At guest's mansion.
While the wolf tribe was about to infiltrate the palace, mark was strolling around in the new residence, which apparently is used by guests from the royal palace I.e, by Xena's people.
Dawn was about to arrive, and a small figure in blue robes was spotted in one corner of the garden.
Turns out to be mark.
Now that Mark had finished healing himself, he was thinking of taking a stroll across the huge mansion, bringing in some fresh air while the sun was just about to arise.
Inhales!
Taking in a deep breath, mark exclaimed excitedly
" Though it's a foreign world to this mark, the density of mana present around is rich!
And It's being drawn to me, as if it had a life of its own! "
" It's as if the whole of mana present around, was specifically left for my personal use! "
Though his reasoning was half correct, that the mana present around was being drawn to him, like lron particles attracted to a strong magnet.
The actual reason behind this phenomenon was the scarcity of mana users.
The world hierarchy was build on cultivators that relied on spirit.
These fellows were ruled by the uncommon mana users, that were abnormal to the way this world works.
While the count of mana user were low, and the world's mana was left abundant, which was increasing with passing decades.
Mark was able to draw in multiple doses of mana, in just the matter of minutes, which would take several hours to condense in his previous world.
If not for this sudden boost in mana usage, healing his injuries might take a long time. And he'd still be lying on bed, rather than taking a morning stroll across the mansion.
Five minutes later
In front of the mansions door.
Mark took his stroll and was returning back to the mansion, to have a change of cloths.
Just when he was about to enter the mansion, a figure in tattered maid robes fell before him, right from the crevice of the narrowly opened door.
She looked extremely pathetic, and her body seemed mutilated with multiple injuries.
At great difficulty she raised her beaten up head and looked straight at the small figure of mark with eyes filled with tears.
" Master mark... save my lady! "
Spelling these short lines out her mouth, the maid fell down for real, not budging an inch there after, like a cold corpse to begin with.
Whoosh!
Earlier, he had to jump meters away while raise his guard in reflex.
But when she looked at him with the eyes, that needs help the most, he couldn't stand still and dashed straight towards her.
" Good thing, she's still breathing! "
Confirming her pulse, which was still intact mark sighed in with relief.
Pouring his fresh mana into her body, he started the healing process.
" Few minutes and it's done! Just don't loose hope! "
Mark exclaimed loudly to make sure that she doesn't loose hope.
" Don't know the real story behind her, but looking at her mutilated self, her wounds seems fresh!
As if it was inflicted recently "
Thinking about this, mark became angry for real.
He was out for a moment, and a maid in mutilated condition was present in his return.
The wounds were fresh and gates were closed! The possibility of her getting in from outside was not really an option to consider.
The only possible explanation could be that the culprit wasn't a person from outside, but a person from within the place he's resting currently.
" But why did she asked me to save her lady? I should wait until she's healed, to ask that question. "
1 minute later.
She opened her eyes slightly, looking at the little figure of mark, who was pouring in large loads of mana to heal her wounds at a faster rate.
" No! It's not good! "
She muttered lightly, before struggling hard to get away from marks hold.
Instead of having a grateful eyes that should be looking at the face of her benefactor, the maid's eyes were filled with a sense of fright.
Unable to get away from him, she hastly grabbed his arms and exclaimed " You... shouldn't have healed me! "
Cough! Cough!
" My time is over, save my lady first, there's not enough time! " Her tone was serious.
" Ding! Get away from that maid! " Aina ( system) shouted loudly.
" What! " Mark exclaimed out, unable to understand what's going around.
One was begging him to save her lady, while the other was roaring at him to get away from the mutilated maid that needs help.
Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!
The maid retracted her arms to cover her coughing mouth, before spatting out few mouth full of blood, which further aggrieved her condition and paled her skin.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Several cracking sounds were comming out her body, and the maid was vibrating violently without uttering a single word
She was horrified, as if her whole body was under some intense pain.
Earlier, Mark listened to systems advice abd traversed back few meters away from her, only to be further confused about what's actually happening around.
Mark was sure that, he was healing her correctly, and the possibility of internal breakdown by vessel rupture was not possible!
But an abnormal occurance startled him, which made him sure that it was the doing of a third person.
The one that might have inflicted these heavy wounds on her earlier.
Comming back to present, the maids body stopped moving.
Like an undead that rose from deep slumber, she stood backwards on her four limbs, with her top exposed from the tattered uniform.
Several whipped out burnt marks were visible on her exposed top, which made him guess the phase of torture she gone to begin with.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
With each cracking noise, her body started curving in, beginning with her mutilated head, followed by her supporting limbs.
Few seconds later, she became a ball of meat which no longer was recognizable.
Her bones and tendons could no longer bear this heavy stress and started ripping out her body, which made the scene look gore.
Glaring at the body of her helplessly, mark questioned " What's happening around? "
" Ding! The maid before host is dying horribly! " Aina answered him.
" I know that, but why is she dying so? I was healing her perfectly, why would she die horribly? "
Aina remained silent for a while before exclaiming
" Ding! A certain stimulus increased her rate of death! "
" Be more clearer! " Mark questioned her angrily.
" Ding! The one before host is inflicted with Arachin's venom!
An unique venom which becomes activated with... mana! " Aina answered him honestly, which she tried hiding from him earlier.
" Activated with mana! "
" Wait! Don't tell me that I have killed a innocent maid who was begging for help! " Mark became more depressed knowing the original answer.
" If there was a venom, which could becomes more vigorous with mana!
Wouldn't my act of healing her, make me the killer of that innocent maid! " Mark questioned him internally.
Whoosh!
But a sudden realization startled him, which made him burst out with a fist of anger.
The culprit used mark to kill the maid!
Mark was an abnormal mana user, which was known to the whole of the palace by now, but what would the killer get, by involving him in killing?
Mark was not sure about this but the thing of saving the master echoed his brains.
Inside guest's mansion!
Whoosh!
Mark entered the mansion only to spot a horrible set of events present around.
Like the maid who died horribly, the residents of the mansion were also present in the same condition, which was no different than the one he spotted outside.
Clang!
The doors closed by themselves, and mark was unable to open them even after he applied a great deal of force in opening them.
" Seems like the only way is to go forwards! "
Clenching his fists hard, mark started moving towards Xena's room, the one who was the master of this mansion to begin with.
Author's notes.
Set of events that occurred by Arachin's venom!
Simple, a venom that acts lowly at normal circumstances, but becomes violent and kills the host when mana is infused.
So when Mark tried healing the servant, he fed the venom with mana and future improved the room for the venom ti become violent.
Which killed the maid before his eyes.