After seeing that the poison slowed its spread throughout the rest of my body whenever I'm talking, Bubu tried to keep the conversation going by asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions.
Questions that are too intimate like, who is the best kisser among the pack.
I didn't answer immediately but I told her that I always loved kissing Lion.
She swatted me softly as she chuckled, telling me that there's no one listening and I can answer honestly.
I thought for a bit before answering her that they all have their own style which I like, making her grin at me as she prodded me for more details.
Okay, fine!
I can feel myself turn red as I tried to elaborate when suddenly, I noticed that there is a vile smell coming from one of the pathways that we haven't explored yet.
We are currently inside in what seems to be an underground palace of some sorts. Thankfully, the place is not that dim as there are some holes on the ceiling. Several parts of the building are covered with sand and some unidentified sticky black substance.
Of course I didn't examine it further as it might be toxic or something.
We didn't find stuff that is valuable as most of the things that we found are in several stages of deterioration.
What a lie.
This place is definitely not a city of treasures.
For us, though. I'm not sure if the males' situation are better than us but at least they have a fighting chance when facing monsters.
I do hope that they found treasures as we haven't found any to help with our current financial situation.
I wished I could've brought more items worthy for trading though and definitely more jewels.
Wait.
Who has my bag?
How stupid of me!
I have plenty of stuff there that are very valuable that we can sell or trade!
Obviously, Alpha and Orm doesn't have it so it's either Lion, Sly or Ghost who has my bag.
Argh.. this is soooo annoying...
....
The vile smell turned out to be coming from what seems to be the throne room of the palace.
Should we examine the place?
It seems risky.
Despite my hesitation, Bubu insisted in exploring it as she reminded me that we are trying to find the transformation stone.
I don't feel anything though.
But of course I have no choice but to go with her as she is carrying me since I can't walk on my own because of my condition.
When we got inside the throne room, we were astonished at the sight in front of us.
In a voice full of relief, Bubu whispered that we are quite lucky to avoid a gruesome fate.
Hundreds of dead bodies of monsters filled the throne room. The dead bodies are in different stages of decomposition, making us realize that a great battle just happened not too long after we arrived here.
So someone got here first before us.
If it was us who got here first, I don't think we can manage to survive for too long.
The monsters looked terrifying. Their body and head looked like a leopard but they have an extremely long, serpent-like neck.
And they are way taller than both of us.
We definitely do not stand a chance at all.
Especially when I saw their teeth...
I'm glad someone got here first though I'm not sure what happened to them, whether they survived or not.
I prayed a silent prayer to the heavens to bless the soul of whoever killed the monsters and if they are dead, to give them eternal peace.
After I was done praying, I noticed that Bubu is rummaging around the bodies of the monsters in hopes of finding something valuable.
Ew, Bubu!
I'm not that desperate!
Well, this is how looting looks like in real life.
Gross.
I just waited for her to finish since she placed me near the entrance. The smell from the corpses prevented me from falling asleep so it kind of helped me a bit, much to my disgust.
My feet didn't change color yet so it's a good sign and Bubu told me earlier that my face, along with some parts of my neck is still on its regular color.
It's fine then.
I hope we can meet up with the males as soon as possible as they might know a way to heal me.
I felt a bit of discomfort all throughout my body and the wounds on my shoulders is aching but tolerable.
Orm is quite good in alchemy so he might know something. I don't know about Khamsin but he might read something from his books or find something useful from his scrolls.
Yes, he brought so many scrolls and books that it seemed like he is planning to open a library, much to our amusement. It's good that he placed everything inside a magic bag or I don't know where he will place everything during our journey to find the transformation stone as there's no vehicle large enough that can hold everything, not to mention the rest of us have some stuff too.
Thank goodness that magic bags existed.
....
Much to our delight, Bubu found some valuable things inside the throne room. Not really a treasure but valuable enough that we can earn a lot after selling it all.
After looting everything what she deemed valuable, she cheerfully went towards me and showed me everything she looted.
Most of the things she took seemed interesting though several of those looked more like decorative stuff of some sorts.
But since they have some sort of crystals on them, they can be sold for a high price.
There's a golden cup, a shiny random stuff that glittered, a terrifying looking mask of some sort but has cool looking stones on it, a weird looking weapon....
I don't want to know what kind of weapon it is.
Oohh, this looks interesting..
There's several miniature statues that she took that are made of pure gold. I'm not sure what kind of being that they are depicting though.
Wait..
Is that an egg???
Bubu examined the muddy colored, egg shaped object before handing it to me with glee.
She told me that I can have it and it's her gift for me.
Oh..
Thanks Bubu but I don't know what to do with it.
I thanked her and was about to place it beside me when she hurriedly took it and rubbed it on her clothes.
What is she doing?
After staring at her for several moments, I realized that she is trying to clean it. After a bit of time on cleaning the object, it turned out that the egg shaped object's color is golden ruby like.
It's extremely difficult for me to describe it but it's like a fusion of gold and ruby.
It's so pretty!
I can sell it for....
Seeing Bubu's glare towards me made me bit my lip instantly. Then, with a huge smile, I hugged and thanked her, promising that I will always carry it everywhere.
I regret what I said.
When I said that I will always carry it everywhere, I meant that I will place it inside the magic bag that I always use, NOT literal carry it with me everywhere.
But Bubu looked too happy seeing me holding it that I forced myself to continue on holding it as we tried to look for an exit.
I was planning to place it inside her magic bag but nevermind.
....
Soon, I began to feel sleepy again in which Bubu immediately tried to make me talk.
She reminded me that I still haven't answered her question from earlier.
I thought she forgot!
She kept on nudging me that I gave a huge sigh and mumbled a vague name from one of the pack.
She laughed and told me that she can't hear me, assuring me that she won't tell anyone and there's no one in our surroundings that are listening to us.
I LIKE THEM ALL!
I told her in a loud voice that I liked all of them, making me feel embarrassed but my answer still doesn't satisfy her as she kept on nagging me.
Okay, fine!
I was about to whisper into her ear the name of...
Wait.
What's that noise?
Bubu immediately looked alert and silently tried to run as fast as she could.
Then the noises started to get louder, sounding like a...
WHAT IS THAT??!!!
Hundreds of what seemed to be large spiders started to come out of the ceilings and dark corners.
I HATE SPIDERS!
And what made it worse is that they have sharp looking pincers and hairy looking bodies.
Thankfully, they are not taller than me but their size is at least half of my height.
Ah. We're in trouble.
They seemed like pests but after seeing their starving looking faces, I don't want to know more.
I yelled for Bubu to run faster in which she yelled back at me, telling me that she's already at her limit.
I understand that she's exhausted as we haven't rested since I got poisoned and the place we are in is not safe to take a quick nap.
I was about to apologize when I saw the wicked grin on her face.
She yelled at me to admit it and promised that she will run even faster after hearing my answer.
What is she talking ab...
Oh, for goodness sake!
With a huge yell, I told her that it's Sly.
....
After a long time of running away from the horrible looking spiders, we were saved by the three males who used their magic to kill the spiders.
Finally, Bubu got the rest that she deserved as she collapsed in exhaustion but not before handing me gently to Alpha, who began to panic after seeing my appearance.
Khamsin carried Bubu over his shoulder with ease as the three males started to bicker about something relating to my condition.
I'm so tired...
I've been awake for so long...
Oh, wait..
I almost dropped the egg...
Bubu kept me away from danger so I should take good care of her gift to me. It's the least I can do.
Orm kept yelling at Alpha about something in which Alpha yelled back at him, making Khamsin yell at both of them.
These three...
I'm so sleepy...
With a huge yawn, I closed my eyes and was about to fall asleep when Alpha nudged me, telling me not to go to sleep.
But I'm so tired!
After I drank a bit of water, we continued to explore the place but seeing that there's no magic stone, we finally left the ruins.
The rumors are fake.
There's no magic stone at all.
Instead, it turned out to be a cursed artifact that Orm discovered in which he destroyed immediately as he told me that it will absorb a portion of your life force in exchange for a bit of power.
Now we're back in trying to find the magic stone again.
I have a feeling that Maelsa will remind us again soon.
....
We stayed at the outskirts of the ruins near a village that is beside an oasis.
One of the things that Bubu found from the ruins proved to be extremely valuable. Valuable enough that we can afford an entire house to ourselves.
To everyone's relief, there are several rooms inside the house and a huge, comfortable bathroom as well.
Thank goodness for Bubu in finding an extremely valuable object as the other males haven't found any.
Stupid rumor.
After placing Bubu inside one of the rooms, Khamsin immediately took out his library and tried to find a solution of my condition.
As for Orm and Alpha, of course they took me to the bathroom in which they tried to bathe me.
They told me how they were trying to find me and how worried they all are as the ruins are dangerous.
True. We would've died if Bubu didn't have the ability to run fast. And to carry heavy objects as well.
Alpha cradled me in his arms while Orm examined my body.
All that's left is my face and a little part of my neck that hasn't changed color yet.
With gentleness, Orm removed the cloth that covered my wounds in which he and Alpha both cried out in dismay after seeing it.
They started crying as they nuzzled me all over my face, reassuring me that they will find a way to heal me and....
I gave both of them a gentle kiss, caressing both of their faces as I told them that I believe in them on finding a way to heal me.
Tears flowed down their faces as they embraced and nuzzled me tenderly. Orm kissed me deeply while Alpha licked me on my ear, whispering all sorts of comfort and reassurances such as making sure that I won't die from the poison.
If it weren't for my condition, the situation we are in right now would have been extremely erotic for me.
Or I'm just heavily influenced by Bubu.
While they are crying their hearts out, I'm here thinking all sorts of..... thoughts....
Thoughts that will definitely make both Puma and Bubu grin at me.
Ah.. I need to recite those sutras again in my mind.
....
I'm dying.
I think everybody knows but they are still in denial.
They kept me from sleeping by making me drink all sorts of potions. My mind is in a haze though Bubu took care of me while Orm is busy making all sorts of antidote to get rid of the poison from my body.
As for Alpha, he assisted Orm by buying the needed ingredients from the market in the village. He kept on returning until he ended up buying everything instead.
After buying everything, he assisted Orm in making the potions.
Khamsin is in a bad mood as he didn't find something that is related to my condition in his library.
I understand that he is in a bad mood as he hasn't slept too and kept rereading everything, making sure that he hasn't missed an information but to no avail.
All of them tried to use their magic, hoping that they might heal me but nothing.
Soon, the poison started to spread towards my face and my fever got worse.
Bubu kept on crying while trying to cool my body down and replacing the bandages on my wounds.
It didn't heal at all despite drinking all the potions that Orm made for me.
I'm too tired....
I can't take it anymore....
Finally, Khamsin admitted that he can't find anything from his library and wept in front of us.
He turned into his griffin self and began to pull out his feathers in a fury.
Khamsin don't....
He looked at me tearfully and signaled something towards Bubu.
Bubu somehow understood and took all of Khamsin's feathers and placed it under me.
Oh... I see...
It's warm...
Yes...
It's so warm...
I smiled at Khamsin, thanking him for making me warm.
After making me some sort of a feather bed, he transformed back to his regular form and sat down beside me.
Tearfully, he asked me if there's something I want in which I told him to read something aloud from one of the books from his library.
Bubu excused herself in which I can hear her crying loudly while running towards her room.
Khamsin caressed my hair gently as he read a story from one of his books.
....
Wait...
Am I hearing properly?
In a soft voice, I asked Khamsin to repeat what he just read.
He smiled tearfully as he complied in which I asked him if it was true.
Apparently, he is reading a book about legends of achieving immortality.
Why do they want to achieve immortality if they already have long lives?
Of course, it is all about power.
Khamsin told me that it's true and that a lot of the magic users tried all means to achieve immortality.
Then what happens to them?
Khamsin told me that most of the magic users that attempted, died in gruesome deaths while the others ended up without a form.
Without a form?
I asked Khamsin if the others that ended up without a form are the unknown in which there is silence around the room.
Wait...
Nobody noticed it?!
Khamsin, Orm and Alpha looked shocked that took them several moments of trying to discuss something among themselves.
Ah.. now the mystery of the unknown will be solved...
Wait...
No way...
I suddenly yelled at them, making them jump in surprise in which I excitedly told them that Ghost's ultimate form should've been a huge clue on what an unknown is.
With interested looks on their faces, they asked me if I know something about Ghost's ultimate form.
I explained to them what a lich is and everything I know about it.
Ah. It turned out that I'm the stupid one for not telling them in the first place as they have no idea what a lich is.
After telling them about everything, Orm told me that he now understood why an individual would disappear when they got closer to an unknown as the formless magic user would try to absorb the lifeforce of an individual as an attempt to return to their physical form.
Alpha nodded then told us that knowing this information, they can now find a way to get rid of the unknown in the territory.
Same with Khamsin, agreeing with Alpha as he began writing something on an empty scroll.
Finally, I contributed something before I die.
I can finally rest...
Lion... I'm sorry I wasn't able to find you...
Ghost... Khamsin will tell you more about yourself.. I hope that it can help you...
Sly.. thanks for everything...
See you everyone...
I closed my eyes and felt myself breathing slowly...
I can hear their cries, feeling all sorts of nuzzles and kisses all over my face...
Bubu bawling, someone holding my hand, an egg cracking...
Egg cracking?!
The egg!!!