Chapter 85: Harvey Fletcher’s Encirclement

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Harvey Fletcher’s Encirclement

After Seraphina Sullivan proposed splitting the Healing Grass, no one else had any objections.

Seraphina Sullivan distributed the harvested Healing Grass, and the others voiced no disagreement.

The team needed combat strength right now, and Lily Underwood’s speedy recovery would benefit everyone.

Lily Underwood applied the mashed herbs to the gruesome wound on her abdomen.

The moment the poultice touched her skin, a cool, soothing sensation spread out, followed by a slight, tingling itch.

Combined with Seraphina Sullivan’s earlier expert stitching and medicinal treatment, the wound began to close at a visible rate, and a scab formed quickly.

Color quickly returned to Lily Underwood’s pale face, and her listless spirit lifted considerably. She could even manage to sit up on her own.

"This herb’s Effect is incredible!" Lily Underwood said, marveling at the changes in her body. This was much faster than she had expected to recover.

Seraphina Sullivan was also moved. She harvested the remaining Healing Grass left after splitting the shares, stored it in her Space, and planned to cultivate it after returning to the real world.

It was all for the sake of sustainable development.

Her inner farmer had awoken.

She kept only a small stalk in her hand for emergencies.

’I wonder if there are any other medicinal herbs with special Effects in this forest,’ Seraphina Sullivan thought.

She decided to use her [Item Identification] Ability more frequently from now on, keeping a constant watch on her surroundings so as not to miss any potential treasures.

The mutations brought on by this world’s Spiritual Energy Revival might just be an untapped treasure trove.

"Now that her injuries have stabilized, let’s not waste any more time," Dustin Sullivan said, toying with the weapon in his hand, which had shrunk to the size of a dagger.

His tone had regained its calm. "Night is dangerous, but it’s also when many creatures are active. It’s a good opportunity to hunt more and catch up."

"Alright!" Lily Underwood said, stretching her arms and legs.

Though she was still a bit weak, it was a huge improvement from her half-dead state before.

A vicious glint flashed in her eyes. "But I’ll settle this score with that bastard Harvey Fletcher sooner or later! Son of a bitch! I’m not a real woman if I don’t get revenge for this!"

Just as they were discussing their night hunting plans, Sean Chandler, who had been standing silent and vigilant as a statue, gave an imperceptible twitch of his ears, and his nostrils flared slightly.

His [Beastification - Werewolf] Talent gave him senses far superior to an ordinary person’s.

For the first time, he spoke up in front of everyone, his voice low and raspy, filled with a beast-like wariness:

"Someone’s nearby! A lot of them... They’re surrounding us!"

His sudden words stunned the others, and they all whipped their heads around to look at Sean Chandler.

Lily Underwood was so surprised she blurted out, "Holy crap! So you can talk?! I thought you were a mute this whole time!"

Sean Chandler: "..."

Sean Chandler ignored Lily Underwood’s comment with a deadpan expression, continuing to focus his senses on the surrounding movements, not bothering to explain.

Lily Underwood: "..."

After a moment of astonishment, Seraphina Sullivan, Dustin Sullivan, and Lily Underwood snapped back to reality.

Their expressions instantly grew grim.

Sean Chandler’s warning wouldn’t have come from nowhere!

"Prepare for battle!" Dustin Sullivan yelled in a low voice, and the "dagger" in his hand instantly extended back into a gleaming longsword.

Seraphina Sullivan also gripped her weapon, cranking the [Night Vision Mode] on her [Analysis Glasses] to maximum as she nervously scanned the dark forest around them.

In the darkness, several menacing figures could be faintly seen, silently closing in and forming an encirclement.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, I didn’t expect it to actually be you guys. Not sleeping so late at night? Are you having a bonfire party out here?"

A voice laced with obvious mockery and a smarmy tone drifted out from the darkness.

Immediately after, Harvey Fletcher and three other Players walked out unhurriedly, that disgusting, "I’ve-got-everything-under-control" smile plastered on his face.

They had clearly completed their encirclement.

When he saw that Lily Underwood’s injuries were more or less healed, Harvey Fletcher grew a little tense.

After all, he knew how severe the blow his own man had dealt Lily Underwood was. ℯℯ𝑙.

Right now, Lily Underwood’s face was pale, but she was alive and kicking.

This put him on guard.

He instantly activated his Ability on them.

"Goddammit! Harvey Fletcher! You old backstabbing bastard! You dare to show your face again!" The moment Lily Underwood saw Harvey Fletcher, old and new grudges surged in her heart.

The freshly healed wound on her abdomen seemed to begin aching faintly again.

She roared and was about to charge forward but was held back firmly by Dustin Sullivan.

"Calm down! Control your emotions!" Dustin ordered in a low, sharp voice.

Dustin Sullivan also felt an inexplicable irritation.

He could clearly see an unnatural, bloodshot tinge starting to creep back into Lily Underwood’s eyes.

She was clearly being affected by Harvey Fletcher’s [Emotion Control] Ability again.

Lily Underwood’s anger was being deliberately amplified.

"Son of a bitch!" Lily Underwood trembled with rage, but she also realized she had almost lost control again.

She forcefully suppressed her Fury.

At the same time, Seraphina Sullivan also felt a wave of inexplicable dizziness and irritation wash over her, and a violent impulse to destroy everything stirred deep within her heart.

It made her want to lash out and swing her blade at everyone around her indiscriminately.

’This Emotion Control Ability is terrifying... it’s impossible to guard against!’ A chill ran through Seraphina Sullivan. Without hesitation, she bit down hard on the tip of her tongue.

The sharp pain instantly dispelled the dizziness and irritation, allowing her to regain her composure.

She took a deep breath, looking at the arriving four-person squad, her gaze finally landing on Harvey Fletcher.

Dustin Sullivan took a step forward, attempting one last negotiation. He kept his voice as steady as possible. "Harvey Fletcher, we’re all temporary workers from the pork slaughterhouse. If we kill each other now, it’ll only make the temps from the chicken slaughterhouse happy. You should know that if we lose to them because of our internal fighting, Wessuri won’t let anyone off the hook. You won’t survive then, either."

He was trying to persuade him with their shared interests.

However, Harvey Fletcher just sneered. He threw his hands up in an exaggerated shrug, his face a mask of extreme arrogance. "I don’t care. I think even without you lot, we can easily beat that bunch of trash led by the chicken-heads. Besides..."

He paused, his greedy, cold gaze sweeping over Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler before finally landing on the recently recovered Lily Underwood. "...isn’t it safer to first clean up potential rivals and the people I don’t like, and secure those three spots for ourselves? As for winning or losing the competition? Heh, that’s something to worry about after I’ve cleaned you all up."

Arrogant! Insane!

That was the strongest impression Harvey Fletcher gave Seraphina at that moment.

He had been blinded by the prospect of promotion and his own Power, completely ignoring the bigger picture and subscribing to the most extreme form of egoism.

The negotiations had failed.