''That was quite satisfying'' walking back at the inn I can't help but say.
''You reported something about that Wei guy, right? I heard it's something about human experimentation all the evidence including the witnesses presented is quite strong'' Axel said while looking at me.
''I was quite shocked when an inspector arrived to investigate it turns out it was you who reported it'' Laima added while looking through the stalls on the sidewalk.
''It turns out that you three are captains of the maple leaf dojo I couldn't help but be shocked'' Nikias was quite pale when he said this. First meeting one of the young masters of the ten great families and now knowing that the thirteenth-year-old boy he's trying to recruit was a captain of the most respected dojo the Maple Leaf Dojo.
''Calm down it's nothing serious after all the three of us are still young thus the title hasn't fully passed to us'' I lightly tap Nikias's shoulder which seems to become stone from being too stiff.
''Let's check the stalls here, it seems something interesting will appear here'' Adrian seems to have recovered his leg and tries to stand up while saying those words.
''I guess it won't be bad to stroll a bit'' Abigail agreed to him.
''Guess this is farewell for now we have received a request from our guild so we have to get going as well'' Nikias smiled and said to me.
''Can I tag along as well?'' I asked since I had already scanned the area I already knew there was nothing to be curious about the other items here.
.....
Northeast of the city of alchemy
was the mountainous ranges which have many different herb gardens, plenty of which are owned by many alchemist clans.
But these mountains are mostly owned by the Nine Towers one of the most prominent among all the alchemist groups here. They mostly govern and control the other clans making sure they don't fight amongst themselves. The nine towers also provide knowledge and education by accepting other young genius talents from all across the Fior. It is also one of the trading centers of goods and information when it comes to herbs or any type of beast but most of all the Nine Towers keep tabs on other clans who like to oppress others or use their power to accumulate forbidden practices in medicine such as human experimentation. They are what you call law and government within this enormous city.
Back to Ethan and Nikias's crew, they began to march towards the mountains of Flagrare.
''What was the request you received Niki may I know it?''
''There seem to be rumors of a strange beast attacking and destroying the herb gardens here, the alchemists try to confront it but no matter what they do they can't harm it, it's way too ferocious thus they requested the assistance of five squads of cultivators from our guild to assist them''
''I see then may I ask if the level of the beast has been identified''
''It hasn't but we were told it was the level of a deity level'' Nikias said while looking at the beaded bracelet on his wrist.
''If it's a deity weren't a higher level of cultivators are needed for this'' I ask feeling a bit dumbfounded about the situation.
''We're not confronting the beast we are actually being asked to assist in repairing the herb garden'' Mila smiled at me while saying it
''Our squad was tasked to assist with the herb garden's repair so no need to worry besides we won't take you are on a dangerous mission since you still recovering'' Reto said while holding a huge case of equipment.
Moments later we finally arrived at a bountiful garden of herbs but you'll see that a wide area was harshly destroyed.
''It seems like a battle took place here'' Kuno said while putting the tools out of his storage ring.
''Alright let's begin when the alchemist from the nine towers arrives they will give us instructions, for now, let's put out the equipment that will be used'' Nikias commanded.
I help as well but hell my muscles hurt it's been days but I haven't recovered much yet.
I was still mourning from my pain when something caught my eye. It was a blackish plant which shaped like a razor-sharp fang I stared at it for a while trying to figure out what kind of herb it was.
''Do not touch it if you want to lose your fingers'' a melodious voice came from behind me.
I turned around and saw a beautiful lady wearing a blue robe.
''Beautiful'' I mumbled I was mesmerized by her beautiful dress it had a lotus embroidery on it which reminded me of my mother.
''Flattery will get you nowhere'' she as she ignored me and looked at Nikias then she said
''I am Lana I'm here on behalf of the Nine Towers I'll be the one to instruct the things you had to do while you assist us'' She bows slightly after that more alchemists from the Nine Towers arrive to instruct us.
''May I ask what kind of herb is this?'' I asked a middle-aged alchemist, I'm really curious about the herb that I saw a moment ago.
"Young man that herb is a night demon fang it is a very rare herb that can eliminate curses from demons of the neither realm "he said while fixing a flower patch then he added "But although it is beneficial for fighting demons the herb itself is extremely dangerous so be wary young man you shouldn't get to close to it"
I nodded and decided to distance myself from the plant but as we proceeded to fix the herb garden an earth-devastating shockwave attacked us out of nowhere.
The trees flattened the garden that was halfway fixed was destroyed. The plants that were perfectly planted all got uprooted and blown away all of us were sent flying for hundreds of meters before recovering our foothold.
"Cough!...is everyone alive?! do you hear me!?" Nikias shouted while swallowing a mouthful of pills.
"We're fine and alive Nikki!" from afar Kuno and Reto stood up from all the debris that buried them.
"That was close I thought we were both done for" Kuno said while retracting his giant hammer he and Reto combined their strength to create an enormous living plant hammer.
"Good thing our skill saved us from all this rumble" Reto said while lying on the ground that shockwave drained both of their strength.
"Yue!.... Mila!.... everyone!" Nikki continued to shout he desperately called out to everyone when silence was the only thing he got he continued to move to different places shouting loudly hoping someone would respond.,
"Nikki we found the alchemist!" Kuno waves his hand while pulling out from the ground five alchemists.
Nikki was quite delighted to know that but Mila and Ethan were still missing he tried his best scanning the ground and shouting their names for a couple of minutes a reply came to him.
He repeatedly called out Ethan and Mila's names moving to the bottom of many fallen trees and looking at the dead and buried bodies of the unfortunate ones he didn't stop searching for his two friends.
"Nikki!" from all across the fallen trees and disarray three figures stood limply.
Nikias almost cried and ran to hug the haggard-looking girl full of injuries, Mila.
"Sorry I couldn't answer immediately" Her voice was like a piece of music to Nikias's ears he couldn't help but cry in relief his injured body feels more healed now.
"Ahem!" their sweet moment was cut shortly by Ethan who limply carried one of the alchemists with him.
"Um....ah Nikki" Mila and Nikias both awkwardly release each other's embrace.
"Sorry to ruin your moment but we need to ask for assistance..."Ethan signalled to Nikias to look behind him and so he did there he was shocked more than a hundred people lay injured on the ground and more and more were adding.
"We should contact the Nine towers.....the damage was much bigger and larger, at more than fifty herb gardens were completely wiped out and more than thousands of alchemists were completely injured thankfully nobody died"
"You sure knew what's happening right now"
Nikias said a bit surprised then he assisted Mila to sit down and try to help her recover fast while looking at the injured Mila and Ethan he surveyed the surroundings.
"Yue any news about the cause of this"
Ethan looks at Nikias while he tends to the alchemist in front of him then he ponders.
"I don't have any news but I do have an idea of what has caused this"
Nikias seemed to be attentively listening so Ethan nodded and spoke slowly.
"I think it was an aura released by a deity-level beast and seeing we are still alive it must have been contained somewhere not so far away from the location we previously were"
"Only contain not killed.... shouldn't it be defeated by now we have five squads and almost all of them are demi-god to deity level"
"If it was defeated then this dreaded aura should have been eliminated but instead of disappearing I can feel it growing stronger.... whatever that thing was it's about to destroy its containment"
Nikias hearing those words tried to focus his senses and sure enough, he felt the dreaded aura permeating around them.
"Everyone can feel it Nikias we will die if we continue to stay here" Looking grim Ethan said trying his best to steel his own will.