"It seems the poison didn't come from the wolf, but from Violetbane. Did you come into contact with it in any way? Was there any Violetbane around when you fought the feral wolf?"

James frowned deeply, confusion and dread warring on his face. "Impossible. I always take note of my surroundings when I hunt. I didn't see any Violetbane."

His eyes drifted back down to his leg. The discoloration had spread further now, the numbness creeping higher with every passing second. Recognition slowly dawned on his face, followed by something far worse.

His expression collapsed.

"I've seen this before," he whispered hoarsely. "Others who were poisoned by Violetbane… they looked like this."

His breath hitched.

"It's over for me…"

The villagers beside him fell silent, their faces draining of color. Even they seemed to have lost hope, as if the verdict had already been passed.

Bruce straightened slightly.

"Don't worry," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for despair. "I'll think of something before the Violetbane takes your life."

He looked James straight in the eyes, his gaze unwavering.

"I'll definitely save you."

"Please…" James's voice came out cracked, barely louder than a whisper. His fingers trembled as they clutched at the edge of the mat beneath him, knuckles whitening despite the numbness creeping up his leg.

"Please… I don't want to die yet."

The words carried far more weight than their volume suggested. Fear sat naked within them, stripped of pride or bravado. Yet even as he spoke, a part of James didn't truly believe it was possible. Violetbane poison was a death sentence here. Everyone knew that. Hope was something people clung to instinctively, not something they genuinely expected to be answered.

Bruce caught that hesitation instantly.

He straightened and glanced toward the two villagers who had brought James in. "You can leave if you want," he said evenly. "This will take a while."

The two exchanged looks.

One of them frowned deeply, folding his arms. "That's pointless," he said. "Everyone knows Violetbane poison gives at most ten hours. Less, if it spreads fast. How exactly do you plan to find a cure within that time?"

The tone wasn't concern.

It was scrutiny.

Bruce's brows knit together almost imperceptibly. His gaze lingered on the man a fraction longer than necessary, something cold flickering behind his eyes.

'Ten hours… and he's already speaking as if the outcome is decided.'

A thought crossed Bruce's mind, uninvited.

'Could he be the one behind this?'

His eyes shifted to James. The injured man lay there, breathing shallowly, staring at the ceiling as though trying to keep himself conscious through sheer will. He hadn't noticed the tension. Hadn't noticed the tone. To him, these were still the same friends who had hunted beside him, laughed with him, dragged him here in desperation.

Bruce exhaled softly.

If James hasn't noticed yet, there's no point forcing it.

"It doesn't matter," Bruce said at last, his voice neutral. "You can stay if you want. Or leave. I don't care."

He turned away from them entirely.

In truth, he had only asked because most people found research unbearably dull. Sitting still. Watching. Waiting. To Bruce, however, it was the exact opposite.

This was the most interesting part.

He moved deeper into the room, where the herbs, tools, and restrained mutant beasts had already been prepared. The moment his focus shifted, everything else faded away.

First, poisoning.

He poisoned a couple of the beasts using blood taken from James through a controlled incision, carefully introducing the toxin into their systems.

Then, confirmation.

Bruce retrieved one of the poisoned mutant beasts, smaller than the rest, restrained within a reinforced cage. Its fur was matted, its movements sluggish. Earlier, before the poison had taken hold, it had thrashed violently, snapping at the bars, eyes wild with feral aggression.

Now, it barely lifted its head.

He knelt beside it and inspected the wound along its flank, where he had deliberately introduced a controlled amount of Violetbane toxin through a shallow incision. The fur concealed the veins, making visual confirmation impossible for anyone else.

But Bruce didn't need to see it.

Before poisoning, the beast had been restless, violent, burning with vitality.

Now its breathing was shallow. Its muscles twitched sporadically. Its reactions were delayed, dulled, as though its entire nervous system had been wrapped in wet cloth.

'Systemic numbness. Progressive paralysis. Neural suppression. Exactly as recorded. Since it possesses no resistance to Violetbane, it's a perfect specimen.'

Bruce nodded faintly.

Next, variables.

He laid out several herbs across a stone surface, separating them carefully. Some were known for drawing out toxins. Others stimulated circulation. A few enhanced cellular activity, forcing accelerated regeneration at the cost of stamina.

"Violetbane doesn't kill instantly," Bruce muttered under his breath. "It disrupts signal transmission first. Nerves, then muscles, then organs."

He crushed one leaf between his fingers, watching the sap bead along his skin. "So flushing it blindly won't work. It'll spread faster."

'If forced excretion won't work, then theory two, neutralization through binding.'

He combined a bitter-root extract with a grounding herb known for absorbing volatile substances, mixing them carefully. The resulting paste was applied to another poisoned mutant through an open wound.

Minutes passed.

Nothing improved.

The beast convulsed violently, then grew even weaker.

Bruce clicked his tongue. "Too aggressive. It's reacting, not stabilizing."

'Theory three, neural reactivation.'

By activating the neurons and increasing overall activity, Bruce hoped to stimulate the body's defenses, forcing its antibodies to fight against the poison.

He adjusted his approach, using a nerve-stimulating herb paired with a mild regenerative catalyst. This time, the reaction was different. The beast shuddered, let out a low growl, and attempted to rise.

Then collapsed.

Bruce's eyes lit faintly.

"Close," he murmured. "But incomplete."

***

A/N:

Happy New Year Y'all. I'm very sorry for the late release, Real life shii messed up my schedule. Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far... I'll try to speed things up from now henceforth... Sigh

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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