The Final Desperation

As Genji approached the end of his stay, he saw something that made him reconsider. On this day, a group of hunters returned with heavy injuries after a perilous encounter with a powerful beast. Many of the team were missing, leaving the group only a fraction of its original size. It didn't take much to infer that they had experienced a tragic battle.

Upon entering the vicinity, they collapsed, finding respite from their adrenaline-driven bodies. The sentries immediately noticed this and sounded the alarm drums, summoning the remaining tribe.

Everyone wore grave expressions upon seeing the wounds. If left untreated for long, these hunters would soon join their fallen tribesmen. But despite their desire to save these men, no present tribe member had the proper means. Genji wasn't from the tribe, so he was excluded from this classification, but he wasn't inclined to share his potions with relative strangers.

Hushed whispers sounded around the crowd as the immediate guards rushed to give some first aid. The bleeding stopped, but their diminishing life force could be sensed even by children. They had a few hours at best.

At this moment, the crowd parted to reveal the chief, who dispersed the irreverent bystanders with a wave. "Go back to your jobs. We'll take it from here."

Then he turned to address the fighters. "Go find Kuniar Bachel. He's the only one that can save them now."

The hunters rapidly made their preparations and brought out steeds for two veterans. Upon mounting, the steeds burst forward without even waiting for the hunters to steady themselves.

Curious about this impatience, Genji asked Ugali who this Bachel was.

"The Kuniars are masters of herbal medicine and plant remedies. They have studied thousands of plants and the interactions between them, with the older ones reaching tens of thousands. If you have a sickness or injury, they are the people to go to for help. As long as it's not a fatal wound or life-crippling condition, you will be in good hands. And Bachel is the tribe's kuniar."

Essentially, the kuniars are the spiritual doctors of this world, but only in the figurative sense. People put their faith in these harbingers of life and medicine to ward off despair when confronted with the fragility of human life. Therefore, these healers held esteemed positions within their tribes, being among the select few whom one should not offend.

Many tribesmen would rather cross the chief than the kuniar since they never know when they might need help. But kuniars are scarce in between because they pass down information through oral means, supported with knots instead of recorded paper. As such, information is limited to a select few, and kuniars are hard to find.

On the flip side, the kuniars benefit massively from this scarcity since their livelihoods and influence are guaranteed the moment they are selected as a trainee. In exchange, they give up all leisure time, including training, to pursue knowledge. Hence, it is common for kuniars to have weaker bodies than their hunter counterparts.

Bechel was no different and lived away from the tribe, in an area with abundant plant life. This couldn't be helped since the area settled by the tribe only contained lush grass and flowers, a far cry from a kuniar's necessities. However, this was more of a plus than an inconvenience since they would need to make a trip anyway for the medicines anyway.

With a specialist near the herbs, they can simply describe the ailments and Bechel will select the proper remedies to bring back, saving them precious time from blinding searching for the proper herb. The only way this could be further optimized would be if the tribe migrated closer to the "garden."

However, this might not be the best choice since they would be giving up other conveniences like water and food. There's always a tradeoff so the tribe accepted this delay.

About an hour later, the two mounts were spotted galloping back at full speed. This time, the riders had changed to an elderly man and a young adult in his 20s. To minimize delay, the hunters had transferred the steeds to Bechel and his apprentice, letting them go ahead while they returned by foot.

When the steeds stopped beside them, the young man jumped off and asked, "Where are they? The injured," out of breath.

"Follow me." Three guards led the two doctors to the tent where the injured were kept while the remaining men took care of the exhausted mounts.

Genji followed out of curiosity and observed their medical techniques from a corner. After Bechel confirmed their conditions, he brought out some plants and began processing them. While this was happening, his apprentice took some warm water and lightly washed the wounds.

Genji nodded in appreciation at this sight. Although they might not know about infections and microscopic bacteria, they were performing the proper procedures, which was already better than rashly diving into treatment. From this small action, Genji knew their medical techniques had some merit.

Once Bechel finished his part, they swapped roles with Bechel tending to the injured with a medicinal paste while the apprentice began processing the ingredients for the next step. This time, there was a sour smell in the air, causing Genji to scrunch his nose.

'Poison? They're using a weak dose to stimulate the bodies? Interesting. I didn't realize there was someone else daring enough to use poison like this. Good to know I'm not the only one.'

The treatment continued smoothly until a faint tart odor, barely detectable even to Genji's enhanced senses, filled the air, prompting Genji to take another look at the apprentice. 'What did he just do? The toxicity just increased by 50 times over. Is this intentional? No way right? They can't possibly endure that.'

Genji's eyes wandered to Bechel, who was concentrating on the patients, before returning to the apprentice. He couldn't discern anything from their expression, so he held his tongue, in case they had a special application for the concoction.

But as time passed, he became all the more certain about his judgment. The master and apprentice duo hadn't done anything to remedy the extreme effects.

As the cycle ended, and the apprentice moved to apply his medicine, Genji decided to speak up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. That's some dangerous stuff you're playing with."

The sudden interjection disrupted the workflow and drew their attention to Genji. Bechel gave an evaluating stare while the apprentice regained focus and ignored Genji.

"You're not going to stop him?" Genji asked again. "I might not be a healer, but that substance seems too strong even for your purposes."

At this second prompt, Bechel realized what Genji was trying to say and sniffed strongly. Then his face distorted with urgency and shouted, "MOKAN, STOP! DON'T APPLY THAT!"

Startled by his teacher's outcry, Mokan's arm jolted slightly, splattering some mixture on his chest. A numbness spread across the area of contact, followed by purple skin and wobbling steps.

Bechel appeared beside him before he could endanger himself any further and knocked aside the bowl of poison. Then he laid his apprentice down and fed him a roughly shaped pill. The pill was ordinary, almost crudely made, but it was this very pill that drew Genji's attention. In that brief moment it was in sight, Genji had obtained its properties.

[Compact Vitality]

Rating: Uncommon

Type: medicine

Effect: Upon consumption, restore 50 health/second for 10 seconds.

Bonus Effect: If your health is full when consuming, gain 6~8 max health.

Note: The bonus effect will become ineffective after 4 uses

Description: Bechel's special medicine. It's made from a secret formula.

 

Although the bonus was meager, this was the first time Genji had seen a consumable capable of permanently increasing his stats. How could he not be intrigued? Plus, this was only an uncommon medicine. Who's to say there aren't higher tiers, especially when Bechel seemed highly competent?

Mokan's complexion gradually improved and soon returned to his feet. A strong trepidation raced through his heart as he recalled his experience. The poison had almost crippled him, so one could easily foresee the results if it was applied to the injured hunters.

Fortunately, his teacher had stopped him before he accidentally killed his patients and buried himself in guilt. On that thought, Mokan remembered that it wasn't his teacher who realized his mistake, but the strange traveler watching from the distance.

"How did you know?" Mokan asked Genji.

"I don't think that's important right now," Genji gestured to the injured. "You still have work to do."

Realizing his folly, Mokan quickly got up and returned to work. Genji slipped out during this time, having seen everything he wanted. A few hours later, the duo finished the treatment and joined Genji at his campfire, where Bruce eagerly roasted their dinner.

Since they were about to leave, it was unnecessary to restrain their strange quirks anymore. Of course, this only included traits they could comfortably display, not freakish abilities like blood control. That's why Bruce is using his mouth to turn the rack right now.

Surprise flashed through Mokan and Bechel's eyes but they quickly accepted the phenomenon. Compared to the strange horse, Mokan was more interested in communicating with Genji.

"You're a kuniar as well?" Bechel asked, sitting across from him.

"No."

Bechel gave a strange look but didn't push the topic any further. Instead, it was Mokan who continued the exchange. "Thank you. I would have made a big mistake if it weren't for you."

"Yeah yeah, give me a moment," Genji got up and removed the roast from the fire. Bruce had been gesturing to him for a while now, and he would never hear the end of it if he let it burn.

"This..." Mokan hesitantly turned to Bechel. "He doesn't seem that keen on talking with us."

"Everyone has different temperaments, so we can't expect him to be like us. If we force our expectations on others, we will only turn people away."

"But-"

"Don't worry. He's definitely interested in talking with us. Otherwise, he wouldn't have watched our treatment or warned you. It's just not the right time now."

"If you say so, grandpa." The young man sighed and watched Genji split the meat with his two animal friends.

"Sorry about that. I had to remove it so it doesn't get overcooked," Genji apologized as he sat down with a plate of food.

Bechel nodded in understanding and offered a fruit he'd gotten from the tribe. "We'll be here for a few days. Let's get along in this time."

"Sure."

With this agreement, Bechel and Mokan returned to the tribe and settled their accommodations.

 

---

 

The following morning, the injured team woke up and described their encounter. During their hunt, they had crossed paths with a powerful lion donning a crown outline on its head. It was a massacre that they only survived because the beast was too lazy to chase them.

"Are you sure it was a crown?" Bechel asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. It might not be fully formed, but it was unmistakably a crown."

'A quasi-beast king? We might be in trouble,' Bechel thought, but not voicing it aloud. If it was as he suspected, declaring it would only cause unnecessary panic in the tribe. Instead, he thanked the hunters and left to find the chief. It was time to discuss preventive measures.

'A lion huh? I wonder if it has any connections to him or if they only have similar appearances,' Genji mused about a previous acquaintance.

Genji shrugged and returned to his normal activities. Since the chief was rarely available during the day, Genji had devoted his time to learning grass weaving from the tribe's women. The idea was that by learning this skill, he could better understand the knots used to record their history.

Then he could apply these concepts to the records of other tribes and form a collective story by cross-referencing results. As long as the timeline matched, he could estimate the history length and search for any anomalies in the story.

These anomalies would become the primary focus of investigation, gradually narrowed down through a process of elimination. While ambitious, someone had to start this project and lay the groundwork for future study.

Genji didn't mind taking on this role since he wouldn't be responsible for the follow-up. He's simply providing a framework for those after him.

"I can only hope their methods are similar enough or this might all be in vain."

Genji continued like this for another few hours when the tribe called for a meeting with the hunters. The chief also asked Genji to join since he might help with their request. Putting down the half-finished grass baskets, Genji followed the group to an open area a few hundred meters from the tents.

"Everyone, I've gathered you here for an important announcement. Before I start, I want to make it clear that the contents of this meeting should not be spread. That's why we're meeting away from everyone. Is that clear?" The chief asked.

Once everyone nodded with solemn eyes, the chief resumed his speech.

"As many of you know, one of our teams had suffered massive losses. However, what you might not know is that it was caused by a single beast. I repeat a single beast. Furthermore, it lurks in our vicinity. There is no doubt that should it attack us, we would experience a tragedy. Therefore, we urgently need to increase our strengths if we want to guard against this possibility. Starting tomorrow, gather into big teams and hunt for strong beasts. We will need their blood essence to engrave the necessary inscriptions. Are there any questions?"

"Chief, what about our traditions? Are we going to waste the other resources from our hunts? We can't possibly finish all this meat," one hunter asked.

"We'll try our best, but survival is our top priority. To compensate for this, we'll only eat plants afterward. That way, nature won't scorn us for our excessiveness."

This explanation dispelled their reluctance and the hunters began consolidating their teams. While this was happening, Genji pulled Bechel aside for a question.

"How many vitality medicines are you offering for high-quality blood?"

It took Bechel a few moments to understand Genji's implication, but he eventually answered, "It depends on the value of the blood. We prefer blood from stronger beasts and those with special abilities."

"That's fine, but I need something more worthwhile for my efforts. The one you used on your apprentice isn't enough for me."

"I have stronger versions," Bechel reassured. "I didn't use them because Mokan couldn't withstand their effects."

"That's all I need to hear." Genji walked off with Bruce, a compass in hand.

"Grandpa, is that a good idea? He's going off alone," Mokan asked concerningly.

"It's fine. He's stronger than you think. We're lucky to have his help."

 

---

 

The next day, Genji returned with a stack of hides and gourds filled with sorted blood. His efficiency astounded everyone, but this feeling paled in comparison to the shock they felt when Bechel announced the test results for the blood.

"High concentration of vitality. It's beyond anything I've seen before."

Genji expected this result, as each gourd held the entirety of a beast's blood, which Bruce had refined to save space. It would be more surprising if Bechel wasn't amazed, as that would mean he's disparaging its true worth. In that case, Genji would immediately terminate this cooperation and find another tribe to work with.

"My payment?" Genji asked Bechel.

"Follow me." Bechel led Genji to his tent, where his travel bag was. After rummaging through the luggage for a few moments, he handed Genji 6 roughly shaped medicine balls.

[You have obtained Refined Vitality x4]

[You have obtained Purified Vitality x2]

 

[Refined Vitality]

Rating: Rare

Effect: Heal 100 hp/sec for 15 seconds

Bonus Effect: If health is full upon consumption, gain 21~23 max health.

Note: The bonus effect will become ineffective after 7 uses.

Description: A special medicine refined by Bechel using better ingredients

 

[Purified Vitality]

Rating: Epic

Effect: Heal 150 hp/sec for 20 seconds

Bonus Effect: If your health is higher than 90% upon use, gain 37~42 max health.

Note: The Bonus effect will provide diminishing returns after 9 uses. Becomes ineffective after 14 uses.

Description: A potent medicine refined by Bechel using a unique method.

 

Genji nodded in satisfaction upon receiving these but refrained from eating them. If possible, he wanted to reverse-engineer these products and add them to his sellable items.

With how rare extra stats are below the second step, there's no doubt they will sell like hotcakes. And if needed, he could always trade the formulas for some privilege tokens. After all, EverRealm welcomes anything that increases the overall combat strength of its members.

"Do you need any more blood?" Genji asked after storing the medicine away.

"Thanks for the offer, but we need some time to digest these. The blood isn't good when it's not fresh. It loses its vitality."

"How long will it take?"

"About a day or two. The main problem is that I don't have the proper plants with me. I need to make a trip back to my place."

"Let me do it then," Genji offered. "My horse isn't fond of being idle."

"Are you sure? Just letting you know, I'm not paying you for this."

"The faster I get this done, the more blood you will buy. I'm indirectly benefiting from it."

"Then I'll get Mokan to accompany you. He knows what plants I need."

Bechel summoned his grandson and briefed him on the details of the trip. After describing the locations of the plants and emphasizing Mokan to take care of himself, Bechel handed Mokan an ivory necklace made from canines. "Take my good luck charm and return safely."

The apprentice patted his chest in response and with a reassuring look, said, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll get this done."

Then they set off for the place that he and Bechel called home.