Doggone Academy

Chapter 153 Taming the Madman (13)

Chapter 153 Taming the Madman (13)

The old womans joints cracked audibly, her movements eerie like a marionette.

Damian subtly shielded Vivi behind his back.

Suddenly, the old woman lunged at Damian as if trying to throttle him.

Damian twisted his body, gripped Vivi by the waist, and dodged to the left while swinging his wooden sword.

Swish!

The decaying body of the crone was cleaved in two, its halves flying off in a diagonal line due to inertia.

Damian turned to face the severed remains of the old woman, taking a combat stance.

As expected, the old womans body, split between torso and legs, floated in the air, clearly manipulated by some unknown magic.

She clapped mockingly, her tongue flicking out.

Ugh such a waste to kill here. Look at those luscious lips. If I were just a bit younger, I would have nursed him myself.

Theres nothing in my stomach, yet something is coming up.

Aww, dont be frightened, my little one.

Damian pulled out a potion bottle and drank it down in one go.

Despite the horrifying situation, he maintained his composure, which Vivi could feel against her body pressed to his back. He was not trembling at all.

Be careful

Get away from me.

Without hesitation, Damian cut the rope binding them and nudged Vivi away with the tip of his finger.

In this situation, Vivi knew she was only a hindrance and stepped back willingly.

A flock of crows descended upon the old woman, each carrying a staff adorned with a skull.

The crone took the staff and began to chant a strange incantation. Black smoke started to billow from the skulls mouths.

The smoke swirled into a sphere, enveloping the crone and gradually growing in size.

Damian scanned the area.

From the thicket behind the old woman, ghouls began to emerge, following her into the sphere of black smoke.

The sphere expanded, seeming to erode the area around it.

Come here, my child.

Suddenly, from behind Vivi, the old womans voice was heard.

Turning around, Vivi saw the crone had approached her, attempting to lay hands on her body.

Vivi screamed reflexively.

Kyah!

!

Damian quickly pulled Vivi back and slashed at the crone with his sword. Upon contact, the body turned into black smoke and dispersed.

The old womans laughter echoed from the void.

Ahahahah!

Then, a voice sounded from the side.

Ooh, what a lovely pair.

Damian turned, but there was nothing there.

Such a prince to watch over her, how could she be more blessed?

Now the voice came from behind. It was coming from all directions.

But my dear, dont be fooled. Women are naturally cunning creatures.

Giggle, do you think a wench would offer her purity to you just because you sacrifice your life for her?

For one girl, mountains of knights have died. Your dead body will hardly be noticed.

Your sacrifice will be remembered but for a moment. Soon she will forget and offer herself to a prince from a neighboring land. Thats the filthy nature deep within all women.

Vivis expression contorted.

While you barely cling to life with your mangled body and a soldiers pension, that wench will be partying with a prince.

Vivi shouted.

Shut up!

Aww See how she flares up when her true nature is exposed.

The black smoke grew larger, slowly engulfing Damian and Vivi until they were trapped once again in a dark enclosed space.

Stay close to me now.

Alright.

The provocations from the old woman continued.

It was the knights of the duchy who ruined my life. I tended to a knight who had lost his way and collapsed, but when he came to, he crushed my poor brothers head like a dented pot and then he raped me.

.

Whether true or not, the story was repulsive just to hear.

The scions of the duchy deserve this fate. That girl will abandon you. You can trust my words, my dear.

Vivi was more shaken by the taunts than Damian was.

Up until now, Damian had fully proven his faith in the Lady with his actions, but Vivi had proved nothing to Damian.

The ghouls had fled, and no enemies remained.

Vivi quickly assessed the situation and examined Damians wound.

Youre bleeding. Are you alright?

Im used to seeing blood. But

Damian started to say something but grabbed his head and staggered.

Vivi, startled, embraced him with her entire body to keep him upright.

Whats happening!

Then she noticed Damians body was burning up.

It seems there was poison on the nails.

Do you know how to detoxify it?

Theres no way to know what poison it is. And my healing potion works only on external wounds it has no antidote effect.

Vivis face paled.

We have to find a way. I had an alchemist among my guards; we can capture him and

Its too dangerous.

We must move. This place is too exposed.

***

Fortunately, they found a solid path in the swamp, worn down by human footsteps. Vivi and Damian followed it, wary of contracting further infection by venturing into the swamp.

Theres a village! Theres a village ahead.

An abandoned village that looked at least a decade old came into view. In their urgent situation, they couldnt be choosy about where to rest.

Vivi led Damian into the most intact house she could find and laid him down.

Ill go find something useful.

Exhausted, Damian did not respond.

Vivi searched the empty houses for anything usable. She managed to find a pot and some bowls that seemed in good condition. While gathering books to use as fuel, she came across a notebook with recipes for homemade medicine and her eyes widened.

Flipping through the notebook, she checked the recipes and searched for a poison that matched Damians symptoms.

The wound turned green and symptoms of a high fever developed.

On Gorondis arrow poison and its antidote

When she found a recipe for the corresponding antidote, her face lit up.

Heaven is on our side.

She memorized the necessary ingredients and rushed back to Damian. He struggled to rise, but Vivi forced him back down.

Stay here. Ill be back soon with some herbs.

Damian responded, his consciousness fading.

Its not safe.

Vivi insisted.

If you die, I die too. We cant be worrying about danger now.

Its not safe.

Reaching his limit, Damian then lost consciousness. It pained Vivi to see him like that.

She propped his body against the wall and laid him down straight.

Rolling up her sleeves, Vivi stepped outside.

By the time she returned with the herbs, dusk had nearly fallen.

Her legs and forearms were a mess, covered in mud and bug bites. Yet with her mind so occupied, she had no time to clean herself up.

Damian was still unconscious.

Just a little longer

She started a fire for the decoction and set water to boil. The recipe was relatively simple, and she tended to Damian while the herbs steeped.

Damian remained still, soaked in sweat.

Vivi fetched abandoned cloth from the village, boiled it, and removed his shirt to wipe the sweat.

.

She was struck silent by the scars of his past etched on his body.

How could all this have happened to the body of a teenage boy?

She ran her fingers over his abdomen. The rough texture confirmed they were real scars.

She could only imagine the unimaginable pain he must have endured to become so hardened.

Damian mumbled incoherently, seemingly out of his right mind.

I will protect you

Vivi placed her hand on Damians cheek and stroked it gently. Was he seeing phantoms? A surge of emotion welled up inside her. The man who had always been so strong and unshakable now seemed pitifully vulnerable.

Then Damian uttered a name.

Ill protect you Liza

Liza?