CHAPTER 196: CHAPTER-196

Kaya crouched by her bag, her mind already working. She glanced at Veer’s pale, tense face and said,

"If the sound gets louder or softer, tell me. Got it?"

He gave a sharp nod, still holding his head like it might split in two.

"Alright..." She began lifting items one by one. First came her three duplicate guns—she held them close to his ear, watching for even the slightest twitch. Nothing. Veer just shook his head.

Next, she scooped up all sixty-five bullets, letting the metal clink softly in her palms as she brought them near him. Again, no reaction except another shake of his head.

Clothes. No.

She even tilted his head closer to the small pouch of salt and other odds and ends. His brows pulled tighter, but still he muttered, "Not it... but—ugh—the noise... it’s still there..." His voice was strained, almost a groan.

Kaya sat back on her heels, frustration flickering in her eyes. She’d emptied almost everything. None of it made sense.

Her gaze fell on the bag itself. A bag can’t make noise... can it?

Then it hit her—something she had completely overlooked.

She snatched the bag up, fingers running over its fastening. Her eyes locked on the row of small, worn wooden buttons she’d sewn on for decoration, each smoothed from years of use. All except one.

One button stood out.

Her hand went straight to her knife. With a quick, precise snip, she cut the button free.

She rolled it into her palm, studying it, then lifted it toward Veer’s ear.

The moment it got close, Veer recoiled like he’d been struck.

"Ah! Take it away!" he shouted, clutching his head with both hands.

Kaya stared at the button in her hand, her fingers curling tightly around it until her nails dug into her palm. She searched her memory, sifting through moments, until the answer surfaced—Cutie. Yes, Cutie had made this button. She could almost picture the moment, his hands casually passing it to her as if it were nothing.

But then another question struck her, sharper than before. Why now? If this thing could cause pain, why hadn’t it done so earlier? They’d been flying for hours—days even—and there had never been a problem. Was it only active now?

Her thoughts churned, trying to piece together the timing.

Then her eyes fell on Veer. His face was pale, his shoulders drawn tight, every line of his body tense with pain.

A flicker of unease passed through her. Until now, she had always been with him—always close enough to keep an eye on him, and her things. She had never left him alone with her bags.

But today... she had.

Kaya took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the small wooden buttons. Without a word, she stepped out of the cave, her pace quick and deliberate. She didn’t stop until she reached the riverbank.

The current glinted under the sunlight, cold and fast-moving. Kaya pulled her arm back and tossed the buttons in one swift motion. They were so tiny that, when they hit the water, there was barely a sound—just a faint ripple before the river carried them away.

When she returned, Veer was seated against the wall, his breathing heavy but less strained than before.

"Yeah," she said, brushing her hands together as if to shake off the last trace of them. "We’re completely fine now."

Veer exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing a fraction—then his gaze sharpened on her.

"Why the hell do you have Korika poison with you?"

Kaya froze. "...What?"

"That button," Veer said, his voice low but edged with irritation, "was coated in Korika poison. Any beastman who stays near it for too long could end up in shock." His brows drew together. "Are you telling me you carried it around knowing that?"

She blinked at him, utterly baffled. "Wait a minute—how the hell would I know that? And didn’t you just say it was only a sound? How did it suddenly turn into poison?"

Veer groaned, rubbing the side of his head. "Because my mind was jumbled before. I couldn’t place it. But now—" he looked straight at her, his expression clear, "I’m certain. That was Korika poison. And it’s not something you can just stumble across. It’s rare... and not easy to get your hands on."

Kaya felt like her head was about to burst. What the hell is going on? Why was everyone handing her poison like it was some kind of charity gift? First her sister, then last time Cutie had slipped it to her, and now—again.

And the worst part? Every single time, it was supposedly some rare, nearly impossible-to-obtain poison. Yet she was still standing, very much alive.

Veer’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he let out a slow, steady breath.

"Maybe it’s because you’ve been taking medicinal herbs," he said. "That’s probably why it doesn’t hit you as hard. That’s... a good thing."

Kaya frowned. "Wait—what’s the actual effect? What happens if I’m exposed to it for a long time? Does it kill me?"

Veer shook his head. He lowered himself onto the bed, still pressing his palm against the side of his head as though trying to hold it together.

"It won’t kill you," he said at last. "But it will make the beastman power inside you surge—too much, too fast. Like a volcano about to erupt. Normally, it’s used on young beastmen who aren’t strong enough to awaken their powers. But it’s painful... and hard to get."

He paused, his voice dropping lower.

"When a powerful beastman comes under its effect, they lose control. Completely. Their mind... it’s gone. That’s why it was banned. Hardly anyone even knows about it anymore—only a few tribe leaders."

Hearing that, Kaya fell silent.

How...? How could someone know so much about such a rare poison—and get their hands on it so easily? Cutie was supposed to be just a normal rabbit beastman. Nothing about him had ever screamed danger to her.

But then... an image flickered in her mind—the rabbit beast tribe.