19 The Chiefs Opinion (1/2)

Edmond only remembered flashes of that.

He didn't remember Aaron picking him up as if he weighed nothing and bringing him down the tree before he was placed on Woof's back who ran quickly toward the Hamlet.

He didn't remember the Chief walking out personally to escort them to the Healer's Cabin, where the Energy Manipulator started to work on him.

He didn't remember his eyes being repeatedly opened while the healer checked whether he was alive and responsive.

All he did remember was one image that appeared in his mind over and over again.

It was the image of his father- the man who had raised him being imprisoned and bound in barb-filled chains which made blood flow from his shoulders, back, and chest.

He also remembered the screams which had reverberated in the underground cell, which were of his father begging the soldiers that his son be taken away so that he wouldn't have to watch his father being tortured.

Although this had happened only a few days ago, he had already buried it deep in his mind, where it flew out from now that he only had his twisted self for company.

That moment had broken him, and the only reason he was alive right now was the hope given by the leader of those soldiers who had promised that his father would be released, alive, if he managed to obtain a powerful Tera and defeat the one he chose.

That motive was the only thing pushing him forward.

He had lost too much blood, and this had given birth to a permanent darkness that wanted to engulf him and take him into its clutches, forever, so that they could be one.

Yet, there was no way that he would give in.

He clung on with all he had to the last straws which were helping him avoid that pit of darkness. No matter how much it hurt, no matter how sleepy he got, he hung on, knowing that giving up now meant a frustrating death.

Each time he even went close to thinking about giving up just like how he had done in front of Aaron the night before, that image of Aaron looking at him with those eyes of disgust would float into his vision, giving him renewed strength to not look pathetic in the eyes of that guy.

Finally, after an inestimable amount of time passed, that darkness receded and disappeared, following which Edmond completely lost consciousness.

On his bedside, Aaron was sitting and staring at him with an indecipherable expression on his face.

”Oow wow wow rarr.”

Woof, whose tail was touching his legs while it, too, gazed at Edmond's face, made this sound without looking at Aaron.

”Yes, of course, he was dumb to let his legs hang! But, cut him some slack. You remember how bad I was when you first found me?”

”Ooow! Ow Ow Ow!”

”Don't laugh! It is commendable that he hung on, you know. Remember that time when I lost so much blood after my back was mauled by a young Fire-Breathing Elephant? He lost even more blood than that. I had to run for a long time to make them confused. By the time I got back, he was so pale that I thought he was dead. I was even going to say 'Sorry' and bury him.”

”Whoa, there! That's it? You were just going to say 'Sorry'? He trusted you and entered that forest!”

Interrupted by the Chief who had appeared at the door a few minutes ago, Aaron turned to him with raised eyebrows, as if asking what was wrong with that.

He had already felt the presence of the Chief as soon as he entered, even though the man had been thinking that he was silently eavesdropping.

Walking forward and shaking his head, the Chief first checked the round, transparent container in which there was a fluid that was being pumped into Edmond's body.

This was apparently a mixture of certain mutated plants and other materials which was designed to allow a body to fight against an injury and even regenerate flesh slowly, provided the injury wasn't too serious.

Apparently, it was a restricted resource distributed by the World Government to only authorized settlements.