Chương 41: A Second Soul Fruit

My mother did not make me get out of bed and instead handed over the soul fruit. The spiky green fruit felt heavier than it had previously, even though I knew it was the same weight and size as the first one I had eaten. A truly priceless treasure, and my mother was giving me a second one. I quickly ate it, swallowing everything.

"Ugh, my stomach, I don't feel well," I said, hunching over as my entire gut cramped." Greater Cure. Stabilize Soul." The pain just kept getting worse. My entire gut felt like it was twisting in on itself.

"What is the problem?"

"The soul fruit is causing his soul to become more unstable. His health is stable, but his soul is fluctuating heavily. It is impacting his body," Healer Castelle said." Stabilize Soul."

"Help," I gasped out.

"It is fine, my son. Endure and become stronger," my mother said. I was in pain, tremendous pain. It felt like my body was going to be ripped in half. I couldn't stop myself and threw up the breakfast I had before eating the soul fruit. My mother was beside me and pulled me into her arms. I puked all over her light armor. Instead of getting upset, she was far more analytical than I could have ever imagined.

"There are no soul fruit pieces here."

"His soul absorbed it. Right now, his soul is volatile, but it isn't breaking apart. That is impacting his body heavily."

"Do something," my mother ordered as I dry-heaved.

"There is nothing to do but wait. I told you I didn't know what would happen. He isn't dying, but there is an adverse reaction."

"How do you know he isn't dying?"

"His healing points aren't dropping. If his soul broke apart, he would die in under a minute. If his body were breaking apart, his healing points would drop." But I was in tremendous pain. I dry-heaved again. My entire body felt like it was trying to rip itself apart.

"Well, he clearly is in pain."

"I know! But you don't just stuff a kid with everything you have and not expect something bad to happen! Now let me focus while I think about what is happening, dammit!" Healer Castelle shouted at my mother. She said nothing back as my dry heaving got worse. That was when I began to cough heavily.

"What in the System's name?"

"What is that black stuff?"

"I don't know! His healing points are dropping. Greater Cure. Stabilize Soul. Get me a Mana potion."

"Here, use this one."" Greater Cure. Stabilize Soul. Health Analyze. What…impossible. Greater Purify. Greater Purify."

"What is it?" my mother asked as Healer Castelle began breathing heavily after using so many high-tier skills in quick succession.

"I have a guess, but give me a moment. I need to draw some blood." I kept dry heaving and coughing. I felt a prick on my arm.

"Well?" my mother asked.

"I need a moment. Let me focus," he told her, and she said nothing else. A minute went by before Healer Castelle spoke up again.

"I just checked his Alchemical toxicity. The soul fruit is forcing the Alchemical toxicity out of your son's soul. That black stuff is the Alchemical residue, mostly from the Mega Elixir." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"I thought it was part of the soul itself?" Even though my body was wracked with pain, I tried to listen.

"It is! Your son's stable for now. My skills will hold long enough, and he won't die immediately. I need to think. This is an unknown reaction. He already had a Soul Fruit. The stats, skills, and the original soul fruit are all something adventurers have done in the past. No one would eat a second green soul fruit so close to the first. Also, the Alchemical toxicity was completely off the Rumbart Scale, as high as it can go and then some."

I could hear the immense amount of worry in his voice even as I continued to dry heave.

"I have a guess, but it is just a guess. Soul fruits can't harm; they make the soul more receptive. They can even strengthen classes linked with a person's soul. Your son's age, level, and the original soul fruit already made his soul as receptive as possible. The new skills and the rapid progress in leveling are proof of this. But there is no measuring scale for this."

"So, it is forcing the toxicity out of his soul, interesting. A shame I didn't get another Mega Elixir made and find some more soul fruits," my mother said.

"Foolishness, but his soul is purging the Alchemical toxicity into his body. It is poisoning him. The problem is that I do not know how long this will go on. It could go on for a day, a week, a month, or even a year." If it were a year, I would rather die. I dry-heaved again and began coughing up black stuff onto my bed. The smell was horrific.

"Keep him alive, and he will be fine. No matter how long it takes."

"My Mana is running low. I had to use my strongest skills and had to take a potion previously. I also need to sleep. Your son needs to sleep, eat, and drink as well. But with his soul in turmoil, his body is affected. If this goes on for more than a day, there are severe risks."

"Then he will just have to endure it and become stronger. Could you keep him alive for two weeks?"

"Maybe? Depends. It won't be easy, and you would owe me, not just my regular fee."

"As long as my son remains alive, I will owe you a debt. Two weeks. I will prepare. We will leave together immediately."

"Immediately? Where to?"

"The Five Star Institute of Healing," she replied without hesitation.

"That is a month away, even with the fastest magical carriage."

"I will pull a carriage myself, since I am faster. When I need to rest, my Squires will do so. Have the servants pack whatever you want to bring. We will not be coming back here for a long time."

"Your son will need clothing and his other stuff."

"I will have Tutor Damian handle all of that. He will be your assistant for the next two weeks," my mother said and then leaned over me. She patted my head.

"Endure, my son. Endure and become stronger." I couldn't reply as I coughed up more.

"Insanity. I knew this was all insanity. Well, I will keep you alive for two weeks. After that, it is out of my hands." I couldn't concentrate on anything when someone moved and stuffed me into a carriage. It wasn't magical in the slightest. One problem after another. If I survived this, no more Alchemical products, since this had to be worse than death. It set off rapidly. I felt exhausted but couldn't stop dry heaving and coughing.

"Can't you put him to sleep?" Damian asked.

"No, he would choke to death. The toxins are emerging across his entire body, but they would clog up his lungs and airways. I am more worried about dehydration," Healer Castelle said. I could barely listen in.

"His mother is lucky. I actually like him and hate seeing people die. Think of a way he can get water into his digestive tract."

"What about cutting him open, pouring water into it, and then healing it closed?" Don't cut me open! I couldn't say anything as I couldn't stop coughing.

"As a last resort, that could work. His healing points are fluctuating a lot. I would rather not bottom them out unless there is no other choice."

"A tube of some kind. Down his throat and into his stomach?"

"The coughing is too much."

"This never happens?"

"No, skills can fix almost everything, but you need the right skills. I can't address the root cause of his soul expelling all that Alchemical toxicity into his body."

"Since he can use Soul Sense, could he try to help speed things along?"

"No, and that is incredibly stupid. Justin, don't listen to what he says. You poke your soul now, it is liable to explode, and your body along with it. While the soul fruit won't kill you, your soul is volatile now. Don't mess with it." All I could do was try to nod before my gut twisted and I dry heaved once more.

"Can you keep him alive for two weeks?"

"It won't be easy. I am hoping this stops in a day or so, but I have no idea. It could end tomorrow, it could end in a year."

"What about measuring the Alchemical toxins that are coming out of his body?"

"You can try, but Alchemy is incredibly complex. You would have to know the amount of Mana in the Mega Elixir and then find some way to convert that into this black sludge. Who knows if it contains other impurities from his soul? If he survives, I tremble at the possible outcomes. But he has to survive first. Greater Healing. Greater Purify." For one moment, I felt better. I went still, panting. Then the pain struck me again, and I dry-heaved.

"Don't worry, Justin. Your mother will get us to the Five Star Institute of Healing in no time."

"Keep him clean. I need to meditate to recover as much Mana as possible and rest in between sessions. Check with me every hour, and I will reuse my skills."

"Will that be often enough?"

"It is the best I can do. I want to avoid taking potions for as long as possible in case there is an emergency. Once an hour should be enough to ensure he remains stable. At least she is going to the only people who might know how to keep Justin alive." I coughed up more black sludge. Being alive hurt; it hurt so much. My mother was wrong. She was wrong. So wrong.