Since enduring the elemental storm, Shivana had remained unconscious, sunk deep in sleep.
After House Hal's herbalists examined her, they determined that her vital signs were not in danger. She had merely fainted under the combined effects of severe physical trauma and excessive mental exhaustion. Tang Qi had therefore given her ample time to rest. After all, the tribe would not undergo any major changes in its overall direction; whether this chieftain was present or not made little difference.
Yet unexpectedly, a month had passed since they set out, and she was still caught between sleep and wakefulness.
That was rather strange.
"Roar, roar—"
Houke clung to Tang Qi's thigh, howling as he pointed at Shivana struggling on the bed. His tears and snot were practically about to smear all over Tang Qi.
"Don't panic. Let me check her condition."
Tang Qi could not quite make sense of the situation either. He pulled his legs free and slowly approached Shivana, close enough to see her brows drawn so tightly together they looked almost savage.
The muscles all over her body were bulging and swelling—a change that only occurred under [Rage].
But beyond the expansion of her flesh, her skin was cinched tight by emerald vines like ropes. Pure white daisies bloomed toward the sun along the vines, their bright yellow centers swaying with streams of bluish-green light, their petals trembling along with them.
Beneath the straw bed, where there should have been a patchwork hide rug, the surface now seemed to have turned to soil, thick with grass for perhaps five meters around.
Branches growing out of the earth coiled around the goblin nurses' ankles, requiring tremendous effort to break free. It looked somewhat like when the spores had parasitized Dawn, causing mushrooms to grow all over the undead body.