Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Genetic Condition
Before the hand was able to touch Siderius, he thrusted the assassin’s knife backward in an icepick grip.
The two men suddenly stopped. Siderius’ blade stayed just a few centimeters shy from puncturing the man from behind.
The man froze in place as Siderius turned back. Their eyes met each other.
"You dangerous little shit." Bas sarcastically said.
Compared to Bas, Siderius was rather thin. Bas was broader than him with much heavier and thicker armor pieces. He also looked much older.
Bas had seen Siderius’ true face. A smooth white skin with little to no sign of age on it. That let Bas knew Siderius was much younger than him.
"It is nice to see you too, Bas." Siderius retreated his blade and smiled faintly.
"Haha! Come, Siderius! Have a drink with us!"
The people around were sweating when the air suddenly became thick. They thought that blood was going to spilled. But instead, there was none. The two seemed to know each other.
The people looked away. No longer minding businesses that weren’t theirs.
The one who was the most relieved was the bartender. He was also the owner of the Crossroads Inn. Bar fight was something he was very familiar with. It was inevitable when you’re running an establishment with alcohol.
However, he was sure to spend quite a few of coins to renovate the place. These crazy travelers always broke everything.
"Well... Ale or Beer?" The bartender said again.
"Give me a dark beer." Siderius said to the bartender then followed Bas to a secluded corner of the inn.
It was behind a thick wooden wall that looked out to a broad window, allowing the people beside the table to observe the landscape outside.
In the table, there was Quinlan. The man covering in bandages opened up the space around his lips to drink the ale.
His lips were filled with small, uncountable spherical skin tags. They covered the entirety of the lips, leaving to empty space in between.
Quinlan quickly pulled his bandages up once Siderius appeared. But the hunter had seen it.
Siderius didn’t have any reaction and just sat down. Bas sat down on a stool beside Quinlan.
"Glad to see you have made it, Siderius." Quinlan said. "Quite a bit to do?"
"Aye. The remaining ghouls needed to be cleaned." Siderius said.
Quinlan nodded. "You, sir, really are one honorable warrior."
Siderius pulled his scarf down, revealing his face and a smile. Quinlan and Bas already saw him so there was no point in hiding in front of them.
"I am no honorable fool. I only did what was needed to be done. If we’ve left the ghouls on its own, an undead outbreak could have easily happened."
"I am still surprised when I see that face of yours, Siderius. Even though it isn’t the first time I’ve seen it." Bas said.
While Bas’ attention was drawn to Siderius’ questionable handsomeness, Quinlan noticed what the hunter was implying.
"An outbreak? You meant the ghouls could spread?"
"Of course. It is one of the notable trait of the undead. Remember that necrosis wound you got? That could’ve been the start of your transformation if I didn’t intervene." Siderius said.
"Arg! As I said before, Quinlan, you should have trained your Spirit! If you did, you would have able to resist the necrosis damage like I did!" Bas said.
Bas was right. After the battle with the ghouls, he had a lot of scratches and wounds caused by the ghouls on his body. But his Spirit purified all of those undead energy, making the wounds acted as if they were ordinary.
However, Bas did fall into a weakened state and was still recovering. Siderius looked over to see faint grey veins around his wounds.
"Do you still have that orange potion that you gave to Quinn?" Bas said.
Siderius nodded and took out the half-emptied Arvenox bottle that he and Eli drank some before.
"Why is it half-full?" Bas said, receiving the bottle from Siderius.
"I shared some with a stranger on the road. Your symptoms aren’t that severe, half a bottle should be suffice."
Bas didn’t think much, shrugged, and chugged the entire bottle of Arvenox down.
Quinlan’s eyes lingered on the shiny liquid. "What is that type of potion? I’ve never seen it before."
"It’s not a potion. It’s a tonic, created from a type of alcohol. You want to know if there is any type of tonic that can cure your condition, right?"
Quinlan shared a sad smile. "So you have seen my hideous face.
And yes, I do want to know whether can cure my disease."
"I can’t be too sure unless I take a better look at you and examine you closely. However, I do believe I saw a similar case before. That wasn’t a disease, but a genetic condition."
"A genetic condition?" Quinlan’s eyebrows furrowed. "What is a genetic condition?"
"Let’s say it like this. There are elements in everything in this world. Elements that are invisible to the naked eyes. However, these elements dictated the physical and mental state of everything and anything.
A baby with a lot of Fire element could be very naturally strong but in turn, a hot and careless temper.
A plant with a lot of Earth element is nutritious and can last for a long time in your stomach.
Now, let’s say the elements inside you are imbalance for some unique reasons. This created a genetic defect to the core of your flesh. This leads to disfigurations that could cause the condition you have."
Quinlan stayed silent. He had heard many people telling him many things. He always held out for hope but in then, lost them all. This made him hesitant to even consider Siderius could help him.
But Siderius was different. A capable warrior that was also a witch. Maybe he could have the answers Quinlan had desperately looking for all his life.
"Can you help me?" Quinlan whispered.
"I cannot guarantee anything. But let me examine you first."
Quinlan nodded.