After the battle, the ladies got busy gathering every bit of the plant, while Paul took care of the corpses of its victims.
In dungeons and ruins such as the one they were in right now, it was an unspoken rule to abide by the custom of mercy and burial whenever one found dead people from any race.
So in accordance with that, he took the spatial devices and weapons of the deceased before making a burial pyre and cremating their remains.
-I hate to have to perform this custom.
Cai Xuan stated that once everything was done and the dead were buried, their resting place was marked with a large stone bearing their names.
-I doubt many people would enjoy it.
Paul said calmly once he was done.
-But truth be told, I expect that most of the gains from places such as these ruins come from this custom.
He added, not looking any happier about this than his companions.
Additionally, he expected to have to carry out this custom at least a few more times during their stay in the Misty Ruins, but he didn't share these thoughts with the ladies.
As for the belongings of the people they just buried, it was decided to split them when they pitched camp later.
When they moved out, they moved more slowly than before, placing additional attention to their surroundings.
In the end, this time, they were saved by the people who died before them, and there was no guarantee that they would be as lucky if they encountered such a creature once again.
Their cautious approach paid off a few hours later, when a Thunder Boar attacked them.
A beast that was the size of an elephant from Earth and shot lightning from its tusks.
Additionally, it was exceptionally fast for its size, and its hide was very hard to pierce through.
Unfortunately for Paul and the ladies, there was no way for them to outrun this beast, as it bulldozed through any obstacle and threw its lightning around, so their only course of action was to kill it.
To that end, Paul launched many waterballs, drenching it completely.
-What are you doing?
Water balls won't even slow this thing down.
Ling Li shouted while dodging the beast's charge.
The answer came before Paul could even open his lips, as the beast tried to use the lightning attack again, only to get electrocuted by it.
Right, the next moment, Paul and Rong, using the beast's surprise, landed attacks with spears at its sides, piercing through its hide with great effort.
Their attacks worked as two holes bled a lot, but they also infuriated the beast, which started tossing around and charging at any target in its sight.
With that, everyone started running around, dodging the boar's attacks, trying to confuse it as much as possible, and attacking it with every opportunity, creating many more bloody holes on its body.
Unfortunately, their luck didn't last, and when Cai Mei, along with Yan, was trying to cut the tendons on its hind legs, they both got kicked and sent flying into the nearby trees.
The moment they fell to the ground, the beast rushed at Yan, who was closer and unable to even get up to her feet.
Just as she was about to get hit and crushed against the tree that she flew into, Paul used the shadow jump to get to her and disappear again before the beast could reach them.
But saving Yan was not the only thing he did, as he left a little present for the boar in the form of a spear that he stuck right in front of the tree.
It was way too late for the furious beast to stop or change its direction when its target disappeared, so it rammed into the tree at full speed, breaking it in half with its mass and speed alone.
Additionally, Paul's spear pierced its neck, and the collision with the tree only pushed it deeper, making the giant beast roar in pain and anger.
Seeing what he was doing, the princess, along with Cai Xuan and Rong, fired some arrows at the beast, trying to divert its attention from Paul and the wounded ladies.
It worked only when one of their arrows pierced the boar's eye, making it roar in pain once again.
By that time, Paul had already gotten both injured ladies out of the harem's way and rushed back to help the others finish off the beast, right after he took a look at their injuries and cast numbing spells on them once he was sure that their lives were not threatened.
Intending to finish the battle as fast as possible, since he wanted to tend to the injured ladies.
Paul decided to use the method he came up with in White Cloud town.
He took out a transport spell, altered it, and attached it to a spear before using shadow jump to get onto the beast's back.
Once there, he put all his strength into driving the weapon into the beast's neck before jumping away.
The moment he jumped, the spell activated, and just like in the White Cloud City, it transported the whole neck along with part of the beast's head away, killing it instantly.
-Why didn't you use this thing earlier?
The princess asked while gasping for air.
-Because not everyone can use it, and I also wanted to gain some experience fighting this thing.
Paul answered, also tired after such an intense fight.
With that said, he didn't waste any time and immediately went to heal the injured ladies, who both had some broken bones and other wounds around their bodies.
-I suggest we pitch camp here, since healing them will take a while, and butchering that boar will also take time.
Paul said to the three ladies after casting a healing spell on each of them, just to be safe and to help with their contusions and bruises, they got during the fight.
-I agree, and we all need some rest.
Ling Li nodded in agreement.
Luckily, pitching a camp was easy, since all of them had their tents in their spatial devices, not to mention a healthy supply of firewood and food.
With the camp ready in a few moments, the three ladires went to butcher the beast and collect its materials, leaving Paul to deal with the injured ladies.
-I'm starting to feel lucky that our previous healer quit when he did.
Yan stated an hour later, as Paul finished healing both ladies.
-Yeah, me too.
If it were him, we would be out of commission for at least a few days.
Cai Mei agreed.
-Was he that incompetent?
Paul asked in surprise, as it was hard for him to imagine an incompetent healer joining the princess's team, especially now that he saw firsthand how dangerous this place could be.
-I would not call him incompetent, but he was far from reaching your level in healing.
Yan answered.
-It took him close to half an hour to treat a cut on my hand, and I would not expect him to heal our injuries in such a short time.
She added.
-Let's not forget that he was basically useless in combat and complained a lot during training.
Cai Mei added her two cents.
-If that's the case, then why was he even considered to accompany the princess to the Misty Ruins?
Paul asked, surprised, since the man they just described was anything but useful in this place.
-Because Ning Luo used her grandfather's influence to scare all the other healers away, and in the end, he was scared away as well.
Ning Luo's grandfather is the head of the healers' guild in the beginning realm, so no healer would go against his wishes, and Ning Luo herself fancies herself the princess's rival and does anything in her power to make things difficult for Ling Li.
Cai Mei explained the situation.
-But in the end, we got an even better deal, finding you to replace that guy.
Yan smiled happily.
She liked that their healer was not only skilled at healing but also at combat.
Additionally, he never complained, and it was a great bonus that he was extremely handsome.
-That we did, and since you are all healed up, then help us deal with the boar.
Ling Li's voice sounded from the entrance of Paul's Tent.
-Also, I would appreciate it if you could tell us where the neck and the other half of the beast's head went.
She turned to Paul.
-They are approximately twenty kilometers away, so don't bother with them.
He answered.
It was not that he didn't want to get these things, but he didn't have the time to adjust the spell too much during battle, so he only removed the safety inscriptions before using it.
-Alright, since that's the case, then there is nothing that can be done about it, but you can also join us to butcher this thing.
The princess said with a smile and left.
-Let's get going. The faster we deal with it, the faster we can get some rest.
Yan said as she got up and turned to leave the tent, followed by Cai Mei.