Chapter 209 Jetlag (II)
Chapter 209 Jetlag (II)
As Klaus told Sylvia that the patient was Gavin, her reaction was genuine. She widened her eyes in shock, taken aback by the sight of Gavin in such a vulnerable and weakened state. She never could have imagined that their last meeting during the Bermuda Triangle dungeon raid would lead to such a contrasting image of him. Sylvia still remembered how this man defeated a Wyvern in just one hit.
Gavin Schneider was the ace of the Sons of Thor, one of the men who had been loyal to Noah since the guild's inception. However, his condition was deteriorating due to an unknown illness. Noah tried everything to save his right-hand man, from hiring the best healers to using his family connections to create a cure for this mysterious disease.
However, Noah never managed to find a remedy, even after his passing.
With the dissolution of the Sons of Thor and the death of the guild master, Gavin had no official guardian. There was no one to cover his medical bills, and his accounts were inaccessible. The hospital was about to contact his family in Germany and send this dying man back to his homeland. However, Klaus quickly took over the bill and covered all expenses.
This man could become a valuable asset for his guild.
While Sylvia was still in shock, Zee, on the other hand, was intrigued by the seemingly disturbing illness that plagued the patient. Carefully, she approached Gavin's bedside and observed closely.
Gavin appeared extremely weak, and his darkened skin made a dreadful impression. His once strong and spirited face now looked pale and exhausted. Medical tubes connected to his body circulated various fluids and medications, attempting to maintain his stability.
Klaus observed her attentively. He then asked, "Does his illness look familiar to you?"
Zee nodded slowly.
Sylvia gazed between Klaus and Zee, impatient to learn what would be revealed next. In this situation, she felt that there was something much deeper than what met the eye.
"It's not an illness, but a poison."
The atmosphere in the room shifted. Sylvia narrowed her eyes, indicating her interest in hearing more. Klaus, on the other hand, remained calm, as if he already knew about this.
Zee went on to explain, "It's a poison that attacks the mana core from within the human body and corrupts the life energy. We call it 'Angel's Tears.'"
Klaus listened attentively, and Sylvia tried to understand the gravity of the situation. Zee continued, "Don't be fooled by its name. This poison is deadly. Ordinary people would die within hours of exposure. However, for an Awakener, it can torment its victims for three to five months before ultimately claiming their lives."
"What's the antidote?" Sylvia asked.
Zee shook her head. "Unfortunately, there's no cure for Angel's Tears."
Zee explained how the poison worked. Angel's Tears was a toxin that attacked the mana core, the central point where mana gathered in a person's body. The poison would replicate itself as mana, making it undetectable by healers and regular potions.
"How do you know about this?" Sylvia asked.
"Because I used to use it to eliminate my targets," Zee replied.
Furrowing her brow, Sylvia couldn't grasp the meaning behind Zee's words. Klaus had never shared anything about her background.
Klaus decided to provide the necessary clarification. He calmly explained to Sylvia, "Zee used to be an assassin. She undertook various dirty and dangerous jobs to survive. One of her methods included using poisons like 'Angel's Tears' to accomplish her missions."
Naturally, Sylvia was shocked upon getting this information. Her eyes widened, and her lips tightened as she tried to process all the information she had just heard. She didn't know what to think about Zee, who was now part of their team.
"Don't look at me like that. I hate that look," Zee said, narrowing her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Sylvia replied. She didn't know how to react in this situation. "I don't know what to say."
"It's okay," Zee said with a sly grin. "By the way, I've poisoned two of your friends before."
"What!?" Sylvia exclaimed.
Zee chuckled, while Sylvia squinted her eyes, giving her a wary look.
"Don't laugh. It's not funny," Sylvia said.
"No, I'm not. Unfortunately, they both survived, thanks to your boss."
The revelation made the atmosphere in the room even tenser.
Sylvia rolled her eyes at Klaus, her face questioning.
Zee, on the other hand, showed no remorse or regret for her past. She just laughed as if she enjoyed the situation.
Klaus finally spoke up. "It was Michael. Do you remember the dungeon raid in SoHo? After he got attacked by Alpha, Michael didn't recover. It turned out he was affected by this poison. At the time, he was still a loaned Awakener. The other one was Alexa, the CEO of the company I work for."
"It's hard to believe," Sylvia said. Her gaze was fixed on Zee, expressing her dislike for the girl. "I don't care about her age. She's dangerous. Shouldn't be with us."
Suddenly, Zee burst into laughter, tears streaming from her eyes. "What's hard to believe is your boss. I don't know how he did it, but I'm sure he is the one who did it, cured the poison with no known antidote." She gave Klaus a suspicious look. "This guy is unatural. I can't tell if he's a monster or a human."
Hearing the girl speak disrespectfully to Klaus, Sylvia was furious. "You—"
"Enough!" Klaus interrupted.
The room fell silent instantly. Sylvia and Zee averted their gazes from each other. The atmosphere had changed between the two of them.
Klaus sighed. "Let bygones be bygones. Sylvia, learn to get along with Zee. And you too, Zee."
Although she had heard about Klaus's abilities, Zee still didn't understand the purpose of their visit to the hospital. She asked skeptically, "So, what are we doing here? Seems like a waste of time."
Klaus answered seriously, "To heal him. I want you to do it."
Upon hearing the words that came out of Klaus's mouth, Zee was shocked. She stared at Klaus with an incredulous expression, almost thinking that this was a joke. "What? That's stupid, Klaus! I can't heal anyone!"
"Watch your language, kid," Sylvia warned, squinting her eyes.
However, Klaus didn't budge. He gave Zee a warning look, indicating that he was dead serious. "Do you know I healed them? I used [Dark Force], the power that you possess."
Zee huffed. "No way. It sounds ridiculous. How could I do it?"
"You can," Klaus replied. Clenching his fist, he continued, "[Dark Force] is a power that can absorb various material and non-material objects in this world. Light, fire, air, gravity, mana flow, and even life. It's a black hole that can suck in everything, including toxins in the human body."
Despite hearing his explanation, Zee still couldn't grasp why it had to be her. If Klaus also had [Dark Force] and more experience, there was no reason for her to absorb the poison in Gavin's body.
"Why me?" Zee asked.
"Because I said so," Klaus stated firmly.
Naturally, Zee pursed her lips. It sounded completely absurd to her, and she wanted to argue about it. But his gaze prevented her from refusing.
Biting her lip nervously, Zee asked, "But... What if I fail? This is not a simple thing like you said."
Klaus responded firmly, "That's why we're here, Zee. It's a test of your abilities. Whether you're worthy of being our friend or not. If Gavin dies, you'll go down with him."
Reluctantly, Zee finally swallowed her pride. The pressure from Klaus left her with no choice but to comply.
The girl with a brown complexion stood beside Gavin's bed, facing the extremely weakened patient.
Not long after, a dark aura began to surround her. The hidden power of darkness within her started to emanate. Her eyes darkened, reflecting a high level of focus and concentration.
Zee gently placed her hand on his exposed chest. The dark aura started to seep into his body, tracing every internal organ. Carefully, Zee felt every change in his skin, figuring out where the "Angel's Tears" poison was hiding and how to counter its effects.
"Arrrrrgh!"
Gritting her teeth, Zee struggled to contain her power from going out of control. Occasionally, she let out heavy sighs, indicating that this was an extremely challenging task.
Sylvia fell silent as she watched Zee heal Gavin. She could feel the intensity of the power emanating from the girl, who seemed to be fighting hard to confront this deadly poison.
As time passed, changes occurred in Gavin. His darkened skin began to fade, and he appeared calmer in his slumber. Zee's dark aura softened, showing that she had successfully controlled and absorbed the poison that had damaged his mana core.
"Urgh."
Finally, after what felt like hours, Zee stopped her efforts. She stepped back carefully.
Klaus approached the bed and checked the patient's condition.
Gavin appeared more stable. His skin had returned to normal, and his breathing was calmer. Zee had successfully countered the effects of the "Angel's Tears" and saved this man's life.
"Good job," Klaus said.
Zee grinned in response. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Sylvia reached out to help her. Smiling with closed eyes, Zee accepted the assistance.
As Klaus was looking at his two reconciled subordinates, a cough surprised him. The patient was waking up.
"Where am I?" Gavin asked weakly.
Klaus grinned. Then he said, "You're in the hospital."
Gavin rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. He still seemed confused and had no idea what had happened to him.
Klaus allowed Gavin some time to process the situation.
After a moment of silence, Gavin turned to Klaus.
"Who are you?" he asked.
And Klaus replied, "I'm Klaus Lee. Your new boss."
Hearing the answer given, Gavin furrowed his brow.