The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1180

The anxiety in Neera's heart suddenly intensified.

She was aware that Phison's and Bartitsu Guild's rules were particularly indulgent toward the use of force.

She also knew that people there often resort to force to achieve their goals.

However, she still didn't associate those things with the struggle for the white flag.

She was still thinking too simply, assuming that those people were sent to ensure her safety in the dense forest.

In reality, they were not there to fend off the environment within the dense forest but to protect her from other families.

“Every election, the struggle for supremacy is a life-and-death battle among various factions. As long as no firearms are used, everything is permissible. The winner rules, while the loser is ruled. This is a battle of the strong. This time, the fight for district president is of utmost importance, with benefits far greater than ever before. Therefore, the competition will only be fiercer. In this dense forest, anything can happen, and no one can predict what will happen next. The only certainty is that all factions will scheme and strategize, even if it means stepping over the bones of others, just to get that white flag.” After Shane finished speaking, he smiled slightly. “However, you don't need to be frightened. No matter what happens, we're here for you. Rest assured, we won't let anyone lay a finger on you.”

“Mhm.” Neera nodded, deep in thought.

At first, she was unaware of the responsibilities and mission that the head of the Gordon family had to bear. Her hasty agreement to become the head of the family was indeed too reckless.

Who would have thought she would find herself embroiled in such a dangerous dispute?

In fact, even at that point, she still felt somewhat like she was falling through fog and clouds. Everything seemed so surreal.

The slightly damp earth beneath her feet served as a reminder of where she was at that moment.

Once one entered that dense forest, there was no turning back.

No matter what, they had to take it one step at a time and face the challenge with a spirited attitude.

Cheering themselves on internally, everyone quickly resumed their journey.

After traveling for a while, Neera gradually felt drained.

At first, she didn't pay much attention to it, simply attributing it to the fatigue caused by climbing the mountain.

Yet after a while, that unsettling feeling returned, growing more and more pronounced.

No, this isn't right! This feeling of weakness is different from the fatigue brought on by exercise. Instead, it feels like it's due to something else... Just as she was furrowing her brows in deep thought, suddenly, Shane unexpectedly fell to the ground with a thud!

That sudden turn of events startled everyone present.

“Shane!” Neera anxiously and quickly squatted down. Because her movement was too abrupt, her vision suddenly went black.

“Mr. Gordon! Ms. Garcia!” Charles' pupils contracted, and he quickly stepped forward to check on them.

Seeing Neera with her eyes tightly shut as if she were in great pain, he panicked. He quickly called out to her, “Ms. Garcia! Ms. Garcia, are you all right?”

Neera slowed down, gradually recovering from the disorienting sensation.

Blinking, she gently shook her head. “I'm fine.”

She immediately checked on Shane's condition. After confirming that he had merely fainted, she breathed a small sigh of relief but dared not let her guard down.

After taking the pulse, she immediately drew a conclusion. “His pulse is somewhat weak, his breathing shallow, showing signs of possible poisoning.”

“Poisoned?” Finnley was shocked. “How could he be poisoned? He was perfectly fine before, and he's been with us all day today. How could he possibly be poisoned?”

Neera raised her head, about to say something, but noticed that both Finnley's and Charles' lips were turning somewhat purple, just like Shane.

The others were showing the same symptoms.

“What's going on with your mouths? Are you all feeling unwell, too?” Neera furrowed her brows, asking immediately.

Upon hearing that, everyone looked at each other, realizing that it was indeed the case.

Charles pursed his lips, speaking frankly. “I don't feel particularly unwell, but... I do feel very tired, and there's a heaviness in my chest. I thought it was due to climbing the mountain, just a result of excessive fatigue.”

Neera became more convinced that something was up when Charles' description matched how she was feeling. “Mr. Weaver, what about you? Do you feel the same way?”

“A little...” Finnley stroked his beard, speaking ambiguously.

Clearly, he was holding back from speaking out, not wanting everyone to worry about his aging body.

As for the others, it was the same.

Neera's expression turned grim. “Just like you, I thought it was fatigue that made me weak. However, we've only been in the mountains for less than half a day. I can understand if I feel this way, but what about you guys? You all are skilled and have trained for years. Would you really feel this exhausted in such a short period of time?”

Charles realized something. “Ms. Garcia, do you mean... We're experiencing this because of some other factors?”

Neera had already formed a guess in her mind. She nodded, then reached out to take Charles' wrist, checking his pulse...