When they learned that Altaïr was out of danger, Nymera and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
Relief outweighed any frustration they might have felt.
Altaïr and Isis were two of the strongest fighters in their group. Once they had both lost contact, everyone had braced for an encounter with an Elder Dragon-level creature and a fight to the death.
Ms. Meow-It-All also jumped down from the Airship.
She was in command of the rescue team. If she determined that the situation was hopeless, she had the authority to order a forced retreat.
The Village Chief had even prepared an emergency plan to evacuate the entire advance team from Tidal Island.
After all, the SOS Flare had been fired far too close to Mangrove Outpost, less than thirty kilometers away in a straight line. If an Elder Dragon-level creature really was lurking nearby, the outpost would have to be abandoned.
Fortunately, it had all been a false alarm.
For Ms. Meow-It-All, however, excitement far outweighed the alarm.
"What did you say? You found the Taikun Zamuza's true body?! I knew it, meow! I knew a crustacean's blood couldn't be red. There had to be something inside, meow!
"What, meow? It could unleash lightning far more powerful than a Lagiacrus? It could even use that lightning to fly and move at incredible speed?! Where is it, meow?! Where is the body, meow?!"
Ms. Meow-It-All bounced up and down. The key to unraveling the mystery of the species was right before her, and nothing could stop her from digging out the answer.
Still recovering from his serious injuries, Altaïr naturally could not accompany her. In the end, Sajji led Ms. Meow-It-All into the cave that descended deep underground. Millsy accompanied her as her student and assistant, while Dawn and Morgan went along as guards.
Altaïr and the others no longer needed to worry about the materials. Ms. Meow-It-All would meticulously dissect the Taikun Zamuza's body, and she could extract materials far more efficiently than Hunters hacking away with knives.
Altaïr's companions carried him onto the Airship on a stretcher. The physician who had arrived aboard the Airship opened his clothing and carefully examined his injuries.
The elderly Wyverian physician looked grave. "You're saying an immensely powerful electric current struck him before he lost consciousness, and his heart stopped beating for a while?"
Isis quickly added, "That's what Sajji said. But according to him, Altaïr's heart didn't stop completely. His heartbeat became so faint that it was almost impossible to detect."
"That sounds like cardiac arrest brought on by an electric shock. How long did his heart remain in that state?" the old physician pressed.
"About two hours?" Isis tilted her head. "It took me just under two hours to ride my Palamute here from the outpost. I gave him a Max Potion as soon as I arrived. His heartbeat grew stronger again, and his condition gradually improved..."
"Potions and Max Potions are not a cure-all," the physician interrupted, giving Altaïr an odd look as he lay flat on the bed. "Cardiac arrest caused by a high-voltage current can kill someone within minutes. No potion can bring a person back from that.
"I have never heard of someone's heart nearly stopping, yet somehow continuing for several hours. Normally, you should have been dead long before help arrived."
Altaïr had no response.
Isis fell silent as well.
Oblivious to Isis's displeased expression, the old physician tugged at his beard. "It sounds as though something kept you clinging to life. Hmm... Some talismans and high-grade armor can grant a similar blessing, Guts..."
Silence answered him.
Altaïr glanced at the talisman pendant wrapped around his wrist. Teacher Karin had left it to him. "A Divine Blessing talisman... Could this be the reason?"
The knowledgeable Wyverian physician's frown deepened. "Divine Blessing might indeed spare you some fatal damage, but it cannot prolong your life.
"Could it simply be your constitution? Is the human body truly so remarkable...?"
Another silence followed.
"Could it be because he was tainted by Elder Dragon blood, meow?" Clawdia remarked offhandedly as she licked a paw.
"Tainted by Elder Dragon blood?!" The old physician spun toward her. "What happened? Tell me everything."
"That probably has nothing to do with it." Altaïr glanced down at the black scars on his body. "During a defense battle, some Elder Dragon blood splashed into one of my wounds.
"That Elder Dragon's blood was pitch black, and it left these scars. The physicians examined me at length and kept me under observation for another month. In the end, they concluded that there was probably nothing wrong."
"My parents said it should be fine too. They've been through similar situations and come into contact with Elder Dragon blood themselves," Isis added, a trace of nervousness in her voice.
The old Wyverian physician's expression grew solemn. "Whether it is energy, matter, or something else entirely, anything connected to Elder Dragons can produce unpredictable effects.
"Finding nothing unusual may simply mean that no one has detected it yet.
"Let us start with the most common symptoms. Have you experienced frequent nightmares, sudden palpitations, or unexplained bouts of excitement?"
"No." Altaïr shook his head firmly. "I rarely dream, and I've never had palpitations. As for unexplained excitement, that's even more..."
He stopped mid-sentence.
The old physician fixed him with a stare. "Even more what?"
"Uh, that probably doesn't count. I use a Long Sword quite often, and its techniques place great emphasis on 'Spirit' and willpower. Feeling keyed up while my Spirit Gauge is raised should be normal, right?"
Even as he spoke, Altaïr felt less certain.
Was it really normal? He could not say for sure. In this latest fight, for instance, he did seem to have let the heat of battle go to his head.
"I advise you not to dismiss this," the old physician said after a brief pause. "Of course, you should not worry excessively either. That could create psychological strain of its own."
"Then shouldn't he have a more thorough examination, just to be safe?" Isis asked anxiously.
The old physician shook his head. "The medical facilities on Tidal Island are limited, and I have little experience treating injuries connected to Elder Dragons.
"However, I can recommend someone. He is a traveling physician, younger than I am but more skilled, with extensive experience treating all manner of difficult conditions.
"The only problem is... his whereabouts are hard to pin down. He spends most of his time traveling the world..."
The room fell quiet.
"Are you referring to Mr. Yan?" Nymera suddenly asked.
The old physician blinked in surprise. "That's right. Do you know him?"
"I'm from Kamura Village, and I know Mr. Yan fairly well."
"That explains it." The old physician nodded in understanding. "Convenient, too. Nymera can write home to ask whether Mr. Yan is currently in Kamura Village. If he is, you can seek him out and have him examine Altaïr. A definite answer would give you some peace of mind."
Altaïr was about to say there was no need to make such a fuss, but Isis was already nodding. "Nymera, please write the letter."
Nymera gave the two of them an amused look. "I'll take care of it."
The old physician confirmed that Altaïr's condition had stabilized and that he needed only rest. Since Ms. Meow-It-All and the others were still performing the dissection in the cave, the Airship was in no hurry to depart.
They certainly did not forget to send a letter to the outpost by peregrine falcon, reporting that everyone was safe. Otherwise, the misunderstanding might escalate into "the entire rescue team has been wiped out," and the Village Chief really would have to order a full evacuation...
—--
Ms. Meow-It-All's dissection continued from midnight until noon the next day.
When the group returned to the Pioneer with a large pile of specimens and materials, Ms. Meow-It-All showed no sign of fatigue after staying up all night. If anything, she was as hyperactive as if she had eaten far too much catnip.
She muttered nonstop, "No electrical sacs, and it doesn't rely on fur or muscular membranes to generate electricity. Its method is entirely different from that of Khezu, Astalos, or Lagiacrus, meow!
"Not only has it overcome a crustacean's natural vulnerability to lightning, it has also evolved electromagnetic levitation by exploiting the cave's abundance of metal ores such as Iron Ore, meow!
"Even at the Wycademy, this kind of future technology exists only in theory, meow!"
Ms. Meow-It-All bounced around praising the wonders of nature. Pinned to the bed by Isis and forbidden to get up, Altaïr turned his head and stared fixedly at the massive crab claw Dawn was carrying.
"Sajji."
"What is it, meow?"
"Don't you think that claw looks a lot like a Long Sword?"
"Like... like what, meow?"
(Translated by yourtl.app)