Chapter 114: Problem

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This chapter was written under this track:

Music for Watching the World End – Eclipse

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 'I can do it… I can do it… Just breathe, breathe, and do it! ' Rona gathered her courage before raising her right hand and quickly waving it down. 

 [Swoosh]

 “Urhhhh!” Rona clenched her teeth from the sharp pain. 

 [Thud]

 The infected half piece of her foot fell on the ground as it was cut off by Rona's right hand, which was wrapped in a sharp wind element like a blade.

 'I need to stop the bleeding and wrap it in something before going back for the regrowing procedure. I hope the master will “personally” help me with it, but first… where the hell is Cassie?'

 Rona stood up after she tightly wrapped her half-cutted foot in some clothes. 

 Rona and Cassie were mages of 1st rank in only one main element, Wind, so Rona can't stop the bleeding using this element.

 She looked around but didn't see her companion. 

 'She was near me just 2 minutes ago… She would have informed me if she was going somewhere.'

 “Cassie! Where are you? Answer me!” Shouted Rona, but she didn't hear the answer and began to search for Cassie. 

 Even though Rona has difficulty with walking, she needs to find Cassie.

 …

 Three minutes later.

 Rona looked at every place nearby 50 meters around her, but…she still couldn't find Cassie anywhere. 

 'What is even going on here…? I don't like this. First is the sudden appearance of these weird black ants, and now Cassie's disappearance… I need to inform the master about this… Right now.'

 Rona last time looked around to hope, but there was no one here. 

 She signed and ran back to the group as fast as her injured leg allowed her…

 'Just please, be safe, Cassie.'

 …

 One minute later.

 Rona left this place, but… she still missed noticing something.

 Around 25 meters away from her, there was a hole in the ground that was hidden by the snow behind one of the trees…

 If someone comes closer to its entrance, that person will manage to hear the weird, low sound that somewhat reminds…

 Chewing.

 …

 Fifteen minutes later.

 Inside the tempering chamber.

 358 degrees Celsius…

 [Burning~]

 Vincent was burning like a fireman inside the hellish 'furnace' once again as he was finishing his 3rd tempering session in a row. 

 His second tempering ended 7 minutes ago and lowered his body's destruction damage from using lightning sub-element from 10% to 19%, but also increases the required temperature to make his flesh burn by around the same amount.

 

 “Annie, Emily…!!” Vincent sent his voice through sound magic to his two young wives and then to Nicholas and others in the treatment group after he felt that his body urgently needed healing now.

 Annie quickly activated her channeling healing on Vincent, while other healers used their spells on him.

 [Sounds of various spells]

 Vincent once again was wrapped by various healing spells as they increased his flesh regeneration speed rate from x0 to x200+, instantly. 

 But now, he added his own healing spell on top of them all that he finally created after the 2nd tempering session…

 [Ultimate Recovery]*

 …

 Anna's and Bella's groups stopped their job to sustain the heat inside the chamber and quietly waited for the result as they chatted.

 “You saw his skin color after the 2nd session, right? I'm so jealous… It looks so attractive and sexy,” said one of the girls near Anna.

 “… Yeah, it looked beautiful, but I liked the more natural skin color. His skin became whiter after each session… not to my liking,” answered the 2nd girl casually. 

 “Elder Skylar!”

 Suddenly, they heard an alarmed young girl's voice from behind them in the forest and saw how Rona weirdly walked out behind the tree.

 Skylar quickly arrived near Rona and noticed that her foot was covered in blood.

 “What happened? You were ambushed? And where is Cassie?” Skylar asked Rona as she noticed that she came without Cassie, who should be her patrol companion. 

 Rona shook her head, “I have no idea what happened. I turned away from her for 1 minute to do something, and when I came back, she disappeared. I tried to search a nearby area, but… I still couldn't find even a trace of her,” answered Rona as guilt was visible on her face.

 “Also… there were tiny black ants… One of them even managed to bite me on my foot. I ignored that at first, but… regretted later and… this is the result,” Rona pointed at her bloody foot, “I was forced to cut off half of my foot since the place where I was bitten had turned black and began to release weird… yellow liquid. To be honest, It scared the hell out of me. I never saw something like that,” Rona explained to Skylar what happened to her without hiding anything.

 Skylar slowly nodded, “Good job, Rona, and don't worry. We will find Cassie, but first go to the healer's group, they will help you regrow your foot before it's not too late. Your body should not have lost memory about that part of the body, so healers can use it to regrow your foot,” said Skylar as she placed her hand on Rona's shoulder and calmly looked into the forest behind them.

 'I was hoping that the master will… help me, so I will have a chance to become closer with him… I guess I was just dreaming…' thought Rona sadly as she glanced at the cocoon-like thing in the middle of the chamber where Vincent was.

 Suddenly, a shocked voice rang out nearby.

 “… What did you just say? Quickly repeat the part about those ants!” 

 Nicholas quickly arrived after he heard the mention of the “black ants”. 

 Rona blinked and became nervous. The High Elder of the elven clan was speaking to her with such an urgent tone that it made her a bit scared.

 “Em, okay…” answered Rona and repeated to Nicholas everything she remembered about those black ants.

 …

 After she finished explaining, Nicholas shivered slightly as he tried not to think about the possibility of those ants' nature. He wanted to be wrong, but the injury that Rona received proved that he is right…

 He closed his eyes and inhaled the cold air. 

 Furthermore, he knew what those ants were…

 After some time, he opened his eyes and gradually said.

 “If they really are what I think they are, then… We are in big trouble… Massive trouble…” Nicholas's body began to tremble slightly as he remembered one possibility that those ants might bring…

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Spell Name – [Ultimate Recovery]

Spell Rank – [3rd]

Elements used – [3rd ranked Light], [3rd ranked Water], [3rd ranked Earth], [3rd ranked Wind]

Sub-element – [???]

Spell Type – [Slow Cast Healing]

Spell Duration – [1 minute]

Spell Range – [Short-Range]

Spell Info:

Made by a combination of 4 elements of the same rank. Light elements' job is to locate damaged parts and prepare them for recovery, Wind to clean those damaged parts and let the new flesh regenerate faster, Earth to strengthen those new parts, and Water to nutrient them further. 

Flesh regeneration speed rate boost – x30.