Chapter 1517
[ 632 words ]
“Don’t worry about it. Just do what you can. I’m happy to split my batch with you.”
Silas completely ignored the fact that she had just said making a hundred bottles was difficult.
“So, five hundred bottles in total. When do you think you can have them ready, Claire?” Silas asked, turning to her.
He wanted them as soon as possible, but he also had to consider the young girl’s schedule.
Claire wasn’t just a full-time student; she also squeezed in time to treat numerous patients.
Her free time was practically non-existent.
Take this mission, for example. She had to take a leave of absence from school, and she was supposed to be resting in the hospital to recover from her kidnapping.
Instead of resting, she was out here risking even worse trauma.
Plus, Dane was watching him like a hawk. Silas really didn’t dare work Claire to the bone.
He actually wanted a thousand bottles. After giving Miller his share, he’d keep eight hundred for himself.
His department ran all kinds of dangerous field ops, and Claire’s bug repellent would be an absolute godsend!
“I can’t make that many at once. I’ll prepare a hundred bottles first, and you two can split them.”
“I’ll make more when I have the time.”
“Also, using this stuff like regular bug spray is a bit of a waste. If you use it sparingly, it goes a long way.”
Of course, in a hostile environment like The Aila Highlands, ‘sparingly’ wasn’t an option.
They had to use it generously; otherwise, the thought of those repulsive bugs crawling all over them was enough to make anyone sick.
As it turned out, there were things far worse than ants waiting for them.
Leeches.
The leeches here weren’t just in the water; they were on the ground, in the bushes, and dropping from the trees.
If they weren’t careful, one would drop right down the back of their necks.
Claire wasn’t easily frightened, but she was deeply, viscerally repulsed by leeches.
Sure, leeches had medicinal uses, but having a live one drop out of a tree onto her still elicited a startled yelp.
Noticing her disgust, Dane popped open an umbrella and held it over her.
It wasn’t just any umbrella—it was a custom-made, bulletproof shield.
Since his family’s company manufactured military-grade gear, whipping up a custom civilian item from the same materials was child’s play.
The rest of the group looked at Dane in awe. The man came prepared for anything.
However, navigating the dense jungle with an open umbrella was incredibly cumbersome.
Up ahead, the trail was being blazed by Zamu, along with two of Miller’s men and two of Silas’s.
The four soldiers took turns hacking through the brush while ensuring Zamu stayed safe in the center.
Right now, Zamu was the only one who knew where the Dreamweed was. They couldn’t afford to let anything happen to him.
Seeing Claire cower from the
leeches, Zamu turned around and
chuckled. “Don’t be scared of a few
leeches, little lady. You can sell
these things for good money on the outside.”
“The kids in our village come into the mountains all the time to collect them.”
Zamu’s words sent a violent shudder down Claire’s spine, raising goosebumps all over her arms.
“Alright, Zamu, you can stop talking
now.”
ire wasn’t terrified of them,
per seshe just found swal
slimy things unspeakably gross.
The umbrella blocked the ones dropping from the canopy, but every so often a couple would land on the
so ofthe fabric, completely
edge
ruining her mood.
Despite her disgust, Claire kept a sharp eye on the ground as they walked.
Whenever she spotted a rare medicinal herb, she didn’t hesitate to dig it up.
She carried a small hand trowel specifically for the task.
Dane walked right beside her, wearing a woven basket on his back.
They moved as a flawless team—she dug up the herbs, and he tossed them into the basket.
Rory and Jace trailed closely behind, remaining strictly professional.
They did exactly as Claire instructed, nothing more, nothing less.
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