'Maybe it's not so bad to lose in a place like this,' Leona thought as the healer finally finished her treatment and healed the throbbing sensation by the side of her face.
The others also shared the same sentiment as they realized that they would be sleeping comfortably tonight.
Who cared if they lost, especially when the battle had been fair? They would even want to lose again if it meant coming to a place like this.
Isadora suddenly bowed down towards the Village Chief. "Thank you for your hospitality," Isadora said, her tone filled with intense emotions.
The others, even those who had been lying down, immediately stood up and did the same, following suit.
"Thank you for your hospitality."
The Village Chief nodded in response.
"A warrior will lead you to your new homes when you are all done. If you encounter any problems, don't hesitate to inform the warriors, and they will immediately inform me," the Village Chief said. "For now, I must urgently attend to something, so I will see you later, Patriarch Rylan."
Patriarch Rylan nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Chief Brane. If there is anything I need to inform you about, I'll let you know immediately," he responded.
The Village Chief nodded again, turned around, and left the training ground with Orion and the others.
Once they were gone, they all slumped on the ground again, tiredly continuing their treatment. They couldn't wait to see what their new homes looked like.
Isadora suddenly felt movement within her leaf-crafted attire and smiled tiredly.
"It seems like someone was also tired and hungry. Don't worry, we'll be at our new home soon," Isadora muttered as she quietly parted the side of her attire.
….......
As Orion processed everything that had just occurred, leading the way toward where the dead Vylkr vine he had captured yesterday was secured, he couldn't help but ponder deeply about the Devourer's bracelet and its other functions. Since the Village's warriors could use the Vylkr energy, doesn't that also mean they were compatible with the Devourer's bracelet?
Though it was already clear to everyone that the Village's warriors had a prominent edge over the gods' chosen, Orion couldn't help but be curious about what would happen if the Village's warriors, especially those who had reached their potential, possessed their own Devourer's bracelet.
Would they be able to consistently grow stronger like the gods' chosen, or would such an attempt result in unforeseeable and undesirable consequences?
Orion couldn't help but ponder deeply about the results; however, he couldn't come up with anything, no matter how much he tried. The actual outcome was something he could only determine after testing it first.
Keeping the thought at the back of his mind, they finally arrived at their destination.
The Third Border City Headquarters Branch Of The Healers' Association!
Each Border City had its Headquarters Branch that took care of the various other Healers Association branches within it.
After several failed attempts to establish a suitable name for all the health structures in Orion's cities, the Healers' Association was the name they finally agreed upon.
Orion confidently led the way into the Headquarters Branch of The Healers' Association, with the Village Chief, Stronghold Leader Zogar, Stronghold Leader Seth, and Queen Selene all trailing behind him, their expressions solemn.
…....…
Within The Third Border City Headquarters Branch Of The Healers' Association
A small furnace roared with fierce flames in a secluded corner of the building, and a slender tube connected it to a crystalline retort.
As the fire danced beneath the transparent crystalline retort, the remnants of the Vylkr vines burned vigorously, creating a small, inky black blaze that swirled above.
The inky black smoke passed through the retort tube and encountered a pile of various greenish leaves, which promptly withered and perished upon contact with the dark smoke.
"Have you discovered anything about it yet?" Greta asked, her voice filled with a hint of weariness.
Seraphina shook her head, sighing, "Not yet," she replied.
She adjusted the furnace's heat, carefully containing the inky blackish smoke and setting it aside for disposal. Afterwards, she substituted the wilted leaves for several vibrant ones and repeated the process, placing the remnants of an ordinary dead three-star Vylkr vine the warriors had brought over.
"I've already tried examining the remains of the Vylkr vine, comparing it with other ordinary three-star Vylkr vines to check for contamination, evaluating its potency, and even diluting it. Yet, every attempt yielded the same result," Seraphina explained, clenching her hands into fists as the frustrating scene replayed in her mind despite replacing it with an ordinary Vylkr vine.
"Yeah, working with the Vylkr vines is difficult, or should I say, next to impossible. I wouldn't have spent my night here if it wasn't," Greta sympathetically remarked, appearing as though she was trying to comfort Seraphina with her words.
Compared to Greta, who relied more on her gift and was limited by the herbs on the farm, Seraphina excelled in mixing various herbs and conducting experiments. She brewed potions with incredible potency, healing various injuries and ailments. Having learned under her for three and a half months, Greta acknowledged that she had yet to match Seraphina's skills.
Still, she had come to understand one significant aspect of Seraphina: her aversion to anything that couldn't be explained through alchemy. While she demonstrated flexibility with matters related to her awakened gift and other magical capabilities, this preference made it challenging for Seraphina to connect with her other sisters at home.
She kept this aspect of herself well hidden, with only Orion, and then she became aware of it due to having to learn under her.
All their sisters had complained about her welcoming yet mysterious personality. This was one of the reasons why Greta had chosen to learn from her.
Greta was interested in creating potions apart from the herbal mixtures and wanted to help Seraphina open up more at home.
If not, she feared that Seraphina might be considered weird and left out by their sisters, who were all busy forming their own factions.
