Chapter 877

Kat watched as the merchant strode away, and that really what it was. A stride. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen someone try to show off that much swagger. He was leaned back slightly, arms bent slightly at the side and he took big, clearly Qi assisted steps as he ate up ground without breaking a sweat. It didn’t even take him 10 seconds to cross the whole compound back to his camp. Something no normal human could achieve even at a sprint.

He strode up to one of the tents and slapped the outside, Kat couldn’t really see what happened next but she could hear two people arguing. She tried not to listen to the particulars... but by the time the merchant came striding back over, with a clearly uncomfortable man beside him that had to jog to keep up with the merchant’s strides.

When the merchant reached Kat, he waited for the other man to catch up before slapping to heavy hands on the other man’s shoulders and said, “This here is my local guide. Second time I’ve hired him, and it was well worth the money. I’m pretty sure he can at least diagnose your friends!”

The guide in question rolled his shoulders to escape the merchant’s grip, not that Kat felt he really could have escaped without the merchant allowing it, “And I’ve been telling you I’m no doctor. I ain’t able to give a medical diagnosis. Oh, and the names Palo,”

The merchant laughed, “Ah, it seems I’ve been an impolite guess over hear at your campgrounds. I am Otiss, of Otiss Import and Exports. Otiss, the Third in fact, named after my father and great grandfather. Apparently great grandfather wasn’t quite willing to start a trend yet... hmm... anyway!

“Ignore young Palo here. He’s quite knowledgeable about all the things you can find in the swamp and I’m sure despite his lacking medical credentials that if there’s someone who knows more about the swamp then him why... hmm... I’ll eat my hat!” exclaimed Otiss.

Kat bit the inside of her lip and attempted not to comment on the fact Otiss did not in fact wear a hat. Still, she turned her gaze towards Palo and raised a questioning eyebrow. He just shrugged back and looked awkwardly up at the sky. *Well that’s reassuring. Still... I guess I can wake them for this... or maybe...* “Do you want me to wake my companions? Or should I just describe the symptoms?”

.....

Palo shrugged again, “I guess you can just go over the symptoms first? No need to make a fuss about this whole thing. If it’s as easy to identify as Otiss seems to think... well... I can probably say a few words. I ain’t no doctor though so don’t expect miracle cures!”

Kat nodded and started to explain the systems, the purple lines on their legs, the fact the poison collected into bubble, the sensitivity to sunlight, even for a sun cultivator, Otiss and Palo shared a glance at the fact Kat revealed what kind of cultivator her companions were, not knowing that was terribly impolite. Still, she was going through their medical issues and finished up with the purple lines in the eyes.

Palo nodded after the end of the explanation, “Has to be Bog Rot. Can’t be anything else,”

“I’m sorry but... Bog Rot?” asked Kat confused.

“What you want some fancy name? I ain’t studied disease for twenty years and how to cure them all. I bet with a couple of years, a lot of procrastinating and enough paperwork to drown a man you could get some fancy sounding name like ‘Condensed Poison of the Ancient Swamp’ ignoring the fact the swamp isn’t ancient and it probably didn’t condense so much as congeal... but what do I know, I’m just a guide,” said Palo with steel in his voice.

“Um... sorry I didn’t mean to offend... I was just asking for further clarification...” said Kat carefully. She really wasn’t trying to touch any nerves. Kat really just wanted to know what was wrong with her two... well they weren’t really friends. Clients? Sure let’s go with clients.

Palo just shrugged at Kat’s attempt at a piece offering. Kat’s eyes twitched at that response and the desire to hit him with a blast of calm was strong but she reigned it in. “Right well... so you seriously went into the bog without any idea what bog rot is?” asked Palo. Kat of course nodded, they did in fact do that. “Right well... that means nobody was wearing protection?” Kat shook her head. Palo let out a long sigh filled with suffering. “Idiots,” mumbled Palo.

Kat just raised an eyebrow so he continued, “Look... are you also suffering from those symptoms?”

“Nope I’m fine,” said Kat.

“That shouldn’t be possible...” mumbled Palo.

To stop him from asking questions, Kat summed her fan and made three deep cuts in her arm. He jumped back with a yelp in surprise, so much so that he didn’t really notice her blood was black when she wiped it away to reveal clean skin. Otiss though he’d glanced away from the snake when Palo yelped, and his eyes light up with understanding as he watched the blood drip onto the ground.

“Right... bullshit regeneration then... ok so... Bog Rot is both one of the easiest and hardest things to deal with in that swamp. Despite the smell, it’s purely a contact based poison. If you never touch it, you won’t have to deal with it. Now, there is regularly weaker poisons just in the air, but the worst stuff is all contact based. What normal, sane people do, is wear some overalls designed for dealing with liquids. Normally treated leather from some water Qi resistant monster if you really want the good stuff.

“Problem is, you lot, like idiots, walked through it, presumably for a few days. So now you have to deal with the harder part. The recovery. There really isn’t anything that can cure it to the best of my knowledge you’ll just have to let it run its course. I do recommend popping as many of those poison capsules as you can though and washing away the stuff that comes out. It’ll hurt like a bitch... and it might scar something nasty but it’s safer by far then just leaving it in there.

“Now... as for the symptoms. So what’s going to happen is what’s already happened. Loss of appetite, sensitivity to light, shakes, and in a day or two they won’t be able to feel their legs. That’s fine, nothing to worry about yet. Then... the worst part comes. They’ll go blind and their legs will pretty much explode...” Kat winced, “Yeah it’s slightly better then it sounds... but honestly it ain’t good.

“What will happen is that the poison will burst out from the legs and try to splatter as many other people as it can. It’s probably a remnant from when the poison was first made. Lot weaker now, but still pretty deadly. Now, once the poison bursts out of their legs you need to wash them down thoroughly. With salt probably if you have some. Yes, it’ll hurt like the fires of hell, but the maker of the poison was a sick fuck like that.

“Then there eyes will start spewing poison. Not as bad, just lay them flat head off the edge and let it all run out. I’ve heard that it used to blow up your eyes from my dad but it don’t anymore. Still hurts pretty bad, but not crippling. Anyone, once those two steps are over you just have to wait. They’ll either live, or die from the blood and water loss. Oh right, get some water into them. Just fucking get it in their. As much as you can once the leg thing happens.”

*Oh dear... this... this is very much not and ideal situation to be in.* “Right... um... thank you for your advice... *and scaring the heck out of me. Apparently magical poisons are no joke. I mean what the heck is this. Exploding legs! Otiss doesn’t seem to be too surprised so this must be normal. Or at least, normal enough not to be questioned but seriously... who does that. And salt? I literally have to rub salt into the wound? Hmm... might ask about that.*

“Um... how important is the salt part? I’m... only really acquaintances with the two who are poisoned and I doubt they’d trust me to literally rub salt in their wounds,” said Kat.

Palo shrugged, “I dunno. My Pa insisted we do it when it happened to him, slipped and fell into the muck cause he wasn’t careful. Horrible to watch but he did survive... even if this throat needed a lot of healing afterwards. Still, by that point they won’t be able to move their legs at all so they won’t really have a choice even if they remain conscious.”

“Right... um... how did your father know?” asked Kat.

“Well that there is a story... not sure we have time... hmm... Otiss?”