Antidote

Feng Hei Lang ran off in the opposite direction of the assassin, heading to find an antidote. She ran across the alleyways, trying to find her way back to the main streets. 'I need to find an antidote...She called it poison from the eltersnake. I'm starting to get dizzy...'

Only around five minutes have passed, but a lot of her energy felt like it was being drained away. Feng Hei Lang found the inn where Kang Lei and Kirei was, and burst in.

Kirei was now awake and sitting on the bed, while Kang Lei was handing him a bowl of water.

She took a few steps before stumbling, her vision blurring in and out. Kang Lei caught her and asked, "Hei Lang! What's wrong?"

She gasped for breath as she whispered, "Eltersnake poison..." He placed her onto the bed and placed a hand on her head. "Eltersnake poison? I don't think I've heard of that."

Kirei frowned. "A rare lethal poison. Anyone touched by it would die within thirty minutes if not treated."

Kang Lei clenched his fist as a warm blue glow surrounded him. "I can't cure poisons, but I can slow it down. Let me see what I can do. Kirei, go find an antidote!"

He shook his head. "Impossible. It is very rare and takes a long time to brew. The only foxes that I know that have it is my older broth- I mean the fox from Royal Clan that visited. Princess Wang Hua and Prince Fei Tang."

Beep!

[Poison has been successfully slowed down. Remaining time before death: 1 hour]

Kang Lei wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "I slowed it down a bit. You should have a bit more time now. We need to get the antidote!"

Feng Hei Lang shakily sat up, contemplating the possibilities. 'The assassin specifically used eltersnake poison, a poison that only the Royal Fox Clan has the antidote to... Could the prince and princess be trying to get Kirei to owe them a favor? Kirei does have a chance of becoming the next crown prince, so are they trying to get him out of the way by sending an assassin and having him beg for the antidote?'

She flinched in pain as she stood up. The dizziness was still there, but bearable for now. Feng Hei Lang turned to Kirei. "...Is it possible to brew the antidote?"

He shook his head. "Even if we have all the ingredients, it would take around a week to make it. And the ingredients are quite rare."

She quickly checked the time limit for the quest she had. Five days. If she could gather all the ingredients and suppress the poison temporarily, she should still be able to finish the quest.

Feng Hei Lang coughed and said, "Kirei and Kang Lei, go look for the ingredients. I'll suppress the poison for now."

Both of them looked like they wanted to refuse. Kang Lei held up a hand. "How are you going to suppress the poison? Isn't it better to ask the Royal Fox Clan for the antidote?"

Kirei nodded. "I can ask the prince and princess. I'm actually from the Roy-"

She cut him off. "No, I don't want to owe them later. It also seemed that they didn't like me during the entrance exam. It's better if you find the ingredients and brew the antidote. I know of a way too slow down the poison."

Kang Lei sighed. "Fine. But if you get any more dizzy, tell me. I'll slow it down the best I can."

Feng Hei Lang smiled. "Yes, yes. Now, hurry and get the ingredients." She watched them both leave before letting out a long breath. She was actually quite worried about the poison.

She frowned as she watched the countdown of an hour slowly go down. 'There's only one way that I can think to suppress the poison. After all, I am a demon fox. I probably need the blood or flesh of someone...'

Feng Hei Lang got up from the bed, and grabbed her two daggers. Her hands were shaking, and sweat was pouring down from her forehead, but she needed to do this. She slipped out the window, not wanting to go through the inn entrance and exit.

She found a mostly deserted alleyway, where there were only a few people here and there. Feng Hei Lang took a deep breath. 'It's alright...I'm not killing them. I'm only taking a few drops of their blood.'

She sneaked out from behind a wall and hit a nearby person on the neck. Feng Hei Lang quickly dragged them back to a hidden area.

It was a man that was unconscious. She made a small slice on his finger with her dagger, causing blood to spill out. Collecting it in a small bottle, she took a sip.

The blood was slightly sweet, but it made her senses much clearer.

Beep!

[Poison has been successfully slowed down. Remaining time before death: 2 hours]

Beep!

[Blood Consumed! EXP gained!]

Feng Hei Lang pumped her fist when she saw the notification. 'It works! Now, I just need to collect a lot of blood from people!' She collected a few more drops, trying not to make the man die from loss of blood.

She left the man there, careful to not leave any evidence. Feng Hei Lang was about to leave when she realized something. 'Demon foxes get stronger from consuming blood and flesh. What if I take a tiny bite- No no no...It's too soon, I don't think I can stomach it...' She turned away, but stopped again. 'ARGH...my curiosity...'

She turned and scratched a tiny bit off, before consuming it. Suddenly, the system had a series of large beeping noises.

Beep! Beep! Beep!