"A little sweet?" - The taste of the Panacea Herb

I have always thought that the story of Shen Nong, tasting a hundred herbs, was made up. Because there are too many poisonous plants, such as morning glories, geraniums, oleanders, and lilies, not to mention the unknown wildflowers and weeds. But in this otherworldly realm, I can be certain that at least these herbs won't kill people. The reason is simple: if no one has eaten them before, it's impossible to determine whether they are medicinal herbs or not.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, I chewed on the purple-red leaves with gusto.

"Honey, spit it out quickly!"

"Hmm? What's wrong? Can't I eat it?"

"No, but what if it's poisonous?"

My wife wanted to use her hands to remove the herb from my mouth, but I stopped her. Smacking my lips, I tasted the slightly sweet grass juice. If I were to describe it, I would say, "The leaves are distinct and the veins are robust and strong. The color is a rich reddish-brown, and the juice is clear, refreshing, with a hint of grassy aroma, and a lingering sweetness. Good grass, good grass! Hahaha!"

The only downside was that I couldn't chew it to a pulp, and it got stuck in my throat...

Feeling nauseous with the fibers of the plant clinging to my throat, I swallowed it down. All the black market traders stared at me with terrified eyes, afraid that I would turn into a giant purple-red man.

Waiting left and right, I also anticipated some changes in my body, even if it were just some grass sprouting from my head, but nothing happened. Taking a couple of steps, hmm, my legs were still agile. Rotating my shoulders, no problem either.

"Raul, is there anything uncomfortable?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Uh..."

"Is it because I didn't eat enough?"

"Stop, don't eat anymore!"

Simmon quickly pushed the remaining herbs aside, pinched my mouth, and pried my eyes open, just like a donkey.

"Are you really okay?"

"I'm fine, really."

"If you don't feel well, call us immediately."

"Okay, I know."

Everyone stayed with me for a while, still worried. It wasn't until I picked up my wife and carried her that they finally believed I was fine.

I went to check on Wolfrang, who seemed to be in good spirits. The exposed flesh and skin looked a bit like a freshly shaved Shih Tzu.

"Wolfrang, are your injuries not serious?"

"Just minor injuries, I'm fine."

"Simmon has some herbs, do you want to try them?"

"Honey, forget it, don't let him eat that stuff."

My wife pulled me away. The Panacea Herb wasn't as amazing as it was said to be, it was completely useless. People were really ignorant to think that this kind of worthless grass could cure diseases.

Back in the tent, I finished writing my journal and went to sleep. Recalling the experiences of the day, if that multi-headed dragon could go into battle, it wouldn't be of much use. The mud girl had some crowd control, but once she left the mud, she turned into a weak woman. I wondered if the kingdom had sent out troops, should I go back and find out? And my wife's magic, it could actually be attached to bullets. From now on, I'll call it the "Unbreakable Bond of Love and Bullets". And through this battle, I could confirm that the principle of accelerated arrow magic was consistent with my speculation. Whether it was arrows, bullets, spears, or even cannonballs, as long as they were enveloped in white mist, the effect of reducing gravity and air resistance could greatly increase accuracy and power.

From my personal perspective, this kind of magic is almost the most practical offensive magic.

Hmm... why am I not sleepy...

Well, there's no need to guess, it must be related to that herb.

The art of counting snakes is great! I need to sleep quickly because we have a long journey ahead. One snake, two snakes, three snakes...

"Honey, don't touch my hair."

"Wife, I can't sleep..."

"Just go to sleep quickly..."

No matter how I toss and turn, I can't sleep! The most painful time in life is when you can't fall asleep and there's no phone by your side! Even if you give me a nine-piece puzzle, I can play it all night long.

"Wife, play with me for a while."

"Huh?..."

"Summon a snake from your hair for me to play with."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm so bored, there's nothing to play with."

"There's a bow and arrow, play with that."

"Bows and arrows aren't fun~""Ah... honey, let's go to sleep."

I want to sleep too, but I can't fall asleep. Right now, I feel as energetic as if I've drunk ten cans of Red Bull.

"Darling, let's chat for a while."

"No, I want to sleep."

"How about we make a baby then?"

"Um... alright."

I've got my wife all riled up now. It's dark and there's nothing else to do. Unlike in the kingdom's big cities, where there are places to hang out at night, have some drinks, gamble, and listen to people brag and tell stories. Here, the cultural and entertainment scene isn't well developed, so all people can do is make babies. It would be great to have a little girl, so we can play with her when she grows up.

Ahem, don't say that, I'm not a perverted father.

It's clear that my wife is really tired. She's not putting in any effort, and her tail is limp.

We played for less than an hour and then it was over. She curled up and went to sleep, and I stopped bothering her. It's late at night and everyone is sleeping, so who can I play with? Hmm... I know, Leya! The succubus definitely won't be asleep.

"Leya, Leya, I'm here to play with you!"

"Raul, what are you up to?!"

The succubus covered her cleavage with her hand, looking scared. Sister, I didn't mean it that way!

"Don't misunderstand, don't misunderstand..."

"It's the middle of the night, why aren't you sleeping?"

"Well, I can't sleep, it's boring."

"If it's boring, then keep an eye on Wolfrang for me. I'll go rest for a while."

"Don't go, I want to ask you something..."

I handed Leya a cigarette, and we chatted while Wolfrang snored softly.

"Leya, you don't seem to be very worried about the war in the kingdom."

"What's the use of worrying?"

"How did Cloveray fight against the kingdom back then?"

"It started with us killing the border patrol, which escalated into a war. You saw the border patrol."

Leya told me about what happened back then when Cloveray was at its most hopeful time. The population even reached four thousand at one point, and everything like the horse stable, pasture, wheat field, and auditorium were products of that era. But along with that came intensified pillaging from the kingdom. Cloveray was a wise man, he wouldn't choose to directly confront the kingdom. At that time, it was the people's indomitable spirit that started the resistance.

In chaotic times, one should live like a dog, but in prosperous times, one should live like a dog as well. Which should one choose? No, this question doesn't apply to Night Fall Town. As long as the kingdom doesn't stop pillaging, Night Fall Town will never have a prosperous time.

The angry crowd killed some border patrol soldiers, and Cloveray was well aware that this meant Night Fall Town was declaring war on the kingdom.

But Cloveray still stepped forward because everyone needed a leader. Wolfrang hadn't come to Night Fall Town at that time, Leya was the only monster. The battle was fierce, as the kingdom's four thousand soldiers far outnumbered the few hundred militia from Night Fall Town. Leya at the time could only use attack magic similar to the deceased succubus leader's, with an effective range of no more than ten meters, while the effective range of flintlock guns easily surpassed that distance.

"At that time, I realized that monsters were no longer the sole owners of this land. The invention of firearms changed everything."

"Perhaps, but magic is not useless."

"No, magic is indeed useless for most people."

"What do you mean?"

Leya chanted a complex spell and conjured a golden spear in her hand, stepping out of the tent.

"What do you think of this magic?"

"It looks really powerful."

The spear spun skillfully in the succubus's hand, and suddenly she threw it, leaving behind a trail of light in the night sky. Judging by the distance, it was probably over fifty meters.

"Did you see the distance just now?"

"Yeah, it was already quite far."

"I can throw it even farther, but I don't have enough magic power."

"What's the name of this magic?"

"It's called 'Spear of Light that Eliminates Darkness' in the books, but that's not important. What's important is that I can only use this magic four times at most, even if I give it my all.""After using it four times?"

"I became like that guy."

The succubus pointed at Wolfrang lying on the bed.

"So you're a monster, and you're even the White Queen. Is this the extent you can achieve?"

"Do you think monsters can endlessly use magic?"

"No, I think monsters are at least a hundred times stronger than humans in terms of magic."

"You must not have encountered some powerful wizards during your time in the kingdom."

Leya returned to the tent, sat beside Wolfrang, and placed her hand on his strong chest, lost in thought about magic.

Magic was not invented by monsters, and it is not essential for them either. For example, werewolves do not use magic, even though they have magical power. Magic existed long before the kingdom fought monsters with swords and shields, and people believed that monsters were the embodiment of evil. In the kingdom's library, I also read related books, and the creativity of the humans here regarding religion is extremely limited. They only have two gods, one representing the light, and the other representing darkness. The good god created sunlight, soil, water sources, and in short, everything good is given by the good god. As for the bad god, apart from the night and monsters, he hasn't created anything. The monsters are soldiers of this bad god, who wants to turn the world into eternal darkness.

What a twisted and illogical way of thinking.

"Hey, Leya, do you believe that you are a monster created by the god of darkness?"

"Well, I can't say I don't believe it. We should always have fear towards gods. Although we only know about the god of darkness from what humans say."

Hey, do you just believe whatever others casually say? Do you have to be so naive?

"I think, in this world, there is no god."

"So Raul, what do you believe in?"

"As for me? I believe in socialism."

"What is that?"

"It is something far more powerful than any deity."

"Mr. Raul always says strange things."

"That's why I'm truly an outsider."

I smiled at Leya and redirected the conversation back to magic.

"To be honest, I'm not interested in deities. What I want to know is how powerful humans can become with magic."

Regarding that question, do you still remember that gemstone?"

"The one that glows blue?"

"That's right. Some humans can reach the level of monsters with their magic, but they are few. Have you seen the witches at the Witch's House? Their magical power is strong, but not the strongest. The truly terrifying wizards are in the kingdom."

"Are you saying that there are humans in the kingdom who can surpass monsters in the field of magic?"

"Yes, and not just one person. Humans can do things that we cannot. Gold and gemstones have much greater significance to them. I found out during the last battle with the border patrol."

"Humans can enhance magic using gold and gemstone artifacts, while monsters cannot."

Leya looked into my eyes, as if warning me.