The Herb King

Verson and his friends returned to the main headquarters of the Hunter Association to announce the success of their mission. Their mission was only to hunt a Level 2 magical beast Iron Hide Boar, but after killing it, they encountered a Giant Blue Maned Bison on their way home that killed more than half of their team members.

"Isn't that Verson and his buddies? How come there are only a few of them here?"

"What happened to them?"

Verson and the others ignored the curious hunters and went straight to the Vice Association Leader's office after claiming their rewards for killing the Iron Hide Boar.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Brother, it's me." Verson said after knocking on the door.

"Come in." An aged voice came from inside the room.

Verson turned his head to his friends and muttered. "You guys stay here first and wait for me. I'll be back after I discuss a few things with my brother."

His friends nodded their heads at him.

Verson pushed the door open and saw an old man in his sixties sitting on a wooden chair. His short white hair was combed neatly backward, making him look refined and full of charisma. There were all sorts of scars on his exposed arms and his neck also has a diagonal mark, which was probably caused by a sword wound.

Despite the old man's advanced age, he didn't look weak. His eyes are filled with clarity and his penetrating gaze was now looking at Verson. "Brother, you looked like hammered shit! What happened?" The old man smiled when he saw Verson.

Verson sighed and shook his head as he recounted the events that had transpired. After telling him about what happened, the face of the old man turned solemn. "I'm so sorry to hear that, brother. Were you able to retrieve their bodies?"

Verson nodded his head. "I did. They are inside my storage ring."

The old man nodded. "We can only give them a funeral. The Association will also give compensation to their families."

"Thanks, brother."

"This is part of my job as the Vice Leader. Brother, you should take a short rest. It must have been hard on you." The old man glanced at Verson with a worried look.

Verson shook his head. "To tell you the truth, I would have died if my friends didn't bring me to Aethelwolf's clinic." He then told his brother about the Aethelwolf and his miraculous Recovery Pellet. Verson also showed the Recovery Pellets he bought from the clinic to his older brother.

The old man's name is Ryk Misa, a Level 4 Esper.

Ryk scrutinized the Recovery Pellet and he was surprised by the energy inside the pill. "I trust you brother, but I still want to see the effects of this pill with my own eyes." What Verson told him was almost unbelievable and if not for him being his brother, he would have already kicked him out of his office. However, he knew that Verson wasn't the type of person who would joke about something this serious.

"No problem. I also wouldn't believe that such a pill exists if I didn't experience its efficiency myself. How about we go to the Recovery Area? We can give the pills to our injured comrades and you can see its effects. Don't worry. This pill is effective and there are no side effects. You won't lose anything even if it doesn't work." Verson was confident about the Recovery Pellet so he wasn't worried that something will happen.

"Alright. Since you are so confident about this pill. I'll give it a try. And if it's truly as effective as you've said, then I will tell the Leader about it and if he agrees, we can sign a contract with that Aethelwolf. Follow me." Ryk said as he stepped out of the office. Verson followed behind him. When they got out of the room, Verson silently sent a signal to his friends to follow them.

"Are they the survivors in your team?" Ryk asked without looking back.

Verson wasn't surprised that they were discovered. He nodded his head and said. "That's right. They are the only ones left on my team." His tone was rather downcast.

Ryk remained silent on their way to the Recovery Area.

The Recovery Area is a place meant to treat the wounded hunters of the Hunter Association. There are dozens of capable Doctors here monitoring the condition of everyone.

The arrival of the Vice Leader caused a bit of a commotion. The Doctors and the patients who saw him immediately greeted him respectfully.

"Greetings, Vice Leader!"

Ryk turned his head to his brother and asked. "Will this work regardless of the gravity of the injury?"

Verson nodded his head. "According to Sir Aethelwolf, the Recovery Pellet will work as long as it is a physical injury. Even internal wounds could be healed."

The Recovery Pellet that Leric was selling in his clinic is an inferior version of the one he gave to Lord Julius, but it was still much better than the healing pills sold in the market.

"Alright." Ryk said no more and searched for a hunter who has the most serious wound. After looking around, he spotted a hunter who was suffering from various physical injuries and internal hemorrhage. One of the man's arms was also amputated.

"Give this pill to him." Ryk said to the Doctor who was treating the man.

The Doctor was surprised, but he did as he was told and let the severely injured hunter consume the pill.

To their surprise, the pained expression of the hunter slowly eased up and the wounds on his body are recovering at a discernible speed. Although his arm didn't regrow, the wound on his shoulder closed up and stopped bleeding.

The Doctor rose to his feet with an incredulous look on his face. "This! Vice Leader, what kind of pill was that?!"

Ryk was also stunned as he witnessed the entire scene. All it took was just one pill to heal a dying man! He ignored the dumbfounded Doctor and turned his head to his brother. "Do you have more?"