Chapter 64 64: Hunt For The Ingredients [Pt1]

"Trick you? Why, I would never do something like that in my life. Don't you know that fairies are the ultimate symbol of light and goodness? How dare you accuse me of such a bad thing. I ought to -"

This time, the fairy was not caught by Keith but swatted away by Arcana. The half-spider used her two backhands to capture the annoying fairy and hold her by her wings.

"Bell, what do you think you are doing? I told you to not play your regular tricks on people."

Arcana scolded the fairy, her grip tight enough to rip the delicate wings in front of her apart.

Bell yelled and cried out at the sudden touch on her back. Her face showed fear and pain but Keith knew that she did not feel anything. The fairy was just putting on a show for sympathy.

"A-Arcana, let me go. You know my wings are delicate and you are hurting me. Please let me go."

Bell, the fairy cried out, not even noticing that the grip on her wings had tightened.

"Bell, your acting is not fooling anyone. You might as well stop now."

The fairy finally noticed that Keith was not fooled by her acting. He was not even giving her any sympathy which made the fairy drop her act for the second time.

"Shit, you are right. Hey, you! What kind of human are you? Do you not feel any sympathy for the bullied and oppressed person? Do you not feel guilty when you look at me?"

Bell questioned Keith's ethics, but he, once again, ignored her questions. His cold face caused Bell to falter and her mouth was frozen shut by his glare.

"O-On second thought, you are plenty nice in your way. I should not disturb you, right?"

The fairy backed down, not saying anything. She did spare glances toward the unconscious child in front of her though, which was enough to divert Arcana's attention as well.

She took one look at the child in front of her and hissed. She seemed to have noticed his irregularities as well.

"Pheromone poisoning? This kid is lucky to still be alive and get here on time. Oi Bell, get your ass back in here. This kid needs you the most."

The fairy, which had just been tossed aside, pouted in misery. Her eyes refused to look at Arcana and she turned her head away.

"Ha, as if I would do anything for you now. Ask someone else to prepare your potion for pheromone poisoning because I am not going to do it."

Bell refused, only to take a step back when Arcana raised her fist in the air. Bell immediately darted into her place and hid her head in her arms.

"I'm sorry but I lack the ingredients necessary to treat him. I also do not dare to go and gather them myself. It is not because I don't want to treat this kid, but that I cannot treat this kid right now."

Bell finally revealed the real reason why she could not make a potion and Arcana backed down.

This situation looked identical to the one in the game and Keith's head was spinning with all the deja-vu he was feeling. The sweet smell was also beginning to clog his nose again with its intensity.

'This is getting too much. Just what is the source of his weirdly sweet smell?'

Keith was getting distracted by the real issue at hand. So, he did not most of the questions Arcana asked him. He only got the part of 'gathering' and 'ingredients' but Keith was smart enough to piece things together.

'Arcana is asking me to help them gather ingredients to treat Shinu. If I say yes, then the world quest - the Mirage of Dreams will start. God, I do not want to participate.'

And because Keith did not want to participate, the world decided that he needed to participate. Shinu let out a pain-filled groan as his body was overly saturated with pheromones.

At this rate, Shinu would not survive a single day more.

"Fine, let's go out and gather ingredients. What do you need me to do?"

Now that things had come to this, Keith had only one option left - to go deeper into the forest. But thankfully, he knew the story quest and he knew the speed run tactics which allowed the player to avoid all monsters.

If luck was on his side, Keith would not have encountered any monster while he was out gathering ingredients.

...….

'Shit, why did I ever think this was going to work? I should have known that Arcana would attack the monsters the first chance she got with her temperament. That was why the speed runners left her behind in the main story."

Keith knew he was forgetting something before. Currently, Arcana was busy fighting small monsters and Keith was gathering their drops. Bell cheered them from the sidelines, her eyes widening as she watched more and more ingredients fall.

"Oi, hurry up and gather the ingredients that fall. The ingredients would spoil if they are left out for too long. Use the bad I gave you to store everything."

Bell yelled from the sidelines as she ducked behind the tree. She was coaching Keith from the sidelines with her annoying lines.

Keith almost wanted to drop the bag and leave in a fit of annoyed rage, but then he remembered why he was doing all this.

'Do this for your safe future. You need Shinu's protection to open sacred treasures and gain power. Do not let a silly little fairy spoil your mood.'

So, Keith went back to farming for ingredients.

One of the monsters managed to crawl over to him and Keith looked at the monster with his dead-pan eyes. His heart was beating like crazy in his chest but Keith's face refused to show any of it.

The monster raised his claw and Keith hurriedly activated the aura ring that forced the monster to kneel in front of him.

One second, the monster was kneeling, the next second it was dead because Arcana had killed it. A small crystal dropped as a result of this and Keith picked it up as well.

"Wow, you are strong. You stopped that huge monster by just looking at it. Maybe you should be the frontal fighter for us and I should gather things."

Arcana wondered out loud as she walked over to the group. She was covered in monster blood from the head to the toe which made Keith take a step back from her.

He was not usually a fan of blood and Arcana's current look did not suit Keith's aesthetics.

"No thanks. I do not like killing things so I will stay where I currently am."

Keith denied the new position he was being offered with a strong refusal. He looked calm on the outside but he was freaking out on the inside.

Arcana had forced his hand and reduced any chances of the speed-run tactic Keith had been going for. But she had also been the biggest contributor to this hunt for their side so Keith could not complain about her.

"Well, suit yourself. I do think you are suitable as our vanguard, but if you don't want to, then you don't have to force yourself either."

Arcana assured Keith as she clapped her hands once.

Bell finally flew over as well, her eyes sparkly with the need to see her treasures. She quickly looked inside the bag Keith was carrying and her eyes sparkled with joy.

"Yes, I have a lot of ingredients. Now, I should also ask you to farm those shiny slime cores I was eyeing last-"

"No funny business. We only have one ingredient left to farm for Shinu and that will be what we farm for."

Keith reminded Bell but she pouted.

"Aww, come on. You both are doing so well together and a few slimes would not kill you. Just do me this favor, please?"

Bell begged, but her begging did not affect either Keith or Arcana. Arcana even picked Bell up from her wings and held her suspended.

"No funny business, do you understand? I know that the Rafflesia nectar is the last thing you need so that is where we will be going. And if you made any unnecessary remarks, I will throw you into the Rafflesia and find a new fairy to help us out."

Arcana threatened Bell and the fairy instantly made a show of clasping her mouth shut. She looked terrified of Arcana and what she could do.

Bell's begging eyes looked at Keith for help but he was not going to do anything for her. He just looked away from Bell's begging face, not wanting to deal with her.

"Tsk, uncompassionate bastards. You should fall for my beauty and pity a soul such as me. How dare both of you threaten me?"

Bell questioned, only to be shaken violently by Arcana.

"Alright, I am sorry. I will be more careful so please spare me this time."