"Don't think about such nonsense!"
Fujino gave Pure Fox's little head a firm pat in annoyance. How could she not know what Pure Fox was thinking?
"Ouch!"
Due to the pain, Pure Fox subconsciously closed her eyes and hugged her head tightly with her two little paws.
"I told you not to think about nonsense," Fujino said helplessly. She sighed, took Pure Fox off her shoulder, and cradled her in her arms. With one hand supporting her and the other gently pulling away the paws guarding her head, she stroked Pure Fox softly. A surge of life force slowly seeped in; the warm power dispelled the pain, and Pure Fox's closed eyes turned into comfortable squints.
"Alright, don't have those kinds of thoughts next time," Fujino said gently.
Like a child who had done something wrong, Pure Fox blinked her pale gold eyes and then nodded obediently.
"That's better." Fujino smiled and held Pure Fox against her cheek, nuzzling her affectionately. Pure Fox's fur was very soft, and it felt wonderful to rub against. It was the same for Pure Fox; Fujino's soft cheek and the intoxicating fragrance she emitted made Pure Fox feel as if she were floating in heaven. In her enjoyment, Pure Fox didn't notice that the demonic energy in her body was slowly growing, and her pure white demonic energy was undergoing a subtle change, becoming even more pure. However, none of this was noticed by the current Pure Fox.
Inside the dense fog, the Little Loli Eirin was still laboriously searching for the herbs she needed. This wasn't her first time coming here. When the villagers fell ill, Eirin, as the only one in the village with some medical knowledge, stepped forward. Although in this era, the transmission of medical knowledge was almost non-existent—except perhaps for some burgeoning practices in the distant East—what Eirin knew couldn't truly be called medicine. However, the people of this era were completely ignorant of herbs, and many died from accidentally eating poisonous plants. Eirin was different; although she lacked formal training, she had a keen innate talent for identifying herbs. With just a glance, she could determine if something was edible or poisonous, and she could analyze the effects of a herb in a very short time. This talent of hers was truly remarkable for this era.
At that time, the only place near the village with medicinal herbs was this dangerous zone. For the sake of the medicine, an even younger Eirin had risked her life to enter the fog. Although she successfully found the herbs quickly, she was also infected by the toxins and remained weak for many days. But from then on, Eirin became somewhat obsessed. During her first time in the fog, even just in the outermost area, she saw a vast quantity of herbs—more than a person might see in a lifetime. Thus, Eirin, with her fanatical attitude toward herbs, became enamored with the place. Later, to identify the types and effects of these herbs, she risked her life to explore the fog several more times, often resulting in a weakened state. Fortunately, she later used the herbs she gathered to develop a potion that suppressed the toxins, and with the help of other herbs, she restored her health. After that, she would frequently venture into the fog. In terms of the outer perimeter, Eirin was easily the most knowledgeable person there.
However, this time Eirin wasn't going to the outer perimeter, but deeper into the fog. Some people in the village had suddenly contracted a strange illness, and the herbs Eirin had previously collected from the outer fog were completely useless. To save them, she turned her attention to the depths of the fog, where herbs far more precious than those on the outskirts existed.
Eirin had once seen it: in the deepest part of the outer perimeter, she had glimpsed a medicinal fragrance that was almost physical!
As Eirin walked toward the depths of the fog, she did not know that the inner reaches had already changed. The mountain shrouded by the mist began to move...
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