"There's an assassin!"
Old Harry rushed out of his room in a panic, only to see Hibell's residence already a pile of rubble.
The acid, mixed with deadly poison, converged into surging torrents, raging through the courtyard like an out-of-control tornado.
Wherever it passed, houses collapsed and plants were pulverized.
A figure seemed to be enveloped within it, its flesh rapidly dissolving under the acid's corrosion.
When it hit the ground, only a pile of bones, riddled with holes, remained.
Old Harry leaped up, treading on several raised patches of ground to avoid the acid, and landed in front of Hibell.
Carl moved even faster.
He appeared beside Hibell just as the acid landed, reaching out to support her. His expression changed instantly.
Something was wrong with Hibell!
Because he had discovered the assassin in time, the commotion he made had also awakened Hibell, allowing her to successfully counter-kill the assassin.
But she had also been injured by the sudden assassination attempt.
Hibell's face was deathly pale, her body cold. Trembling, she lifted her left arm, revealing a shallow scratch.
Her eyes filled with terror, her voice trembling as she said, "Spiral Spirit Poison!"
The scratch, less than three centimeters long, had barely broken the skin and could hardly be called an injury, yet the insidious toxin was already coursing through her body.
Hibell could feel her consciousness beginning to blur, and her body was becoming increasingly rigid.
As a Pharmacist, she knew exactly what poison she had contracted and, even more so, what the consequences would be.
Her lips quivered. "I don't want to die!"
Few could face death with indifference. Hibell certainly couldn't; she was still so young.
Carl's voice was calm. "Is there any way to cure the poison?"
"Tutor!" Hibell's eyes lit up, a fierce will to live flaring within them. She gripped Carl's sleeve tightly. "Our tutor might have a way!"
It was only a possibility. The Spiral Spirit Snail's poison was exceedingly rare; she had only read about it in books, and it was particularly potent against Wizard Apprentices.
But even with just a sliver of a chance, she was unwilling to let it go.
"Then let's go find our tutor," Carl said.
"Harry, I'll take Senior Sister to the Black Swamp to see our tutor first. You bring the others and follow."
"This..." Old Harry hesitated for a moment. He glanced at Hibell, then nodded firmly. "Alright!"
His face contorted with remorse, he struck his own cheek hard, each slap landing solidly.
"It was my dereliction of duty! Old Harry deserves to die for this!"
As a guard, allowing an assassin to sneak into his master's room unheard and unseen to make an attempt on her life was undoubtedly a dereliction of duty.
"This isn't the time for that," Carl said, his expression grim. "Go prepare the best horses, the steadiest carriage, and get some ice from the Chad family."
Lowering the body's temperature, even freezing it, could slow the spread of most toxins.
The Spiral Spirit Poison should be no exception.
Old Harry acted quickly. Soon, the carriage was ready, its compartment piled high with blocks of ice.
Shivering violently, Hibell curled up amidst the ice, her lips turning black and purple at a visible rate.
Carl whipped the reins, steering the carriage straight towards the Black Swamp.
The Black Swamp was faintly visible.
This was a forbidden zone in the eyes of ordinary people.
Thick fog, invisible toxic miasma, and treacherous swamps—which one could fall into with a moment's carelessness—left no space for ordinary human survival.
Carl gently pulled the reins and dismounted.
Inside the carriage, Hibell's body was noticeably stiff, her consciousness flickering between clarity and confusion.
Due to the prolonged time spent amidst the ice, large patches of frostbite covered her skin, and her long hair was matted with white frost.
She looked like a delicate ice sculpture that would shatter at the gentlest touch.
Her once-vibrant vitality was long gone; the flame of her life was so faint that a gentle breeze could easily extinguish it.
Carl lifted the carriage curtain. "Senior Sister," he said, "we can't take the carriage into the Black Swamp. We'll have to ride in on horseback, and we might even need to walk for a stretch."
Hibell struggled to open her eyes, her lips trembling. "Alright."
Her voice was barely audible. If Carl's hearing hadn't been exceptionally sharp, he might not have heard her speak at all.
Death was drawing ever closer.
The Death God might already be by her side, waiting for the final wisp of her life to fade before swinging his scythe to harvest her soul.
Choosing the stronger of the two carriage horses, Carl lifted Hibell and mounted its back.
The horse's hooves pounded, carrying them into the dense fog.
The Black Swamp was a vast swampland, dotted with a few solid islands.
The Swamp Alliance's headquarters was situated on the largest of these 'islands'.
The Grey Robed Wizard Adison, in order to form the alliance, had sent invitations to Wizards from all over the Gando Kingdom.
Therefore, entering the headquarters was easy.
a piece of news stunned Carl on the spot.
The one who received Carl was Arthur, an Advanced Wizard Apprentice. He mentioned that he had a good relationship with Adolf.
The two were considered old friends.
Arthur explained, "Adolf rendered a great service to the alliance by pioneering the Black Swamp. In return, he received a Grimm Potion from a Grey Robed Wizard."
"After obtaining the Grimm Potion, Adolf chose to attempt a breakthrough in seclusion, without notifying anyone."
"Unfortunately..." He sighed. "The breakthrough failed. He suffered a backlash from the Star Realm Energy, causing his head to explode, leaving not even a fragment of his soul behind."
Carl gaped. "When did this happen?"
"Almost two months ago, I believe." Arthur looked up, silently calculating.