NOVPUB
Chapter 86: 026: On the verge of death
Two hours later, Lynch and his team arrived at Gray Town.
Following the convoy as it slowly entered the town, Lynch turned his head to look around, his expression somewhat peculiar.
This is too quiet!
On their way in, the entire town was eerily silent, with only the sound of their horse hooves and footsteps echoing, and not a single shadow of a person could be seen—there wasn’t even the slightest trace of human presence.
Although this backward era wouldn’t have lively nightlife, for it to be this quiet at only around eight or nine o’clock—it’s just...
Lynch rotated his eyes to observe the surroundings.
The towering walls and sharp-roofed wooden houses stood silhouetted against the night, their outlines unevenly illuminated by sparse lanterns, stoking a feeling that was hard to put into words.
"Is something wrong, Apprentice Lynch?"
At that moment, Avery approached, seemingly noticing the change in Lynch’s expression.
Lynch voiced his inner concern, "It’s too quiet here."
Avery glanced around once more and nodded, "Indeed."
Pausing for a moment, she continued, "Are you worried that those Black Wizards might have pursued us here? I don’t think so. I haven’t sensed any abnormal spiritual power or elemental reactions here."
"Besides..."
She withdrew her gaze, "This is already within the boundaries. Unless they wish to start a war, they wouldn’t dare venture here—Shadow Swamp’s aftermath isn’t something they’ll forget anytime soon." 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
Due to some complex historical causes, the White Witch Council and Black Tower Alliance divided the entirety of the Ancient Ruins region into separate zones roughly a thousand years ago, categorically split into White Witch Domain, Black Witch Domain, and Gray Witch Domain.
As the names suggest, the White Witch Domain and Black Witch Domain are territories belonging to White Wizards and Black Wizards respectively. According to the agreement from that time, any cross-boundary behavior by either side’s wizards is prohibited, and there is no guarantee of personal safety for wizards of an opposing faction within one’s domain. Simply put, White Wizards can kill Black Wizards crossing into their territory freely, and vice versa.
If wizards from the opposing faction invade another’s territory and engage in illegal activities, the invaded faction has the right to retaliate against the wizard power affiliated with the offending faction.
For instance, the Shadow Tower’s annihilation of Shadow Swamp was based on this stipulation.
As for the remaining Gray Witch Domain, it serves as both parties’ strategic ambiguity zone, essentially a free area unclaimed by either faction. Wizards from both sides aren’t protected by any rules in these locations, allowing for mutual slaughter.
The Ghost Island Lynch and his team had just visited happens to be part of the Gray Witch Domain.
This mechanism’s origins are rather intricate, but its existence has indeed effectively ensured a certain degree of peace between the White Witch Council and Black Tower Alliance. At least, as Lynch has learned from history, although there have been ongoing skirmishes between the two sides over the past millennium, large-scale wars have never occurred.
"Probably..."
Listening to Avery’s words, Lynch thought for a moment and realized it seemed logical.
After all, this place is undeniably within the White Witch Domain. For a Black Wizard organization to stir up trouble here would mean directly challenging the entire White Witch Council.
Even the large Black Wizard organizations lack such capability. As for groups like the Blood Origin Cult, whose strength is just average—their fate was already demonstrated in Shadow Swamp.
Avery showed a faint smile, reassuring him, "There’s no need to be anxious. I’ve already relayed the message back to the Tower using a Raven. Wizards will soon come to assist us. Take some time to rest—you certainly need to adjust your mindset."
Avery assumed Lynch’s state of mind hadn’t yet recovered from the bloody slaughter he had just endured.
Lynch hesitated for a moment.
But ultimately, he nodded without continuing to dwell on his concerns, "Alright."
Although he had an uneasy premonition, he couldn’t provide any concrete evidence to prove that this place was unsafe. After all, apart from being too quiet, there wasn’t much out of the ordinary along the way—maybe the residents of this town simply preferred to sleep early?
"Lady Avery!"
At that moment, a soldier hurried over to report anxiously, "Master Adam’s condition seems to be worsening—you should take a look quickly."
Avery and Lynch followed the soldier toward the rear of the convoy.
At the back of the line were a few carriages, one of which had its seating completely dismantled, with a blanket spread across the floor where Adam lay.
During the previous battle, Adam was gravely injured—his bones completely shattered, muscles extensively necrotic, and even his skin tissue severely corroded, leaving him on the brink of death.
Although Avery’s rescue barely kept him alive, he had already fallen into a coma.
When Lynch and Avery arrived at the carriage, they only needed one glance before both furrowed their brows.
Adam’s skin, besides the previous symptoms, had now turned a purple-black color, a clear sign of poisoning.
Avery questioned in confusion, "I thought the Ausen Giant Python was classified as a non-toxic Demon?"
Lynch shook his head, "It can be."
After pausing briefly, he explained further, "Poison attributes are one of the rare talents the Ausen Giant Python can awaken. However, it’s considered a rare talent, with only a 1% to 3% probability. Thus, most Wizards categorize it as a non-toxic Demon."
"I see..."
Avery remarked in slight astonishment, "For an apprentice, you sure know quite a lot."
This knowledge surely falls under the category of obscure details.
After a pause, she then asked, "Do you know how to cure this toxin?"
Lynch nodded initially, but after considering it again, quickly shook his head.
He explained, "It requires Morgan’s No. 4 Detoxification Potion. I know how to formulate this potion, but I don’t have the necessary ingredients on hand."
Avery furrowed her brows, "How long can he last?"
Lynch deliberated for a moment, "No need to panic excessively. The Ausen Giant Python’s toxin belongs to the neurotoxin category. While detoxification is troublesome, its corrosive efficiency is slow—it would take at least a week to be fatal."
"Compared to the venom, Adam’s injuries are more alarming. If left untreated, I doubt he’ll last three more days."
At this point, he looked at Avery with curiosity, "Isn’t healing supposed to be the specialty of the Light Element?"
Avery sighed and said helplessly, "The injuries are far too severe. I’ve already tried every healing skill I know—it was already a struggle just to keep him alive."
"The corrosive elements from the Ausen Giant Python remain in his body, continuously destroying his tissues. I can only perform healing every half an hour to sustain his life. Unless these corrosive toxins are expelled, there’s no way to resolve the root problem."
Lynch understood Avery’s point. At this moment, Adam was akin to having an open wound that wouldn’t stop bleeding, and she couldn’t heal it directly. The only alternative was for her to replenish his vitality continuously to keep him alive.
If this were the case...
Lynch thought he might have a way to address Adam’s corrosive elements—but...
Lynch asked, "How much longer until we return to the Tower?"
His solution was to undertake physical modifications for Adam. However, such modifications would involve irreversible changes and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
Avery pondered for a moment and replied, "The people coming to assist us should be equipped with flying Witchcraft. Once they arrive, we should be able to return to the Tower in half a day."
Lynch’s tightly furrowed brow suddenly relaxed, "If that’s the case, let’s wait and see."
