Chapter 132: Welcome back, warrior Jol

Not everyone was able to do what Kanan had done right away. Out of the twenty recruits chosen for this Elite squad, ten of them were able to perform the new spirit energy accumulation method: five from each tribe.

Selin and Telah were able to do it as well, and once they regained their senses, they could understand how Kanan felt.

Their powers were so intense that it took everything they had not to let it loose and damage the area like Kanan.

"My flames...they’re blue!" Selin had noticed when she activated her blessing.

"I can see healing spirits! A-Am I a witch now?" Telah wondered, gazing around at the many spirits that now occupied her vision.

The others had the same expierence, making those who hadn’t succeeded on their first try want to train even harder to obtain this new level of power.

"Telah, tell me. In comparison to the Typhon Elites that we’ve fought, how would you rate your power?" Kanan wondered.

"Hmm. If I were to fight Bone, the strongest of them, I think I could hold him back on my own. The goal of forming this Elite Squad was to make warriors like them. So having this new power will only add to what we can achieve. If we continue down this path, then I believe that we’d be able to surpass the previous Elites by a lot."

"That’s what I like to hear. I shall name this new squad the Apex Warriors." Kanan smiled

"The Apex Warrior Squad?" Telah asked

"Yeah, because everyone in this squad will be at the apex of their power in comparison to the others."

"I think the name has a nice ring to it." Selin smiled.

"Great! Now that we’ve laid the foundation of what the Apex Warriors will be, you’ll now take this time to overhaul our combat practices completely. This way, the squad can be the best of the best. If you need any help or ideas on how to use your abilities differently, just ask, and I’ll see what I can do."

"It sounds as if you’re leaving."

"I am," Kanan answered. "Duty calls."

---

Waking up in the healing hut was a shock to Jol. His head was throbbing, his body was aching, and he could barely remember what had happened after two months of being outside the village.

"Nnngh! H-Healer Yala?"

Yala turned around, a smile etching across her face after seeing Jol now awake. "Warrior Jol, you’re awake. I was starting to wonder if any of you were going to wake up."

Jol furrowed his brow. "Any of us?" Looking around, he saw his squadmates all lying on floor beds, being monitored by the other healers.

They were fed water and nutrients by herbalists in order to keep them alive, but they were as still as dead people.

"T-The Verminus Plant!" Jol shouted. "We need to warn Shaman Kanan!" Getting up was proven to be difficult with how weak Jol’s body was.

Still, via his determination, Jol wouldn’t stop until the message was delivered.

"Whoa. Slow down, Warrior Jol. Everything is okay. Kanan handled everything."

"What? I don’t understand. But that’s not the issue! A boy, a small boy, I think his name was Anuwol! He’s being controlled by the Verminus Plant. Itha learned that he’s still alive! And he’s apparently related to Witch Anuwat."

"Oh, yes, Anuwol. Witch Anuwat was very emotional when we delivered her grandson to her. She’s currently taking care of him as we speak. The amount of tears she shed that day when Kanan informed her of her kin was great. I’ve never seen someone so happy before."

Jol’s head was already hurting, but now it felt as if he wasn’t understanding anything that was going on.

He had noticed that the others, Wen, Helgan, Itha, Mika, and Zuna, were still unconscious, even spotting Chief Solan alongside a few others who weren’t waking up.

"We were rescued," Jol remembered. "That’s right! We were being overrun by corpses controlled by the Verminus Plant and were on our last legs when the Chief arrived with a rescue team."

"The second rescue team, in fact," Yala added

"A second rescue team?"

"That’s right. The first one was nearly wiped out; only one survived. It’s the woman next to you. Kanan wanted to go, but the Chief went himself. After returning, the whole team was severely injured, and your team was not only injured but also malnourished."

"W-What about the corpses?"

"Burned to a crisp. They attacked the village, but thanks to our warriors, the elders, and Kanan’s amazing plan, we were able to survive. He even destroyed the main mind of the Verminus Plant. Soon, its main body will be destroyed."

Jol was in shock. It was his mission to relay information to the village to prepare them for an eventual attack, yet he failed, and the village still succeeded anyway.

He was thankful that his home was okay, but the failure on his part made him feel less than.

"Cheer up, Warrior Jol. No one would have expected your team to encounter the corpses of our former enemies."

"B-But I still failed. I need to join Shaman Kanan when he kills the plant’s body to make up for my mistakes."

"What you need to do is rest. You’re still malnourished and need to regain your strength."

"She’s right," Kanan said when he walked into the healing hut.

"Oh, Kanan, hello." Yala smiled

"Good evening, Healer Yala."

"How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Yala?"

"S-Sorry."

"Shaman Kanan! I’ve failed you! Please let me make this up! I won’t fail you again."

Kanan liked men like Jol. They were loyal, sometimes too much, but always looked out for the best interests of their people. Even weakened, he was ready to risk everything to be of service.

"Jol, you’ve done enough. Not only did you risk your life for your people, but you’ve come back alive. That’s all I could ask for."

"B-But the information..."

"Doesn’t matter. That’s the past, and our people are still standing. You are a true and loyal warrior. It is not shame you should be feeling, but pride. Take pride in knowing that you have risked everything to ensure your people’s safety. Besides, your family is very thankful that you’ve returned."

"M-My family." Tears began running down Jol’s cheeks as he remembered his family.

"I’ll let them know that you’ve woken up. So for the time being, take it easy and rest, okay?"

"Y-Yes, thank you, Shaman Kanan."

"Anytime."

As Kanan left the hut, Yala followed behind, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the side.

"Kanan, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Smiling, Yala asked, "What do you think about having a child with me?"