"No wonder healing scrolls cost a fortune if they are used in the dozens to heal an injury of a single person and can be used by anyone. " Vincent murmured to himself.
Ester stated that the scrolls were written with ink specially crafted from Magical Beast cores. As such, magical pens weren't easy to come by since no one knew a sure-fire way to produce Magical Beasts.
The price would quickly inflate if too many scrolls were used in little time, and the demand becomes higher by the week. It seemed this is what happened for Minor Heal scrolls to cost a fortune at the present time.
Ester once mentioned how nobles use potions to keep the price of the scrolls at bay. Unlike the need to be written with a magical pen that uses a magic core fragment to write with, some potions can use common materials. Or rather, grown in an alchemist's private residence.
"Furthermore, common doesn't mean cheap." Ester had emphasized this sentence. She heard from her father how the noble he served was excited to buy a pricy libido-type potion that used mudcrab meat as the main ingredient.
In the end, the more exotic the material used, the costlier the potion became. The job of an alchemist and a person with Scribe Mage class seemed to provide a wealthy life.
The day started like the previous one, and then the grueling rehabilitation continued. The more Vincent tried to walk, the more he could feel his legs and the leg muscles tightening. The ability to walk was gradually returning.
The group had to proceed to the city, so Vincent said, "Let's continue our travel to Lusterfall City tomorrow. I should be able to walk in the next few days, so there is no need to delay our arrival."
"I want little sister Tula to go home." Vincent turned his gaze at Tula and continued, "You have suffered a lot. You are a strong girl, and don't forget that."
Tula nodded a few times, but shortly after, tears welled in her eyes. She started crying after remembering the horrible past suffered in less than a month as she was still sensitive to her father's and uncle's passing.
Tula had the mind of a ten-year-old girl, but these kinds of feelings had no age limit.
[Heh. You made the little girl cry.]
Tula cried in Ester's arms until she calmed a few minutes later. Not long after, Ester looked at Vincent with a frown like a mother unhappy for having her daughter mistreated.
On the other hand, Lupa seemed indifferent. She didn't have an emotional and caring life while growing up. So she left everything to Ester and happily spent a couple of minutes with Vincent alone until Tula was done with her crying.
Vincent spent the entire day trying to walk by himself. He also did a couple of exercises while sitting on a rock or lying on the ground to strengthen his recuperating muscles.
In the night, as Vincent lay on his makeshift bed to rest for another grueling day, he could feel Lupa snuggling on his right arm with a smile, and on the left side was Ester's back. Kazumi passed a few teases, but he closed his eyes and ignored her.
*Day 47*
With a new day, a new grand challenge awaited Vincent. He cast two Minor heals in succession and planted his hands at the back of the cart.
Vincent tried to hold his body straight and stand on his two trembling legs. He made enough progress to be able to stand with little support. Balance is his current bane.
"Are you sure I can pull the cart while you hold from the back?" Asked Lupa with a hint of worry in her voice after hearing what Vincent suggested.
Vincent wanted to continue instead of stalling. He desired to reach Lusterfall City quickly and recuperate there. Staying in Aero Forest for so long made him want to leave the damn dangerous forest as soon as possible.
"I will walk beside you to stop you from falling." Continued Ester while standing beside Vincent like a nurse.
"I want to help big brother too. " Tula added. She didn't seem too sad, unlike the previous day.
[Isn't this harem great? We all want to help in our own way.]
-Your mouth says good things once in a while.-
Vincent nodded for Lupa to pull the cart slowly. The wheels gradually moved at a snail's pace, and the weakened legs began moving with the cart's support. It took all his strength to hold his body and walk.
Vincent fell a couple of times when his legs couldn't keep his body standing. The group stopped and took a break for Vincent to continue. Surprisingly, Vincent's stamina recuperated faster than the average human.
Even though Vincent acted like he wanted to leave the forest quickly, the half-day spent was similar to an hour or two of walking normally. At least Vincent's legs could hold his body and walk with aid for a longer duration every time he fell.
*Thump-thump*
*Skroar....*
A familiar roar neared, but the sound felt weak than what the four were familiar with. Shortly, the thumping sounds of a large body quickly approaching their location sounded. There was no need for Lupa to say a large creature was getting dangerously close.
Lupa noticed there were a lot of trees nearby which she could take advantage of. She shapeshifted her arms and drew her newly restored sharp claws.
Her senses picked the ominous presence, and her body tensed up. Lupa didn't know if she and Ester could take down a Royal Guard Ant if such an enemy was approaching them.
Ester quickly held Elsir and the mudcrab shield. Her crimson eyes flared, and a cold aura surrounded her hand and icy runed sword.
"Vincent, Tula, stay back." Ester courageously said. Her hand trembled, but the pair of glowing crimson eyes and cold blade were ready to fight.
"Stay behind us, my mate. " Lupa said at the same time. She secretly didn't want to get outdone by Ester.
*Shuffle... thud!*
A tree in front of them fell as a large sharp blade cut it. An injured Royal Guard Ant appeared from the shadows.
Ester's and Lupa's fears became real. The two women are the only fighters available to fight, but the monstrous ant wasn't in tip-top condition at a second glance.
The Royal Guard Ant had its left side cut with two missing appendages. A few parts of this body were profusely bleeding.
It seemed the monstrous ant luckily ran away from Feng Mengli. But death from blood loss was about to welcome it in a day or less.
[Name] Royal Guard Ant (Male)
[Condition] Critical Condition, Lost Limbs(2 Left Arms), Major Bleeding, Enraged, Scared
Vincent noticed the situation wasn't looking great. He and his body knew quite well how the Royal Guard Ant would prefer to explode than allow itself to get killed.
[We can't expect to be saved this time. Can you move your body a bit quicker?]
Kazumi knew Vincent struggled to walk with assistance. However, she wanted to understand to try and come up with a plan immediately.
"I just need to try." Vincent tried to stand up on his own. It was a challenging task.
Vincent glanced at the Royal Guard Ant and noticed it wasn't moving. He could see its sight was locked on Tula, and the cart filled with a few remaining eggs. The ant's gaze was filled with rage.
'I can't let Ester, Lupa, or Tula die. Not after what I suffered to survive. I have to get up!' Vincent grunted and slowly managed to stand on his feet.
"Overheat." Vincent activated the mutation to increase his strength. As the power surged through his body, Vincent found it easier to stand. Overheat seemed to temporarily restore his muscle tissue strength for ten minutes.
Vincent limped over to Tula and asked with a hoarse voice, "Can you give me acid ant eggs? I will protect the three of you with my new power."
Tula was afraid, and Vincent's order confused her even more. However, she noticed his comforting smile and reassuring emerald glowing gaze. Tula felt she could leave everything in Vincent's hands.
"Handle the moldy eggs with care and give me two. Then ask Ester for a new set of bandages. " Vincent raised his hands and managed to keep his balance from the strength boost Overheat provided.
Tula nodded. She lifted the cloth lid covering the Acid Ant eggs as the eggs were fragile and the acid was deadly. It would be disastrous if one broke and spilled all over the cart.
Tula carefully handed one Acid Ant egg in each of his warm gauntlet-covered hands as if handling a live grenade. Vincent turned around and noticed the mortally wounded Royal Guard Ant glared at Vincent as if he was its mortal enemy.
[I agree with your decision. Fighting acid with acid is the best plan, and with your new body, you should be unharmed by this exchange. But it would be best if you made it mad enough not to swing its blades.]
"Ester, Lupa. Go next to the cart and leave everything to me. Then move away from here. The blast radius is long, and I don't want to see my girls get hurt. " Vincent limped with two large eggs in his hands.
"Huh?" Ester turned her head when she heard Vincent talking with a hoarse voice and telling her to run away.
Ester wanted to fight, protect Vincent, and prove she isn't a liability anymore as he finally could see her fight with his own two eyes. However, after watching Vincent walk past her with two dangerous Acid Ant eggs in his hands, great worry squeezed her heart.
"My claws have regrown! I can fight! My mate, you rest your..." As Lupa wanted Vincent to leave everything to her fighting prowess, Vincent slowly passed her while ignoring her wish to fight.
"Do you girls think I want to kill myself? I have two pretty flowers waiting for me. Also, the ant will explode like the other one. Trust and wait for me a bit further than here. I will be safe and unharmed. " Vincent announced as he limped towards the injured monstrous ant.
The Royal Guard Ant saw Vincent approaching it. The ant was too injured to make unneeded movements, so it glared and hissed at Vincent without moving a step.
The Royal Guard Ant then saw Ester and Lupa move the cart with a few remaining eggs far away. On their face was a worried frown, but they decided to trust Vincent and distance themselves after hearing Tula say, "Big Brother said he has a new power. Big Brother also wants a new set of bandages."