CHAPTER 690: CHAPTER 685: STAFF REDUCTION

"Raydon?"

Hearing this cry of alarm, Ronald instinctively killed the treant.

As Costate reached out to begin the extraction of the original magic power from the treant’s body, Ronald turned and hurried toward the location where Raydon and Helle were.

—At first glance.

—The situation was very bad.

Little Helle’s eyes were filled with panic, while Raydon had already collapsed on the ground, his breathing and chest pain completely gone.

"..."

"I’ll take a look."

Ronald immediately knelt beside Raydon.

Breathing, pulse, eyes...

All these conditions used to judge a person’s state, Raydon had, without exception, all the characteristics of death.

What was even more dismaying,

was that Ronald, under the investigation of ’Fury,’ also felt Raydon’s thoughts rapidly weakening and then disappearing from the range of the spell’s detection.

There was no other answer.

Raydon was dead.

This middle-aged caster, who had just been able to explore the forest with them, had suddenly collapsed before everyone.

"..."

What happened?

Wasn’t there supposed to be two more days?

Ronald didn’t feel any attacks on Raydon and he didn’t want to be attacked himself. In this situation, Ronald shifted his puzzled gaze to the rear.

In this direction, the movements of the maid extracting power from the treant were swift and smooth.

In the blink of an eye, Costate also arrived where Raydon had fallen.

Ronald immediately asked for confirmation:

"Costate, didn’t you say he had two more days to live?"

Costate shook her head in apology:

"Sir, it was my mistake."

"Based on Mr. Raydon’s physical condition and his strong desire to escort Helle home, I wrongly judged that he could live for up to two more days... My understanding of humans is severely lacking."

"..."

Ronald understood the implication in Costate’s words.

After the series of events that led to ’successfully’ escorting Helle home, only to then witness her entire clan being annihilated, the last lingering obsession in Raydon’s heart to ’escort her home’ had completely dissipated.

Having lost the support of his will.

The middle-aged caster could no longer maintain his own state and thus completely collapsed here.

"..."

At this moment, Ronald looked over at the emotionally devastated Helle.

His eyes carried a hint of helplessness.

If it were about manipulating spells and fighting against all kinds of formidable enemies, or performing some precise investigative work, he could certainly guarantee success with confidence.

But to console a child whose entire clan had been annihilated and who had just seen her trusted one die right before her eyes, he really had no idea what to do.

If only something like a parenting guidebook with spells also existed in this world.

Should he perhaps try to acquire and study it?

Just when Ronald was at a loss for words, even his mind beginning to wander,

Costate aside sensed his helplessness.

In a departure from her usual demeanor, the maid moved past Ronald’s position and approached Helle, then gently embraced the little girl, comforting her softly:

"Child, if you’re sad, cry out loud."

"Costate is here, I will help you..."

"..."

"Wu wu... Ahhhh!"

Helle cried out, her cries eventually turning into nothing but pained wails.

Costate, however, maintained her action.

As the maid had said before, she was doing her best to comfort the emotionally shattered little girl before her, offering her both psychological and physical protection.

Ronald stood nearby.

He could clearly feel that the female servant in front of him had not used any spells.

Costate was simply comforting the little girl before her with her gentle feminine demeanor, doing her best in speech and action while letting the other party vent her emotional pain.

At a certain moment.

Ronald almost thought that she truly was a human girl filled with maternal glory!

"..."

Pacifying the little girl and dealing with the aftermath here took quite some time.

After burying the body of the middle-aged caster Layton in the forest and disposing of the treant and the bodies of monsters strewn about, dusk had already arrived.

Under such circumstances.

Costate came up to Ronald with the little girl, who had fallen asleep in her arms.

Ronald could even see the delicate necklace with Layton’s final rune pendant hanging around Helle’s slender neck.

It was just that the words of Costate that followed broke this mood.

In a very plain tone, the female servant asked:

"Sir, shall we entrust her to the forest, or shall we continue on with her?"

"..."

Ronald was momentarily speechless.

This was the true Costate—having managed the task of soothing the girl, she once again exhibited her extremely indifferent attitude towards other matters in front of Ronald.

"..."

Ronald pondered for a few seconds.

Then he replied in a manner that didn’t match the question:

"Costate, didn’t you say earlier that you were trying to upgrade your emotions?"

"If you truly wish to achieve this, then regarding the dealings with matters and people other than me, or rather the Adler family, you probably need to change your previous rigid attitude. That is the key to handling emotional issues."

"..."

Costate stood there and blinked.

She hadn’t expected to receive such a response from Ronald.

What intrigued the female servant more was that, upon calculating, she found Ronald’s words indeed presented a viable option for trying.

Almost instinctively, Costate spoke:

"Sir, your wisdom is awe-inspiring."

Ronald didn’t realize that Costate’s emotions at this moment truly stemmed from her subconscious behavior, so he just smiled wryly as usual and waved his hand:

"I’ve told you not to flatter me like this."

"..."

Costate bowed her head slightly:

"Sir, that is my sincere praise."

"..."

The minor incident ended.

The repetitive and dull journey started again.

After exploring during the previous period of time, Ronald and his party had gradually moved from the southeastern corner of Yizi Forest, nearing the heart of the forest. Now, according to the treants in the northern center, it required them to veer northwest.

At this time, Helle displayed her uniqueness.

This unique child who grew up in the primeval forest did not fear all sorts of things that suddenly appeared, unlike ordinary children. Even when Ronald and Costate sometimes had to leave her alone to deal with battles, Helle would wait obediently for them to finish fighting and return, not engaging in any behavior that could lead to danger.

Even when faced with some special plants or animals.

She could offer some appropriate suggestions and information.

Thus, the team of three progressed for three whole days.

Under their absolutely abnormal human pace, they approached the northern central part of the forest as described by the treant.

However, it was here.

A very special situation appeared before them.

Visible to the naked eye, a green powdery substance enveloped the trees ahead. While limiting the range of vision, it shrouded everything within it.

Ronald and his companions stopped in their tracks, and subsequent problems followed.

What was this substance?

What kind of dangers might there be if they recklessly went in?

More importantly, could this powder be the product caused by the mother mentioned by the treants?