In the end, Yano couldn't hold on. He pitched forward and collapsed, becoming completely still.
In the Darkness, a bizarre black shadow twisted and deformed. The Demon he had spoken of gradually revealed itself—a round, jiggly Gel body with blinking, innocent eyes. It was a Slime.
Chen Yu wondered, 'We just met. Why is this guy yelling about selling me his soul?'
'Soul?'
'What am I supposed to do with that? Can I eat it?'
Chen Yu circled the unconscious man—chestnut-brown hair, a merchant's coat, and hey, he was even wearing expensive leather shoes.
'Could this be the merchant who was attacked by the Corrupted Lizardmen?'
'The rain poured for two whole days and nights, yet he's fine and managed to get all the way here. Is he just lucky, or does he have some way to evade Magical Beasts?'
Chen Yu took a closer look and noticed the man's skin was grayish-white, cold, and stiff, completely devoid of color. He didn't seem like a normal person, more like a piece of rock.
'What a weirdo.'
'He looks like he's still alive, but probably not for long.'
Chen Yu wiggled his Gel body, as if shaking his head, then turned to leave.
'I'm just a Slime with no hands or feet. How am I supposed to save anyone? This guy really picked the wrong person to beg.'
'If I actually knew a Life Healing Skill, I wouldn't mind zapping the guy with it.'
'Too bad I don't.'
After returning, Chen Yu took advantage of the remaining daylight to continue exploring the swamp's depths. Moss Insects, Beetles, poison frogs... he devoured them all without discrimination.
[Poison Resistance Lv.2→Poison Resistance Lv.3]
A Level 3 Poison Resistance was incredibly potent. Even the toxic fog in the deeper parts of the swamp had no effect on him. In contrast, the Poisonous Sting Bees, with only Level 1 Poison Resistance, could only linger on the outskirts. If they stayed too long, they'd get knocked unconscious by the fumes.
'How pathetic.'
'Looks like I'll have to be the one to open up this swamp.'
However, it was already getting dark, so he had to return to his nest at the base of a tree in his territory, where he had sweet dreams under the soft glow of gray gravel crystals.
...
Chen Yu woke up early the next morning, preparing to continue along the path he had forged the day before.
But before he set out, he hesitated for a moment.
'I wonder if that human is dead yet. Maybe a beast has already dragged him away.'
'Should I go check on him?'
Chen Yu mumbled to himself. In the end, his curiosity won out, and he returned to the spot in the swamp where he had met the strange human the day before.
The man was still there, lying in the same position as yesterday.
And strangely, no monster seemed interested in him. How odd. 'Did they really mistake him for a rock?'
Chen Yu got closer and checked the man's mouth and nose. 'Hmm... he's still breathing, just very weakly.'
'This guy is surprisingly resilient.'
'Just like a real rock.'
'This strange illness has put him in a miserable state, but without it, he probably would have died on the first day of the storm.'
'It's not like he can't be saved...'
'I remember there are disciples in the sect who are skilled in medicine. Maybe one of them can treat him.'
'Besides, don't I need some Talisman Ink?'
'The Lizardman tribe definitely won't have any, but this human is from the Adventurer Town across the Reed River. He should be able to help me get a substitute for Talisman Ink.'
'Sigh, humans.'
'You should be grateful for the great mercy of Lord Slime.'
At noon, Chen Yu was waiting in the thatched hut when Shao Qingsong arrived.
After handing him the Antitoxic Spirit Liquid, Chen Yu asked a question.
"That Senior Sister Gong you mentioned last time—is she really skilled at medicine?"
"Senior Sister Gong?"
Shao Qingsong chuckled. "Oh, she's skilled, all right. But our senior sister doesn't like people running a tab on medical fees. She wouldn't even treat my scorpion poison last time."
"Why do you ask? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I suppose I am a little."
"In that case, follow me."
「South Bridge Market, in a corner infirmary.」
The crisp scent of herbs filled the air. A few Moon White Stones embedded in the ceiling cast a soft, white glow. Labels for "Lingzhi" and other ingredients were pasted on the spirit-wood medicine cabinets lining the walls.
Gong Xiaoshuang withdrew the hand she had been using to take his pulse and looked at Chen Yu, who sat across from her.
"Junior Brother, your pulse is calm and steady. You should be perfectly healthy."
"Actually, I'm here to ask about an illness on behalf of a friend."
Chen Yu briefly described the petrification symptoms, which made the female cultivator across from him frown repeatedly.
"This illness... If I am not mistaken, it's a case of frozen meridians caused by the depletion of one's innate Yuan Qi. It can be alleviated through acupuncture, guiding Spiritual Qi to infuse the atrophied meridians."
"The treatment requires stimulating acupoints all over the body with the Recover Needle technique. It's not difficult for me."
"Innate Yuan Qi... depletion...?"
'Do they have a concept like that in Zeyarira?'
'Whatever, it's a long shot, but I'll give it a try. I'll just treat him first and see what happens.'
After getting the Recover Needle technique from Gong Xiaoshuang, Chen Yu returned to the thatched hut and submerged his consciousness into the Slime's body.
He swallowed several dozen Poisonous Stings, then hopped back to where the man lay unconscious.
"Save... me... I can't... die here..."
Yano was still muttering unconsciously, unaware of what was about to happen to him.
'A decent will to live.'
'Running into me, the physician Slime, is your misfort... pfft, no, your good fortune.'
According to Gong Xiaoshuang, one course of the Recover Needle treatment required thirty-six needles, which would be a considerable challenge for him.
And for the human as well.
'Let's see, the first needle goes into the Dazhui acupoint...'
Chen Yu used his Artifact Manipulation Skill to drive a Poisonous Sting forward.
It successfully pierced the man's flesh.
'Ugh... it's in, but I missed the spot.'
'It's normal to mess up the first time,' he reassured himself.
'Again.'
After a Poisonous Sting Bee removed the original sting, Chen Yu jabbed another one in.
'The bad news is, I missed again.'
After leaving five or six puncture marks on the man, he finally hit the right spot.
Then came the second needle, the third...
After toiling for the better part of the day, he finally had all thirty-six needles in their correct positions, at the cost of leaving fifty-six extra puncture wounds on the man's back.
'Phew... that wasn't easy. I hope I didn't poke him to death.'
Chen Yu carefully checked the man's mouth and nose. Thankfully, he was still breathing. The effort hadn't been for nothing.
He then gathered the Spiritual Power flowing through his body. The thirty-six Poisonous Stings began to flicker with a nearly imperceptible dark light, vibrating at a high frequency to guide the blocked Life Energy into flowing once more.
Beneath the tattered coat, Chen Yu watched as the stiff, dead-looking flesh began to soften under the stimulation of Spiritual Power, as if it were thawing. The cold, gray pallor receded, and a faint trace of color struggled to spread across the skin.
'Who would've thought? These cultivation methods can actually cure such a bizarre illness.'
'But this is just the first course of treatment. If he doesn't continue, the strange disease will just come back.'
'I'm still wary of the humans around here, so I have no plans to reveal my true self just yet.'
Seeing the man's color returning and that he was about to wake up, Chen Yu left behind a "down payment" and a few words via voice transmission before departing.
An unknown amount of time passed before a cold, damp sensation roused Yano.
He snapped his eyes open, gasping for breath. His heart was pounding wildly, and in his groggy mind, the Demon's parting words were branded into his memory:
"Heh heh heh... I've taken your soul."
"Take my gift and go... When you return, remember to bring books on the Sub-human language, books on the Common Language, ink for writing in Magic Books, cream cake, chocolate, and candy..."