~Chapter 68: Weaknesses and Hopes~
Golden eyes opened as they glared at the bright rays of the sun. A hand was raised as the back of the hand touched the forehead. Ara sat up from her position and stared at the door. Her hand reached out for her spear as she cautiously approached the door.
Her hand slowly turned the knob before she abruptly thrust her spear forward. A certain red head dodged her attack as she found herself being pinned down. Blazing red eyes glared into her golden ones, his grip on her hands tightened slightly.
"Ara.. Are you trying to kill me?"
"S-Sorry.. I was being cautious."
Ara laughed nervously as Elsword stared at her with a raised eyebrow. He sighed, getting off Ara before pointing at her clothes. She stared down with a confused expression before blushing faintly. She pushed Elsword out of the door as she quickly locked it, changing her clothes. Elsword waited with amusement before his thoughts returned to Rena.
'Now that I remember, I still have to find the cure.. Hamel's ruins.. The closest spot to get the cure, but will they let me into their ruins? Even if it's an ally, their ancient ruins are as important to their lives. Letting a stranger probably won't suit well... Plus, it's not 100% sure that Hamel have the necessary cure..'
While Elsword's buried in deep thoughts, Rena was watched over by Raven and secretly by Alex. Chung, Eve, and Curator was discussing over Altera's weaknesses.
"Apple and Proto are Altera's commanders. Both of them may be young, but they have experience in fighting. Proto and her army would serve as support while Apple and her army will be fighting in the front lines. When Ignotum joins the battle, then Apple will only have Charon and Persephone beside her."
"Eve.. I thought you had servants named Oberon and Ophelia that are adept in combat."
"Yeah, but... Their ability can't be used by me. They're merely there to oversee my growth. Only people like Apple can use them. They're Cyborg. They can easily overwhelm a normal human. However, Oberon and Ophelia won't be joining the battle for a while, until then.. We can relax a little. Apple doesn't like combat and she's willing to lower the damage of her attacks."
"What about Proto?"
"Proto is the complete opposite. She can be described as a reckless killing machine. If you stand in her way, then be prepared to have your head and limbs severed. If it's your first time against Proto, she'll appear intimidating, but her speed is a fault. She's extremely aggressive when attacking, most of her attacks are swift and will knock you back. However, her back will be completely vulnerable to attacks."
Chung nodded his head as Eve gave them as much information as she can. Eve paused in her speech as she dug in her memory, trying to remember another piece of information.
"Ignotum! Eve! I have something to show the both of you!"
Eve reluctantly came out of her room while Ignotum wanted to get this done and over with as soon as possible. Their father dragged them out of the palace, deep into the forest.
"What do you think he's going to show us?"
"It's better if we don't say anything. Usually, in these kinds of situation, asking before seeing is like asking for some bad luck."
"Your logic is confusing..."
Ignotum glared at Eve who remained a poker face. He sighed, looking at their father's broad back. All of a sudden, their father stopped in front of a huge willow tree. Eve jumped on Ignotum's back as she wanted a better view from a higher ground. In a split second, their father pushed the tree back slightly, revealing a trap door below, entering it.
Ignotum followed with his sister on his back. Soon, his eyes widened as in front of them was a room full of spores and Alterasia plants. The air grew heavy and hard to breathe in. Ignotum clenched his fist and stared at Eve who was also having a hard time breathing. Their father didn't pay attention to them as he showed them a larger Alterasia. Ignotum and Eve stared at it closely, realizing that the plant was creating something.
"These Alterasia plants can help us in our battles. They'll copy the attacks and skills of a certain person, creating the perfect opponent for our enemy."
"In other words, this will be our secret weapon when we're in desperate situations."
"That's right. They can easily influence a Nasod's actions, so be careful. That's all I want to show you. Let's go before you guys die."
"Altera... Has a secret weapon. However, we only use it for desperate situations to clear out our enemies. Alterasia plants. They can release a large amount of poison in the air. Also, they can copy your skills, using it combat at a greater extent than the original."
Chung smiled at Eve as he pushed her out of the room. He gave a look at his father that seems to say end-of-conversation-for-today with a sweet smile. Eve gave a confused gaze at Chung as he gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
"It's enough.. You gave us enough information. Altera is your home. Giving out the weaknesses is good enough and planning how to take advantage of those weaknesses is amazing. You don't have to try so hard. We'll manage somehow."
Eve smiled softly as she held onto Chung's hand tightly and returned his soft kiss. Chung wrapped his arms around Eve's petite waist and kissed her deeply and passionately in the hallways.
Raven was brushing Rena's soft strands of spring green hair. Rena was slightly surprised at Raven's ability to brush someone's hair so easily. Rena smiled with a faint blush at Raven as he returned the smile. Around this time,Elsword was in the library with Ara.
"Ara, you knew about Rena's current condition?"
"Well, I only managed to pick up the symptoms. I wasn't even sure. Although, thanks to you telling me, I can be sure of Rena's condition. The poison's name is Occidere Apparatus, literally meaning 'killing machine'. Like it's name, Rena will lose her sanity and turn into a killing machine with no mercy. I believe collecting the Snow Lotus, Thousand Years Lingzhi, and Thousand Years Ginseng would be able to cure the poison."
"Do you know their exact location and appearances?"
"The Snow Lotus grows in extreme cold temperature, but... I'm not sure of it's exact location. Thousand Years Lingzhi tend to grow at the stumps of deciduous trees. Thousand Years Ginseng are mainly found in cooler climates, but it's not like the Snow Lotus. From what I know, usually these rare medicines are offered to a certain kingdom, but I'm not so sure anymore.."
"In other words, there's going to be some problems."
Unknown to them, Alex who had overhead their conversation was trying to remember if Hamel was offered any sort of medicine. His eye twitch slightly as he dug deep into his memory.
'I'm not even sure if they offered any sort of medicine in the past! Rena.. Is that important to me? Why am I trying..? She likes Raven, doesn't she? Damn it.. Rena, do you know what kind of effect you have on me?'
Chung and Eve appeared Elsword who fell down from his chair. Chung stared at the pictures of the medicine for Rena closely before a certain piece of memory came in mind.
"My lord, we would like to offer you our miracle cures. The Snow Lotus, Thousand Years Lingzhi and Ginseng."
"No. If it's your miracle cures, then you should keep it for those who need it."
In front of Chung and his father was a priest and his disciples. In their hands, holding three boxes that was decorated with golden trimmings. The boxes were opened, revealing the miracle cure's appearance.
The pearl colored petals with light rosy pink shading it softly, the spring green leaves framing the pearl colored petals. That was the Snow Lotus. Next was a maroon, amber with light shades of tan mushroom. That was the Thousand Years Lingzhi. Last of all was the light tan root. The Thousand Years Ginseng.
"We're not merely offering it to you. It's because you deserve it. Hamel have been working to protect innocent people and willing to do anything to preserve peace. Please.. Accept it as our token of thanks."
"Very well. Chung."
Chung nodded his head as he walked towards them slowly. He carried the three boxes in his hands, stacking them carefully. Chung gave them a warm smile which they returned. The priest and his disciples soon left as Curator began to decide a place for the medicine.
"We'll put them in Hamel's ruins where the barrier is strongest and Taranvash of Light will guard the ruins as well as the medicines. I'm sure that we'll need it one day."
"Oh.. They're all in Hamel's ruins, being protected by Taranvash of Light. Do you guys need it for something?"
Chung stared at Elsword and Ara as their hopes grew. Eve stared at pictures carefully as she also recognized the medicine.
"Thousand Years Lingzhi and Ginseng are both in Altera, but entering Altera is too risky."
"Chung, is it possible for us to enter the ruins to get those medicines?"
"Sure, but.. You need to give me a good reason. Our ruins can't be entered so easily. Even I can't enter so easily, even if I'm next in heir."
Elsword nodded his head and began to explain the situation. Ara knelt on her knees as she hoped for a positive answer from Chung. Chung sighed at their actions. He would have helped them out even if it meant breaking Hamel's rules.
"Tonight, we'll enter the ruins, but don't do anything reckless. And.. We can't let anyone else know, especially Rena."
'If Raven finds out about this, I doubt he'll stay calm. It's best if he doesn't know about Rena'ss condition. Rena is the victim of the poison. If she knows, her reaction is unknown, but it's also best if she doesn't know. For now.. Both of them will be kept in the dark.'
~Author's Note~
I lied. I haven't updated daily that much... :x I'm sorry! And I even updated a day late! I'm so sorry! I got caught up with watching One Piece and Naruto. Anyways... I'm extremely influenced by Wuxia novels.
Snow Lotus, Thousand Years Lingzhi and Thousand Years Ginseng.. They do exist, and they're great ingredients to creating medicines, however they're not miracle cures. In Wuxia novels, they are considered miracle cures. And sometimes, they're offered to the king or at least that's what I remembered in a TV series that's also Wuxia..
Well, either way.. The chapter was a bit boring, not that much action. By the way, Rena's not going to be cured so easily. I'm not letting her be cured so easily, I want her to enjoy some stuff~ :3 The poison is completely made up. XP
Also, who noticed that while using some skills, the voice changed. Like how they said it. For example, SG/DC screams out "Shooting Star" when he uses the skill, but now... He only screams out "Shooting Star" when he's in Awakening, especially Berserk Mode while he sceams out some korean words when he's not in Awakening. Same with CE/CN. In some cases, she won't say "Queen's Throne", she'll say korean words. Apparently, the voice changes are added to TR's Trapping Arrow and CA/CEm's Heaven's Fist. Well, so far, that's all I know...
Here are my replies to my awesome reviewers~
Rosamanelle: XD Yup, you're somewhat psychic. XD Now you are correct, but someone who's usually cautious in serious situations like Rena can't get poisoned so easily. So, in their past, who is this suspicious person who poisoned her? :D Well, of course they step into Hamel's ruins, however a little surprise will be awaiting them. Like I said, Rena's not going to be cured so easily. What's the fun in curing her so quickly? ;) Aren will have a huge part later on before joining Elsa. :D Glaive is working behind the scenes. I'll have a chapter that'll tell of his adventure. XD Unfortunately, Elsword is slow in actions that doesn't involve combat. XD I think Glaive prefers ice cream. And.. I'm slow as well! :3 So, what kind of hint did you mean~?
Sweet Trickster: And that's why you look in the past~ :D Think outside of the box. XD Well, the ingredients are revealed, however... I'm not letting Rena be cured so easily~ :3 Yes, there'll be action and Rena's condition worsening. Love triangles usually don't end well anyway. XD Aye! I've listened to them and loved it. :3 Rin and Len: Synchronicity Trilogy~ :D Seris is common, Alex is rare. XD By the way, you're one of the candidates for 800th reviewer.
Tsurara-Oikawa Chan: Aye! She deserves credit alright. XD I know.. I want to know so badly. :x GPS... We already have a map that shows the number of enemies and party members. Tracking system. Allows missiles to follow monsters automatically? XD Well, I agree. I definitely spend a lot of money on games. Making another RS would still make you want the other skills. XD You'll still long for the skills and want to use them together. O: I got it right! 5 more days.. If he's dead.. He gets to be tortured in hell. XD Well, the fireworks made my dad think about people shooting guns. XD Aisha's condition is just like me. XD Sleep, wake up, go back to sleep. :3 I hope I get to read the story when it comes out. :D
The Cynical Asian: Ooh, his laptop! *steals laptop and looks at history, documents, and so on* :D Aisha can go back to sleep and rest. :3 Asian Buddy+Chinese Buddy! :D It's either staying safe or die. I'll just go and check on your laptop again~ :D *messes with laptop*
Konjiki No Yami: Well, she's not exactly a yandere. XD I don't think she can be like Yuno Gasai in Mirai Nikki. XD *gives you a metal fan* You've leveled from paper fun to metal fan. ;D
Kat Neko983: Alright then! Now... You'll have to wait. :x Well, Raven x Eve x Chung... It's not one of my favorite love triangles, but it's fine. ;D Elsword x Eve x Chung is my favorite love triangle. :3 Chung x Eve; Deadly Chaser x Code Nemesis being my favorite, obviously. XD Well, your hatred for Rena is astonishing.
RubyCrusade: Elsword? XD You can see him as one in Assassin's Love, which will be out one day. XD Rena, it's fate. You'll have to go psycho. ;D It's either alive or dead~ :3 ...! Oh my god! Ruby, tell me! Tell me now! OAO I want to know! I can't wait until TM is over! Wait! Damn it. Very popular ElsAi.. I don't read that much ElsAi.. Uh.. ShiraCira? Wait! OAO Our conversation is not over!
KoruKoruCon: Right on target, but who? I wouldn't say she killed them. She didn't kill Seris, but their other friends, yes she did. She technically disappeared after the slaughter of their friends. So, Seris, Raven, and Alex were still alive after Rena left. The blood lust symptoms, yes. You got it right. :D
Orithia WindBell: XD And it got you the 850th reviewer spot. Glaive controls space and time. :3 Think about it. Raven can't even control his actions. XD I doubt Rena will be restrained from becoming a killing machine.
Kiyoku: I just remembered what to say.. Your name! It's.. Memories! :D If she does become a killer, first target will be... Hmm.. You! :D Or.. *stares at Alex* Eh, both of you.
SeouLee: Dark side coming.. XD The light side sounds awesome. XD Scary.. Hmm, I guess the atmosphere was too tense? Well, fate is cruel. XD Alex is too proud to use poison. First guess: That's a symptom like KoruKoruCorn said. :3 Second guess: Target, lock on! :D Third choice: Nah.. XD Echo didn't have time. Yesh.. Talk to me. XD If I choose, it might turn out to be special people. XD So, you've chosen either Sweet Trickster or MarioFireRed. Alright. Those two need to rock-paper-scissors. XD
QueenNoob: XD How could I not notice? Friend you on Elsword? Sure! I'll friend you once I get on later. :D Yeah, it's true. It's currently a preview. :x
MarioFireRed: XD Oh God. Oh Buddha. You have a wild imagination there. Glaive is such a pervert? XD Dread Chase... OAO The only thing that can help escape that skill is... Lag. Shooting Star sometimes help in clearing dungeons.. :x Aye! I love them! :D By the way, you're one of the candidates for 800th reviewer.
Guest: That's alright. Want to choose a name, so I can identify who you are? :x And... Review anytime you want! I hope you feel better. :3
Light15XV: XD The poisoning is not that easy. XD I'm glad you look forward to what's next. ;D
Thanks for reading!
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