CH 15

I approach the exhausted white lizard, and put on the harvesting gloves I previously used 《Purify》 on. I touch it while making sure not to over-stimulate it.

It doesn’t respond, but it’s not dead. I remove the tip of the tentacle still wrapped around it. The slimy purple liquid is repelled by my gloves with the effect of 《Purify》 and drips from the tip of my fingers and onto the ground.

The tentacle itself could serve as a material, so I save it before taking off my gloves and taking out three scrolls.

“《Activate》, 《Initiate Transcription》, 《Display》.”

I read the information transcribed by the scroll.

“It’s not human, so I can’t read it very well. It’s probably suffering from extreme fatigue. Maybe its mitochondria were working at full capacity and declined… Hipopo, stay alert.”

I take out herbs I picked the other day and kagero materials to make the simplest potion I can make.

I can’t make the best possible potion for this lizard, since I can’t fully understand its condition. At times like these it’s best to use a simple potion.

I take out some scrolls and make a potion with the materials and water from the pond.

While I’m making the potion, tentacles jump out of the pond again, but are beaten back by Hipopo. Hipopo then jumps into the pond, and after a small rampage, defeats the monster without much issue and returns with its dead body in its mouth. The monster resembles a catfish with a lot of tentacles coming out of its mouth.

I finish the potion while that’s going on, and use it on the white lizard.

I crouch near it, and Hipopo bends its legs next to me while looking on with a worried expression.

“…It’s not waking up.”

I say to Hipopo.

“Bumobumo…”

I use the scroll to transcribe the white lizard’s information once again.

“Hn… The level of activity of its mitochondria has clearly improved. It’s on the level of an average human, but maybe its maximum value is too high…”

I mumble to myself while tilting my head, and Hipopo gently prods the white lizard with its chin.

Oh? It’s unusual for Hipopo, who is sensitive to enmity and malice to be so forgiving. Is this lizard not a simple monster? In any case, if I leave it here my efforts to save it will have been for nothing.

I look around. A pond in the middle of a wasteland is going to have a lot of monsters around it.

Also, I’m sure there are monsters who weren’t getting near here because of the catfish with tentacles, and there’s a good chance that they’ll come here now that this threat is gone.

If I leave it, it will die.

“Hipopo, should we take it with us?”

I ask the always aloof Hipopo.

“Bumoh!”

It happily responds, and I pick up the white lizard.

The lizard is about big enough for me to carry with one arm.

“Just a little further.”

I say as I mount Hipopo and we leave the pond behind.