Chapter 130: Maggot Whisperings

“What did you say? Rosdi can still be saved? You can save him?!”

At Vail’s words, Rodin gave a violent shudder of excitement and nearly leapt into the air. He paced in a circle, repeatedly reminding himself that he had to remain calm. After taking a deep breath, he crouched down again and hurriedly said to Vail, “All right! If you can save him, we’ll do anything you ask. We’ll even risk our lives! Just save him!”

His excitement made Rodin’s speech broken and disjointed, and several times he nearly bit his tongue. Under normal circumstances, seeing the usually composed Rodin reduced to such a ridiculous state would have sent Peperro into peals of laughter, and she would certainly have taken the opportunity to mock him mercilessly. But now, with the life of her companion hanging in the balance, she had no room for such thoughts. She quickly bent down as well and asked Vail anxiously, “Is that really possible?”

“I can’t guarantee it, but I can try.”

As he spoke, Vail motioned for Rodin to lay Rosdi flat on the ground and told the two of them to move back a little.

The poison in Rosdi’s body had already invaded his internal organs and even his bone marrow through his bloodstream. Forcing it out was simply impossible. The only way to save him was to use light magic to completely disperse and purify the poison within him.

This boy… he isn’t a soul master, is he?

Peperro and Rodin both wondered this inwardly. Though puzzled, they immediately laid Rosdi on the ground, then carefully retreated seven or eight meters before stopping. Their eyes remained fixed on Vail, both desperate to know how this mysterious youth intended to rescue their companion.

Gale’s poison was intensely corrosive. In the blink of an eye, the area of Rosdi’s body ravaged by the poison had doubled. Purplish-black blood and pus continually seeped through the cracks in his skin and even through his pores, releasing waves of pungent, nauseating stench. The muscles in Rosdi’s body began to spasm, and even his breathing gradually slowed.

I have to hurry!

Vail silently urged himself on. He tore away half of the leather strip wrapped around his divine staff, revealing an almost perfect crescent moon. Then, with a sudden burst of strength, he drove the staff deep into the ground. He spread both hands wide, placing one over Rosdi’s head and the other over his heart.

The reserve of light magic in Vail’s sea of consciousness was not enough to dispel all the poison in Rosdi’s body at once. Given the current circumstances, Vail could only protect Rosdi’s brain and heart first, completely purifying the poison in those vital areas and preserving his life before slowly working outward to eliminate the rest.

That was why Vail had not dared promise Rodin that he could save Rosdi.

The light mana within his sea of consciousness began to circulate rapidly. At the same time, a layer of faint golden light quickly gathered over his palms. At Rosdi’s head and heart, it condensed into two nearly perfect golden spheres that continuously poured pure, holy light magic into his body.

The moment Vail released his light magic, the divine staff beside him also began to operate under the control of his consciousness. On the emerald crescent moon, the magic crystal representing water magic suddenly flickered several times before radiating a steady, gentle blue light. Guided by Vail’s perception, the blue radiance immediately formed a healing layer resembling a barrier. The warm water-element light gathered around Rosdi’s body, drawing out the foul black blood and poisonous pus covering the surface of his skin.

“Rodin, do you think he can really save Rosdi?”

Peperro stared nervously at everything unfolding before her. The question escaped her lips instinctively. Rodin, meanwhile, had finally regained some of his composure. His eyes remained locked on Rosdi, and only after a long while did the corner of his eye suddenly twitch. He hurriedly said to Peperro, “Do you see that? Those two golden spheres in the boy’s hands seem to be dispelling the poison inside Rosdi!”

“Really?!”

Peperro quickly looked toward the two golden spheres in Vail’s hands. Just as Rodin had said, they continually emitted dazzling, holy light while pouring their energy into Rosdi’s body and driving away the poison within him. Under the influence of that sacred golden radiance, the poison was forced out of Rosdi’s body, transforming into black mist that escaped through his pores.

But the process did not end there. The black mist was itself highly poisonous. Even after leaving Rosdi’s body, it clung to the surface of his skin. The blue radiance was responsible for removing those toxic remnants expelled from his body.

“He really did it!”

Peperro let out an excited cry. Her beautiful eyes seemed to blaze with crimson flames as she stared fixedly at Vail. For the moment, she had apparently forgotten all the unpleasantness between them.

Time passed second by second. Beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on Vail’s forehead. The light mana in his sea of consciousness was nearly depleted, yet only a tenth of the poison in Rosdi’s body had been removed. It would still take some time to eliminate the poison completely, but most of the poison in Rosdi’s vital organs had already been dispersed. In other words, Rosdi’s life was temporarily out of danger.

The golden spheres above Vail’s palms began to fade little by little until they vanished entirely. Vail glanced at Rosdi lying before him. The purplish-black color had receded from the man’s face. Although his skin was now frighteningly pale, he looked far better than before. Through his perception, Vail sensed that Rosdi’s heartbeat and breathing had returned to normal. Only then did he sigh in relief, wipe the sweat from his forehead, and slowly rise to his feet.

“How is he?!”

Peperro charged forward in a single stride. Without caring whether she had collided with Vail, she hurriedly asked, “How is he?”

“He’s out of danger for now. If we continue like this, the poison should be completely expelled from his body within two or three days. After that, there shouldn’t be any further problems.”

As he answered, Vail pulled the divine staff from the ground and carefully wrapped every exposed section of it.

“Well…”

Rodin had intended to offer his thanks, but halfway through his sentence he suddenly remembered that he did not even know the young man’s name. Vail did not seem to mind. He merely smiled faintly and extended a hand.

“Suoluo Vail.”

“Rodin, of the Moon Slayer Mercenary Corps.”

Rodin gave an awkward smile and shook Vail’s hand. Then he pointed toward Peperro and added, “This is Peperro, also of the Moon Slayer Mercenary Corps.”

Vail turned to look at Peperro and instinctively extended his hand. Peperro likewise reached out to shake it, but the instant her fingers touched his, the little tigress suddenly remembered Vail’s earlier words: “Woman, stand aside!”

Her anger flared once more. She gave a heavy snort and abruptly withdrew her hand.

This left Vail baffled. He had no idea how he had offended Peperro. He glanced at her in confusion, only to find the girl staring back at him—or, more precisely, glaring at him. Her fierce expression made it seem as though she wanted to tear him apart and swallow him whole.

In the end, Vail could not withstand Peperro’s ferocious glare and admitted defeat. Rodin, apparently sensing that something was wrong, hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.

“Mr. Suoluo, thank you for helping us this time. I remember you mentioned earlier that you needed us to do something for you, didn’t you?”

“Just call me Vail.”

Vail smiled faintly, then glanced around before saying to Rodin, “The thing is, this is my first time here, and I’m looking for a certain magical beast. Unfortunately, I’m unfamiliar with the terrain, so I’ve spent several days searching without finding anything. I nearly got lost here as well.”

“Oh?”

At those words, not only Rodin but Peperro also showed interest. Rodin said to Vail, “We know this region fairly well. We’ve crossed the forests around here dozens of times. I wouldn’t claim that we know every magical beast in the forest, but we know most of them. What kind are you looking for? We may be able to help.”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure of its name, but I remember that it isn’t especially powerful. It looks somewhat like a reptile. Its most obvious feature is that its entire body is nearly transparent, as if it were nothing more than a transparent skin sac filled with liquid. Once that liquid is exposed to the air, it immediately turns into a milky-white, viscous substance.”

Vail gestured as he described the magical beast’s features. In truth, he did know its name, but with the passage of time, he could not be certain whether the creature still existed in this era. In the previous age, it had already been an exceedingly rare species, nearly extinct.

After hearing Vail’s description, Rodin and Peperro’s expressions changed noticeably. They exchanged a glance, then turned their eyes back to Vail.

“Vail, are you certain you haven’t described it incorrectly?”

Vail thought over his own description, then nodded firmly. “Yes. I’m fairly certain.”

“I see…”

Rodin frowned slightly. By then, Vail had noticed the strange expression on his face and cautiously asked, “Mr. Rodin, what is it? Do you know that creature?”

“Yes, I do know it. But obtaining one may be rather troublesome…”

Rodin smiled strangely, then looked at Vail and enunciated each word clearly.

“That thing is called a Maggotfiend.”