Chapter 3.8

"Hreinsaðu líkamann, lækna sárin." (Cleanse the body, heal the wounds.)

Fenrir`s daughter, under my guidance, casts a purifying spell and healing spell that is similar to her father`s on this man.

His wounds closed after the spell casted twice.

There isn't any excessive blood loss for now. However, the poison is still in him— and unless we know what type of poison is inside his body, or else simply casting purifying magic on him would've purged something unnecessary instead and killed him.

But there's no way I could just leave it like that. Once the poison reaches his heart, he's as good as dead.

"Good. Now freeze his body with your ice magic." I told Fenrir's daughter.

Lowering his body temperature should help to slow down his blood flow… this way I had more time to process and analyse his poison.

All I need to do is to apply the necessary antidote for him… I hope alpha Fenrir is able to bring me the right magical herbs.

"Kaldur, frostaður Ís, frysta líkamann." (Cold, frozen Ice, freeze the body.)

"Hey— not the head! Are you trying to suffocate him…!?"

Fenrir's daughter accidentally froze his whole body, including the head.

"Growl…!"

Fenrir`s daughter glared at me.

"Huh? What is she trying to say?" I asked Restia.

"She says it's too difficult to suppress her magic on such a tiny thing."

Tiny…?

I can't blame her since she`s so gigantic.

"Restia, take her place and dispel the magic ice from his head."

I might as well take this chance to teach Restia magic.

"Eh…? Big brother, I…"

Restia is worried. She's worried that she might kill him.

"Would you hesitate if he`s Ruby instead?" I told her.

"…Big brother, what do I need to do…?"

"…Carefully control your mana on your hands and wrap it around the ice on his head. You need to make sure to overwrite Fenrir`s daughter`s mana with yours."

"..."

Restia closes her eyes, extending her hands carefully as if she`s holding a ball. Then she slowly approaches that man, kneels down and places her hands on both sides of his head.

Because I can't see or feel mana, I can't tell how well Restia is doing.

So I look at Fenrir`s daughter instead.

"How is it…?" I asked her.

Fenrir`s daughter nods her head.

I guess that's okay.

"Now, you need to be careful, Restia." I remind her. "You need the 'First key' and 'Third key' for this, if you failed— his head would explode."

"Eek…!?"

"Growl…!?"

Why is Fenrir's daughter reacting to it…?

"Why not only the 'First key'…?"

"Yes, if you do just that, his head would explode." I replied.

"T-Then, why are you telling me to cast only the 'First key' when I was injured…?"

"Because that's your own body, Restia. You can feel your mana flow in you but not on him. That's why you need the 'third key' for a better control."

"…What about the 'Second key'?"

"Magic circles can`t be used for precise control. If you use that his head would explode."

"…Ngh…"

"Don`t worry, I believe in you— and you need to hurry, I think it's about a minute already since his air supply was cut off."

"…I— I can't…!"

"If it`s Ruby instead, would you really hesitate and say that…!? Do it…!!!"

"Glacies, expurget!" (Ice, purge!)

CRAK!

Once she casts, the ice on that man's head explodes. Thankfully his head still remains.

"Hah— Hah—"

"Well done little sis…!"

I cradled Restia on her head.

"…N, I can't do it without big brother…"

OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!

This— is it Alpha Fenrir`s howl…? Looks like it came from my house—

"OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!"

Gyaa— my ears…!!!

Fenrir`s daughter immediately responded with a howl.

"…She says her father is back."

"Let's hurry, then. Now cast a levitation spell on him with the 'second key' and 'third key'."

While controlling her mana on her fingertip— Restia extends her forefinger, drawing a circle on thin air. The circle was drawn with her mana, and is golden in colour. At the centre of the circle, she adds the necessary symbols for levitation magic.

Then moving the magic circle with her mana control, she places it below the man, then expands the circle with her mana till it's enough to cover his whole body.

As Restia lifts her forefinger upwards, the magic circle below the man floats up, along with the man.

"I… I did it— E-Eh…!?"

Though the magic circle stops moving… but the man continues to float upwards without stopping.

There are two reasons why it happened.

The first reason is because Restia`s magic circle is absorbing mana from the surroundings. She needs to add a restriction symbol in the magic circle to stop absorbing unnecessary mana other than hers.

The second reason is the symbols inside the magic circle. Restia`s magic circle only consists of the power of the spell. Without range and duration, the magic circle would act like a pillar, absorbing mana and pushing the man upwards to who knows where, until Restia no longer has the power to maintain the magic circle she created with her 'third key'.

"You forgot to add range, duration, and restrictions." I told Restia.

After I remind her, Restia carefully and accurately add in the symbols for the range, duration, and restrictions.

Adding those, the man falls and stops just right above the magic circle.

"Phew..." Restia heaves a sigh. "How did I do…?"

I didn't do much. All I did is just remind her what she lacks, and Restia solves it in an instant.

"Genius…!" I inadvertently murmured. "I'm so proud of you…!"

I am so happy that I squeeze Restia on her cheeks.

"Arf!"

"Ow."

Fenrir's daughter suddenly pushes Restia from behind with her nose.

"Big brother, she says 'hop on'."

Fenrir's daughter knows this is an emergency, huh. I will gladly take her offer.

"Let's go!"

Leaping onto Fenrir's daughter's back while handling the man with care, we rode on Fenrir's daughter back and hurried home.

...

When we reached home and jumped off from Fenrir's daughter's back, we were greeted by Alpha Fenrir's intense glare.

Meeting such a fierce glare, Fenrir's daughter could lay her head down with a terrified look as she whimpers.

Perhaps he was angry because we went out without his permission, or maybe he's worried about our safety.

Either way, I could only apologize first.

"Don't blame her, I'm the one who wanted to go." I said to Alpha Fenrir.

"What if the snow leopards were there!?"

"I casted detection magic before going there." Restia interjected. "So I'm sure there aren't any nearby."

Restia lied to Alpha Fenrir. Such boldness.

"Utter foolishness." Alpha Fenrir steps closer to Restia. "If you are going to lie, you better pick a better one, foolish little child."

"E-Eek…!?"

While hiding behind me with her trembling hands, Restia quickly buried her head on my back.

"…Sorry. That's a bad habit of hers…" I told Alpha Fenrir.

"Hmph. At least that was out from good will." Alpha Fenrir uttered. "And…? What's with that human over there?"

For some reason, Alpha Fenrir is glaring at me now.

"I want to save him. I'm sure he would be a great help for us to find Ruby."

"Kuhahahahahahaha…!!!"

Hearing my reply, Alpha Fenrir raises his head and laughs as if he is ridiculing me.

"W-What's wrong…?"

"FOOL…!!!"

Alpha Fenrir howls at me. My hand reflexively moves in front of my head to shield me from the pressure of his howl.

"GREAT HELP…? HE'S DANGEROUS— HE NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED OR ELSE…!"

"Wait— why!?"

I immediately step in front of that man, stopping Alpha Fenrir.

"He could kill us all if he wants. Give me a good reason why I should not kill him���?"

"Because he did not kill us and decided to put his life on my hands. Is that good enough…?"

"Kuh... Very well, I will allow it just this once…!"

"Guh— spurt…!"

Crap, that man is starting to cough black blood.

"He's— poisoned…?" Alpha Fenrir looks surprised.

"Restia— go and take my phone and three cups of water…!" I ordered, where she immediately rushed into the house. "W-Where are your magic herbs!? There's not much time for him…!"

"Blergh—"

Alpha Fenrir spits out a ball of herbs out from his mouth— filled with lots of saliva.

"...Eww." I inadvertently reacted to it.

"My saliva is infused with my mana, that should help with the quality."

"Thanks. This should help…"

Wasting no time, I quickly picked the necessary herbs that he needed from the enormous ball of herbs. Crushing them with my palms, I roll the herbs into a small ball of pill.

"Big brother— water, phone…!"

��Throw this pill into a cup, after it dissolves, feed him." I said.

That pill contains anaesthetics, recuperation effect and also lowering blood circulation effect. I have yet to figure the poison that was inside him. If I simply gave him a dose of antidote herbs, it could probably have a terrible chemical reaction that could kill him instead.

Activating the blood testing app, I took a small drop of his black blood with a grass, and placed it at the centre of my phone.

"Scan for overdosed poisonous toxins for humans."

'SEVEN FOUND:

ATROPINE.

SCOPOLAMINE.

HYOSCYAMINE.

CYTOTOXINS.

NEUROTOXINS.

HEMOTOXINS.

RICIN.

POISON SOURCE IDENTIFICATION: ATROPA BELLADONNA, SNAKE VENOM, RICINUS COMMUNIS.

NO CURE COULD BE FOUND.'

Atropa Belladonna, Venom, and Ricinus Communis…!?

"What!? How is he still alive!?" I inadvertently shouted.

He must have one hell of a body. If there's no cure, I need to stimulate his body's protective systems and destroy the poison one-by-one.

First, I need to stimulate his kidneys and liver.

Milk Thistle, Marshmallow Root, Parsley, Gynostemma, Beetroot, Ginger— adding Alpha Fenrir's condensed mana, I think he would be able to withstand it.

After cutting off the necessary parts needed for the medicine with dad's dagger, I crush them with my palm, compressing it to a small pill, throwing it into the cup.

Second, extract the ricin from his blood.

"Restia! I need your help!" I yelled.

While disinfecting dad's dagger with Alpha Fenrir's saliva, I give my phone to Restia.

"Wipe off the blood from the screen with your cloth. Don't touch the blood, okay?"

"What do you want to do…?"

While wiping off the blood with her shirt, she looks at me with a dazed look.

"Expand the picture of ricin scanned from his blood."

"Okay?"

"Eh…? This is— ricin pollen…?"

Great, this will be easier.

"Ricin pollen…?" Restia tilted her head to the side, looking confused. "What is that?"

"The most poisonous plant in the world."

"Eek…!?"

"Growl…!?"

Why is Fenrir's daughter listening to our conversation…?

"Anyways, remember its structure, you are going to extract it from his blood."

"W-Why me…!? Big brother— even if it's Ruby, it's impossible…!"

"But I'm sure you would try at least once, no?"

"...N."

"Now give me your finger."

"My finger…?" Restia murmured. "Are you going to cut my finger with that dagger…?"

"Yes."

"Ow…!"

Before Restia could retreat her hand, I quickly grabbed it and gave a small cut on her forefinger.

"W-What are you going to do with my blood…?"

"'Third key', Restia." I told her. "Pour and concentrate your mana on this one drop of blood, then cast the 'Third key'."

"Imagination…? No chant, no magic circles…?"

"Yes, for most people, this will be the toughest key to cast. But you are talented, so I'm sure it would be easier than the 'First key' and 'Second Key'."

"…I'm done."

"Wow, that was fast." I inadvertently murmured. "Now, control it with your mana and imagine it to float and swirl around."

"Like this…?"

With precise control, Restia's blood flew off from her forefinger and swirled around me at an extremely fast speed.

"Good. Now dispel the ice on his wound like just how you did earlier."

"Glacies, expurget!" (Ice, purge!)

CRAK!

God, she dispels it so easily. And she was struggling earlier… Is she a monster or something?

"I'm going to stop his mana from flowing in his body with acupuncture. It should last about ten minutes."

"Why?"

"If his mana interferes with yours, you will have a hard time controlling your blood."

I will start with the front.

Lung Meridian 1 and 2, left and right.

Kidney Meridian 27 (Left), Ren Meridian 22, Kidney Meridian 27 (Right).

Kidney Meridian 21 (Left), Ren Meridian 14, Kidney Meridian 21 (Right).

This man's body shook a little. It works.

"Help me flip him to the side."

The back.

Small Intestine Meridian 11 and 12, left and right.

Bladder Meridian 41 (Left), Bladder Meridian 11 (Left), Du Meridian 14, Bladder Meridian 11 (Right), Bladder Meridian 41 (Right).

Bladder Meridian 46 (Left), Bladder Meridian 17 (Left), Du Meridian 9, Bladder Meridian 17 (Right), Bladder Meridian 46 (Right).

I flip him on the front again, slamming my palm on the centre of his chest— where the core of his mana is located, as the final point to lock his mana.

"Ack-------------"

That man leaks out a painful voice.

"How is it Restia? Can you feel any mana flowing in his body…?"

"…Only the centre of his chest." Restia replied. "Did you stop his mana from flowing from his mana core…?"

"Yeah. Now I'm going to cut a small hole on his wound, Restia. I want you to drop that blood into his body and extract the ricin from his bloodstream, okay?"

"…N."

As I gently cut open his wound with dad's dagger, I opened his wound, letting Restia's blood enter into his bloodstream.

"Close your eyes, Restia. Concentrate and feel the position of your blood inside his veins. You just need to remember what you need your blood to extract… the ricin pollen."

After Restia closes her eyes, I seal the wound with the Cinnamon herb and Aloe Vera.

Taking the cup with the dissolved herbs, I place his head on my lap. I place a tiny funnel on his mouth, gently pouring the liquid into it.

Once Restia is done by then, his mana should flow by then and the medicinal herbs would react with his mana.

Then… all that's left was the venom…

With that in mind, I look at Alpha Fenrir in the eye.

"Say… If there are all three types of body venom inside his body— does The White Snake have all three of them…?"