Volume 2 Chapter 39: The Price

Exiting the forest near late afternoon, the team saw Albert Castle perched atop the cliffs just before nightfall. Among the original group of over twenty, only nine Demon Hunters remained.

Seven members had been sacrificed; this included five Demon Hunters, Frank, and the Werewolf who had been human. The rest were the severely wounded. The bodies of the critically injured and the fallen Demon Hunters were transported directly to Audiya Town. The nine survivors, including Qin Lun, all sustained serious wounds, though none immediately life-threatening.

Old Butler Jason, alongside several servants from the castle, came out to meet them before the stone bridge of Albert Castle. The elevated position of Albert Castle had allowed them to spot the Demon Hunters’ approach long before.

“Lady Nova, Doctor Stan, welcome back!” Old Butler bowed respectfully and gestured for the servants to assist the nine injured Demon Hunters. “We have prepared hot water and food for everyone. You can dine as soon as you enter the castle.”

“Is the Baron in the castle?” King’s Flower waved her hand wearily.

“Yes, the Baron is waiting for everyone inside!” The old butler turned towards Qin Lun on the carriage, smiling warmly. “Doctor Stan, some good news for you. Young Master Miller awoke the day before yesterday! Your Magic Potion worked; his health is recovering.”

“Oh? That truly is wonderful!” A flicker of thought crossed Qin Lun’s mind as he nodded with a faint smile.

After the old butler stepped away, Lady Nova suddenly hung back two steps, approaching Qin Lun’s carriage. Her expression darkened as she studied the doctor.

“Doctor Stan, you treated my nephew Morrison in Audiya Town, and now you’ve cured Little Miller. Can it truly be that you have no way to control the Epidemic Disease in the Odia Region?”

Qin Lun met King’s Flower’s gaze impassively. “Through my research on the plague during this time, I’ve largely understood the virus. Even without the immunity substance controlled by the Albert Family, there is a way to curb the spread. It just requires the Exorcist Organization to pay a steep price.”

“What kind of price?” Nova’s eyes lit up immediately as she pressed urgently.

“Doctor Stan, if we can control the epidemic without pressuring the Albert Family, I believe everyone here is willing to contribute,” Meyer, along with the other nearby Demon Hunters who overheard, perked up, their attention fixed intently on Qin Lun.

“Deliver over thirty Sacred Spirit Potions to me within three days.” Qin Lun calmly held up three fingers. “Then I will have the confidence to control the Epidemic in the Odia Region.”

“Doctor Stan, are you trying to blackmail us?” Meyer’s face darkened, his expression growing stern.

“Meyer! I’m sure Doctor Stan doesn’t mean it that way!” Nova interjected smoothly, stopping the angry Meyer in his tracks. Her voice remained low but firm. “However… Doctor Stan, you only learned about the Sacred Spirit Potion this morning. Why are you so certain it can eradicate the plague virus?”

Qin Lun swept his gaze over the surrounding Demon Hunters, noting the anger on their faces. He sighed softly and pulled a thumb-sized empty vial from his robe, tossing it to King’s Flower.

“This contained the main ingredient of the Magic Potion I used to treat Morrison, and Little Miller! Smell it!”

“This… there seems to be a residue scent similar to the Holy Water of Longevity!” Nova brought the tiny bottle to her nostrils, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Let me see!” Meyer frowned, taking the vial. He only needed one sniff before nodding. “The remaining scent inside does bear a striking resemblance to the Holy Water of Longevity!”

What Qin Lun had produced was, of course, the vial that once contained World Tree Dew, now empty. World Tree Dew held immense vitality, an attribute extremely similar to the Sacred Spirit Potion. These Demon Hunters, familiar with “life” attribute energies themselves, recognized it immediately.

His demand for thirty Sacred Spirit Potions wasn’t casual or simple blackmail. If they truly provided them, he would abandon this Otherworld Mission without hesitation. Once his designated stay-time elapsed, he would return directly to Shattered Starry Sky.

The reward for the mission was two thousand Fragment Crystals and one Law of Shattering Fusion Crystal. Two thousand Fragment Crystals roughly equaled the sale price of two Sacred Spirit Potions, while Qin Lun valued a single Law of Shattering Fusion Crystal between five to ten Sacred Spirit Potions.

His valuation wasn’t arbitrary. This crystal was essential for the Maiar Crystal Ball.

Frank’s Soul resided within the Maiar Crystal Ball. With only days left in this world, finding a suitable body for Frank in such a short time was near impossible. Qin Lun would have to take the Maiar Crystal Ball back to Shattered Starry Sky. That required a Law of Shattering Fusion Crystal to transform the crystal ball into a usable piece of special equipment for an Apostle.

Without the crystal, it meant Qin Lun would need to mobilize enormous manpower and resources within days to find Frank a suitable body. Presently, only the Exorcist Organization met that requirement, meaning Qin Lun needed vast amounts of contribution points. This was why he valued the Law of Shattering Fusion Crystal at five to ten Sacred Spirit Potions.

In other words, the superficial price for Qin Lun to abandon the Otherworld Mission was seven to twelve Sacred Spirit Potions.

This calculation didn’t even include the additional rewards: the World Exploration Degree attached to the mission, the potential for its rank to rise to Planetary or even Stellar level, the thirty Soul Lifespan points he would lose upon failure, or the danger of Frank’s possible failure to merge with a new body.

Therefore, demanding over thirty Sacred Spirit Potions from the Demon Hunters as compensation for abandoning the mission and offsetting these risks was genuinely not a scam, but a very reasonable exchange.

“The plague virus possesses an undead attribute. Although I can concoct a cure, it requires adding a substance rich in life-force essence. My own vial of Magic Potion is exhausted. The Sacred Spirit Potion meets the substitution requirement,” Qin Lun explained, his eyes calmly scanning the group. “Considering the current scale of the epidemic’s spread, thirty Sacred Spirit Potions diluted and mixed would produce sufficient Medicine to only potentially suppress reinfection among the afflicted. But note: this is the absolute minimum dosage. We would likely need additional Sacred Spirit Potions later. Otherwise, Audiya will be covered in corpses, and the plague could spread throughout the entire Maize Duchy.”

Nova and Meyer turned pale. The nearby Demon Hunters who heard Qin Lun fell into a heavy silence. The comparison to the Sacred Spirit Potion finally drove home the sheer severity of the situation.

“I understand everyone holds Baron Albert in high regard and feels deep aversion to questioning his family,” Qin Lun stated coldly. “But you are all Demon Hunters, sworn protectors of humanity. If tens of thousands of common people in the Odia Region perish because you shield Albert Family members who have erred, can you truly face the ancestors of Albert Family who sacrificed themselves?”

“My friends,” Bonnie stepped forward from the group, his head still wrapped in bandages. The young blond man bowed formally to the assembled Demon Hunters. “Father will surrender any medicine capable of resisting the plague virus if the Albert Family truly possesses it. Please, don’t trouble Doctor Stan further.”

Bonnie’s earlier indignation was gone, replaced by firm resolve. Qin Lun’s words had shaken him profoundly. The Albert Family’s esteemed reputation wasn’t earned by the current Baron Albert, but by the deeds of the ancestors. If the current Baron was truly wrong, then the family members themselves bore the primary responsibility to step forward and rectify the mistake. Covering it up could only cause greater harm.

Nova, Meyer, and the rest of the Demon Hunters remained silent. If even Bonnie believed this, what could they say? This small incident unexpectedly served to lessen the resentment many Demon Hunters felt toward Qin Lun. He was no longer met with the same chilly dismissal.

A slight smirk touched Qin Lun’s lips. He realized his manipulation had been clumsy. Had it not been for King’s Flower’s spontaneous question and the revealing contrast provided by the lack of Sacred Spirit Potions, he might have remained permanently at odds with these Demon Hunters. His actions now were actually beneficial to the Odia Region and aligned with the core values of the Demon Hunters. To do good and be misunderstood felt like an insult to a master of psychology.

The team crossed the stone bridge and entered Albert Castle. Baron Albert had been waiting in the great hall for quite some time.

“Lady Nova, Sir Meyer, Doctor Stan… you’ve returned at last. Please retire to your rooms; servants will bring food directly. Tomorrow, once you’ve rested, report on your reconnaissance mission.”

Baron Albert seemed to be in high spirits, likely buoyed by Little Miller’s recovery. He failed to notice the subtle hint of strangeness on the faces of the Demon Hunters gathered at the foot of the hall steps. Even Bonnie didn’t offer his usual cheerful response, merely standing by.

Unaware, the Baron observed the reduced number of Demon Hunters – only nine had returned – and mistakenly assumed everyone was grieving their lost comrades and too heavy-hearted for greetings.

The Demon Hunters dispersed to their rooms quickly. They hadn’t rested at all since the previous day, enduring two days and a night of peril and injury; exhaustion had pushed them to their absolute limit.

A maidservant guided Qin Lun back to his assigned room. Once inside, he collapsed onto the large bed and fell into a deep sleep.

But he did not know. At this moment, the window of his guest room overlooking the cliff creaked open silently, without any breeze. A white, insubstantial figure floated gently into the room. Standing silently by his bed, it gazed down at him wordlessly.

Suddenly, Qin Lun’s eyes flew open in the depths of sleep. He stared directly at the pale figure, his own face utterly expressionless.

“Madam, how shall I address you? Witch Mary… or Nina Albert?”