Black Poisonous Spikes

Tam's voice made me feel very at ease.

Actually, I wasn't sure he was here. I just felt he should have arrived earlier than me, and that he must have been secretly investigating something since he hadn't shown himself. Now it seems that's exactly what happened.

Jenny was unable to move after Tam held her shoulders down, but she didn't give up. Suddenly, two sharp spikes shot out from her body, forcing Tam to release her. Then, she floated lightly to Frod.

"Let's play another day, darling."

"Jenny, don't go!"

Despite Frod's reluctance, Jenny paid no heed. She quietly left the cabin, and as she passed Tam, she said to him:

"You cannot stop the invasion of the Shadow Isles!"

You cannot disrupt the peace of people's hearts.

"Haha... that's hard to say."

As the seductive laughter faded into the night, Jenny disappeared. Tam did not stop her, for reasons unknown.

Frod was furious when he saw Jenny leave. He felt that Tam's arrival had ruined everything, and immediately ordered his men to launch an attack.

Tam didn't even make a move; one A Bing was enough to give them trouble...

Blood quickly stained the cabin, and the soldiers dared not fight any longer, scattering and fleeing in all directions. In the end, only Frod and a dozen or so of the stronger men remained.

Frod's strength was similar to that of the Twelve Priests, but he lacked water magic and struggled to cope with A Bing's fierce attacks. Had Tam not ordered them to hold back, he would likely have been torn to pieces.

The remaining people, who had been wavering between Frod and Gangplank, now saw that Frod was doomed. Some chose to flee, while others chose to surrender, and the situation was completely settled.

Tam pulled out a bottle of potion and handed it to me. Only then did I notice that my wound had turned black. I quickly applied it and handed it to Riven.

"What kind of poison did she put on her hands? Why do my shoulders feel so heavy?"

"I can't use my forearms either." Riven clenched her fist, but couldn't make it clench properly.

At this point, Tam explained, "That wasn't poison applied, but rather Nerve Toxin in her body. With proper rest tonight, she should be fine tomorrow."

Do you know her?

"I don't recognize her. She must be a member of the Shadow Isles. It seems the Daughter of Death's rebellion is inextricably linked to her."

"I thought the Shadow Isles were full of terrifying undead, but I never expected to find such beautiful people there."

Don't be fooled by her appearance; perhaps she isn't even human.

After Tam's reminder, I realized it's true. How can anyone have such a perfect appearance? Especially when there are toxins in their body.

So it seems that her appearance is likely a figment of imagination, and her name may also be fake. As for the claim that I chased after her, I've thought about it for a long time but still have no clue.

Look over there, Yasuo!

As I was pondering this, Riven suddenly pointed to the cabin door. Following her gaze, I saw two black feathers stuck in the door frame.

This was left behind when Jenny attacked Tam. The feathers are fine and long, with incredibly hard shafts. It's the same kind of hidden weapon we saw in Zaun!

That day when we were fighting Jinx, someone was secretly causing trouble. First, they shot Ermao and framed Riven, and then they helped Jinx escape Camille's pursuit. The black feathers that person used were like this!

No wonder Jenny said I chased her; it was back then. I always thought the assassin was like a woman, and I was right!

Now I'm even more confused. What's the connection between Jinx, Jenny, and the Shadow Isles?

Could it be that Jinx's sudden increase in power was due to Jenny using the power of the Shadow Isles to help her?

Riven and I shared the same thought: that the power of the Shadow Isles made Jinx stronger. Tam stopped our discussion.

"Their relationship isn't important, nor is how they became stronger. All we need to know is whether they're friend or foe, and then be prepared to deal with them accordingly."

"The boss is right. The most important thing right now is to deal with the Shadow Isles invasion. There's no need to worry about those trivial matters."

Tam went over and plucked a feather, examining it closely. "This isn't a hidden weapon; it grew from her body, and the poison attached to it is the same as the poison that scratched you."

"What animal's feathers are these? Can you tell?"

"This isn't a feather, but a poisonous stinger. Its shape is just too similar, causing the misunderstanding. Look at its weight and structure..."

Before Tam could even hand it to me, the feather-like poisonous stinger suddenly vanished, just like the countless black feathers that Zaun back then.

Whether it's feathers or poison stings doesn't matter, because I can't think of any Shadow Isles hero with this feature.

Of course, my knowledge is not comprehensive; I don't recognize the characters involved outside of the game.

I put that question aside for the moment and checked on Gangplank and the others, finding them in a deep coma. "Are Gangplank and the others alright? Why are they showing no signs of waking up?"

"Their breathing and heartbeats are normal, so it's probably the same Nerve Toxin as your wounds, just not as potent. They'll be fine by tomorrow. It's quite impressive that such a strong toxin didn't take you down!"

"It might be related to our bodies. When Riven and I were traveling in the far north, we stumbled into a fantastical wonderland and ate food from a Yordle."

"You went to the world of the Yordle?" Even the usually composed Tam was slightly surprised upon hearing my words. It seems the world of the Yordle is truly amazing.

"It's not the birthplace of the Yordle, but a world created by a Yordle Witch."

"Interesting, hehe..."

We tidied up the cabin a bit and rested in the room. The sea here was already quite fishy, so we didn't mind the smell of blood.

Gangplank and the others woke up before dawn, still moving unsteadily, seemingly still under the influence of the drug.

After I finished recounting what happened, and learned that Tam had saved him again, Gangplank was very grateful. He then grabbed his knife and headed straight for Frod.

Frod did not beg for mercy. Ever since we captured him, he had been disheartened, and we didn't know if he was still missing Jenny or if he was saddened by learning her true identity.

"You not only fell out with Gasvant over a woman, but you also betrayed me?"

"Stop talking, brother. For the sake of our years of friendship, give me a quick death. The best thing you can do is chop me in half with one stroke now."

"Chop you up? I wouldn't do that! Since you don't want to talk, then I'll settle the score with Gasvant when I find him!"

Gangplank kicked Frod and ordered the crew to keep an eye on him until everything was over before taking any action.

Before dawn, we left the Northern Passage fleet and set off for our final destination: the Western Passage.

Tam didn't go with us; he said he was temporarily returning to the south for defensive purposes, so that if Illaoi came back, there would be someone to meet him.

Gangplank ordered the two priests and Tam to return together, and to go directly to the Temple of Bahru, to use it as a temporary base.