Although the Valthorn Kingdom was at its lowest, the kingdom's lifelong enemy, the Blue Hammer Kingdom, had no plans of conquering it as it would mean facing the brunt of bestial attacks that would their way towards the Blue Hammer Kingdom through the pass.
It was only because of the Valthorn Kingdom that the Church could flourish in peace, enjoying countless benefits without sacrificing anything.
Behind the kind and honest appearance of Priest Theodore was a heart that was cold and calculating, darker than charcoal.
The atmosphere in the room turned almost frigid with no one present speaking. A heavy silence settled over them, pressing against their chests like a tangible force.
Damien's eyes flashed with strange light, numerous thoughts flashing in his head like lightning.
"Can I also accelerate others' healing capabilities..."
He wasn't sure, but trying wouldn't hurt anyone.
Just as he was thinking of finding an opportunity to check whether his ability worked or not, his eyes fell on the blue icon flashing at the corner of his vision.
[Mastery of acceleration talent increased].
[New skill unlocked].
[Accelerated Healing Level 1].
[Acceleration Exp gained +10]
'Hmm! New skills could be unlocked as well...'
Damien thought with his lips curling upwards slightly; however, the smile was almost unnoticeable, disappearing as soon as it had appeared.
Cough!
At this time, Priest Theodore cleared his throat and spoke in a slightly guilty tone.
"Forgive me everyone, an emergency has appeared at the church. I will have to go back..."
After saying these words, Theodore flicked his gigantic white sleeves and a crystalline bottle filled with a dozen red-colored pills appeared in his hand.
Immediately with the appearance of the bottle, a strong medicinal scent filled the whole room. It was thick and heady, tinged with a faint metallic sharpness that made the air feel heavier.
Devrok, who was closest to the priest, felt his face flush slightly, his skin prickling with a sensation of warmth, as if vitality itself was seeping into his pores.
"Such medicine..." Damien's heart also fluttered. A faint, tingling energy emanated from the bottle, making the hairs on his arms stand on end. He could tell the medicine was beyond precious.
Roan, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief. It appeared the church was truly sincere this time if they were willing to bring out such rare medicine.
However, compared to his relieved expression, the eyes of his son flashed with a chilling light, dark as a stormy night.
"Priest Theodore, what kind of pellets are these..." Devrok couldn't contain his curiosity anymore and directly asked.
Niomi's eyes also turned, gleaming with interest as she waited for the answer.
Witnessing the reaction of everyone in the room, a satisfied smile appeared on Priest Theodore's chubby face. His head lifted slightly in pride, his chest puffing out like a rooster reveling in admiration.
It appeared bringing this precious bottle out of the church treasury had been worth it.
'Hmmph! Roosevelt, you better not forget the grace of the church in the future.'
"Haaa, this is nothing much, it's just a bottle of Silver pills..."
Hisss! At his words, Roan sucked in a breath of cold air. These pills were simply too precious; after all, Silver rank pills could only be refined by a Rank 2 alchemist.
A Rank 2 alchemist was capable of commanding wind and cloud with a single word. Hell, forget about the Rank 2 alchemist, there was not even a single Rank 1 Alchemist in the entirety of the region surrounding the Valthorn Kingdom; even the prosperous regions didn't have one.
"Silver rank pills... these things are too precious to waste on a corpse..."
After understanding their significance, Roan's son's eyes narrowed venomously. To waste the precious medicine on these old things—it was unthinkable, a crime of excess. If he could get his hands on these pills, how good it would be.
After arrogantly bragging for some time, Priest Theodore swaggered out, his heavy robes trailing behind him like the tail of a smugly satisfied cat.
Roan's son also left, his body tense with suppressed fury, unable to control his rage any longer.
Now there were only five people in the room.
Devrok turned his gaze to look at Damien and said in a tired voice, his tone carrying the weight of sleepless nights and unspoken worries.
"Damien, you feed the medicine to father. I have to discuss something important with Uncle Roan..."
After saying these words, he walked toward Damien with a heavy heart and handed him the bottle of Silver grade pills. His fingers trembled slightly, the weight of the small glass vial feeling disproportionately heavy in his palm.
Without saying anything, Damien calmly nodded. He could tell his elder brother was greatly affected by their father's state.
After giving the pill bottle to Damien, Devrok looked towards Roan with deep emotions, his face an unreadable mask, and turned to leave.
Looking at his nephew's state, Roan's heart trembled, his chest growing heavy. The air felt thick, pressing against his ribs like an unseen burden.
He silently followed Devrok out of the room.
Damien turned his gaze away from Roan's receding back and looked at the bottle in his hand.
It was at this time, a figure suddenly moved at fast speed, a blur of warmth and softness colliding into him.
Before he could react, he was tightly hugged by Niomi, her warm arms wrapping around his figure, two mounds of flesh pressing against his chest. Her heartbeat fluttered against his skin, rapid and uneven.
"Husband, don't worry about father-in-law..."
Damien sighed internally and hugged her back, his strong, firm hands wrapping around her snake-like waist. Her body felt tense, her fingers digging slightly into his back.
It might look like she was trying to console Damien, but in reality, it was she who needed support. The faintest tremor ran through her, like a leaf caught in an unseen breeze.
He gently rubbed her back, tracing slow, reassuring circles. After some time, he noticed that her heart had returned to a steady rhythm, the rigidness in her spine slowly melting away.
"Okay! First let me give medicine to my father, then we can talk..."
Although she was reluctant to let go, after hearing his words, Niomi obediently nodded and stood to the side, watching him with concerned eyes.
Now that he was free, Damien wasted no time and quickly walked closer to the sickly figure on the bed.
As he walked closer, it felt as if he was walking toward a glacier; the temperature around the bed fell sharply, and a strong acidic smell assaulted his nose. The putrid scent of rot and something far worse lingered in the air, thick enough to cling to his throat.
Earlier he was standing away, but now he was at arm's distance from King Roosevelt's body. His expression couldn't help but change.
His father's state was even more terrible than he had imagined; his bones seemed to be melting from the inside, his skin stretched taut over a skeletal frame, as if some sort of demonic creature was feeding on his very marrow.
Damien scrunched his nose and took out a pill from the bottle, placing it gently in the king's mouth.
Huh! In the next moment, Damien's eyes widened in surprise.
The instant the pill touched the king's lips, it melted into a crimson liquid, slipping past his teeth like quicksilver, turning into a red current that slowly entered Roosevelt's throat.