the borders; if this goes on, then they will certainly kill everyone in the vige. There are a bunch of pregnant beast women in there."


    Julian looked at the man before turning to nce at Damien, who was focused on taking out therge porcupine needle that was sticking out from the side of the beastman''s neck.


    "I will leave my soldiers in your care," he said to Damien. "Make sure to save as many as possible."


    Damien''s lips curled behind the mask as he pulled part of the needle and threw it on the tray. He said to the man, "You don''t need to tell me this; I will definitely save every single one of these soldiers if I can!"

 Chapter 157: Tetanus --2

    "Are you not afraid?" Xavier asked while watching Damien move onto another patient.


    "Why should I be afraid?" Damien replied without looking up. "I am only doing my job." He straigtened up and threw the remaining half of the needle in the trash. "Did I target anyone? Of course not, so why should I be worried."


    He smiled at Xavier before saying to him, "Lets go, we have to treat other patients as well."


    At the borders, the ruins of the vige were alight with burning mes, Julian recalled the energy that he had released before slumping down on the floor.


    "My lord, are you alright?" A beastman walked over to where Julian was resting. He nced at the corpses of the Mega porcupine beasts and said, "These many beasts usually do not attack a vige unless they are driven by something or someone."


    "I know," Julian got to his feet. His eyes glinted darkly when he thought about how the situation of the nation was turning worse from bad. If this went on, it won''t take long for the chaos to usurp the four general family.


    If that happens then Julian knew that Emiliano would definitely make some not so befitting changes.


    "Thank you so much!"


    "Three cheers for Lord Julian!"


    The sound of vigers cheering echoed in the silent night and Julian smiled when he heard their cheers. Though the dangers of taking over his father''s positin were not less, he truly enjoyed the feeling of being praised by the ones whom he saved.


    "What about the rest?," he said to themander. "Did the rest of the Mega porcupine beasts get captured?"


    "The team had already dealt with them,"replied themander. "They have also sent the coprses of the Mega Porcupine beast to the mages. If there was a reason behind this attack, I am sure that it would be ryed very soon."


    There was a sudden rise in the attacks of the beasts, usually there were only six to seven beast attacks every year but this year, the attacks have risen to twenty per month.


    Even a child could see that there was something weird going on.


    "Good," Julian nodded as he turned around. But the second he moved his body, he let out a wince. His gaze fell on the deep cut on his palm that was still bleeding.


    "Are you alright, my lord?" the man following Julian asked.


    "I am alright," Julian shook his head. He didn''t expect that these beasts would be smart enough to turn around and attack him again. One of them even went for a sneak attack : [Explode] when he was not paying attention.


    ''I should have been more careful,'' Julian thought as he clenched his fists. He sighed heavily before bringing his hand down. It was alright, this wound wouldn''t possibly bring him down. It was such a light wound, a healer''s spell would be enough to treat it.


    "Lets return!" Julian shouted as he ordered his team to follow him.


    He grimaced once again as he shifted into his beast form, his injury ring up when his wings moved.


    "Next!"


    Damien shouted as he finished suturing thest patient.


    "There are no more critically injured patients, my lord," Xavier told Damien who sighed and sat down on a chair that was ced on the side.


    [Congrattions, you have saved 50 critically injured patients.]


    [Fame Points: 765]


    [New Medical Pieces of Equipment unlocked in the purchasing section.]


    [Important Points to be noted: A tetanus shot needs to be administered.]


    ''Tetanus?'' Damien frowned before asking Dan, "Does this porcupine needles causes tetanus?"


    "It does shares the same properties as rusted iron needles," replied Dan. "It will be better if they are given a shot that could prevent their condition from getting any worse."


    Damien nodded.


    Behind him, Gavin sat down on the floor. He used a clean handkerchief to wipe his sweat and remarked, "I can''t feel my feet at all."


    "Same here," Robert released a sigh as he rubbed and nursed his feet. "I feel like I have walked more than ten days in just five hours."


    "Is this enough?" Luke poured the numbing medicine in a small cup and showed it to Damien.


    "Its enough," Damien replied with a nod. He got to his feet after responding and looked outside the tent where the beastmen with light injuries were waiting for their turn. He turned to look at the three healers and said to them, "Why are you sitting down? We still need to deal with the injuries of these beastmen."


    Gavin and the rest: !!!


    Demonic bastard!


    "Ah!" Julian yelped in pain once the beastman finished tying his wound after washing it with the holy water.


    "Are you sure that you don''t want the doctor or the healers to take a look at this injury? Even though its not deep, you should be careful," said the beastman.


    "This is nothing," Julian didn''t want to take up the time of Damien when he was saving the soldiers who were injured more gravely than him. Compared to him, they were in much more need of medical attention.


    Seeing that he was refusing to agree, the beastman didn''t force him. Instead he warned, "You should think it through, general. This injury might be light but ¡ª"


    "COMMANDER!"


    Julian red at the man stopping him from saying the words that he wanted to say. He knew what the man wanted to tell him but he didn''t wish to hear it.


    This was just a small wound, how could it be as terrible as the situation of his big brother? This subordinate of his was only acting out of line byparing his wound to his big brother''s.


    He was perfectly alright.


    There was no way he would be affected by Ferrus Poison.


    There was no way!


    __


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    If there is somethingcking, you can leave yourments under thement section.

 Chapter 158: Efficiency

    "It''s a good thing that I prepared penicillin," Damien sighed while rubbing the tips of his fingers. Though his initial n was to use penicillin to cure syphilis, now that the situation had turned around in such a way, it woulde in handy.


    Or else tetanus would have caused quite a lot of headaches for him.


    He turned to look at the patients who were now conscious and pped his hands to attract their attention.


    "Everyone," Damien looked at the soldiers who were sitting or lying on the straw mat. He said to them, "Those who were stabbed, cut, and pierced by the porcupine needles¡ªyou all need to listen to me carefully."


    "If you don''t, then there is a chance that you will be affected by Ferrus poison."


    Ferrus poison? As soon as Damien finished speaking, the entire crowd turned silent before exploding at once.


    "Ferrus poison?"


    "Then does that mean that we will have to cut our limbs off?"


    "I don''t want to lose my leg!"


    "Not my arm, it''s my good arm."


    "Alright!" Damien raised his voice and stopped the soldiers from causing any more fuss. "All of you calm down; there is no need to worry. I have a way to stop the ferrus poisoning from spreading."


    "You do?"


    "That''s right," Damien nodded and exined, "though ferrus poisoning is rather difficult to handle. There are two ways to deal with it. First, you can drink curdled milk with blue mould. Of course, it will be troublesome for a few of you."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a few soldiers nodded at once with disgusted looks on their faces.


    Seeing this, Damien smiled at them knowingly before saying to them, "The other way is to wait for me to try my new spell on you all. I refined it just a few days ago and hadn''t gotten a chance to use it on anyone yet."


    "A new spell?"


    "Is it safe?"


    "I am a bit afraid."


    "Will it work?"


    Damien''s brows twitched as he heard the manyints that were being fired at him. He raised the scalpel in his hands and then said to the men with a sweet smile, "Why don''t I cut off your limbs then? You don''t need to try the spell at all."


    "We will do it!"


    Damien chuckled.


    "There is no need to look like you are about to be killed. I assure you that this spell is definitely effective on ferrus poison," said Damien.


    "What you said just now, is it true?"


    Startled, Damien turned around and looked behind him.


    "Lord Julian?" Damien was quite surprised when he saw the man hurrying inside the tent. Why did he look like he was a drowning man and Damien was his only chance at survival?


    "Are you speaking the truth? Can you really treat ferrus poison?" Julian asked Damien.


    "I cannot say for sure," Damien was honest and upfront with his words. With a stern expression, he said, "If you heard what I was saying, then you must have already heard that I am yet to try this spell. Whether it can really cure tetanuspletely or if it needs a bit more refining, it will only be proven once I am done using and keeping these soldiers under observation."


    Julian clenched his fingers as he asked, "Then what about the curdled milk?"


    "Will it stop the ferrus poison from spreading?"


    "It''s not a perfect cure," Damien shook his head. "If it could stop tetanus from spreading, then I would have used it withouting up with a spell, right?"


    "Then why did you say that you wanted to give the soldiers curdled milk?" Julian questioned strongly. "What if they drink curdled milk and they end up catching something else? What if their stomachs were to go bad?"


    Damien smiled at his words. "Lord Julian, while the curdled milk can indeed not treat tetanuspletely. It can at least lower the chances of it spreading through the limbs. And as long as there is even a 1% chance of possibility, I will do it."


    "In fact, if someone was to tell me that there was a chance of saving a person by feeding him poison¡ªI will take that chance as well."


    Julian clenched his fingers when he heard Damien''s words.


    "Is that so," His eyes flickered uneasily, causing Damien to narrow his eyes.


    "Is there something that you need to say to me?" He asked and when he saw that, Julian seemed to be hesitating. Damien knew that look quite well. After all, when he was working as a doctor in the modern world, there were many patients who came to him and looked at him with the same expression. This happened when they were either hiding an embarrassing disease or trying to find a cure without disclosing who caught it.


    "If you don''t mind,e out with me," Damien said to Julian. "I have something to say to you."


    Julian nced at him before sighing as he walked out of the tent. Damien followed him. The two men came to a stop at a spot away from the tent where Damien questioned Julian, "Do you know someone who caught ferrus poison?"


    Julian crossed his arms and leaned against the tree behind him before exhaling in a loud puff.


    "It''s my elder brother. He was attacked by the very same beast but ended up catching ferrus poison," stated Julian as he recalled the sufferings of his elder brother. "The healers said to us that they would be using a spell to st off the lower half of his leg. They said they had no other way to help him as his condition is deteriorating with each day."


    sting off his leg? Damien didn''t believe that it was going to work. In ancient times, there were many instances of cutting off the limbs of those who caught tetanus. However, it was only effective in case they had cut off the entire thing in one go or else ¡ª


    "Are they removing the affected part as a whole or did they remove something before?"


    "No, this is not the first time," Julian shook his head. He replied, "They first sted off his two toes that were smashed by the mega porcupine needle but then the poison didn''t stop spreading and they had to take off his ankle as well."


    "Take off his ankle? Then I am afraid that it''s toote to cut off his ¡ª"


    "Shut up!" Julian snapped at him harshly the second he spoke up. He raised his head and red at Damien before saying, "You do not know anything. You might be a bit skilled but there is no need for you to look down on the healer who is treating my brother as well. He is the top-rank healer of our city; do you think that you are better than him?"


    Damien stiffened when he heard the words of the man. He narrowed his eyes and said, "I am not being rude or pessimistic. Just telling you the facts that it''s impossible for ferrus poisoning to stop at this point." He shifted on his shoes and then nced at Julian before adding, "If you allow those healers to st off his calf, then I ascertain you¡ªyour brother''s condition will only get worse from there on."


    He then turned around and walked away, leaving Julian alone in the grounds.


    "My lord." The beastman, who was waiting for the conversation to finish, stepped forward and looked at Julian nervously. The man''s expression was so bad that it terrified the beastman.


    "What''s the matter?" Julian clenched his fingers and unclenched them before turning to look at the beast man.


    "Lord Jami, he is awake," replied the beastman with his head lowered.


    "What did you say?" Julian spoke but without waiting for the man to answer, he brushed past him to the tent where Jami was resting.


    "Uncle!"


    "Julian?" Jami raised his head off the pillow and then turned to look at Julian. He smiled at his nephew before saying, "Why do you look like that?"


    "Uncle, how are you feeling?" Julian asked as he stepped inside the tent and looked at the elderly man, whose entire torso was covered in bandage.


    "I am fine," Jami replied with a smile. "Though I really thought that I was done for."


    "Don''t say that," Julian''s eyes softened. He was grateful to see his uncle doing alright. But at the same time, he was quite surprised to see Jami''s breathing and moving without any trouble.


    He saw with his own eyes how Jami''s abdomen was cut in half and his insides were almost dangling outside. At that moment, he was certain that his uncle was a lost case; even the healer said the same thing. But now, Julian couldn''t help but wonder if Damien was really that skilled.


    He turned to look at the beastmen behind him and asked, "Was Lord Damien the one who treated Uncle Jami?"


    __


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 Chapter 159: Daylight kidnapping

    "Yes, that''s right." The beast-man replied with a nod. His eyes were filled with awe as he stated, "Not only Lord Jami but even the soldiers who were cut, stabbed, and even those whose fingers were hanging by the tendons, he saved them all."


    "It was such a miraculous sight that if I hadn''t been watching it with my own eyes, I wouldn''t have believed that such a thing was possible. It was simr to watching the God of healing work himself."


    Julian clenched his fingers upon hearing the words of the beastmen. It seemed like Damien was indeed better than he imagined. He could actually connect fingers that were almost cut off? Wasn''t this simply a miracle?


    ''Maybe this man can save his brother,'' Julian thought.


    Three dayster,


    "How are you feeling?" Damien asked the soldier on whom he had tested the penicillin spell. He had done everything ordingly, from collecting the blue mould to removing the fat-soluble substances and then absorbing impurities.


    However, no one could guarantee that he was going to seed at the first trial.


    "I feel alright?" The soldier moves his arm that was stabbed by the porcupine needle. "Thank you very much, my lord."


    "There is no need to thank me," Damien stated. "Just keep an eye on your condition for the next few days. If you feel like there is something wrong, then you shoulde to look for me straight away. There is no need for you to hesitate, alright?"


    "You are really kind, my lord," said the soldier with an emotional voice.


    "Oh no," Damien pped his hand on the shoulder of the man as he shook his head, "I am not at all kind. If anything, I should be the one to thank you. You all actually allowed me to test my new spell on you guys."


    The soldier sheepishly smiled at him before taking his leave.


    Once the soldier left, Damien sat on the chair inside the shack and started reading the stack of textbooks that he had collected from the library. Though being a doctor was his primary goal, he couldn''t fall back on getting stronger.


    Only when he was powerful enough to protect himself could he achieve his primary goal.


    He wanted to find a way to connect with the Ironw Eagle much better than he was at the moment. Damien knew that their strength came from the infusion of the energy from the dragon scale as well as the magical resources. While thetter half was easy to do, as there were many magical resources avable in the market as well as the guild hall. The Dragon scale was a problem.


    Thus, Damien knew that he could only rely on himself and train harder. After all, as long as he trained harder, w and his strength would sooner orter be on par with each other.


    w had learnt how to instinctively share his energy and mana with Damien, which allowed them to create the misty wall after they absorbed the water stone. Since that was the case, all Damien needed to do was to find more such resources.


    He flipped the page of the book when someone knocked on the door and he raised his head to see Wistoria standing on the threshold.


    "Are you busy?" she asked.


    "No,e on in," Damien said to her as he set the textbook aside.


    Wistoria walked inside the small shack that had made his clinic and behind her was Xavier, who set down the bucket that held something wriggly inside of it.


    "I brought your eagle a little something," Wistoria said to him when he continued to stare at the white worms that looked like silkworms except they had arge mouth instead of having eyes or anything else."These are called earth-digging worms. They are simr to earthworms, but they are a bit dangerous as they can also dig into the flesh of a person if they are not careful, as you can see."


    w raised his head and looked in the direction of the bucket. He flew to the other side of the room andnded on Xavier''s shoulder such that he could peer inside the bucket.


    "I heard from someone that they are exceptionally nourishing for bird beasts like w."


    Xavier set down the bucket and w immediately attacked.


    "Easy there, tiger," Damien said to the ironw eagle. "There is no need for you to stter blood all over the floor. This is where I treat the patients; please pay attention to the sanitisation."


    In response to his words, the eagle rolled his eyes and then caught hold of the bucket and flew outside the shack.


    "What are you doing now?" Wistoria asked as she looked at the book that Damien was holding in his hands.


    "Nothing, just reading about the resources that could help me in controlling the bond that I share with the iron w eagle better," replied Damien. "Though the two of us are fairly connected, I can only draw a limited amount of mana from him. For now the water stones are working just fine but it will be better not to put all the eggs in the same basket."


    Wistoria nodded and the two of them sank into silence before Xavier raised his head and looked at Wistoria, who sighed and asked Damien, "How are you able to use the mana stones? Xavier had tried to gauge the energy out of these stones but he could not break through it properly. Either he will break the entire thing in one go or crumble it due to the low amount of mana."


    "That''s easy," Damien said. "Of course it will not be easy for you, as what I did was to stand in the tub full of water and use the very resource as a link. Maybe you can use the heat of mes to channel the energy?"


    "Thank goodness you didn''t ask me to stand in a sea of fire," Xavier heaved a sigh of relief. When he heard Damien say that he stood in the water tub to break through the mana stone, he thought that the man was going to ask him to do the same.


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