"Hehehe… how interesting. It seems there are people seeking death who have come here."

In the deepest part of the forest, a thin man in a black cloak laughed sharply, his gaze fixed ahead on Merlin and Catrine.

"Oh? Two little children? How surprising. Have they lost their way?" he muttered, curiosity lacing his voice.

But the next second, a faint smile spread across his face as he added, "Well, it doesn't matter. Child or not, I don't care. Since they dared to show up here, I'll prepare a little gift for them."

With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a round, red crystal.

In a flash, he shattered it, and a beam of red light shot toward Merlin and Catrine.

"Let's watch an interesting show, hehehe…"

Whoosh!

His figure vanished like a gust of wind.

…

"So, what do you mean the river is dangerous?" Merlin asked, confused. "I checked earlier and didn't notice anything. Could I have missed something?"

Lyserra rolled her eyes. "The poison is hidden and extremely potent. Obviously, you can't see it. Not even the Fifth or Fourth Spirit Core mages could."

Merlin's expression stiffened instantly. How foolish he had been to forget something so important.

Even the mages his family had hired hadn't been able to find the source—let alone him, who hadn't even reached the Ninth Spirit Core.

Suppressing his shock, he stared at the rushing river ahead and asked again, "Do you know what kind of poison is in it?"

"I don't know exactly what kind of poison it is, but as far as I know, it dates back to a distant, ancient era," Lyserra said casually. "Its effects can make anyone who drinks the water—or eats the fish—suffer infections and physical changes: eyes turning purple, rashes covering the skin, and more. In the end, there's only one outcome: death."

Merlin and Catrine exchanged a tense glance and took a deep breath.

"Big brother, what should we do?" She asked, panicking as she clutched his right hand. "Should we report this to the soldiers and Uncle Gover?"

Merlin didn't answer right away. He needed to consult his system first.

'System, do you have an antidote for this poison?' he asked.

"[Ding! I have it, Master! However, it's very expensive—100,000 system points. Additionally, you will forfeit the mission rewards. Do you want to proceed?]"

Merlin frowned. 'Lose my mission rewards?' he repeated softly.

"[Yes, Master. Essentially, missions are meant for you to complete independently. If I intervene, the mission is automatically canceled,]" the system explained.

Merlin sank into deep thought. The rewards from the mission to save the city of Droswen were incredibly tempting. Missing out on them would be a huge waste.

But on the other hand, the lives of others were at stake. If he didn't act quickly, many people would die.

He had to admit he wasn't a saint, yet the morals of a modern man were still ingrained in his soul.

Of course, he knew this wasn't something he had to do.

In this world, those with power were the supreme rulers, and showing kindness without expecting anything in return could easily be called foolish.

Still, at the very least, he wanted to do a favor that would let his soul rest in peace.

Taking a deep breath, he was about to speak when the system's voice returned to his mind.

"[I want you to think carefully, Master. The antidote costs 100,000 system points—that's a huge sum for you. And even if you remove the poison, how can you be sure those behind the scenes won't strike again with a second, third, or even fourth poison?]"

The system's words made Merlin freeze. Suddenly, he realized how reckless and naive his earlier decision had been.

'System, I was truly careless… and naive. I'm sorry,' he said with a small sigh.

Even after more than two weeks in this world, he still had moments of naïveté, like a poison slowly gnawing at his body.

"[It's alright, Master. Your soul isn't from this world, so it's natural for you to hold the moral principles from your previous life.]"

Merlin felt a bit relieved upon hearing that. He then turned to Catrine. "We're not going to Uncle Gover or the other soldiers. Even if they knew, there's nothing they could do."

His gaze shifted to Lyserra, and he asked cautiously, "Do you have a recipe to remove the poison from the river?"

Lyserra gave a small nod. "I do, but I don't have the ingredients. Since they're from ancient times, they're very difficult to—"

Before she could finish, Merlin quickly interrupted.

"Don't worry, I'll get them for you!"

Lyserra blinked, staring at him in surprise and curiosity. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Merlin nodded firmly. "Just tell me what you need."

He had a well-stocked system shop and was confident everything could be found there.

Seeing his determination, Lyserra said no more and decided to watch how he would gather the ingredients.

"The ingredients include Snow Nectar, Dew of Life, Flower of Three Colors, and finally, Sunflower Essence," Lyserra explained in full. "There are also other additional ingredients, such as…"

Merlin took notes of everything she mentioned. Once she finished, he walked to a tree about thirty meters away and contacted the system in his mind.

"System, help me find these ingredients. I'll pay whatever it takes!"

Beside him, Catrine and Lyserra exchanged bewildered glances, their faces full of astonishment.

"What has your brother done?" Lyserra asked, fluttering to perch on Catrine's shoulder.

"I don't know," Catrine replied, shaking her head. "But if he says he can, then it must be possible."

Lyserra was taken aback by Catrine's trust in Merlin. Honestly, she hadn't believed he could gather all the ingredients—it seemed impossible, perhaps just empty talk.

Yet in the next moment, reality slapped her doubts away. Merlin emerged holding a large black bag that hadn't been there before.

"I've got it!" he said cheerfully, setting it down. He opened it, and instantly, all the ingredients Lyserra needed were revealed before their eyes.

"This…" Lyserra froze, disbelief written across her face. "How is this possible!?"

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