Additionally, Ed had just gone through a fierce battle, and at this moment, he was utterly exhausted, feeling as if all his strength had been drained from his body. Even walking felt like he might collapse at any moment.
What Ed didn't expect was that as soon as he stepped out of Village Chief Vladimir's residence, a group of villagers surrounded him right at the door.
Although it was already getting late, these villagers all had expressions of deep gratitude, and their voices of praise were continuous.
"Thanks to you, Sir Hunter, you've saved our entire village!"
"Come to my house for a meal! I'll treat you to a great feast!"
By now, the sky had grown dim, but the villagers still crowded the entrance, making it impossible to pass through.
Ed could only force himself to hold on and asked a middle-aged man beside him, "Sir, do you know where Paul's house is?"
When the middle-aged man heard this, that the Hunter was asking him for help, he immediately lit up with joy. "Paul? Yes, yes, I know! Follow me, I'll take you there!"
With that, the man led Ed toward Paul's house. Along the way, many other villagers waved to Ed with friendly gestures.
Ed could truly feel what it was like to be treated like a savior.
But his head felt heavy, and there seemed to be a black insect flying in front of him, back and forth, making him not want to think about anything at all.
"Sir Hunter, you see, after crossing that small river, Paul's house is the second-to-last wooden house on the left," the middle-aged man said enthusiastically, pointing with his hand.
He had originally planned to take Ed there himself, but by this time, the sun had completely set.
Feeling embarrassed, the man said, "Sorry, Sir Hunter, the moon's about to come out. I need to head home and hide. Just head in the direction I pointed to, and you'll find it."
With that, the man waved apologetically, and without waiting for Ed to respond, he shivered several times and hurried off, as if fleeing to his own home.
Ed's face changed slightly, and he also noticed that the villagers who had just crowded the area and blocked the path were now all gone. As soon as the sun set, they had all disappeared, retreating into their homes to hide.
"Is the moon's power really that terrifying?"
The pale moon pierced through the clouds, casting its silver light over the land. Ed stood in the moonlight, and the once bustling village that had been lively just moments ago now seemed deserted, with only him left standing.
Ed arrived at Paul's door. Just as he was about to push it open, he heard Paul's voice from inside:
"Dammit, woman! How long have I been telling you? Why haven't you taken the two silver coins out of the chest yet? Are you trying to push me to the breaking point?"
Paul's voice sounded furious as he shouted.
Immediately after, a woman's voice, tinged with tears, responded, "No, I can't give you the two silver coins!"
"Are you crazy?! Those coins are all the savings we have! They were meant for our son's wedding, and you're telling me you want to give them to that Hunter?!" the woman exclaimed.
"Hmph, what do you know? That Hunter saved my life! Stop talking and bring me the two silver coins now!" Paul's tone was firm and brooked no argument.
It was important to note that Ed had not only saved his life once, but twice.
Faced with Paul's stubborn attitude, Paul's wife had no choice but to wipe her tears, her face full of sorrow, and turn away to retrieve the two silver coins from under the floorboards of the small wooden house.
"You don't need to."
A voice suddenly said, as the sound of a door opening followed. Ed walked in. His face was expressionless, but his voice was unexpectedly strong as he addressed Paul and his wife.
Both of them froze in place when they saw him.
Paul quickly moved forward, excitedly greeting him. "Benefactor, you're here! I heard that all five griffins were killed, you truly are a hero!"
He then turned and added, "This is my wife."
Ed turned his head and saw a woman in simple homespun clothes. She appeared relatively young, but her face showed the wear of hard work.
At this moment, she wiped her tears and said, "Sir Hunter, is it true that you don't want the two silver coins anymore?"
Ed nodded seriously, "That's right. You can keep the money. It's yours."
Paul immediately responded, "But... you've saved my life twice. I have to repay you somehow."
"No need," Ed replied. "It was nothing, really."
Looking around, Ed saw that Paul's family lived in a small, cramped wooden house, and the two silver coins were all they had in savings. If he took them, their entire world might come crashing down.
Besides, he had already received 100 gold coins from Village Chief Vladimir. From what Ed could tell, gold coins were likely worth much more than silver coins. Compared to that sum, two silver coins seemed insignificant.
Still, Ed couldn't help but feel curious. For Paul, two silver coins represented everything his family had saved. So, how much were the 100 gold coins from Village Chief Vladimir really worth?
"Ed, you're back! I'm so glad!" At that moment, Luna cheerfully approached, interrupting Ed's thoughts.
Before Ed entered, Luna had been sitting by the candlelight, reading a book.
Since obtaining the books on sorcery, Luna would take them out to read whenever she had time. Each time, she would immerse herself in the pages, completely absorbed in the contents.
Ed nodded at Luna, but suddenly, the world before him went pitch black for a brief moment. It felt as though something heavy had struck his head with a blunt force!
He felt an overwhelming dizziness!
Quickly, Ed pressed one hand to his temples, desperately trying to find support. But in the next instant, his limbs gave way entirely, and he collapsed to the ground!
"Ed!"
"Benefactor!" Luna and Paul both cried out in alarm!
Luna immediately knelt beside him, supporting Ed's upper body and holding him in her arms. "Ed, what's happening to you?"
Ed's eyes were half-lidded, his lips trembling uncontrollably as he struggled to speak, "C-cold… so cold…"
Luna looked closer and noticed that Ed's lips had begun to turn black. Her heart dropped. "Oh no, could it be that the griffin's poison is acting up?"
She quickly tore off the fabric covering the wound on Ed's shoulder and saw the long gash left by the griffin's claws.
Compared to when it was first inflicted, the wound had already turned black, clearly worsening. The griffin's venom was taking hold in Ed's body!
"This is bad, I have to treat it immediately. The griffin's poison isn't very strong, but if left untreated, it can still be fatal!" Luna immediately recognized the gravity of the situation.
Paul, still standing behind them, was anxious. "We need to find a doctor. There is one in the village, but he only knows how to treat common illnesses like colds or fevers."
"But the benefactor has been injured by a griffin! He needs a sorcerer to treat him!"
Paul was sweating heavily. "In this remote village, there's not a single sorcerer within a hundred-mile radius."
At that moment, Luna turned to look at Paul. "Uncle, don't panic."
She spoke calmly.
"I am a sorcerer!"
When Paul heard this, he froze in place, clearly stunned by her words.
But Luna's voice quickly followed again. "I can make the antidote for griffin poison. Now, please help me gather the materials."
"I need Milk Thistle, Raven's gizzard stone, honey, and…"
Luna listed off several ingredients. Paul listened attentively, wanting to help, but soon his face showed signs of distress.
"How could we possibly have these materials in such a small mountain village?"
Luna furrowed her brow. Although the recipe for the antidote was in the book and she could try to make it, without the necessary materials, it was all just wishful thinking.
"Can you make the antidote?" Ed's weak voice suddenly interrupted.
Luna nodded softly. "Yes, Ed. I learned it from the books of female sorcerers."
"How confident are you?" Ed asked.
"This is my first time, but I'm ninety percent confident," Luna replied with certainty.
Ed struggled to pull out his storage pouch and said weakly, "The materials I collected from the female sorcerer are in here. You can take whatever you need, and see if you find what you're looking for."
Luna, hearing this, began to search through the storage pouch. Soon, her eyes brightened. "I found it! There are materials for making the antidote in here!"
She took out the ingredients one by one, including the alchemy pot that was required for potion-making—something the female sorcerer had used previously.
After gathering everything, Luna placed each material carefully into the pot and had Paul and his wife assist with the preparations.
They lit the fire and added water. Before long, a pungent medicinal odor began to fill the air!