Chapter 77 - Treatment
"W-Woah, what the hell are you?!" Jin Wang asked trying not to look away.
"Salutations! I see the thread I left behind helped somewhat," the man spoke, its two fangs that acted as the top lip moved up and down and gave everyone a creepy feeling.
"These mongrels captured me and threatened me to work for them. I thought I was a goner but you saved me, you have my thanks. My name is 1092, nice to make your acquaintance," he said not taking Jin Wang's reaction personally.
"1092? Your name is a number?" Jin asked from a distance away. He still didn't want to get too close to him.
"Yes. I have a lot of brothers and sisters so naming everyone was a pain, hence the I was given a number, like many others," he replied with a smile.
"O-Oh, anyway, we have to leave," Jin Wang turned away not wanting to look at the man's face any longer. Even for someone like him it was too eerie.
"Yes yes, do you know your way around? My home is not from here and I can give you refuge until the 'danger' as passed," he said gesturing towards the incoming creature.
Jin Wang was going to refuse but Kuo interrupted from the side, "How far is it? Our captain is injured and needs to rest, we can't move him too far away."
"Not far at all. We can get there in a few minutes!" 1092 replied cheerfully. He seemed really happy to have some company.
The Jia soldiers were still there but they didn't make a sound. Their boss was blown away like a fly and two of their strongest went after him, with one knocked out. Now there was only left with some of the soldiers.
The Mad Saints ignored them as well and followed 1092. He went to the edge of the ravine and pointed down towards the mist and said, "Right down here. Please follow me," and jumped down.
Maddy and Hashirama looked at each other, neither of them wanted to be the first to jump down into the dark ravine whose bottom wasn't even visible. There were monster roars and different parts of them coming out of the mist every now and then. It looked like a monster soup from the top.
While they were still hesitating, Kuo picked up Hao Xuan extremely carefully and jumped down after 1092.
"L-Lieutenant!" they both shouted but got no reply from him so after a couple of seconds they jumped down as well, followed by Jin Wang and the rest of the Mad Saints.
About 20 meters down the ravine was where the mist started, Kuo was ready for a long fall but after the cover of the mist, a small ledge on the side was visible where 1092 was standing, waiting for them.
"Over here!" he waved at him. Kuo jumped and landed on the ledge. There was a tunnel leading into the side of the cliff, with some light-stones lodged into the sides of it leading inward.
"Quick, we need to hurry," Kuo urged 1092 as he saw Maddy and Hash land next to him. "You wait here for the rest, you come with," he spoke to Maddy and Hash respectively.
Kuo and Hash followed 1092 for a few minutes, the tunnel broke off into several different routes on the way but after about five or six intersections they finally came to a much wider cave. It was circular in shape and was at least 300 meters square. There were many doors on the sides and stalls were set up in the middle with some structures that looked like shops. There were a lot of people walking around, similar to 1092 but still different. Some only had spider limbs but some had entire lower or upper bodies of a spider. It was an arachnophobe's worst nightmare.
"In here," 1092 pointed towards a door right next to him. Kuo went in unceremoniously and placed Hao Xuan down.
"Go get the others," he ordered Hash without turning around, still looking at Hao Xuan's injuries.
"Do you have a healer here by any chance?" he asked 1092. Hao Xuan's injuries were too severe and without someone with healing abilities, there wasn't much normal medicines could do.
"Yes, of course, I'll call her," 1092 nodded and left at once. A few minutes later he came back with another person, she looked completely normal other than the four stingers coming out of her back.
"Move back please," she said urgently and went up to check Hao Xuan's injuries. After about a minute she frowned heavily.
"What's wrong?" Kuo asked worriedly.
"His injuries are way too severe. I'm afraid I'm not powerful enough to heal him, at least not in time," she shook her head. Kuo's expression turned worse.
"Is there nothing you can do? The kingdom will bear all costs, worry not. No matter how expensive the elixir, just save him and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams," he tried to tempt her in case she was holding something back, but it only seemed to make her angry.
"I am a healer, I do not need your trinkets. If there was something to be done then I would have done it," she said in displeasure. Kuo's knees went weak and he sat down beside Hao Xuan, looking at his bloody state.
"Sister, what about that?" 1092 muttered from the back when he saw Kuo's reaction.
"Don't speak nonsense," she berated him and turned around to leave.
"Wait, what is it? It doesn't matter what, just tell me if there's something to be done!" Kuo enthusiastically asked. The healer looked like she was in deep thought for a moment and then spoke, "Poison.. We poison him," she said earnestly.