The golden light was swallowed by black mold, like fire doused with water.
Layla withdrew her hand. "No. I can only relieve the pain and suppress it temporarily. I can't cure the root cause unless we develop a specialized medicine."
The man stared at his hand. The wound was still rotting, but it hurt less. His eyes immediately filled with excitement, but when he heard that it couldn't be cured, they instantly turned frantic.
"No, please save me! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Save me! You just eased my pain—you can definitely help me. You must have a way."
As he spoke, he lunged for Layla's hand. "Give me more golden energy! I'll definitely get better! Give it to me—"
An elite demon hunter kicked him away. He slammed into the stone wall, bounced back onto the ground, and lay still. Only a yellow-and-red stain remained on the section of wall he had struck.
Nearby, a woman holding a child hurriedly shifted aside.
The child was already dead, his body shriveled and his skin blackened, yet she refused to let go. Her eyes were empty, like two dried-up wells.
Michelle crouched before her and looked at her. "Let go."
The woman said nothing.
Michelle reached out, intending to touch the child, but the woman suddenly clutched the body tighter and turned away, presenting her back to Michelle.
Michelle withdrew her hand and stood.
She looked at Wu Heng.
"Neither can be saved. Neither can be persuaded."
Wu Heng stood expressionlessly in the middle of the cave, looking at the curled-up people.
Their eyes were different from those of the people in the previous shelter. The people there had suffered too, but there had still been a trace of light in them.
These people had no