Chapter 104: The Withering Disease

Chapter 104: The Withering Disease

Across the boundless wilderness lay a blanket of pristine white snow, rolling endlessly.

A griffon extended its wings, gliding high in the sky.

Its keen gaze scanned the earth, desperately seeking prey to fill its belly.

At this time of year, satisfying hunger was always challenging.

Yet within its underdeveloped mind, it still remembered that not too far ahead lay a modest-sized foresta potential haven for food.

So it flew and flew, traversing the seemingly endless expanse of pristine white until an unsightly blotch disrupted the landscape.

A desolate, lifeless forest lay before it.

Every plant had withered away; trees resembled charred remains, their blackened branches twisting into the air.

This forest was dead.

A withered forest sustains no life, driving away any creatures that once called it home.

Those unable to escape perished here, their decaying bodies long having turned fetid.

The griffon hunted only the living, never feeding on rotting corpses.

It circled high above, scanning for potential targets, but found none.

No matter, its undeveloped mind recalled another forest not too far ahead, a larger one at that.

The griffon prepared to move towards its next destination.

Suddenly, something near the forest's edge captured its attentionan indication of life.

A young human boy knelt beneath a dead tree, tears streaming down his face.

"Sob... sob..."

The boy's cries reached the griffon's ears, sparking its predatory instincts.

The griffon circled in the air, adjusting its posture, then dove sharply towards its target.

Hearing movement behind him, the boy trembled and turned.

His tear-stained face twisted in fear.

"Gaah!"

The griffon emitted a sharp cry, attempting to intimidate the boy, rendering his legs weak and unable to flee.

It worked.

The boy stood frozen, as if petrified.

The prey was within reach.

Just then

Yet now, with the forest dead, she would fade away in turn.

"Don't cry. This isn't a sorrowful event..." The pseudo-flower spirit emitted a faint, silken voice, comforting the boy. "Death is the most natural occurrence. I've lived in this world for a long time. This is merely returning to nature... You won't be alone. I'll accompany you in a different way..."

The boy choked on his words, nodding, vigorously wiping away his tears, yet they continued to stream down.

The centaur approached, halting beside him.

The boy lifted his gaze, meeting the centaur's melancholic eyes. "Mister Centaur, please save her. I'll pay you any price, as long as you can revive her. I'll do anything for you..."

The centaur remained silent, shaking his head slightly, indicating his powerlessness.

"There must be a way! If we can revive the plants in the forest, she'll recover... There must be a magic potion that can cure the withering of plants, right? There has to be!"

"It's useless." The centaur bent his forelimbs, half-kneeling, then reached out his robust arm, plucked a dried grass from the ground, and inspected it closely, crushing it into powder with his fingers.

"This isn't an illness; it's a curse."

At that moment, the pseudo-flower spirit in the boy's hands finally exhaled her last breath. Her body disintegrated entirely, turning to a pile of ashes that scattered in the wind, disappearing from the world without a trace, as though she had never existed.

The centaur stood up, speaking in a not-quite-fluent common human language, asking, "The nearest forest from herewhere is it?"

His voice was deep, slow, magnetic, seemingly delving into one's innermost being, naturally evoking trust.

But the boy, currently crestfallen, couldn't hear him; he simply sat there dejectedly.

"Tell me, child." The centaur softened his tone, repeating gently, "Unless you want this curse to spread, endangering other places."

Only then did the boy snap out of his daze, wiping his tears with his sleeve, frowning as he pondered for a while.

"I remember, the closest one should be the Black Forest, the Woods of the Dark Enchantress... It's in that direction."

"Thank you." The centaur paused for a moment, leaving him with a parting sentence: "Stay brave and keep moving forward."

"Mister Centaur!"

The boy took a few steps after him.

The centaur halted upon hearing the voice, turning to face him.

"Will you be able to solve this withering disease curse?"

"I'll do my best."

The centaur's melancholic gaze gazed into the distance, carrying a multitude of thoughts.

...

"I've come up with a genius idea!"

Xiao Zi suddenly flew to Hua Mi's side, hands on hips, exuding an air of smugness, practically aiming her nostrils at the sky.

What genius idea could you possibly have?

But Hua Mi played along and asked, "What's the idea?"