My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Chapter 197 I Have an Alternative
“Who do you think has the greatest ability to protect all of you while we’re away?” Duke answered cryptically, avoiding details of how the situation had unfolded. He emphasized that knowing what had happened was more important than understanding the specifics of how it happened.

He still needed to protect his wife from the Coltons’ potential threats, especially if there were still moles lurking around. He turned to Kisha and asked, “Do you still have that contract?”

Kisha took a moment to grasp Duke’s intention before responding honestly, “I don’t have one now, but I’ll keep an eye out to see if I can find another.”

Duke now had a deeper understanding of Kisha’s abilities. While she didn’t have the contract on hand, her capability to obtain one as required suggested alternative sources beyond his comprehension. This realization heightened his awareness of the mysterious nature of Kisha’s powers, which he believed surpassed mere awakened abilities.

He didn’t press for more details and simply nodded at her. Contracts like that didn’t come easily, so he knew he had to remain vigilant and watch closely for any suspicious activity from their enemies.

Then Kisha paused for a moment, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes. “But I do have an alternative,” she said coyly.

Duke raised an eyebrow as he noticed the mischievous glint in Kisha’s eyes, knowing she was up to something. A smile spread across his lips. “Please, my wife, do share,” he said fondly, gently rubbing the top of her head as he looked at her with affection.

“I may not have that contract with me, but I have a medicine that could give us the same outcome,” she said cryptically, aiming to pique Duke’s curiosity. To her dismay, Duke only looked amused, clearly recognizing her playful attempt to tease him.

“Alright, I’ll tell you,” she said with a roll of her eyes, retrieving a jade bottle roughly the size of her fist. “In here are at least a hundred Heart Gu Pills. We can distribute them to all your subordinates.”

“Heart Gu Pills?” Bald Eagle looked at the jade bottle with confusion, trying to understand what it contained. It was his first time hearing about this medicine, and he didn’t grasp what their Master and Young Madam were discussing or what they aimed to achieve.

“Yes, the Heart Gu Pill. It’s not exactly a medicine or a poison; it’s more like a demonic insect’s egg,” Kisha said nonchalantly, a hint of amusement in her eyes. She came across it along with the contract, or to be precise, 008 stumbled upon it while searching for the contract in its sales channels. After reading its description, 008 felt it had similar effects as the contract but was potentially more dangerous for the slaves. 008 hesitantly informed Kisha about it.

After learning about its capabilities, she purchased it to explore its potential uses, though she hadn’t anticipated needing it so soon.

She heard Bald Eagle gasp in horror as he looked at the pill bottle. Even though he didn’t fully understand its effects, just the mention of “demonic insect” filled him with a sense of foreboding. The mere idea of such a thing made his mind race with negative possibilities.

The medicine surrounding the Heart Gu Pill was a carefully concocted solution designed to preserve the eggs and awaken the dormant demonic insects within. Once the medicine was removed or consumed, the demonic insects would awaken. They would then crawl to the person’s heart, where they would feed on their blood and grow. Without timely intervention with an antidote, the insects would inevitably consume the heart, leading to the person’s death. After feeding, the insects would lay their eggs in the corpse before moving on to find their next victim.

This item originated from the Murim world as well, where it was employed by demonic sects to control their slaves, ensuring loyalty and preventing rebellion. Once ingested, only a skilled expert could remove it, typically through a special concoction that would ignite the heart with pure spiritual energy that opposes the demonic insect, driving the demonic insect out of the body. However, both methods were excruciatingly painful, leading some individuals to perish before the insect could be expelled.

That’s why the righteous factions despised the demonic sect; their methods were deemed barbaric and inhumane. Once implanted, the demonic insect could identify its master, who possessed the master Gu, and could also function as a truth detector. If the host lied, the insect would emit venom, causing excruciating pain throughout the body. Upon command from the master Gu’s owner, the insect would not hesitate to execute the traitor.

“What does it do?” Duke asked.

Kisha glanced around, weighing her words carefully. Despite her hesitation to alarm Bald Eagle and Tristan, she ultimately decided to inform them. She recognized their lingering concerns about potential moles and viewed this as a loyalty test going forward. Kisha refrained from influencing Duke’s decisions directly; because they were his subordinates, not hers, she respected his authority to decide such matters independently.

“Then, do you have enough antidote for this?” Duke asked his concern for his innocent subordinates evident despite his determination to root out any moles in their midst.

“I do have enough, and acquiring it was straightforward and easy. They just need to ingest the antidote every two weeks to prevent the demonic insect from killing them,” Kisha explained solemnly. This situation was more dangerous than the ‘Slave Contract’ she had used with Aston and the others. Unlike the contract, which posed no direct threat to their health and lives and only enforced punishment upon betrayal or harm to the master, this Heart Gu Pill, however, could potentially endanger them continually.

“Alright, I’ll have Sparrow come to your location later to distribute this. Before the two-week mark, we’ll ensure the antidote arrives on time,” Duke said to both Tristan and Bald Eagle. He then turned to Tristan. “Make sure to inform everyone about this. Whether they believe it or not, they’ll find out soon. And if there are deserters, you know what to do,” Duke commanded sternly.

Although he said this, Tristan and Bald Eagle wouldn’t be exceptions, nor would Vulture or Sparrow. Duke needed to uphold his iron-fist rule and ensure there were no exceptions within his ranks. Apart from himself, Kisha, and the Winters, everyone else would take the Heart Gu Pill.

Once they finished issuing commands, Duke and Kisha left Tristan and Bald Eagle, who were visibly shaken by what they had just heard but remained steadfast in their loyalty. They then returned to where the rest of the team, including the Winters, were gathered. There, they informed everyone about the situation and what to expect when Sparrow arrived.

While Kisha and Duke led the Wyatt family back to the villa where they stayed, Duke couldn’t quite grasp why Kisha was so excited about them. Nevertheless, he trusted her instincts, knowing there was likely something valuable in this encounter.

He knew she wasn’t one to waste time on trivial matters that wouldn’t benefit them in battle or in life.