Void Hunter Rat immediately noticed the change in Nick’s expression as soon as he saw the poison. However, this did not make him think that Nick had anything to do with the poison he contracted. Instead, he was curious.
“What do you think, can you cure it?”
Nick looked to be in deep thought, but his mind was racing.
“If I did not have the necessary information from Earth, it would be impossible to treat this poison. But it is a good thing that I do.”
He looked at the Void Hunter Rat and nodded, as he started speaking.
“I can cure it, but I do need something.”
The Void Hunter Rat’s eyes were shining bright after he heard Nick’s words. If the poison that he contracted while playing and inspecting corpses was not cured, chances are that he would be dead in a day or two. He asked hurriedly.
“What do you need?”
Nick knew that asking for knowledge or anything similar would not be the best idea; this rat did not look dumb at all. He would understand that Nick actually did not require anything to make the cure itself. So, instead, he would just make him pay for it.
“I need Ether Stones. Do you have any?”
Void Hunter Rat nodded.
“I have about 1,50,000 Ether Stones with me right now. I am not at home so I cannot give you any more than this. Would this be enough?”
When Nick heard 1,50,000 Ether Stones, his face had a thoughtful expression. In his mind, however, he was so happy that he wanted to laugh maniacally. He could not show this to Void Hunter Rat though; one hostile move from this rat creature and it would be Nick’s death.
No magical protection or shield could protect him from something like that.
“Yes, it is enough.”
On Nick’s agreement, Void Hunter Rat flicked his claw and 1,50,000 Ether Stones appeared. The Ether Stones were purple in color and radiated energy. They were the same size as a human thumbnail.
Nick took the Ether Stones and started working on a cure for the poison. Void Hunter Rat did not think that Nick was foolish enough to try and escape after striking a deal. Also, there was no way this primitive monkey could escape from him with his puny amount of power. Void Hunter Rat, hence, did not ask Nick anything else apart from handing him the agreed payment.
After Nick inspected the poison, he moved away from Void Hunter Rat and started creating a cure spell for cyanide. This was not an exceedingly difficult task for him anymore, as he was already accustomed to creating spells within just seconds.
‘Cyanide Cure’
‘Cure the Cyanide Poisoning.’
‘Imagine – Inject user with ‘Hydroxocobalamin’ and ‘Sodium Nitrite’, Cure the Cyanide Poisoning.’
‘Knowledge 1’
Hydroxocobalamin is a man-made injectable form of Vitamin B12 used to treat low levels (deficiency) of this vitamin. Vitamin B12 helps the body use fat and carbohydrates for energy and make new protein. It can be used as a ‘Cyanide Antidote’.
‘Knowledge 2’
Sodium nitrite is a salt and an anti-oxidant that is used to cure meats like ham, bacon, and hot dogs. Sodium nitrite serves a vital public health function: it blocks the growth of botulism-causing bacteria and prevents spoilage. Sodium nitrite also gives cured meats their characteristic color and flavor. It can be used as a ‘Cyanide Antidote’.
After Nick created the spell in his mind, he smiled and opened his eyes.
Void Rat Hunter was no novice to magic. Even if he was not a mage, his mysterious power and wisdom were enough for him to see and understand that this ‘primitive monkey’ had already created some kind of a spell to cure him.
He did not care about the process or what it involved, as long as the poison was cured.
Nick looked at Void Hunter Rat and started talking.
“I will have to touch you to cure you. Do I have your consent to do so?”
Void Hunter Rat understood why this primitive monkey was behaving like this. If he were facing a higher-level or a powerful being, he too would behave in a similar manner. Void Hunter Rat nodded, indicating that he was willing.
Nick did not wait anymore. He knew that waiting too much will give suspucion to Void Hunter Rat. He put his hand on the Void Hunter Rat and whispered.
“Cyanide Cure”
As the spell was cast, white light began shining from Nick’s hands. When he came in contact with the Void Hunter Rat’s body, Nick realized that the physical might of this rat was unimaginable. The power behind this seemingly small body was unbelievable and too much to comprehend.
Moments later, the white energy entered the Void Hunter Rat’s body, and soon after, the purple color of ‘cyanide’ started to clear itself. In reality, the antidotes for real cyanide poisoning were not so powerful. But when Nick combined them with the power of magic and imagination that he can use in this magical world, the antidotes literally worked like magic.
After about a minute, Void Hunter Rat started laughing and sighed with relief.
“Primitive Monkey, you saved my life. My name is Ravia. What is your name?”
Nick wiped the sweat off his forehead and answered.
“My human name is Nick. My mage name is Epsilon.”
Void Hunter Rat nodded and whispered.
“Hmm, hmm… Epsilon. The name suits you very much.”
Void Hunter Rat looked around. Then, with a flick of his finger, he threw a small pen-shaped object at Nick. The object was black-colored, and it did not seem to have any energy.
“This is my ‘Pen’. If you touch it and call out my name thrice, I will be summoned to your side to help you. Beware though — you can use this ‘Pen’ to summon me only three times. After that, the pen will break automatically, and you cannot summon me anymore. I owe you my life, so you have earned this. I will save you from three life-threatening situations. Goodbye Epsilon.”
With these words of farewell, Void Hunter Rat ducked and jumped up to the sky, vanishing in less than a second.
Nick smiled and nodded.
“At least, in the end, he used my name instead of calling me a ‘Primitive Monkey’!”
