Bai Hu. Also known as the White Tiger. I didn't know much about history, but I did know about the Chinese mythology behind the legend thanks to some minor research on me and Hayate's parts whenever we came up with any RPG campaigns at the time. If I remembered correctly, Bai Hu was one of the Four Gods or Symbols and it represented the direction of west and the autumn season. Also, I remember that the mythology mentioned that the white tiger would only appear during a time when the emperor ruled Japan in peace. In Japan, most of them called it "Byakko" and most of the media were inspired by it as well as the other Symbols. So it was no surprise that this mythology found its way into this game.
Nonetheless, I was still shell-shocked that this boss monster based on Byakko was now healing my brother with kind of spell. I didn't know what it was, but I could tell from my skills that it had so much mana within it that it could put Wind back on his feet in no time. Eventually, the tiger backed away as the glow on my brother's body began to fade, and to my surprise, Wind managed to sit up and saw he was able to move his hands and fingers once more.
"M-My hands..." He muttered and looked at his legs as he stood up. "My legs... I can move again!"
<Wind> [Party Member]
[HP: 590/590]
[Condition: Healthy]
[NOTICE]
[The [White Tiger of the Beginning], [Bai Hu] has healed your party member, <Wind> to full health.]
Whoa... If that's what the powers of the [White Tiger of the Beginning] were like, then it was a huge relief that he was not our enemy anymore. More importantly, I was glad that Wind is okay.
I then noticed him rub his left arm as he approached the monster with a regretful look on his face. "I-I'm still surprised about all this, but... Thank you for saving me, Mr. White Tiger."
"Um... Wind..." I interjected. "His name is Bai Hu and he's the guardian of this forest."
"Oh... I see. And since you seem to understand me, then I want to thank you again for saving me, Mr. Bai Hu. And we're sorry for invading into your home."
Bai Hu nodded at this and before I could say anything to Wind, he suddenly approached me and whispered, asking a favor from me. I was surprised at what he had asked, but I decided to follow it for Wind's sake as I watched the tiger turn his attention to my brother.
[All is forgiven, young [Human]. However, you both must be aware at how dangerous these woods are for young adventurers like yourselves.]
As I turned to look at Wind, I saw him raised his eyebrow as his expression turned into confusion. It seemed that Bai Hu was right. Because of my race, I could communicate with him without any problems. But to anyone who wasn't an [Insignis], all they could get were the typical tiger roars and growls. And that was no exception to Wind, since his character was a [Human]. So all I could do was to translate everything that Bai Hu said to him. Plus, he is my older brother and [Guardian Player], so obviously I couldn't leave him locked out of the loop regarding everything in the game.
"Y-Yeah. Though, try telling that to the [Insignis] who dragged us out here without any warnings."
I quickly shivered as Wind gave me a quick glare, which I quickly replied, "Come on! I already said I was sorry! Plus, I promised myself to do my homework before the next time we go into any dangerous places."
"Well... as long as you learned your lesson. Also, you owe me two days off from <Volo> once we're done here, okay?"
I gulped as he said this. I really didn't like going several days without playing <Isekai>. But then again, I did deserve it for rushing in while not knowing the dangers in the <Tested Wilds>. I reluctantly agreed to this with a sigh of defeat.
"Now that's cleared up, it looks like we can go over something important. For starters, Kazu mentioned that you muttered about wanting to save your home during the battle. Is that something to do with that mysterious fog and vines that we saw outside earlier?"
Bai Hu nodded as I noticed his face turned grim.
[I'm afraid so. And since you already saw them, I can tell that you saw the damage they've caused to the forest.]
Even I couldn't deny the destruction caused by that fog. I decided to step forward and speak.
"Yeah. I sensed a large amount of malicious mana through my [Aura Perception] and I doubt I could get rid of it with my current state."
[Don't blame yourself, young [Insignis]. Even with the power of 20 mages, it is not enough to remove the plague that is destroying the forest. I managed to find the source of its power, but even I can't destroy it completely.]
Seriously? We had already seen how strong Bai Hu was in battle, but it was shocking to hear that he couldn't even get rid of the plague in this forest. Not only that, but he also mentioned that 20 of the most powerful mages in <Isekai> couldn't get rid of it either. Something just wasn't right here.
"That's crazy. You were able to bring me back to full health with your powers," Wind spoke up again. "So why can't you get rid of that plague the same way?"
[That's because it's no ordinary plague. As young Kazu mentioned, there is a large amount of corrupted mana in that fog, and its power is on par with my abilities as the guardian of the forest. Not only that, but staying in the source of the plague will also drain most of my mana, something that I haven't encountered with other plagues from the past. If I stay there for too long, I will die from the lack of mana and the forest will be unguarded by bandits and other malicious beings.]
"So you're saying that this plague has somehow mutated into a new form?"
[Not exactly. In fact, I sensed that some of the mana came from other [Humans] and [Elves]. I initially that thought both of you were some of those who brought that fog to my home until I learned of young Kazu's bloodline. That's the other reason I attacked both of you.]
Mana from [Humans] and [Elves]? Hang on, if that's true...
"Are you saying that this plague is man-made?!" I couldn't help but feel angry upon learning that possibility. If that's true, then whoever made and unleashed it must have some intentions of destroying the <Tested Wilds>. "Who would have done such a thing?! And why?!"
[I don't know. All I know is that, even if most of the fog and the infectious vines are destroyed, they will regenerate over time and continue to spread themselves until my home is no more. The only way to destroy it completely is to go to the source of it, but as I said before, I can't enter it without the risk of draining my mana. Because of this, I can't rely on lesser guardians to take care of this problem as they have other jobs to fulfill.]
So whatever Bai Hu does, it's a lose-lose situation. I felt sorry for him. Not only did he have to deal with a man-made plague that could regenerate itself, but he had to protect the forest while the plague was still destroying it. I really wanted to help him with this mess, but how? It wasn't like we could go in there and stop the plague ourselves.
...
Hang on a second... That's it!
"Mr. Bai Hu! If you can't destroy the source completely, then how about we try to go there and find and get rid of the source in your place?"
[What?!]/"What?!"
"Don't tell me you're planning to destroy the source all by yourself?!"
Oops... I didn't think clearly before declaring this to Bai Hu and Wind. But it was too late to take it back. All I could do was to continue and explain everything to them.
"Well, I didn't say I had to go there alone, Wind. If you don't agree with this, then I'll respect your decision." I clarified my choice to Wind. "But I can't just sit here and do nothing. Bai Hu might be a monster, but this is his home and I can't let it be destroyed by this plague. Besides, isn't the job of an adventurer supposed to be helping those in need? Whether they be [Human], [Elf], or other races. Plus, isn't helping others is another way to give back? Bai Hu did save you despite what he did to us and I want to give back to him for that. Don't you want to do the same?"
"Y-Yeah... I guess so..." I could hear the reluctance in Wind's voice when he agreed, which I could understand. "But isn't it dangerous for us to go and destroy the plague's source by ourselves?"
[Your [Human] brother is right, young Kazu. The source of the plague is very strong and there is a chance that you wouldn't able to survive the battle with your current abilities.]
"But we can't let this forest get destroyed by it. Please, Mr. Bai Hu! Let us take your place and eradicate this plague!"
I quickly got on my knees and bowed to Bai Hu. I didn't want to do this out of greed. I just wanted to help Bai Hu and save his home. But I was worried that he would refuse my request due to my age. But to my surprise, I saw Wind also got to his knees.
"Mr. Bai Hu, I know Kazu can be a bit reckless at times, but I know he wants to protect this forest as much as you do. Besides, even if you try to dissuade him, I doubt he would give up his goal of helping others."
Wind was right, and not just because I wanted to fulfill my role as a mage adventurer. I've always had a habit of helping others in need even in real life. Ever since I had became a fantasy novel fanatic and Hayate had became what he is today, I wanted to do everything in power to follow his example and help out others who couldn't deal with their problems alone. Those feelings even extended to NPCs in both tabletop RPG sessions and <Isekai> itself. So even if they're not real, I won't stop helping them no matter what.
However, I was a bit worried that Bai Hu would still refuse. But Wind then continues, "Also, Kazu is with me and as his older brother, I promise that I will protect him during our whole journey, and I assure you he will not die under my watch. So please, Mr. Bai Hu, give us a chance to deal with the plague's source."
Wind...
I was very speechless once I saw him bowing in front of Bai Hu like me. He could be overprotective, but he really cared about me. He had always protected me from harm back home, so no doubt he'd do the same here. I'm guessing since he knew me too well, he wanted to take responsibility for my safety in case anything happened to me. This fact alone made me smile, seeing how much he wanted me to stay safe from danger.
But what about Bai Hu? For a few seconds, he stared at us with his face mixed with conflict and worry. Yet as seconds have passed, he growled and said, [Alright, I will allow you into the source of the plague. But be warned that staying in its domain will drain some of your mana the longer you're there. I will grant a blessing to protect you from those effects, but it will only be temporary. I can only grant this only once, so you have to be quick in subjugating the source. Regardless, do you still wish to proceed?]
I didn't hesitate to nod yes to him as Wind did the same. We had decided to destroy the source and there was no turning back to our decision.
[Very well. Then I will give you my permission. Raise your heads.]
I was confused by his sudden request, but we obeyed to avoid any offense to him.
[Young [Insignis] Kazu and [Human] Wind. I will let you enter the domain of the plague and destroy the source of it. You are the only ones who can stop it and save my home. Make sure to destroy it completely and ensure the <Tested Wilds'> safety for the sake of the flora and fauna of the forest.]
[NOTICE]
[The [White Tiger of the Beginning], <Bai Hu> has given you a [Special Quest]. Because of your recent interactions, this [Quest] has been automatically accepted]
[Special Quest: Destroy the Plague***
Out of your desire to help Bai Hu, he allows you to destroy the source of the plague with his blessings. However, you must destroy it completely to ensure it won't wreck havoc the forest ever again.
Recommended Party: 2]
So it was really a [Quest], and not like the one we did before. One example of this was that the difficulty level of it was a bit higher than that of the [Quest] with the [Wild Bear]. Even more, it was accepted into our [Quest Log] automatically. There was no turning back now. But that was okay. I had convinced Wind and Bai Hu to let us stop the plague, so it's now or never.
"Don't worry, Mr. Bai Hu. We're not going to leave a trace of that plague behind! We're going to save this forest for the sakes of both you and the <Tested Wilds>!"
It seemed that Bai Hu had been convinced by my words, as he nodded to us before turning around. [Alright. I will escort you to the source. Until we arrive there, make sure you prepare your equipment and rest up on my back.]
"We understand, sir." Wind bowed to Bai Hu once more. "And that means we have to wait and keep up our strength up until then. That, by the way, includes, but not limited to jumping into dangerous areas without my permission. Got it?"
I gulped once he said that. I really needed to work on my patience...
In any case, I jumped on Bai Hu's back as Wind did the same. Once we did so, he then headed off to our next destination, which we expected we would find and destroy the source of the plague once and for all.
----
"Well, what do you know? They finally did it," Mr. White muttered as he and Spears watched the event with the Palmer brothers on a monitor. "And it only took them a day to convince Bai Hu to destroy the plague rather than facing off against him in a boss battle."
"Yeah. It makes me wonder how that young man managed to survive his magic," Mr. Spears spoke up. "According to our data, most of the players who tried to defeat Bai Hu are often killed by that lightning storm attack."
"It's probably the [Mana Shield] that his brother cast on him beforehand. Although, even with his racial bonuses, it still wasn't enough to lower the inflicted damage from that attack in his current level."
Mr. White then scratched his head at this strange predicament.
"It could be a bug, but if it was, then those players should have reported us regarding that fact instead of those complaints about its difficulty." Though, in the end, he couldn't blame them considering that area was supposed to be the game's first real challenge. "Also, I would also guess that luck also played in the factor of Wind's survival. Either way, if it wasn't for Kazu's quick-thinking, he would have become one of the game's casualties."
"In any case, let's observe them a little longer. Maybe they might do something special and unexpected regarding our little surprise [Special Quest]."
Mr. White's eyes widened when he heard this.
"Okay. But I'm surprised, sir. The only time you've seemed invested in here when you were dealing with the feedback and complaints from customer service."
"Very funny, White," Mr. Spears muttered in a deadpanned tone. "But you're right. Mr. Palmer's kids are breaking more barriers than we can imagine. I wonder where they'll go from here after this."
----
Wind's Masteries
[Archery] Level 14
[Woodcrafting] Level 7
[Swordsmanship] Level 15
[Cooking] Level 7
[Wind] Level 10
[Physical Enhancement] Level 9
[Hunting] Level 13
----
Kazu's Masteries
[Arcana] Level 17
[Thunder] Level 12
[Wind] Level 13
[Alchemy] Level 12
[Magecrafting] Level 10
[Magical Affinity] Level 15
[Scribe] Level 4