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Chapter 201 - DAMNED SNOWSTORM

Here's a corrected version of the text, addressing spelling and grammatical errors:

Kojo sat cross-legged in the cave, his eyes fixed on the man opposite him. The fire crackled and spat, casting flickering shadows on the walls as it roasted the meat to perfection. Black Moore sat opposite Kojo, slowly sipping a warm liquid from a cup, his gaze averted, though his eyes flickered to Kojo from time to time.

According to Black, he was returning to his home city with wares he had brought back from the Savage Lands to trade when he was ambushed by bandits. They took his goods, beat him, and left him for dead in the cave. He would have truly died if the kind stranger hadn't happened upon him. Kojo looked him over, remembering the story Black told him when he was energized enough to speak.

He had a hard time believing it. The scars on Black's body and his well-defined muscles suggested that he was a fighter, not a trader. The way arcana clustered around him only added to Kojo's suspicions.

Kojo had questioned Black, but he denied being a fighter. However, he did admit to having some skill in fire magic, and the fire currently burning between them was all he could muster. Kojo appeared to have taken Black's word at face value, but the interior of the cave told a different story. The walls were scorched, with cracks running along them due to sudden heating. Kojo had explored the cave in order to find another exit and had discovered that it was a tunnel that connected to other spaces within the mountain. The scorch marks and cracks extended deeper into the mountain, further backing up Kojo's theory that Black was more than he let on.

They had spent approximately one week in the cave. Kojo had used that time to tend to Black's wounds. The man had been in bad shape, severely beaten. But Kojo hadn't done it out of the goodness of his heart. He kind of felt bad for pissing on Black when he entered the cave and wanted to atone. Somewhat.

Besides, Black claimed to be an indigene of Ezkanur, and now that he couldn't find his way back to the others, he'd need a guide.

Kojo finally stood up with a grunt, drawing Black's attention, his movements fluid.

"Can you walk?" he asked Black.

Black nodded, then asked, "What's going on?"

Kojo bent down to pick up some meat, putting the rest away in his dimensional pocket with a wave of his hand. He stood up, his eyes fixed on the caved-in entrance. "I explored the tunnels. They don't lead outside. There are more that go underground, but there's no guarantee that they lead to any other exits. Even if they did, their entrances will be buried in snow."

Black's eyes flickered with understanding.

"I see what you're trying to do. But there's a storm outside. Even if we do go out, we'll have a hard time moving about."

Kojo nodded, his expression grim.

"The disruption of All Homing and Magic Senses will make it difficult to navigate."

Black agreed, his voice measured. "We should stay a bit longer."

But then, he clutched his chest, a cough racking his body. Kojo's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing as Black finished the liquid from the cup in his hand, his fit slowly subsiding.

"Prolonged exposure to the cold has given you pneumonia. And being in a coma for three weeks without food has given you ulcers, aside from the internal injuries you sustained."

Kojo's voice was detached, clinical. "I managed to stabilize you, but staying here longer will kill you. You need a doctor."

With a sudden movement, Kojo tossed the bone into the rocks, causing it to explode outside. The cold wind blew inward, whipping Kojo's white hair into a frenzy and putting out the fire behind him.

"Are you coming, or will you stay till the blizzard is over?" Kojo asked, his eyes glinting.

Black got to his feet, his movements slow. "I'm coming along."

Kojo nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Lead the way," he said, as they ventured into the snowstorm.

Kojo had told the truth to Black. Or a twisted version, at least. Yes, Black would suffer if he remained any longer, but Kojo could have healed him by circulating arcana through his body in order to stimulate regeneration. It was basic-level healing magic and while not as precise as Adriana's it was effective.

By doing it with more arcana than normal, but just enough to not cause his cells to burst, he could have healed him after a period of time.

That, or he could simply use his own SkillShare to share his UltraRegeneration, like he normally did.

He didn't, however, trust Black enough to do so. Maintaining him in a weakened state would make him easier to deal with if he should turn out to be a threat, and at the same time give him the right... "motivation" to get to the nearest settlement for medical care.

"Here," Kojo said, walking up to Black and wrapping a chain-like bracelet around his right hand.

"So that we don't get lost in the blizzard. It's already hard to see as it is," Kojo said in answer to Black's questioning expression.

Black raised the bracelet to his face in order to inspect it, then shrugged, wrapping a scarf around his neck and using it to cover the lower part of his face, then raised the hood of his cloak over his head.

Kojo wove a black facemask to cover his nose and mouth and equally covered his head with his hood. The two men looked at each other and nodded, venturing into the snowstorm.

The winds howled around them, reducing visibility to almost zero. But Black pressed on, his senses heightened as he observed an instrument he pulled from within his clothes. He occasionally looked down at it, adjusting their path as they navigated the treacherous terrain. Kojo followed closely behind, his eyes fixed on Black's back. He had no idea where they were going, but he was determined to make it out of this damned snowstorm.

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