Healing City Lord Phillip

Devin and Alex entered the room, their bodies covered with cloaks as the guard escorted them in.

"Master, they are here," the guard reported to Muriel.

"Guard, make sure no one enters or disturbs us," ordered Muriel.

The guard nodded and left to carry out his master's orders.

"Master Devin and Master Alex, welcome. Please follow me to see my father," said Muriel.

They followed Muriel into a lavish room filled with the scent of herbs. A large canopy bed with white gauze surrounded it, obscuring the person inside.

Muriel lifted the gauze, revealing a thin, frail man on the bed, covered in Shadow markings. Two small, rounded swellings could be seen on his arms, a sign not present in the infected villagers.

Devin approached the city lord and used his identification skill on him.

[Identification System]

Name: Philip Mercer

Age: 50

Gender: Male

Cause: Infected by the aura of mutated Shadow. This aura is spread by worms draining their lifespan and soul. The infected person is in critical condition.

Treatment: The worm must be removed from the infected body. The worm is a defective product; it hasn't been programmed to lay eggs, which is why it's not contagious yet.

This explanation confirmed the potency of the aura of darkness and revealed that the organization had started experimenting with infecting people through parasites. It was a sinister plan that could lead to widespread infection and chaos. What was their ultimate goal?

Devin shared his findings with Alex and Muriel.

"This is bad. With this knowledge, they can infect more people and cause even more chaos," said Alex.

"The good news is that the worms in the City Lord's body cannot lay eggs, or else anyone in contact with him would have been infected by now," Devin explained.

"Master Devin, is there a way to help my father?" asked Muriel anxiously.

"To save the City Lord, we need to remove the worm that is draining his vitality," Devin responded.

"What do you need? We will provide it," Muriel offered.

"I request the elves' source energy water as a reward for curing the City Lord," Devin requested.

Muriel frowned at this request, realizing that his father would need a significant amount of vitality once he was healed. The priority was to ensure his father's recovery. "If you can heal my father, you have my word that the Elves' source energy water will be your reward," he stated firmly.

"Good. I need Master Muriel to leave the room. The method I am about to use to remove the worm is my secret. Apart from my brother, no one else should be present," Devin requested.

Muriel hesitated, concerned about leaving his father alone. "Master Devin, I cannot leave my father's side," he replied anxiously.

"Master Muriel, you have nothing to lose. Only my brother can heal the city lord. You have already taken a gamble by bringing us here, so why not see it through to the end?" Alex suggested, trying to convince him.

Through gritted teeth, Muriel spoke, "Master Devin, I will trust you this time, but be warned, if anything happens to my father, I won't let you go unpunished," he threatened.

"How can you threaten us when we are the only ones offering a solution?" Alex responded angrily.

"Alex, that's enough," Devin interjected, shaking his head to prevent Alex from getting even angrier. "Master Muriel, you have my word," he assured, as Muriel stared at his father before reluctantly leaving the room.

Alex, frustrated, complained, "The audacity of this guy! We are the only ones who have correctly diagnosed his father's condition and provided a solution, yet he still threatens us?"

"Don't be angry. Put yourself in his shoes. If you were the sick person and someone you just met asked you to leave while they worked, you may react the same way," Devin explained, trying to calm Alex down.

"Still, threatening someone who can potentially save your father isn't wise," Alex retorted, refusing to agree.

Devin chuckled, knowing Alex's stubborn nature. He knew it would be difficult for him to admit his point. Devin then picked up a bowl from the table and pricked his finger, letting a few drops of blood fall into it.

Devin sent a trace of his aura, directing it towards one of the swellings. This activated the worm, causing it to squirm as it absorbed Devin's aura. This allowed Devin to accurately locate the worm's position. He made a small cut on the swelling and placed a drop of his blood around it to attract the worm out. Within a minute, the blood attracted the worm, and Devin quickly captured it in a bottle, sealing it shut.

"What a disgusting creature. These people are truly insane," Alex remarked in disgust.

"Let's hope these 'crazy' people haven't made any breakthroughs, or else we could be facing a pandemic," Devin replied, concerned. He repeated the process for the second swelling.

"Call in Muriel before I administer the potion to the City Lord," Devin instructed.

Alex left the room, grumbling, "Okay, nice," to which Devin jokingly responded.

"I'm always nice," Alex retorted.

Devin smiled at his friend's playful behavior.

"How is my father, Master Devin?" Muriel asked anxiously, entering the room.

Devin handed him a bottle containing the captured worm. "This is the one I removed from your father's body."

Muriel couldn't hide his disgust as he looked at the worm. "Do you mind giving us one for research purposes?"

"It's not free," Alex quickly interjected before Devin had a chance to respond.

"Master Alex can name the price, and we will pay," Muriel offered.

Alex finally showed a more amiable expression as he smiled. "Don't worry, let my brother heal your father first. We can discuss the payment afterward."

Devin decided to play along and acted as if he didn't know the person Alex was referring to. "Master Muriel, this is a top-grade potion I've made. It's different from the ones the villagers use due to a special ingredient. The City Lord will need six of these potions. Three to drink and three to soak in."

Muriel watched as Devin poured the potion into his father's mouth. Almost immediately, the frail city lord's breathing seemed to ease, a stark contrast to his previous distressed state caused by the worms. Devin's secret ingredient, his own blood, seemed to have a significant effect.

As the potion took effect, the city lord's body began to convulse, and he coughed up black, foul-smelling blood. The markings on his body slowly started to recede. Unlike the infected villagers, no dark aura emanated from the city lord's body.

After what felt like an eternity, the city lord finally woke up from his coma. Philip was disoriented, his memories muddled from his battle against the foreign entity that had been devouring his soul. It was only his strength that had enabled him to endure for such a long time. As he opened his eyes, he saw his son and two unfamiliar faces in his room.

"Dad, how are you feeling?" Muriel asked, concern lacing his voice.

Philip replied, his voice dry and weak, "Like I've been dragged through Hell's gate."

"You're still weak, Dad. You need to soak in a potion to complete the first part of your treatment," Muriel urged, his worry evident.

Devin prepared the potion by pouring it into warm water and adding other herbs provided by the city lord's mansion.

The markings on Philip's body had already begun to fade, and the blisters were fully healed. Though his body remained thin and frail, Philip had faith that with the resources available to him as the city lord, he would recover soon.

"Dad, this is Master Devin and his brother, Master Alex. They are the ones who healed you," Muriel introduced.

Philip expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, two young heroes. Muriel filled me in on everything. Please don't worry, the city lord's mansion is indebted to both of you."

Alex shot Muriel a look, conveying a message of pride. Muriel twitched his mouth, unsure of what to make of Alex . Meanwhile, Alex's brother was already collecting source water worth over 100,000 gold coins, he didn't do badly

The city lord listened intently as Alex delivered the grave news. The mention of Grandmaster Byron Byrd brought forth a mix of emotions in Philip. Byron was not only a talented individual but also a man of integrity who always fought for justice. Philip remembered the last encounter with Byron, where he had come to relay an important message before being falsely accused of an attack.

"I have been searching for Byron. Aside from his exceptional skills, he was a good man," Philip expressed, the hatred evident in his voice. "The last time I saw him, he came to warn me about something, but he was attacked by a traitor who claimed he was the one trying to harm me."

Alex's tone grew somber as he continued, "I'm sorry to inform you that Grandmaster Byron has passed away from the injuries he sustained that night. The injury was infused with a dark aura, rendering any healing attempts ineffective."

Philip closed his eyes, mourning the loss of a respected friend. "We have lost a remarkable man, and the Kingdom of Zephyria has lost a great talent."