Immortal Healer: Immortal Stonekeeper Prequel (2025) Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Mind Your Own Business

Read chapter 4 of Immortal Healer: Immortal Stonekeeper Prequel (2025) by Mercynarie on NovelPedia.

The witch doctor had a few seconds to berate himself for his carelessness before the girl opened her mouth again. “What the hell is that?” It took Duncan a moment to realise Hilda was pointing at the container he was holding. So she’d decided to change the topic of her focus. That was a relief. Duncan turned his attention to the creature scurrying around in his magic cube. It was about the size of a forest scorpion and somewhat resembled one as well. There was a sharp spike on its head, while its body was covered in tiny holes that appeared to be its mouths. Five pairs of dull beige appendages jutted out from its sides, making them look like a pair of skeletal hands fused to the insect. The creature also had no visible eyes. Instead, a long, black, rubber-like tail flicked around, presumably acting as some sort of feeler. Duncan narrowed his eyes in recognition. It had been two hundred years since he had bought one of these supernatural parasites as an ingredient for his elixir of life, but he remembered them all the same. These creatures normally dwelt in forests and fed on supernatural life energy from trees. What was this one doing in a human body? “It’s a mystical parasite that originates from Japan,” Duncan explained simply. “Pray excuse me, I should be off now—” Hilda bumped into Duncan as she shot forward at an incredible speed, blocking the doorway. “The hell you are!” she snarled, putting her hands on her hips. “I just saw you do something… strange! ” “No, you did not,” Duncan replied nonchalantly, as though denying it could make her forget what she had seen. “How do you know what that insect is? What were those glowing chains? Who are you— What are you? What are you doing here? Explanation, now .” “Funny you should ask. Weren’t you the one who sent me the invite to this funeral?” Hilda dropped her tough act, blinking in confusion. “Invitation? I did no such thing.” Duncan frowned slightly. “W— Wait! Stop distracting me!” Hilda sputtered, pointing at him again. “Answer my questions now!” Duncan smirked at the demanding girl, who clearly had no idea how to intimidate anyone. “You are no master of mine. Why should I listen to your demands?” “I’ll tell!” He raised an eyebrow, still unimpressed. “Didn’t take you for a blackmailer, lass.” “I’ll tell everyone that Duncan Ward is some sort of… I don’t even know what you are, but you’re not human!” Hilda stammered, trying to keep up a fierce front. “Now, explain to me what you just did, before the whole of England knows about your true identity!” “And who, pray tell, is going to believe you?” “They will when I show them this.” Hilda waved the blue cubic prism triumphantly. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. Besides, I wasn’t the only one who saw you at the funeral; the other attendees will back me up!” Kid’s got some sticky fingers, huh? Duncan rolled his eyes at the childish display. “That is no toy, girl. Give that back before you accidentally set that parasite loose.” Hilda put the cube in her mouth. “No! I’ll swallow it, I swear!” “What did you say?” “I said I’ll—” Golden chains wrapped themselves around the cube without warning, and Duncan yanked it out of the girl’s half-open mouth. He snapped his fingers, and the cube vanished into the air. Hilda’s lips trembled slightly, but she wasn’t ready to give up yet. “Please, good sir?” She stretched out a hand as far as she could and rested it on the door frame, batting her eyelashes while jutting her hip awkwardly to the side. “I’ll do anything you want. You can do anything you want to me.” Duncan was ready to retch any moment now. “Knock it off, lass. You’ve no interest in your father’s mate.” Hilda gasped as her terrible impression of a sultry temptress dissolved in an instant, giving way to something more comforting and familiar: an excited teenager. “I knew it! You’re Charlie Ward!” She pointed at him, practically jumping up and down. “Let me guess, you’re some sort of… immortal vampire , aren’t you? That’s why y