Episode 141
The old sage led Zeke and Boris back through the labyrinthine corridors. After what felt like an eternity of walking, they finally arrived at the room where the youngest disciple lay.
The sage allowed only Zeke to enter the room. Before opening the door, he turned to Zeke and said, “If it’s possible, I’ll accept your request. But if you fail…”
“That’s your problem to deal with,” Zeke replied confidently.
The sage, though skeptical of Zeke’s bravado, felt a flicker of hope. In negotiations, the desperate party always had the weaker hand, leaving him with little choice.
Slowly, the sage opened the door, and a strong scent wafted out from the room. Incense burned in braziers placed in every corner.
[Detecting sleep-inducing incense with narcotic properties.]
[Your immunity neutralizes the effects.]
Feigning ignorance, Zeke asked, “Why so much incense?”
The sage frowned. “You’ll see.”
On the bed inside lay a young man, seemingly around Zeke’s age, unconscious. At first glance, he didn’t appear cursed.
The sage pulled back the blanket covering the young man. Zeke let out a low groan. Beneath the young man’s neck, his skin was a grotesque mass, as if dozens of monstrous faces writhed beneath it. The skin was necrotic, oozing pus and blood.
It was clear this was no ordinary skin disease but a severe curse.
“What did the healers or mages say?” Zeke asked.
The sage sighed. “They said they’d never seen anything like it. It’s neither a disease nor magic.”
If it wasn’t a disease or magic, it was likely an ancient curse, much like the one that had afflicted Angelina.
“Have you heard of a place called Narak?” Zeke inquired.
The sage nodded. “I’ve heard of it, indirectly. They’re said to be a vile bunch.”
“I suspect this curse might be their doing,” Zeke suggested.
The sage eyed him suspiciously. “If you’re trying to sow discord with baseless claims, stop. This isn’t a place swayed by mere words.”
“No, I genuinely believe it’s them. Angelina of the Graham family was cursed by an ancient sorcerer from Narak.”
“Ancient sorcerers aren’t exclusive to Narak. Your assumption is suspicious.”
“Think what you will. I’m just sharing my thoughts.”
Though the sage dismissed Zeke’s words, he couldn’t shake the unease they stirred. Ancient curses were a mysterious and formidable domain. While there were sorcerers in the northern continent, few could cast such a potent curse.
The sage clenched his fists, staring at the cursed marks on his disciple’s body. “Narak,” he muttered, the name searing into his mind.
Zeke, examining the unconscious young man, asked, “What’s your disciple’s name?”
“Ailaman.”
“Is he always unconscious?”
“No, we keep him asleep with the incense. If he wakes, those things wake with him.”
“Do they move?”
“Yes, they feed on his flesh and blood, growing stronger.”
It was a truly insidious curse.
“Hmm, I wonder if purification will work,” Zeke mused. Angelina’s curse had been a spectral entity, removable through purification. But Ailaman’s curse was a physical parasite, requiring a different approach.
“Have you tried cutting them out?” Zeke asked.
“We considered it, but the mages warned us. The roots are entwined with his blood vessels. Removing them could kill him.”
It was a vexing problem.
“Prepare hot water, dry towels, sterilized surgical tools, and restraints,” Zeke instructed. “Once ready, leave the room.”
“I’ll stay and watch,” the sage insisted.
“No. The process might be painful. If you intervene, your disciple could be in danger.”
Reluctantly, the sage complied, preparing the items before stepping outside.
Once alone, Zeke secured Ailaman’s limbs with restraints. “Can’t have him waking and thrashing about.”
He donned Agamemnon’s mask and attempted purification.
A golden aura enveloped Ailaman, causing the parasites to stir and emit strange noises.
“Ugh,” Ailaman groaned, writhing in pain as he began to wake.
Zeke withdrew the aura, and the parasites settled.
“Purification alone won’t do,” he realized. Unlike Angelina’s spectral curse, Ailaman’s required surgical intervention.
Zeke picked up a surgical knife, sterilizing it with pure flame and infusing it with purification energy.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
He gently touched the blade to a parasite on Ailaman’s arm.
The creature’s eyes snapped open, emitting a horrific scream.
Startled, Zeke sliced it off, watching as it melted into a foul-smelling puddle on the floor. But a new parasite began to grow in its place.
“These things are relentless.”
Without removing the roots, they’d keep regenerating.
Ailaman groaned, regaining consciousness from the pain. Zeke quickly used Sandman’s sand to put him back to sleep, but the parasites remained active.
Recalling the sacred flame that had troubled the demon Griesmodar, Zeke summoned it.
A white flame flickered to life, and one of the parasites writhed in agony under its light.
“Seems effective.”
Zeke removed the regenerating parasite with the purified blade and exposed the area to the sacred flame.
The roots withered under the light, unable to regrow.
Checking Ailaman’s pulse with his dragon’s eye, Zeke confirmed he was stable.
“Good, I’ve got the hang of it.”
He methodically removed the parasites from Ailaman’s limbs, using the sacred flame to destroy the roots. Occasionally, he used healing magic to stop the bleeding.
After over an hour of battling the parasites, Zeke wiped the sweat from his brow.
“Angelina’s curse was tough, but this is something else.”
Only one parasite remained, attached to Ailaman’s heart. Using his dragon’s eye, Zeke realized this was the source, spreading the others.
“That’s the culprit. Remove it, and it’s over.”
But if he failed, the parasites could return.
Taking a deep breath, Zeke positioned the purified blade over Ailaman’s left chest, ready to heal any damage to the heart.
With precision, he cut into the chest, revealing the parasite entwined with the heart.
“Damn…”
The situation was dire. The parasite had integrated with the heart, pulsing in unison.
Zeke frowned, contemplating his next move.
“If I cut it out, half the heart goes with it.”
Unsure if healing magic could restore the heart, he hesitated.
“If only it would detach on its own…”
An idea struck him.
“What if I use Hydra’s venom?”
Parasites, after all, thrive by feeding on their host’s blood and flesh.
However, if a poison capable of killing the host spread through its body, the parasite would likely decide it could no longer survive there.
After some deliberation, Zeke conjured the venom of a hydra at his fingertips.
A few lethal drops formed at the tip of his finger.
Zeke adjusted the venom to slow its effect as much as possible.
Then, he let a few drops fall into Ailraman’s mouth.
Zeke watched as the hydra’s venom gradually spread through Ailraman’s system.
Moments later, the parasite curled up inside the heart sensed something amiss and began to writhe.
“Kieeeek—”
The creature extended its roots from the heart, attempting to spawn more parasites.
It then tried to expel the hydra’s venom from Ailraman’s body.
But Zeke swiftly severed the emerging parasite with a blade of purification.
“Kekekeck—”
Failing to expel the venom, the parasite felt the poison slowly filling Ailraman’s body.
The venom began to circulate even in the heart where it resided.
The effect of the poison was slow but undeniable.
Ailraman’s body was gradually succumbing.
The parasite clinging to the heart panicked, writhing in distress.
Suddenly, one of its roots detached from the heart.
Amazingly, the root shot towards Zeke the moment it broke free.
Swish!
The sharp root pierced the back of Zeke’s hand.
It wriggled, trying to burrow into Zeke’s body.
“Well, look at that.”
It seemed the parasite’s instinct was to find a new host as its current one was dying.
Meanwhile, the remaining parasite slowly detached from Ailraman’s heart.
The roots, once almost fused with the heart, were now separating.
As soon as the parasite’s roots fell away, Zeke immediately used healing magic on Ailraman.
He then poured a potion into Ailraman’s mouth.
Gradually, Ailraman’s wounds began to heal.
Zeke extracted the hydra’s venom from Ailraman’s body.
Then, he let a few drops of venom fall onto the parasite crawling from his hand to his wrist.
“Kieeeek!”
Zeke grasped the parasite with his hand and shouted.
“Purify.”
A golden aura enveloped Zeke.
The parasite screamed, turning to ash and vanishing.
Zeke dusted off his hands, gritting his teeth.
“Truly horrific. Who on earth would cast such a curse?”
The Mountain Elder would likely be on a relentless search to find out.
Zeke checked Ailraman’s pulse again.
Thankfully, everything was back to normal.
Just to be sure, Zeke used his purification skill on Ailraman a few more times before concluding the treatment.
“Finally, it’s over.”
Zeke stepped outside to inform the anxiously waiting Mountain Elder that the healing was complete.