Late into the night, Eldros moved through the outpost like a shadow, nimble and silent.
Now and then, he clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle a cough. At first, it was manageable. But the longer he suppressed it, the more his lungs burned, and the paler his face became.
Thankfully, the mountain wasn't large, and soon he reached the familiar wing.
He paused outside, steadying his breath, then slipped quietly into his own house.
As soon as the door shut behind him, he doubled over and coughed up a mouthful of black blood. It splattered the floor with a harsh hiss.
Color returned to his cheeks, but his breathing was ragged. Dropping into a cross-legged posture, he began meditating with the help of the silver rune in his chest to push the poison out.
The reason he'd been bold enough to enter the poison mist in the first place was because of the healing power of the mysterious sigil. It must also be what was amplifying his strength, making him far more dangerous than the average two-star.
Time passed before he opened his eyes.
'...what a vicious poison...'
Eldros had taken the gamble, charging headlong through the poison cloud. He'd placed his faith in the rune in his chest.
The gamble had paid off.
The poison was being broken down. His lungs still itched, and every breath brought a tickle in his throat, but healing was underway.
Foragers are more complex than they seem... he mused.
Had Fenri been able to fight back, the outcome might've been different. Eldros ran through the encounters again in his mind, dissecting every decision.
Then he turned his attention to the sack from Soren. Lots of silver coins. Bottles and jars labeled with strange symbols—poisons, no doubt.
Eldros didn't dare unseal them.
He inspected everything carefully.
The cleansing potions were also similarly low-quality, confirming the shopkeeper's claims.
Finally, he examined the purple potion that Soren had nearly used in his final moments.
He studied it before putting it back. There was nothing he could do with it for now, but he could feel its power. It was something dangerous. Or precious.
When everything was sorted, he returned to meditation.
By evening the next day, he opened his eyes just as Jarek's voice echoed from outside.
"Brat. Come out to the courtyard."
Eldros stood and stepped out. A table had been set up with food and drink, and six chairs.
"Sit," she said. "We're expecting guests."
Eldros eyed the spread. His stomach growled audibly.
Jarek chuckled. "Patience. We'll eat when they arrive."
"You mean... the rest of Squad Jarekl?"
The old woman nodded.
But before he could speak again, footsteps thundered at the gate. A massive figure entered the courtyard, taller and broader than even the bulky man that Eldros had killed.
He carried a warhammer on his back.
"I'm back!" the man said cheerfully, setting down his gear with two loud thumps and plopping into a chair that creaked under his weight.
He didn't spare Eldros a glance.
Eldros studied the hammer. Just from the sound alone, he could tell it weighed more than he did and the man had carried it like a twig.
More footsteps followed. Two more arrived, a tall, lean man with a scar across his face, and a woman in tight leather who carried herself with relaxed confidence.
"Old woman," the woman said with a laugh, "you went out and brought back a kid? What's this, your long-lost son? You didn't tell us you had a son!"
"He's too old for that," the big man grunted.
Eldros said nothing. Silently, he shifted one leg, positioning himself to grab his dagger if needed.
"These are your squadmates," Jarek said calmly, gesturing to each in turn. "Stepper, third star Initiate of the Arcana. A natural-born brute.
"Kat, third star. She talks to animals. Most of the cats in the outposts are her informants.
"And Scar, peak fourth star. Cold eyes, sharper arrows."
Then she looked at Eldros. "The Brat. Second star of Initiate of the Arcana."
All three appraised him. Scar's gaze was sharp as a knife. Kat smiled slightly. Stepper shrugged and returned to eyeing the food.
"Let's eat," said Jarek, digging in. "Talk while we chew. The outpost owner's posted new missions, teringe seed harvest is early. Whoever brings back the most gets three star rupturing potions."
The mood shifted. Even Scar's eyes lit up.
Eldros frowned. He hadn't heard of those before.
"They're much better than Cleasing potions," Jarek added. "We'll head to our hidden patch in the ruined city tomorrow. The Brat comes with us."
Scar spoke first. "Old lady, he's too green. We'll have to babysit him."
"He needs experience. Let him decide."
"I can do it," Eldros said flatly.
He wasn't desperate for better medicine. But he was realistic. He would need to venture deeper eventually. Better to do it under strong guidance instead of alone.
"Good," said Jarek. "Get rest. We leave at dawn."
Eldros nodded, scarfed down a bit of meat, then returned to his room. He wasn't interested in small talks that followed.
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Morning came crisp and cold. Under a clear sky, Eldros followed Jarek and the others through the outpost. Looking at the sky through the hollow of the mountain.
Stepper's hulking frame and Kat's sultry look drew attention, especially from the newcomers in the caravan zone.
Eldros had heard about them, a caravan from some big shot Sanctum had arrived. Kat explained.
"They've brought a researcher" she said. "From some bigshot Sanctum, He also helps heal people. People are lining up since he's giving free healing."
"Lucky bastards," Stepper muttered.
Eldros felt a twinge of envy. The idea of someone who could just heal things… he could only imagine what he would have been able to do back on Earth with that.
Then his face hardened. '...this is a new life..who say I can't do what I want?..'
But something else soon drew everyone's attention and Eldros was driven from his thoughts.
A group of brutal-looking foragers blocked the path ahead. Their leader was an old man sitting atop the corpse of a stray cat, gnawing its leg raw.
"Go find those two Soren and Fenric," the man growled. "Late again? I'll skin them alive this time!"
Squad Skullhowl.
Eldros's eyes flickered, but he kept his expression neutral. Did they know he killed two of their members? He didn't think so but he was instantly on guard anyway.
Kat, on the other hand, radiated fury. That was her cat! Part of those that she controlled!
Skullhowl's captain licked his lips and grinned at her.
"Tastes good. Makes me wonder what you taste like as well, I bet it's far better than this one!"
Eldros's eyes narrowed slightly.
Kat looked ready to kill.
Jarek didn't say a word. Not yet.
Tension filled the air.
Kat's eyes filled with killing intent, but she glanced at Jarek.
The old woman didn't respond with words. He just said, "Scar."
The archer silently drew his bow and loosed a single arrow into the sky. It streaked upward, then slammed down, impaling the hawk flying above.
With a scream, it crashed between the two squads.
One Skullhowl member staggered, vomiting blood, he had been linked to the bird.
Their captain held his squad back. He locked eyes with Jarek. After a tense silence, they both grunted and parted ways.
Eldros followed Jarek's group out of the basecamp, suppressing the chill in his chest. They're still waiting for those two that he killed but they would never return.
But the Old woman didn't let them fight as she immediately led them toward the Wilderness.
After an hour of hiking, the black jungle loomed ahead. Unlike the ruined city, it was a twisted world of claw-like branches and clawed leaves.
Dark clouds churned above. Lightning flashed. The moment Eldros crossed the boundary into Wilderness properly, he felt the shift, coldness crawling into his bones. Just like the ruins...
The others were silent, but alert. They rotated positions in the lead. Kat scattered enchantments powders to ward off insects.
Eldros observed everything, taking it in for when he would return alone.
Eventually, they paused at a marsh.
Kat threw powder across it, flushing out venomous bugs, then added it to some powders in her hand together with mud. The group smeared mud across their bodies.
"Remember this," Jarek said. "Avoid piles of leaves. Follow animal droppings. Animals could won't walk where there is danger so you won't see them there."
Eldros nodded.
Scar passed by and offered a rare comment. "Watch your Noxium marks. It builds faster here."
Eldros was already aware. The moment he entered the region, his marks throbbed.
He drank cleasing potion and kept quiet.
They moved on, this time slower, weapons ready.
A few beasts appeared but Stepper crushed them.
Scar sniped from afar. Kat used tricks and enchantments.
When a viper struck from behind, Eldros caught and snapped it in one motion.
Scar's attitude shifted when he saw that Eldros was easily keeping up and carrying his own weight. He even shared advice.
"There're only three real threats in this Wilderness. First, unfamiliar beasts. Stay sharp. We survive by knowing the ones we've fought before.
"Second, the weeping. Weeping that comes from nowhere. If you hear it... you die. Jarek's the only one here who's ever heard it and lived."
Jarek's eyes darkened but ahe said nothing.
"Third," Kat chimed in, "is the Storm of Confusion. Get lost in it, and you're done. Fire works short-term, but only those with extraordinary mental powers could truly resist."
Stepper added, "There's a fourth. Other foragers. Especially ambushers."
Right then, Jarek froze. "Quiet."
Everyone tensed.
Eyes glinted in the jungle ahead, dozens, maybe hundreds. Massive hyenas with green scales began to pour down the trail.
"A swarm of green hyenas!" Kat hissed. "They shouldn't be this far out!"
Scar nocked an arrow. "Something's wrong. They're too many."
Eldros felt the pressure, each wolf radiated mana pressure.
His breathing quickened. The Noxium in the air thickened.
Jarek stepped forward, power radiating from him.
"Fall back. I'll hold them here."
The monsters stopped, growling.
And the standoff began.
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Give this poor author power stones