The helicopter's engine sputtered as a sudden, violent sandstorm swept across the horizon. "We have to land!" the pilot shouted over the roar of the blades. "I can't see the landing strip!"
They touched down in a cloud of red dust on the outskirts of a small, isolated village in Northern Nigeria. As the dust settled, Austin stepped out to see a group of men armed with old rifles approaching. They didn't look like soldiers; they looked like hunters protecting their home.
"Who are you?" their leader asked in a thick accent. "Why do you bring this machine to our land?"
[SYSTEM SCANNING...]
[TARGET: VILLAGE HEAD - ALHAJI MUSA.]
[CONDITION: ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS / ASTHMA ATTACK.]
Alhaji Musa began to cough violently, his face turning a dark shade of grey as he struggled to breathe. His men panicked, pointing their guns at Austin. "What did you do to him?!"
"I didn't do anything, but I can fix it," Austin said, raising his hands. "He can't breathe. If you don't let me help him, he will be gone in five minutes."
Austin didn't wait for permission. He knelt in the red dirt and activated his Eyes of Truth. He saw a specific weed growing near the base of a baobab tree—[ITEM: DESERT LUNGWORT - QUALITY 80%].
He grabbed a handful of the leaves, crushed them between his palms until the green juice ran out, and held it under Alhaji Musa's nose. "Breathe this in. Deeply."
At the same time, Austin pressed two points on the man's back, sending a small pulse of Divine Energy into his lungs.
[SKILL: BRONCHIAL OPENING!]
Alhaji Musa took a massive, rattling breath. The coughing stopped. He looked at Austin, his eyes wide with wonder. "The air... it feels like water in a desert. I haven't breathed this clearly in ten years."
The men lowered their rifles. The tension vanished instantly.
[MISSION COMPLETE: GAIN ALLIES IN THE NORTH.]
[REWARD: 1,000 EXP, 'LOCAL GUIDE' UNLOCKED.]
"You are a healer," Alhaji Musa said, bowing his head in respect. "But you are far from home. Why are you heading toward the Great Forest? Only death lives there now."
"I'm looking for a plant," Austin said, looking toward the dark treeline of the Sambisa Forest. "One that can save millions."
Alhaji Musa's expression turned grave. "The Shadow Men are already there, Healer. They arrived two hours ago in trucks that make no sound. If you go there now, you will not find a plant. You will find a war."
Austin tightened his grip on his medical bag. "Then it's a good thing I brought more than just bandages."