My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 206

Chapter 206: Chapter 206 Taking the Heart Gu Pill
After meticulously gathering a wealth of knowledge about the shelter’s layout and operations, Sparrow swiftly made his way to the Winters’ tent as described by Kisha. He almost didn’t need to search, as his comrades had marked the tent entrance with a conspicuous red handkerchief.

After confirming the absence of patrols within a few meters of the tent, Sparrow swiftly entered with a ‘swoosh’ like a gust of wind. The Winters, alerted by the slight commotion, immediately assumed defensive stances.

“Good reflexes,” Sparrow teased as he stood facing the group, each of them brandishing a knife. Recognizing Sparrow’s voice, they visibly relaxed, lowering their weapons. Sparrow removed his hood, glanced around at everyone, and sighed, gathering his composure before starting the explanation Kisha had given him for his mission.

The explanation was daunting, and even Sparrow felt uneasy. However, he was certain of his loyalty, so he wasn’t worried. Without hesitation, he and Vulture took the Heart Gu Pill in front of their Master and Young Madam earlier in the villa. They understood that their Master had no choice but to take this step to protect everyone else.

After he finished his explanation, Sparrow waited for his comrades’ reactions. None of them disagreed; they all understood why their master had to take this step. They had heard about the two traitors who had remained in their midst even after going through life-and-death situations together. The presence of these betrayers endangered everyone, making this action a necessary measure to protect the group.

Especially now that they were in enemy territory, they needed to exercise extreme caution. That’s why no one faltered or showed indecisiveness.

The Winters exchanged silent glances as they listened to Sparrow’s explanation of the Heart Gu Pill and its harsh effects. While they felt it was inhumane, their time with Kisha—brief as it was—had shown them her caution and fierce protectiveness towards Duke and his people. They trusted that she wouldn’t harm her own and saw this as a necessary demonstration of loyalty.

Sparrow then distributed the pills one by one, watching each person swallow it without hesitation. His comrades understood Sparrow was just following orders and didn’t take offense at his vigilance. Obediently, they lined up and took their turn, none showing fear but all curious about what it would feel like to ingest the fearsome Demonic Insect that could consume their hearts.

As they swallowed the Heart Gu Pill, each person braced for discomfort or pain. They waited until everyone had taken the pill, but felt nothing. They all looked at Sparrow questioningly, as if he had been testing their loyalty and pulling their legs.

Sparrow knew what they were thinking; he had felt the same earlier. Rubbing the tip of his nose, he cleared his throat and repeated Kisha’s explanation. “Young Madam said that although we ingested the Heart Gu Pill, which releases the egg of the Demonic Insect from its dormant state, we wouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort immediately. She could have made us take it without telling us since there were no adverse effects right away. This shows that even when she has to take precautionary measures, she still thinks of us.”

Sparrow did not forget to mention this thought of his to slightly remind everyone not to bite the hand that feeds them and paused to let his words sink in, then continued, “In two weeks, we’ll need the antidote to prevent the Demonic Insect from consuming our hearts, leading to a slow and painful death. If we betray our masters, the Demonic Insect will secrete its poison, causing severe pain before we die. So, I hope everyone understands the gravity of the situation.”

He ended his speech, watching as everyone processed the information.

After hearing Sparrow, everyone nodded in solemn agreement, their determination etched on their faces. They understood what was at stake and felt a profound gratitude toward their master for providing them with a home and a community of brothers with whom they could share their thoughts and feelings. They held a deep disdain for traitors who betrayed their master’s good grace.

“Don’t worry, Sparrow. We know what to do. If it weren’t for our master, we wouldn’t have come this far in life, nor would we have brothers with whom to share our joys.”

“Exactly. We’re grateful that our master found someone who cares for him and his well-being. We won’t betray that trust.”

“Don’t worry Sparrow.”

“Don’t worry…”

Their collective agreement brought a smile to Sparrow’s face, and even the Winters exchanged reassuring glances. Despite their outward calm, they held their breaths, anxious that Duke’s men might perceive him as ruthless and rebel against him.

However, hearing them express care and concern for Duke brought a sense of relief. They were pleased and gratified that the situation had been resolved positively.

With the previous issue resolved, Sparrow proceeded to share another crucial instruction from Kisha with his comrades. They gathered closely, speaking in hushed tones and occasionally resorting to sign language to ensure their plan remained confidential, even under potential monitoring.

They dedicated half the night to discussing and rehearsing the plan, repeatedly reviewing every detail to ensure it was firmly understood by all especially their roles. Once Sparrow confirmed that his mission was accomplished, he briefly shared the intelligence he had gathered while navigating the shelter on his way to join the group.

To his surprise, his comrades pleasantly surprised him by sharing additional valuable information they had gathered around the shelter while Sparrow was away with their Master and Young Madam. This enriched their collective intelligence, making their understanding of the situation more solid and comprehensive for everyone involved.

Sparrow also took care to share a brief account of their mission outside, ensuring that everyone understood the situation and wouldn’t worry unnecessarily about Duke and Kisha. This was particularly important to calm the Winters, who had heard about Duke’s severe injury, and most of the people who came out and even lost two who ran away in the middle of the battle.

Now that they understood everything was part of Kisha’s plan, they all sighed in relief. Some even began to admire Kisha’s foresight and readiness to prepare a counterattack, ensuring they wouldn’t be caught off guard by their enemies. This further solidified Kisha’s position in their hearts as their Young Madam and Duke’s rightful wife—the one person who could proudly stand by his side.

After seeing the reverie on their faces, Sparrow contentedly left the tent and silently made his way back to the forest behind their villa. After stashing the cloak where he found it, he groggily emerged from the forest, feigning to just having woken up. As he approached, Vulture spotted him and unexpectedly delivered a powerful kick to Sparrow’s backside, causing him to crash to the ground face-first. Sparrow glared up resentfully at Vulture, who was equally surprised by the force of his kick and the unintended outcome.

Vulture didn’t break character and continued to chide Sparrow. “How dare you slip away to sleep and leave me to do all the work?” He feigned anger, pointing accusingly at Sparrow’s face.

Sparrow bit his lip, attempting to contain his resentment as he struggled to stand up. Failing to do so, he swiftly kicked the back of Vulture’s knee, causing him to collapse to the ground with a loud ‘thud’.