Chapter 69: Undead Creature

My confrontation with the thin man was extremely brief.

He practically retreated after one strike. After discovering he wasn't a match, he instantly made a decision, spitting out fog-light to delay time while taking the opportunity to flee.

So that when the adventurers rushing to support charged to the room entrance, that man had already fled to the window.

Just like how he could evade the perception of many adventurers in the inn, sneaking into Jeff's room without a sound.

The other party seemed to possess some kind of concealment ability. After escaping everyone's line of sight, he disappeared without a trace.

Whooom—

The battle ended. The halfling who'd just provided musical encouragement for me also followed the adventurers into the room together.

The miniature lute on his back even still trembled with lingering tones.

Without chasing toward the window with everyone, Alton went straight to the bedside.

Taking out from his chest a small glass bottle containing gray liquid.

The potion in the bottle was only one-fifth or even less in quantity.

Shaking it, he poured it all into the captain's mouth.

Perhaps the medicine was exceptionally effective, or maybe because that thin man had moved away, Jeff's smoothly severed left leg wound lost the support of invisible force and began bleeding like a spring.

The halfling very skillfully took out a medical tool set—disinfecting, stopping bleeding, wrapping bandages.

In just a few minutes, he completed the emergency treatment efficiently.

Jeff's originally pale, pained expression slowly calmed.

His chest rising and falling with breathing also eased.

But his eyes remained tightly closed.

"Just now that... what the hell was that thing?"

An adventurer with disheveled clothing, looking at the night gradually melting in the morning light outside the window, asked with lingering fear.

That kind of stealth ability—if the object of attack were switched to himself, he probably could only lie on the bed like Jeff, completely unaware, unable to do anything.

"Tim, it's Tim!"

Suddenly, one adventurer who'd arrived at the room first and thus glimpsed the man's full appearance loudly said.

"Tim?" The unfamiliar name suddenly coming from the other party's mouth made me furrow my brow.

"Right!" That adventurer's expression was thoughtful, as if comparing the two images in his mind, then nodded again with certainty.

"Although I don't know why his skin became like that, and he looks much more haggard."

"But it's definitely him!"

"I used to play cards with him often, all-nighters. I wouldn't mistake him."

Speaking, this adventurer seemed to recall more details about Tim.

"Tim was also once an adventurer, quite capable. Although he hadn't reached professional level, he was far stronger than bottom-feeders like us."

Halfway through, the other party suddenly glanced at me, who'd already sheathed my sword and was seriously watching him, and instinctively swallowed.

"He did adventuring work for quite a few years, should have saved up quite a bit of money. After getting married, he retired."

"But I heard... recently life hasn't been going very smoothly. His wife and daughter were both forced to move outside the city." As if afraid others would suspect why he knew so much, this adventurer added another sentence. "I heard this from a few friends of mine who often go to Full Money Bag."

"Then, has this Tim had anything strange recently?"

Not caring about the sordid details between them, I pressed.

"Strange... not really." Hearing this, the other party just shook his head thoughtfully and answered.

"I also haven't seen him in Karanfor for quite a while. Before, I thought he'd returned to his old trade and gone out on missions."

"Never expected..."

Keeping this information in mind, I silently recalled the scene during the earlier battle.

Pale greenish skin completely devoid of vitality, dead gray eyes like a corpse without focus, plus the wooden sword 【Qingsong】 that suddenly took effect...

"Looks like this Tim seems to have already become some kind of undead creature?"

I pondered inwardly.

Recalling the scene I'd seen when entering, I couldn't help turning around and asking Alton at the bedside:

"How's Jeff? Is he alright?"

The halfling's set of movements just now had been quite skilled, obviously having handled this before.

Without giving a definite answer.

Alton only stroked his smooth chin while gazing at the blood-stained bandage on Jeff's left leg.

Shaking his head, he said:

"Hard to say."

"There seems to be something else remaining inside the wound."

"Although it has no corrosiveness, it's abnormally stubborn, as if it's already merged with the flesh and blood, preventing the injury from healing."

Speaking, he looked up at me, a slight smile appearing on his face:

"But it's not a big problem. Just find a church."

"This kind of small thing, any random priest can handle it."

"It's just that if our old Jeff is reluctant to pay for treatment, he'll have to spend the rest of his life accompanying his daughter opening a tailor shop."

Hearing him say this, I also couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.

Good that he's fine.

Although we'd only known each other a few days, this honest, plain-spoken fellow had given me quite a good impression.

With a pair of children at home, dying so silently would be far too unworthy.

Turning around, I glanced at the sky.

Seeing the morning sun had slowly risen.

I asked the halfling before me:

"I remember you mentioned before that Karanfor has a church. Should we..."

Halfway through my words, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside.

Ingram rushed over with two guards.

This sheriff with an extremely strong sense of responsibility obviously hadn't slept all night.

His eyes were full of bloodshot veins. His handsome face, soaked by rain and in a disheveled state, also carried a trace of exhaustion.

"Jeff!?"

Seeing the caravan captain lying on the bed with closed eyes, Ingram's steps immediately became even more urgent.

But after coming to the bedside, he appeared somewhat awkward.

Wanting to check the situation, yet worried that his actions would worsen the injury.

He only looked at me and the others with some pleading, eyes full of hope.

"How is he? What happened here?"

Woken from dreams and seeing things had already concluded.

An adventurer yawning told him the entire process.

"Slap."

A warm palm tightly grasped my arm. Ingram said earnestly and gratefully:

"Thank you, thank you!"

"If it weren't for you, I'm afraid this old friend of mine would have..."

Speaking, he'd already waved for the two guards behind him to go downstairs and see if they could find any traces Tim had left.

Not quite used to such contact, I imperceptibly broke free from his hands.

"No need for that. I also just happened to discover it."

"How can you say that? I was up all last night..."

Before the sheriff finished, the halfling suddenly interrupted him.

Raising his hand, he pointed at the golden sun pattern on the inside of his sleeve.

"You should be a follower of Amaunator, right? Take us to the church."

"Oh, right right right!"

Only then did the sheriff react, instinctively tightening his sleeve, going out to find a stretcher.

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