Chapter 369: Unique Symptoms

"Two years ago." Timothy closed his eyes, his forehead wrinkled as though he were recalling the painful memory. "Everything was supposed to be smooth sailing. Everyone was happy that I had awakened this element. They were quite supportive.

"My family might not be big, but we’re a considerable force in the city. After awakening my talent, a lot of people tried to flatter me. After showing my talent, I met my fiancee.

"It was an arrangement between two families. Her family wanted my talent, while my family wanted their influence and wealth. It was supposed to be a win-win relationship.

"Besides, she was cute and gentle. While we didn’t have feelings for each other in the beginning, we accepted each other. We gradually nurtured those feelings, so I thought my life wasn’t so bad after all.

"However, two years ago, when I was about to sleep, I suddenly felt myself drowning. Yeah. It felt like I was drowning. The only thing I could remember was clutching my neck so hard that it looked like I was trying to kill myself.

"We tried every doctor we could find, but the symptoms just kept getting worse. I couldn’t breathe and all that stuff until I passed out every night.

"The pain was unbearable, but painkillers could do shit about it, so every night I was tortured. The only way to stop that pain was to knock myself out.

"Everyone started to be disappointed in me, but they couldn’t exactly abandon me because I was talented enough.

"However, my life just kept getting messier. I was trying to find a way to reduce the pain I had to endure. In the end, I disappointed even my fiancee.

"I stumbled upon alcohol and women. It wasn’t perfect, but it ended up easing my pain a little bit. I mean... you know? If there’s at least someone besides me, they will inform the others if something happens to me. If I end up dead, then they can at least tell my family about it. I just can’t let my fiancee see something like this every night, so I just pick other women.

"It wouldn’t be weird if she ended up breaking the engagement because of this. Then again, it might be good since she doesn’t have to suffer because of my condition. I’m afraid that the pain will intensify further in the future to the point where I end up destroying everything around me, including her.

"So, I apologize if my blunt words hurt you in any way. I just didn’t want to waste my time whenever I’m sober.

"And now, you claim that you can treat my condition. Her family had even introduced me to one of the few adamantine-grade evolution masters in the world, but that person couldn’t treat me.

"How could you treat me? I’m sorry for being overly suspicious, but in the end, track records matter. Still, I’m so desperate that I can’t help but have a bit of hope that you can actually cure me."

Auric looked at his condition. As Timothy had said, his condition was unique. It felt like he was drowning in his own element, but the pain would subside when he was unconscious.

Whenever he was about to drown, the symptom would look like he was drowning from touching a water-element barrier from the ruins.

Yet, the symptom would subside by itself.

This was something Auric had never seen before. Treating his symptoms was possible, but not the actual cause.

Auric asked, "What did the evolution master say about your condition?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Yeah. Right now, I think I can treat your symptoms, but I want to see if I can figure out the cause. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve encountered this kind of condition, so I’m not entirely sure about its cause."

"What? You can treat the symptoms?" Timothy widened his eyes.

"Yeah. I can remove the buildup of energy, but it will build up again. From the looks of it, you have been suffering like this for the past year. No, it’s more accurate to say that it has become unbearable after one year... that’s probably when you started drinking and playing with women, isn’t that right?"

"Y-Yes." Timothy nodded furiously. This was the first time he had encountered someone who could understand his condition at first glance.

"That’s why I need to know what they say. Knowing more will allow me to see if I can treat the cause of it or not, so yeah..." Auric shrugged. It was up to Timothy whether he was willing to say it or not. After all, Auric also reserved the right to refuse to treat him.

"Can I ask one question before that?"

"Sure."

"If the symptoms are treated, what will happen?"

"From what I can see, it will allow you to return to normal. However, the energy will start to accumulate again, but it will only reach an unbearable level in one year, as you confirmed. So, you can probably have regular treatments until we remove the root cause... maybe every six months? You should be able to manage withstanding that pain for six months, right?"

"Yes. It’s bearable." He took a deep breath. "He said there were three possibilities. First, it’s related to my avatar and element. Even though my absolute water element is good, the slime you’ve all seen is not actually a slime. It’s actually the embodiment of the water itself.

"It’s more accurate to say the embodiment of freshwater. After all, my avatar actually takes the shape of another god. I mean, there are phoenixes, dragons, or even other mythical beings, right?

"I have an avatar modeled after a Mesopotamian God, a primordial god of fresh water and subterranean aquifers called Abzu. He’s not exactly that famous, but you should know his wife, Tiamat. Neither of them actually has a physical form, but they’re often depicted as dragons.

"But here you go... my slime. It’s not a slime, but a personification of fresh water."

Auric nodded in understanding. "Well? It’s not enough to be the cause. We have seen people with avatars that are modeled from a divine being."

"I know. It might be my genetics and other things that amplify the effect, but even after all the checkups, there is nothing wrong."

"I see. How about the other two?"

"The second possibility is a barrier. My symptoms are similar to what happens to people who touch a barrier. It might be because I entered the ruins that this condition developed, like the dense energy from the ruins rushing into my body or something. Still, I can assure you that I haven’t touched a barrier."

Auric extended his hand. "Keep going."

"The third possibility is a poison, like a slow-acting poison that I don’t know of. My family once tried to figure out if there were spies who would poison me. Since you’re talented too, you should understand that killing talented people like us will reassure our enemy that they will not have to deal with us in the future."

"That’s something I can relate to." Auric chuckled.

"So, that’s it. Anything else you want to ask? It’s already late, so the symptoms might start soon."

Auric raised one finger. "There is one more."

"Is it about the payment? I don’t know what kind of payment you’d like, so just ask it directly."

"It’s not about that, but I guess it’s something we should discuss as well." Auric paused for a few seconds. "Well, I can treat your symptoms, but what will happen after that? I don’t think I can visit you in the UK every six months."

"Don’t worry about that. I’m sure that people will allow me to visit you directly. I’ll make sure no one is scheming against you or planning anything to harm you. Besides, if my head remains clear, I think I will go to a therapist and get rid of the addiction. I want to stay sober. It might be too late to repair everything, but yeah... I want to try. Besides, if my head is clear, I might be able to progress faster. No one will say no to a genius like me, if I may be so bold as to say that." Timothy chuckled.

Auric smiled. "Okay then. Payment."

"Okay. What do you want? I’m going to say this, but I don’t think I will be able to go to Esfrata and get naturalized."

"Nope. You don’t have to do that." Auric shook his head. "You pay me for what my work is worth. An equivalent exchange. That’s my motto. So, this time, I would like to ask you to lead your team during the survival competition and work together with Esfrata."

"Are you... proposing an alliance?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Things are going to get extremely dangerous, even for me. If I have an ally, it will at least make us safer. Both of us."

Timothy looked down, contemplating. "I personally don’t mind. It’s something beneficial for us as well. Are you sure about this? This feels like you are treating me for free. No, you even give me candy on top."

"Haha. Not exactly. You probably have to smooth things over with Clarice."

"Ah, Ellia and Vera! Don’t worry about that. I’ll use the influence of my fiancee’s family. After all, her family is the one holding the name Merlin. They will be able to force the one holding the name Arthur to do something like this. As long as I tell them the treatment is successful, they’ll be happy to cooperate, I believe."

"Okay, good."

"Is this all right? Just this?"

"It’s fine. Besides, having a friend from afar doesn’t sound too bad."

"Hahaha. Friends, huh? I don’t even mind if you want me as your sworn brother." Timothy laughed before noticing Katarina rolling her eyes. "What? Why are you reacting that way, Katarina? Are you perhaps jealous?"

"What do you mean, jealous? I’m just thinking that since he already has Tommi who possesses an absolute fire element and now has you who possesses an absolute water element. At this rate, he might as well catch other absolute element users... like, you gotta catch ’em all."

He was startled before laughing out loud. "Hahaha. That sounds interesting. Do you want me to introduce you to the one with the absolute wind element? She’s practically my future grandmother-in-law.

"After all, the reason she bears the name of Merlin is that she has an absolute wind element. She knows perfectly well what an absolute element means and spares no effort to engage her granddaughter to me.

"I would say that even though she is already 72, she’s still smoking hot."

"What the hell?" Auric’s eyebrows twitched.

"Don’t tell her I said that again."

"Again?"

"Yeah. The first time I did it was when I was having an episode. She almost made me a eunuch at that time."

Auric just looked away, not knowing what to say.

"Well, she’s one of the candidates who can become a Rank 7 human from the UK, so yeah."

Auric shook his head helplessly.

"Anyway, what should I do now? Since you want me to ally myself with you during the survival competition, I guess you want to treat me right now or maybe after the universal competition? After all, you shouldn’t want an opponent like me in the univers—aagghh!"

Timothy abruptly gasped for air as his hands clutched his neck. He let out high-pitched groans as if he were trying to get even a bit of air, but to no avail.

His eyes were rolling back as his body convulsed uncontrollably.

"I... can’t... breathe..."

Auric panicked and stood up. This must be the one Timothy was talking about.

Auric immediately rushed behind him and said, "Katarina, grab him. Make him stay still!"

"Got it!" Katarina held him and even used her power to restrain him.

Auric grabbed the back of Timothy’s head and activated his chaos element.

That was right. The treatment he was talking about was the same method that he used to make a hole in the barrier of the Alps ruins.

This was the only method he could think of to treat him.

He would have to isolate it and sweep the accumulated energy away to treat the symptom, but the accumulated energy would build up again.

However, it didn’t change the fact that he had to treat him now.