The forest clearing fell into a stunned silence, broken only by Nico's groans while the sweet, cloying scent of Grade-2 Healing Potion lingered in the air in a sickening contrast to the metallic tang of blood and the stench of greed of the men standing before his broken body.
Nico lay ten meters away from them, motionless amidst the grass, stared down by three predators who had momentarily forgotten their prey to process the impossible thing they had just witnessed.
High up in the canopy, the Elven Archer lowered his bow, eyes widening as he leaned forward on his branch to stare at the empty space where Nico's hand had materialized the vial.
"Did you see that?" he called out in disbelief before jumping off the branch to walk up to his leader. "He pulled that potion out of thin air!"
"I did," Arlath nodded, his voice dropping an octave as a grin of unhidden greed slowly spread across his face.
