Chapter 217: We’re running out of time

"We can only bring her temperature down while we run some blood tests."

The doctor couldn’t offer any promises. This was the first time she had encountered this kind of sickness.

"Is there nothing else that can be done?" Ethan asked, his worry clearly audible in his voice.

The doctor shook her head regretfully before offering a few words of consolation.

"We haven’t found the cause of her sickness yet. But once the tests are complete, we might be able to identify the problem and begin immediate treatment."

At her words, the room settled into a tense silence.

Leo and Grace gathered around Eva’s bed, their gazes filled with worry and anxiety.

Suddenly, a raspy, low voice broke the silence.

"It must be from those insect bites," Julian guessed.

Every breath he took was a struggle, and his vision continued to blur. He quickly bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself awake.

But his attempt proved futile.

He was the next to fall unconscious beside Eva’s bed.

"Julian!"

Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

The doctor quickly rushed toward him, and another nurse was called in to carry Julian into the next room.

"He’s suffering from the same symptoms as Eva. High temperature and fever."

The doctor’s words stunned everyone.

They couldn’t help but think about Julian’s last words before he lost consciousness.

Then they turned toward Ethan, whose face and neck were already covered in the same red bumps.

"We encountered a swarm of insects—mosquitoes—on the last island. They tried to drain us of our blood, but we fought our way out of the swarm. It must have given us this sickness through their bites."

Ethan told them what had happened before they could even ask.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Aaron entered.

If he had known those insects were dangerous, he wouldn’t have explored the swampy area.

His heart was heavy with regret and worry as he dampened a wet cloth and gently dabbed Eva’s dry lips.

"How is she?"

Aaron rushed toward the bed, his eyes filled with worry when his gaze fell on Eva’s flushed, unconscious figure.

Before anyone could answer, the potion maker announced that he had finished preparing the cooling potion Eva needed.

Leo pulled Aaron aside and briefly explained the doctor’s diagnosis.

"Quickly, give it to her," the doctor instructed.

Grace took the potion from the potion maker and carefully administered it to Eva while instructing him to prepare another one for Julian in the next room.

"Make another one for him as well. He might have the sickness too, but it hasn’t fully manifested yet," the doctor added after overhearing their discussion.

Her mind then returned to the insects.

"Is there any way I could get a living one to study? We might be able to find a cure from it."

Ethan’s lips parted to speak, but Aaron beat him to it.

"No. I’ll go. Just tell me the exact location. You might fall unconscious and delay the matter."

Aaron who had just finished listening to Leo’s explanation walked over. His voice carried clear urgency and a hint of blame—Ethan had failed to protect his sister properly.

He knew he was being unfair, but he couldn’t help it when his gaze fell on Eva’s unnaturally flushed, unconscious face.

Her breathing was heavy, indicating that she was struggling to breathe properly.

Ethan lowered his head and hummed in response. His hand reached out and gently wiped the potion staining the corner of Eva’s lips.

"Go to the last island. Head deeper into the forest toward the north, and you’ll eventually come across the swamp. It’s completely black, and the mosquitoes operate in swarms," Ethan explained in clear detail.

Aaron said nothing.

He dashed out of the room, planning to head there immediately.

As soon as he left, a nurse entered to call the doctor.

"The test results are out."

His words caused everyone to turn toward him, making him take a step backward under their focused stares.

"I’ll be back."

The doctor said those words before rushing out of the room with the nurse following behind her.

Leo paced around the room until Grace ordered him to check on Julian’s condition.

A nurse had been assigned to look after him and monitor his temperature and condition.

"Hmm."

Leo hummed reluctantly but still went to the next room.

The room finally became quiet without his anxious pacing.

Minutes passed, and Ethan finally began showing signs of sickness.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his blurred vision.

Sweat began coating his face. His throat grew dry, and his bones started aching slightly.

Grace didn’t notice his changes immediately.

It was only when she caught sight of his face covered in sweat that she realized something was wrong.

"Are you feeling faint as well?" Grace asked in concern.

She was already planning to instruct him to lie down in the other room before he could fall unconscious.

"I’m... fine..."

Ethan’s words came out slurred.

His vision blurred further, and when he tried to shake his head again, everything suddenly went black.

His body slumped against the side of the bed.

Grace wasn’t surprised this time.

She immediately went outside and found Leo in the other room. He quickly called for another nurse, who helped move Ethan into the room beside Eva’s.

Grace could only pray that they found a cure quickly and that Aaron would be careful enough not to get bitten by those insects.

Minutes passed agonizingly slowly as they waited for the doctor to return.

The potion maker had already finished preparing the other two cooling potions, which were administered to Ethan and Julian.

Finally, the doctor returned.

Her expression was serious as she broke the bad news.

"Things aren’t looking good. Her RBC count is critically low, her hemoglobin is falling, but her blood also appears darker than it should. And lastly, her WBC—"

The doctor was interrupted by Grace’s impatient voice.

"Doctor, explain it in normal words."

They couldn’t understand the medical terms she was using.

"It means her blood is being destroyed from the inside. Her immune system is weakening, and her oxygen supply is running out."

She explained everything in one breath.

Her words left the room in stunned silence.

"We have to find a cure within four days at most, or her body will give up..."

The doctor muttered helplessly.

She could only hope that Aaron would return with one of the insects. With a living specimen, they might be able to create a cure with the help of dungeon herbs.

She moved to check Eva’s condition.

Fortunately, the cooling potion had helped bring down her temperature, but her breathing was still ragged.

The doctor then left the room to check on Ethan and Julian.

That left Grace and Leo standing there with expressions of disbelief and fear.

Neither of them could imagine Eva not making it.

Grace quickly left the room to find someone with a flying beast who could head to the third island and capture more mosquitoes.

The area around Eva’s sickroom was filled with a depressing, somber atmosphere.

Leo couldn’t bear to leave the three of them in someone else’s hands, so he could only check on their conditions intermittently.

...

Meanwhile, Aaron arrived at the island in just two hours, flying at top speed.

He didn’t stop.

He flew across the forest, his eyes scanning the ground below in search of the swamp.

It wasn’t until the next day, after going without a single moment of rest, that he finally encountered a huge swarm of buzzing mosquitoes.

Using the shadow created by the swarm, he formed a shadow hand and silently cut five mosquitoes away from the group without alerting the others.

Then, without resting, he immediately rushed back toward the other island.

It was midday when he finally arrived.

Jumping down from his beast, he rushed into the spaceship and headed straight for the doctor’s cabin.

A nurse tried to stop him from barging inside.

"I’m here for Doctor Glenn!" Aaron shouted in a hoarse voice, hoping she would hear him from outside.

"Are you Aaron?"

Aaron nodded impatiently.

"Wait here. I’ll go call her."

The nurse reacted quickly and dashed into the cabin to find the doctor.

Minutes passed.

Then hurried footsteps came from within.

It wasn’t only the female doctor who emerged. Five other people in doctor’s coats followed behind her.

Glenn’s eyes brightened when she saw Aaron and realized he had actually returned with the specimen.

"You’re here! Quickly, bring the specimen inside."

Their gazes fell on the black shadow suitcase he was holding in his left hand as they made way for him to pass.

Glenn pointed toward a huge glass container.

"Put them in there."

The suitcase in Aaron’s hand transformed into shadow cuffs, which held the mosquitoes securely in place as he placed them inside the container.

The nurse standing nearby quickly sealed it.

The group of doctors stared at the specimen with curiosity and an eagerness to begin studying it.

"Let’s begin. We’re running out of time," Glenn ordered sharply.

The doctors all nodded and immediately went into work mode.

Aaron was sent out of the room.

He didn’t linger either.

He rushed toward Eva’s room to check on her condition.

For some reason, Glenn’s earlier words echoed in his mind.

’We’re running out of time.’

His heart skipped a beat.