Ball of Nothing

As promised, Zero set up a separate inventory so that he and Truen can share it. It was a rather handy function for their travelling and the trio made it to the Mystic Meadow borders within the next two days on horseback. Zero was getting better at riding horses and Camie was happy that they were ahead of schedule.

The border of Mystic Meadows that they saw shocked the giantess a little. There were giant mushrooms of all colours and Zero didn't look very pleased with what he found out.

"I need to explore this forest a little. This is the closest border to Magnus Hilda, right?"

Camie nodded and reassured Zero that it was accurate. "None of the giants have explored the borders to Mystic Meadows before because there were rumours that those who went never returned. Even high-ranking adventurers try to avoid any requests that involve the Mystic Meadows."

Zero took a look at Truen and pulled him to one side to discuss something privately and Camie respected their privacy, excusing herself to prepare the camp for lunch. When Camie was out of hearing range, Zero whispered to his friend and told him about his plans to investigate the mushroom forest in the Mystic Meadows.

Truen didn't look too happy at the idea of Zero going alone but the doctor assured him that he would keep in touch using the communicator. Also, Zero promised to forage for some edible things in there for their lunch which indirectly implied that he wouldn't take long. With that reassurance, Truen reluctantly agreed.

Zero left his horse behind and used his transformation skill to manifest a pair of wings. With some magic enchantments to enhance his speed, Zero found himself deep into the mushroom forest. The mushrooms looked familiar for many reasons even if it was Zero's first time seeing them in person. In Merlin's library and in Hua Tuo's books, Zero knew that some of these mushrooms were used for poisons and medicine. However, the mushrooms he saw in the books were not described as gigantic. The only explanation Zero could think about when he saw the mutated species of those mushrooms in the giant mushroom forest was that they mutated from absorbing the life magic that is rich in the Mystic Meadows over the years.

With his appraisal skill, Zero kept his eyes peeled for a particular kind of mushroom that he thought would give him a clue about the plague taking over Magnus Hilda. It took the doctor a good while to find it but when he did, Zero's frown only became deeper. He took back a sample of the sleeping spores from beneath a spotted blue mushroom cap for analysis and then got to the task of gathering edible mushrooms for their lunch. On a good day, the thought of grilled mushrooms or mushrooms sauteed in butter would make Zero salivate. However, after seeing those spotted blue mushrooms, Zero's appetite waned.

The doctor returned to the campsite in less than an hour after his departure and Truen let out a sigh of relief. That relief was replaced with concern when the wood elf noticed Zero's unusual quietness. Camie noticed the abnormal seriousness and gave Truen a questioning look. Zero ate without commenting about the food or asking for seconds. The moment he was finished, the doctor washed his dishes on autopilot mode. His mind was in a very fairway place and even as they travelled on the horses, neither of Zero's companions could catch his attention.

Externally, Zero appeared as if he was brooding. In reality, he was being replaced by three of Zero's available parallel minds. Zero had retreated to his mindscape to oversee the results of his experiments that he tasked the Talia golems. Hua Tuo thought it was a little odd to be talking to Zero through his golems in the Hope hospital but he became used to it. Zero asked for advice about how to create a counter antidote for sleeping spore poisoning for people who were under its influence for more than a year.

While sleeping spore sounded harmless, Hua Tuo knew how dangerous it could be. In the short-term, sleeping spore was nothing more than a powerful sleeping drug. However, if someone was poisoned by it for years, they are at risk of losing their ability to think and move. Sleeping spore attacks the brain and nervous system. Over time, the spore will start treating the body of those it infected as seedbeds.

Regular spotted blue-capped mushrooms that contained sleeping spores took anywhere from two weeks to two months to mature in a regular environment. If a human adult was infected, it would take six months for them to become a mushroom seedbed. If a human child was infected, it would only take them less than three months to become a mushroom seedbed.

For sleeping spores to infect giants and make them into seedbeds, Hua Tuo wasn't sure how long that would take. Also, he had never seen giant spotted blue-capped mushrooms that Zero described. The physician wasn't sure if the potency of the sleeping spores from the giant mushrooms were as potent as the effects of regular sleeping spores or more deadly. They had to run a few tests to develop a proper antidote but that would take time and Hua Tuo didn't know who they could use as test subjects.

"Shifu, leave the testing to me. I have an idea. On the other hand, could you help me watch over the effect of the antidotes my medical golems have created? I don't have much time to monitor them myself on Earth because I will be reaching Magnus Hilda by tomorrow. I don't know how bad the situation is yet."

Hua Tuo agreed and wished his disciple the best of luck. For Zero's first plague, this was quite the tricky case. The Sage God prayed that Zero would be able to overcome it and not be daunted if he should fail. A doctor wasn't omnipotent and there were many things that even Hua Tuo could not do. If it was fated, the patient would die despite the doctor's best efforts. Zero was a capable doctor but he still didn't understand the true meaning of fate. If Truen wasn't with him, the young doctor might go as far as defying the heavens and using divine magic to preserve the life of a dying mortal.

It was night by the time Zero took back control of his vessel from his parallel minds. Truen was taking the first watch and Zero tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. He tossed and turned but there was no comfortable position to be found for a peaceful rest so the doctor gave up. He sat up and joined Truen silently, staring into the smouldering embers of their campfire.

"Are you worried?" Truen asked his friend who brought a blanket over to snuggle closer.

"A little bit," Zero admitted. "What if I cannot save them all like I claimed I would?"

The archer remained silent and watched the embers fade away. "Nobody will blame a doctor who tried his best," is all Truen said and Zero leaned against the wood elf's shoulder before closing his eyes, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.