ZOAH'S POV
I shook hands with many people.
The madness that once burned in their eyes had faded, replaced by admiration. They congratulated me one after another. Even the remaining competitors stared at me with poorly hidden envy.
None of it mattered.
I gave brief smiles when necessary, but my mind was elsewhere. My only concern was obtaining the five herbs.
So far, I had secured one and was on the verge of obtaining the second. It was progress, a small but necessary step.
But Violet did not have time.
And neither did I.
Three herbs still remained.
The five year champion approached me and extended his hand.
"It's a pity I lost to you this time," he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Next time, I'll make sure to defeat you, no matter what."
"There will be no next time," I replied coldly.
His smile stiffened slightly.
"What do you plan to do with Herb B?" he asked.
I didn't answer.
"Oh, I see," he continued after a moment. "You want to become five times younger, right?"
It was a logical assumption. Everyone desired Herb B for that very reason. It reversed one's age by fivefold. And this man had obtained it five times already.
He must have used it at least once.
No wonder he looked so young.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Age 159."
I nodded slowly.
"You're not human… are you?"
"I'm not." He straightened slightly. "My name is Ariel."
The moment he said his name, recognition flashed through my mind.
Ariel.
A being of the waters.
A water god whose domain lay within the vast depths of the Atlantic Ocean. A direct descendant of Polaris, the ancient progenitor whose lineage founded Osirianni, the radiant mermaid kingdom hidden beneath the ocean's darkest depths.
"You aren't human either, are you?" he asked.
I looked at him calmly.
"My name is Zoah."
I paused deliberately.
"Does that ring a bell?"
His eyes widened faintly.
"Of course it does," he said quietly. "No wonder I lost to you." A faint smile appeared on his face. "But I am a god too. I will continue cultivating… until water defeats fire."
He bowed slightly before turning and walking away.
My expression remained blank.
Nothing stirred in my mind.
"Congrats, Zoah!"
Silver suddenly ran toward me and threw her arms around me in a tight hug.
For a brief moment, my body stiffened.
Something unfamiliar stirred within me.
Something… strange.
"Drama queen," I muttered.
Her uncle soon joined us, congratulating me as well.
I simply nodded.
Soon after, we were escorted into a waiting room where we were told the herbs would be delivered.
Time crawled by slowly.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours.
Finally, a woman entered the room.
Her expression looked… uneasy.
"I'm very sorry for the delay," she said nervously. "And I apologize for wasting your time in the competition, but Herb B isn't available this year."
The room fell silent.
"You'll have to come back next year," she finished.
For a moment, I thought I had misheard.
You have got to be kidding me.
"That can't be," Silver snapped immediately.
Her voice was sharp with anger.
"Not after he drank poison, was called insane, and got disqualified! He suffered through all that, and what do you have to offer now?
Nothing?"
Her fists clenched.
"That's ridiculous."
"Like I said earlier," the woman replied, slightly irritated now, "Herb B is not available this year."
Just like that…
All my effort had been wasted.
My eyes darkened.
I would deal with these people later.
What mattered now… was getting the herb.
"Really?" Silver scoffed angrily. "You think you can just brush us off like that?"
Her voice rose even louder.
"Wait until the press hears about this! I, Silver, will personally make sure your reputation is ruined! We are not people you can simply toy with!"
Her shout echoed through the halls, loud enough to attract attention.
Footsteps suddenly approached from the corridor.
The commotion had reached the ears of someone important.
The owner of Herb B.
An elderly man entered the room.
His presence alone seemed to quiet the storm Silver had created. With a gentle raise of his hand, he calmed the tense atmosphere before speaking.
"It was never our intention to deceive you or waste your time," he began, his voice weary with age and worry.
"But Herb B is an extremely rare herb… and this year, it is even rarer."
He paused, his expression darkening.
"We did manage to obtain some," he continued slowly, "but tragedy struck our family. My daughter is gravely ill. Her condition has resisted every form of treatment."
His voice trembled slightly.
"Our only hope… is Herb B. Since we began applying it to her, her condition has improved slightly. In truth…" he sighed deeply, "…Herb B is the only thing keeping her alive right now."
He lowered his head.
"I am deeply sorry. We cannot sell it to you."
Silver's anger faded slightly, though irritation still lingered in her eyes.
"So?" her uncle asked calmly.
The old man cleared his throat.
"We promise you will not have to compete again. Next year, the herb will be yours."
Nonsense.
Violet's life could not wait until next year.
"If I heal your daughter," I said quietly, "will you give me Herb B?"
The old man studied me carefully.
"Your ability to refine a rare herb was impressive," he admitted. "But my daughter's illness has defeated more than fifty skilled physicians; young and old from all over the world."
His gaze hardened.
"I doubt you could succeed where they all failed."
"I trust him," Silver suddenly said.
Her voice carried surprising confidence.
"He might have abilities we don't know about. After all, hasn't he already impressed everyone here?"
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"You said might," he replied.
"So you aren't certain either, are you?"
Silver crossed her arms stubbornly.
"You know what? Let's just try. What's the harm?"
Her tone made it clear she wasn't willing to take no for an answer.
I looked at the old man.
"Take me to the girl."
After a moment of hesitation, he nodded.
We all stood to follow him, but he frowned.
"I will only take him."
Silver frowned immediately.
"My uncle can stay here, but Zoah will need my assistance."
"No," the man said firmly. "My daughter's illness may be infectious. Anyone who enters risks being infected."
He turned his gaze toward me.
"But he claims to be a physician. If he becomes infected, perhaps he can cure himself."
Silver rolled her eyes.
"You're right," she said sarcastically. "And if I get infected, he'll cure me too."
She smiled sweetly.
"And if he can't… I promise none of it will be your fault."
The old man remained unmoved. He slowly shook his head.
"I'll go alone, Silver," I said.
"Wait here."
She sighed in defeat but not before sticking out her tongue at the old man and pulling a playful face at me.
For a moment, she almost looked… cute.
But that wasn't my concern.
Violet mattered more than anything else.
I followed the old man down a quiet corridor until we reached a closed door.
He opened it slowly.
"This is her room."
The moment I stepped inside, I felt it.
The air was heavy.
Dark.
A suffocating aura filled the room like invisible smoke.
The girl lay on the bed, motionless. Her skin was pale, her breathing faint, as if life itself was slowly abandoning her body.
I approached the bed and gently took her arm.
Her pulse was weak.
I closed my eyes and examined her condition.
Poison.
A very cunning poison.
One that could not be easily detected.
No wonder the physicians had failed. The poison had hidden itself deep within her lower abdomen, near her liver. It had been there for over ten years, quietly spreading through her body like a silent virus.
Without finding its origin, its nest, it would be impossible to cure her.
But I had already found it.
Destroy the poison's nest, and it would be forced to scatter, desperately searching for another place to settle.
That would be the moment to strike.
An antidote would suppress the poison, weakening it.
Then I would channel my power into her body, giving her enough strength to destroy the remaining traces.
If done correctly…
She would recover quickly.
My gaze darkened slightly.
I only hoped her family would keep their promise.