Chapter 58: Vetusberry

Words : 629 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 58: Vetusberry After making sure Rhefia, Camara, and Aethisia were all as comfortable as they could be, I gave each of my girls a kiss before exiting our house, my heart pounding in my chest as worry flooded my system. Stepping out into the forest, I checked the sun and oriented myself appropriately, using what Rhefia had taught me to start my long journey to Aoak Mountain. When I entered the forest I felt my heart clench, and I had to take a deep breath and attempt to clear my mind to take those steps forwards. I hated the idea of leaving my daughters and wife alone while they were suffering, but when Rhefia said that this wasn't some common disease that would just pass, that it could potentially claim the lives of our two girls... Gritting my teeth, I raced through the sprawling underbrush, rushing towards the Mountain. They were NOT going to die. Not when Rhefia told me there was a cure so close. Trees, shrubs, animals... They all flew past me, and I weaved through the thick forest as best I could, occasionally climbing a tree to make sure I was on the right heading. Rhefia said that they had a week, but I couldn't let my girls suffer any longer than I could allow. Every second was precious, and I needed to reach the land behind the Mountain as quickly as I could. Rabbits hopped away when I hurtled through the dense brush; birds chirped and flew away, afraid of the noise I was making. Deer and even wolves avoided me as I trekked deeper into Geard Forest, the larger animals giving me a wide berth. The sun slowly climbed to its peak, eventually reaching directly overhead. Stopping for a moment, I panted and pulled out a waterskin, taking a gulp from the cool water as I rested. My muscles screamed at me as I leaned on the tree, and I could feel hints of exhaustion reaching towards my mind, tempting me to sit and allow myself to recover. However, I beat those thoughts down, my mind filled with the scene of Rhefia and our girls panting and groaning in pain, their bodies drenched in sweat. That reinvigorated me, and I took another sip of water to wet my parched mouth before resuming my journey, adopting a more steady pace. Keeping my eyes peeled, I traversed deeper into the forest, occasionally using the trees to search the wider area on my sides. Pushing aside a bush, I peered into the small bundle of shrubbery before my eyes went wide. Deep in the center of the bush was a few bundles of a dark, purple berry. Grinning widely, I reached forwards and gently snapped off the branch that they hung from, putting it into my inventory. {Vetusberry x33} I continued to harvest more of the berry, eventually getting a few hundred thanks to my [Forager] skill. Wiping the grime from my hands, I stood up and stretched, glancing up at the sun. I still had an hour or so left of sunlight, so I turned around and started my journey back towards the mountain. Keeping my guard up, I checked the various shrubs I came across for more berries, finding a few more as well as some new herbs. I even found a scallion! However, as I slowly approached the Mountain again, I froze. I had been lost in my foraging that I hadn't noticed it, but... The forest was silent. No birds cawed out, no wolves howled... No deer cried to one another... It was utterly silent. Glancing around, I gulped, wondering what had happened here. Grabbing my spear, I resumed my journey remaining on high alert the entire time.

Chapter 58: Vetusberry

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