Chapter 9: A new hope.
With the golden karyda fruit within his reach, Dian faced a new challenge: how to carry it effectively. The fruit's potential to counteract the poison was clear, but the exact quantity required remained a mystery. Faced with 4 limited inventory slots, Dian realized he needed to manage his storage wisely.
Carefully ascending the tree, Dian contemplated his options. He weighed the value of the items he currently carried against the urgency of the situation. It was a difficult decision, but he ultimately chose to discard the lifeless body of the demon hare and the pointy rock he had been carrying. Their significance paled in comparison to the lives at stake.
Now, with two empty slots available, Dian planned his strategy. He knew from experience that identical items could be stacked together, as evidenced by the three bundles of pain-relieving weeds he possessed. They occupied a single slot, allowing him to maximize his inventory space.
The decision to leave two slots empty was a deliberate choice. If the golden karyda fruits did not stack, he wanted to ensure that he could bring back two of them to aid the dying woman. Dian understood the importance of being prepared for unforeseen circumstances, and his determination to save both individuals drove his every action.
With determination in his eyes, Dian ascended to the top of the tree where the tantalizing sight of the golden and pale yellow karyda fruits awaited him. Carefully wielding his makeshift demon hare knife, he skillfully severed the stems of the golden fruits and stowed them away in his inventory. To his relief, the two golden fruits stacked neatly, conserving precious space.
Not one to pass up an opportunity, Dian reached out for the remaining pale yellow fruit. Time was of the essence, and he knew every resource counted. With a swift motion, he plucked the fruit from its perch and added it to his collection.
Descending from the tree with a sense of urgency, Dian pondered the dilemma he now faced. Should he trade one of the golden fruits for the morbid and viscous corpse of the demon hare? It was a tempting thought since he could still use it's other bone blade growing on its head. However, in the end, he chose to prioritize the lives of the two individuals in dire need. He could always hunt for more if he needed more Demon hare's corpses.
With the golden fruits securely stored and the pale-yellow karyda fruit held tightly in his grasp, Dian hastened his steps, returning to the side of the woman in black. Time was slipping away, and he hoped that the fruits he had obtained would bring relief and salvation to woman in pain or at least just enough so that Dian could ask where any nearby communities such as towns were.
With a heavy heart, Dian observed the critical condition of both the lady and the little girl. The girl's body was ravaged by the poison, with only a fraction of her being spared from its insidious grasp. It was a race against time, and the girl's survival seemed uncertain, her small form weakened by the venom coursing through her veins. Meanwhile, the lady appeared to be in a comparatively stable state, taking refuge in the shallow depression created upon their crash from the trees.
Without wasting another moment, Dian swiftly made his decision. Focusing on the child's desperate need, he approached her with the golden Karyda fruit clutched tightly in his hand. Guided by the system's assistance, he skillfully carved a small opening at the top of the fruit using his knife, creating a makeshift vessel for the precious Karyda milk. Gently lifting the girl's head, he positioned the fruit near her lips, allowing her to drink the liquid with greater ease.
At first, the girl struggled to swallow, coughing and choking as the liquid entered her parched throat. However, as she regained a fraction of consciousness, she slowly managed to be able to drink the Karyda milk. It was a small glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that surrounded them.
As the girl consumed the life-giving Karyda milk, Dian watched intently, hoping for signs of improvement. Gradually, her erratic breathing quietened down as her eyelids fluttered open, revealing hazy, half-conscious eyes. Dian spoke softly, gauging her response.
"Hey, can you hear me?" he gently inquired, his voice laced with concern. "Blink your eyes twice if you can hear."
The girl's delicate frame trembled as she kept drinking, her eyes flickered for a moment before obediently blinking twice. Relief washed over Dian, reassured by her acknowledgment.
"Okay, it's good that you can hear me," Dian continued, his tone soothing. "Don't speak while I'm helping you drink, but can you move your hands?"
With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, Dian witnessed the little girl's unpoisoned hand tremblingly reach out and grasp the fruit. A smile formed on his face, relieved that she was able to respond.
"Try to drink this," Dian gently instructed, guiding her hand towards the fruit he held. "I need to go help the other lady."
The girl, still weak but showing signs of consciousness, obediently blinked her eyes twice, her lips pressed against the fruit as she took in the nourishing liquid.
Dian swiftly made his way to the fallen lady, his heart pounding with a mixture of urgency and relief. Following the same process as before, he offered her the fruit, hoping it would alleviate the effects of the poison. However, unlike the little girl, the lady struggled a bit, coughing as she choked on the milk.
"My pupil!" she managed to utter amidst coughs. "Save her first!"
Dian nodded reassuringly, his eyes filled with determination. "Don't worry. She woke up and I gave her one of these fruits. Now you need to drink it so you can wake up and tell me what's going on."
A surge of relief washed over the lady as she grasped the fruit from Dian's hand. Without hesitation, she brought it to her lips and greedily consumed its contents. Dian observed with keen eyes, noting that the poisoned parts of their bodies seemed immobile, evident by her reliance on her unaffected left side to hold the fruit to her mouth.
As Dian hurried back to the little girl, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for not paying attention to the faces of the two individuals he had been desperately trying to save. In the midst of the crisis, his focus had been solely on finding a solution and acting swiftly to prevent further harm. It was a result of his rigorous training as a soldier, where personal attachments were discouraged in order to maintain a clear mind during critical situations.
Dian knew that allowing personal emotions to cloud his judgment could lead to errors or hesitation when tending to someone's life-threatening injuries. So, he had learned to compartmentalize his feelings, pushing them aside in order to focus on the task at hand. However, this approach had inadvertently caused him to overlook the individuals as unique individuals with their own identities and stories.
He turned his gaze towards the little girl, and as he observed her closely, a striking image revealed itself. Her hair, a mesmerizing blend of platinum white with delicate streaks of blue, cascaded gracefully in front of her face. Despite her fragile appearance, she possessed an air of resilience that belied her young age, suggesting a spirit that had weathered hardships beyond her years. Dressed in a black ensemble adorned with purple accents, her petite frame seemed even smaller amidst the fabric that swathed her.
But it was her face that captivated Dian the most. With features so endearingly innocent and delicate, she possessed a certain charm that tugged at his heartstrings. Her eyes, though clouded with the effects of the poison, hinted at a vibrant spirit that lay beneath. It was a face that carried both the weight of her current predicament and the promise of a brighter future, a face that stirred within Dian an overwhelming desire to protect and nurture.
The only jarring contrast to her enchanting appearance was the purplish hue that marred her skin, an unwelcome testament to the poison's relentless advance.
Gently cradling the weakened girl in his arms, Dian asked her if she was feeling any better. With a feeble nod, she whispered a faint "Yes," her voice barely audible. Concern etched on her delicate face, she mustered the strength to inquire about her teacher's whereabouts.
Dian, mindful of the girl's frailty, carefully carried her in a princess-like embrace and guided her towards the shallow depression where her teacher lay. As they approached, the gravity of the situation became apparent. The teacher's worry was palpable, her eyes filled with anguish as she took in the extent of the poison's grip on her pupil's body.
"Nina!" her teacher exclaimed, her voice filled with a mix of relief and urgency. Extending her trembling left hand, she beckoned for Nina to be placed in her lap. Responding to the unspoken plea, Dian gently settled Nina into her teacher's embrace.
With tears streaming down her blood-red eyes, the teacher held Nina tightly, her grasp conveying a mixture of gratitude, fear, and overwhelming emotions. In the safety of their reunion, both Nina and her teacher succumbed to their pent-up emotions, tears streaming down their faces as they clung to each other, the shared understanding of narrowly escaping the clutches of death forging a bond between them.
Feeling a sense of relief wash over him, Dian settled down a short distance away from the teacher and Nina, giving them the space they needed to process their emotions and find solace in each other's presence. He understood the gravity of the ordeal they had just endured and didn't want to intrude upon their moment of respite.
After a while, the teacher's gaze turned towards Dian, gratitude shining in her eyes. Her voice, though still weak, carried a depth of appreciation. "Thank you," she whispered sincerely.
Dian offered a humble nod in response. "We saved each other. It's as simple as that."
A small smile played at the corners of the teacher's lips as she gazed down at her slumbering pupil, finding comfort in the stillness and peace that had settled upon them. Though the poison had not yet been completely eradicated, its relentless spread had been halted, bringing a glimmer of hope to their precarious situation.
"I have some weeds that can relieve pain if you want?" Dian said as pulled out a bundle of the pain-reliving leaves.
The teacher shook her head weakly. "No, they relieve pain but also accelerate poison."
Dian's concern deepened as the teacher mentioned the potential adverse effects of the pain-relieving leaves he had offered. He quickly withdrew the bundle, realizing the need for caution and understanding the importance of acquiring proper medical knowledge in this unfamiliar world.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" The teacher said as she looked at Dian with sadness in her eyes. Dian's instincts kicked in as he looked at her eyes and was reminded of one of his comrades he lost before on a mission and realized what she was going to ask. Without hesitation, he firmly refused her plea.
"No," Dian stated firmly, his voice filled with determination. The teacher looked taken aback by his immediate response, her eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and gratitude. Dian could sense her helplessness, but he couldn't bear the thought of someone sacrificing their life for another.
The teacher's smile, though tinged with helplessness, revealed her concern for their safety. She spoke softly, her words carrying a sense of urgency. "There's a formidable foe after us," she explained. "I can distract her while you escape with my pupil." Pausing for a brief moment, she added, "I say this because you mentioned before that you weren't able to defeat a single Demon hare. This foe, however, possesses the strength to effortlessly dispatch several of them."
Dian's gaze shifted downward as he contemplated the gravity of the situation. He felt a surge of frustration and uncertainty, realizing his lack of knowledge and experience in this unfamiliar world. Even if he were to accept the teacher's offer to save her pupil, he couldn't guarantee their safety beyond that. "Then, I'll do it on one condition." Dian said with determination,
"Yes?" The teacher asked with worry in her voice.
"Tell me about this world. I was teleported here from my world and I don't anything about where we are or anything else."
"… What?"
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