Where courage came from

The mountain wind above the poisonous pool gradually eased, but the corrosive gas hanging close to the ground remained impossibly thick.

Wisps of white mist crept along the ground. Inhaling even a trace would bring searing pain deep in the lungs.

The tension lingering in the tree refused to fade. Li Xiang's life-or-death leap had not only saved her but also shattered the cowardice buried in Ginro's heart.

With the crisis behind them, the remaining three gathered their focus and prepared to carry out the central task of their expedition.

Collecting natural sulfuric acid.

Senku raised his hands and secured his gas mask, covering his mouth, nose, and eyes tightly to keep out the poisonous mist. He turned toward Chrome beside him.

"Let's head down. Get what we need quickly and get out."

They could not afford to linger. Their enemies might return at any moment, and the toxic gas could spread again whenever the wind shifted. Every extra second brought another unknown risk.

Chrome nodded firmly, quickly put on his mask, and adjusted his equipment.

One after the other, they deftly climbed down the trunk and branches, landing safely on the ground.

Only Ginro remained where he stood, his body still trembling faintly.

He wore the last gas mask, the one Li Xiang had given up for him. He could almost still feel her warmth on his shoulder.

The warmth of her gentle, reassuring pat had yet to fade, lingering deep in his frightened heart.

He had been scared out of his mind. Li Xiang had suppressed her own overwhelming fear of heights and death, willingly shouldering the responsibility and leaving him their only means of staying safe.

She had staked her life on it, hadn't she?

At that thought, Ginro clenched his fists and took one deep breath after another, forcing down the fear churning inside him.

He kept encouraging himself silently, his eyes slowly brightening.

I didn't come here just to hide behind my teammates and save my own skin.

I'm a warrior of Ishigami Village, a member of this team. I can help, too. I'm useful, too!

I can't be afraid. I can't back down. I absolutely cannot hold everyone back!

Casting aside every distracting thought, Ginro carefully adjusted his mask and made sure the seal was tight, with no gaps for air to leak through. His gaze firm, he followed the other two and stepped steadily into the poisonous mist.

The three divided their work without a word, all keeping their heads lowered to shield their eyes and avoid the drifting droplets of toxic mist, minimizing the risk of corrosive injury.

Senku led the way, his sharp gaze pinpointing the places where natural sulfuric acid was most concentrated.

Purification ratios, collection requirements, and ways to avoid danger raced through his mind.

Chrome followed close behind, deftly storing, portioning, and securing the raw liquid they collected.

One located the material while the other collected it, their work flowing seamlessly.

But the closer they drew to the center of the pool, the softer and slicker the ground became. Years of exposure to sulfuric acid mist had corroded the soil along its edge, leaving it muddy, slippery, and dangerously easy to lose one's footing on.

Senku was so focused on locating the deposits and collecting materials that he failed to watch his footing-and suddenly slipped!

His weight pitched forward, half his body plunging toward the sulfuric acid pool bubbling with white foam. He was a hair's breadth from the deadly liquid!

At that critical instant, Ginro's gaze sharpened, and he reacted with astonishing speed!

Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged forward, shot out an arm, and seized the back of Senku's collar, hauling upward with all his strength!

He forcibly yanked Senku back from the brink and pulled him firmly onto safe ground.

Once he had regained his footing, Senku raised an eyebrow slightly and turned to Ginro, his thanks sincere.

"Thanks, Ginro."

By stepping forward this time, Ginro had finally shed his old timidity. His entire outlook had changed.

He shook his head, his gaze resolute, then stepped forward to help the other two collect the raw sulfuric acid.

As they sorted out the materials and such, Senku's lips curved into a soft smile.

The boy who had once done nothing but panic whenever trouble struck had grown through this ordeal into someone who could hold his own.

Meanwhile, the other two had just made their way back.

Despite landing safely, Li Xiang now found her legs completely weak.

That life-or-death leap from such a height had drained every last bit of her strength, and the aftereffects swept through her all at once.

Her legs were weak and numb, her entire body exhausted. Her knees shook uncontrollably, leaving her unable even to walk normally. Cold sweat covered her, and her racing heart refused to settle.

Kohaku supported her carefully the entire way, keeping her upright as they advanced slowly, step by step, and escorting her safely back to the village.

After crossing hills and streams, they finally made it safely back to the Ishigami Village camp.

Gen Asagiri, who had been waiting at the village entrance for news, immediately came over. Seeing Li Xiang so drained that she needed help just to walk, he looked utterly startled.

He leaned closer. "Li Xiang? What happened? How did you end up this weak?"

Before Li Xiang could answer, Kohaku told Gen everything that had happened, leaving nothing out.

He lavished her with praise.

"That's incredible, Li Xiang! You were so brave!"

After praising her, Gen suddenly noticed something amiss.

"Huh? Wait... how come I didn't know Ginro went into the mountains, too?"

Li Xiang caught her breath and shook her head weakly, looking bewildered.

"I don't know. I never heard him say anything to me about going into the mountains together."

Everyone had been trapped in a desperate situation and gripped by panic. Her nerves had been stretched to their limit, leaving her no attention to spare for such details.

Li Xiang's weight rested entirely on the two of them. Kohaku held her around the waist, while Gen supported her arm. They stood at the village entrance and waited.

Time slowly passed as everyone in the camp waited quietly, their hearts full of anxiety.

Fortunately, the outcome rewarded all their risks and hopes.

Before long, the three who had gone into the mountains returned safely, every one of them unharmed. They had also successfully brought back several full containers of natural sulfuric acid with the required purity!

At the sight of the clear liquid in the containers, everyone finally breathed easy.

With the sulfuric acid in hand, they had successfully gathered the last essential ingredient needed to make the lifesaving antibiotic that would cure Ruri's lung disease!

Senku sprang back to full energy and plunged straight into a frenzy of work, dragging Chrome into the research workshop. Completely focused, he began preparing and refining the antibiotic.

Senku strictly supervised every step, determined not to allow the slightest error.

Chrome assisted him throughout, and three days passed in a flash.

For three full days and nights, Senku and Chrome barely slept, leaving dark circles beneath their eyes.

Finally, on the afternoon of the third day after they had obtained the sulfuric acid.

Inside a vessel in the workshop, a clear, pure drop of medicine slowly separated out, carrying the hope of a new life.

After countless rounds of purification, adjustments to the ratios, and repeated experiments, their first antibiotic was successfully completed!

As he gazed at the pure, pale-yellow medicine resting quietly in the vessel.

Senku's mouth, tense for days, finally spread into a radiant smile.

"Finally... we did it."

With the antibiotic, Ruri's longstanding illness was no longer incurable.