As a seasoned member of an old hunter group that frequently traverses the wilderness, Landon is familiar with the surrounding dense forest. It's vast enough to exhaust an ordinary person to the point of collapse.

  However, to see a force adept who has reached Vitality State in such a state of fatigue is unheard of.

  In any city, even the smallest Level 4 fortress city, the population exceeds a hundred million.

  Among such a vast number, fewer than ten thousand individuals manage to cultivate the force and reach the Vitality State.

  The power of the Vitality State is far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

  Moreover, Sam isn't just any Vitality State; he's a seasoned one with strength measured in double digits of Vitality State values.

  Bruce also realizes the peculiarity of the situation. "It is indeed strange. Maybe he's injured," he speculates.

  Not only do the people watching the screen find it odd, but Sam himself is equally puzzled.

  ……

  Sam leans against a tree, staring at the pristine white snow and the trail of footprints that mars the landscape.

  He curses in frustration, "That little brat can really run."

  As he pauses, a wave of weakness from the long chase hits him.

  The bewilderment on Sam's face grows.

  This isn't right!

  As a force adept at the Vitality State, such a short distance shouldn't leave him feeling weak.

  Sensing his own vitality, Sam is horrified to discover that a significant portion has dissipated.

  What is going on? How could his vitality be dispersing like this?

  Sam is utterly perplexed.

  He hasn't sustained any hidden injuries or wounds, yet the vitality that once numbered in the double digits has lowered to just two.

  The whole time, Aaron's taunts have been rattling his nerves, distracting him from noticing his internal condition.

  After pondering for a while, Sam arrives at a conclusion: someone must have poisoned him.

  In the wilderness, poison is not a favored method.

  From afar, one would use firepower; up close, brute force.

  Poison is considered a lowly tactic, difficult to concoct, and to poison a force adept, it would require the expertise of a skilled pharmacist.

  However, even if a poison is expertly concocted, administering it poses another challenge.

  Poisoning typically involves the mouth, nose, or skin, and a vigilant force adept can easily counteract such attempts.

  Given the time and effort required, a pharmacist could instead brew other potions and earn a fortune.

  Why bother with such a thankless task when the rewards don't match the effort?

  While Sam is puzzled about who might have poisoned him, he doesn't suspect Aaron.

  In his eyes, Aaron is no older than sixteen.

  A pharmacist skilled in poisons is still a pharmacist.

  A sixteen-year-old pharmacist?

  That's a joke.

  With such talent, why wouldn't he be making a name for himself in the Hunter Union instead of languishing in a mine as a mere laborer?

  Sam assesses his remaining strength. Though weakened, he is confident he can still handle a frail, underage miner like Aaron.

  He snorts coldly, "Ethan, just wait. Once I get back, I'll settle the score with you!"

  Sam is convinced that Ethan is behind the poisoning. Ethan had both the opportunity and the motive.

  Greed can drive people to treachery: with Sam out of the way, Ethan could claim all the profits from this venture for himself.

  ……

  In front of the screen, the audience sees Sam's suspicious expression as he realizes something is wrong with his condition.

  Yet, he grits his teeth and continues the pursuit, prompting silent admiration for his relentless determination.

  What kind of grudge must this be for him to persist so fiercely?

  Meanwhile, on the other half of the screen, Aaron stands calmly in the snowy forest, scanning his surroundings before settling on a spot.

  There, he begins to build a snowman. This action leaves the audience speechless.

  With danger looming, he's building a snowman?

  What a peculiar sense of leisure.

  Alex, a disciple beside Master Scott, sneers, "Master, I think this kid has given up resisting!"

  Master Scott frowns, and he thinks Aaron is not playing with snow.

  After all, a genius pharmacist capable of poisoning dozens of guards isn't a fool.

  However, building a snowman seems futile given his current predicament.

  The best course of action would be to continue fleeing.

  As the audience's thoughts diverge, Aaron finishes the snowman and writes two words beneath it: "Fuck you!"

  When the camera zooms in to reveal these words, the audience bursts into laughter. It seems the kid is at his wit's end, resorting to insults.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  They are almost certain Aaron is surrendering to despair.

  As the audience shakes their heads in pity, Aaron performs another puzzling action.

  He glances at a specific spot and forcefully throws his backpack in that direction.

  Then, he carefully steps into the footprints, moving towards Sam.

  "What is he doing?"

  "Sam isn't far from him."

  "Walking back now is like walking into danger!"

  From their viewpoint, the audience can see that Aaron and Sam are indeed not far apart.

  Alex, the disciple of Master Scott, shows a hint of excitement.

  Although he doesn't understand why Master Scott favors Aaron, Aaron's demise would simplify things.

  Alex's thoughts aren't driven by personal animosity towards Aaron; rather, as a pharmacist's disciple, he naturally prefers fewer competitors.

  The study of potions isn't like ordinary subjects where a teacher instructs a class of fifty or sixty students.

  The complex and extensive foundational knowledge of potions means a pharmacist's energy is limited, and each disciple's difficulties vary.

  Balancing attention is a common challenge for pharmacists when guiding their disciples.

  "Hey, he's turning again, look!" Bruce exclaims.

  On the screen, Aaron suddenly changes direction. Previously, his footprints had been on higher ground, but now he's heading down a slope, leaving a trail in the snow.

  The audience is once again bewildered. With such deep snow, every step leaves a noticeable mark, impossible to hide.

  By observing footprints here, Sam, standing on the slope, can easily see where Aaron has gone.

  If Aaron truly escapes this way, Sam could simply follow and catch up. If he doesn't, the broken trail would reveal Aaron's attempt to mislead him. It seems utterly pointless.

  "Wait, he's jumped behind a rock!" someone observes. Just when it seems like Aaron has made a foolish move, he crouches down on the slope, leaps forward, and lands perfectly behind a large boulder.

  It's the only blind spot from the slope above. From that vantage point, Aaron's footprints vanish where he jumped.

  "Impressive!" someone can't help but exclaim.

  While the tactic isn't particularly sophisticated, thinking of it so quickly is no small feat.

  Alex snorts, "Just being clever for the sake of it. Once Sam sees the footprints stop in front of the snowman, he'll turn around and continue searching. He'll catch up eventually."

  Landon glances at Alex. Though Alex's words are harsh, they ring true.

  With the snow freshly fallen, a force adept pursuer chasing a teenager seems like a hopeless situation.

  Aaron might use clever tricks countless times, but a single mistake could lead him right to Sam, his life will be ended with a single shot or strike.

  The only hope for rescue is Landon's team members reaching him in time.

  But given the distance, it seems unlikely they'll arrive soon.

  And it's puzzling why Master Scott isn't allowing the use of drones to communicate and help Aaron.

  After pondering for a moment, Landon refocuses on the screen.

  ……

  On the screen, Sam follows the footprints, getting closer to Aaron.

  Suddenly, he stops and turns to look to his side.

  There, on the slope, is a line of footprints.

  Throughout his pursuit, Sam has frequently encountered multiple sets of footprints leading in different directions.

  These are Aaron's decoys. Aaron would first head in another direction, leave footprints, then step into the same holes to return to his original path and continue forward.

  Due to the deep snow, footprints only leave deep holes, making it difficult to discern the direction. Even Sam finds it challenging.

  Each time he encounters such a situation, Sam jumps onto a tree to get a better view. If he sees that the divergent footprints don't extend far, he knows it's a trick.

  This time, however, he doesn't need to climb a tree. A quick glance reveals it's another decoy.

  It seems Aaron has reached his limit, perhaps too exhausted to think clearly, leading to this misstep.

  The audience watches as Sam continues his pursuit.

  Some admire Aaron's cleverness and daring, while others regret that Aaron is just beneath the boulder, so close to being caught by Sam.

  Sam presses on.

  Down the slope, a snowman stands. A curved twig forms a smile at the snowman's mouth.

  "Hehe, Laughing even in the face of death!" Sam mutters as he follows the footprints.

  Seeing the words on the ground, his anger flares. The ground boldly displays the words: "Fuck you!"

  Indeed, profanity has been passed down through generations for a reason—it has unparalleled power to provoke.

  Sam raises his P90 and unleashes a barrage of bullets at the snowman, destroying it and the words beneath.

  Suddenly, gunfire erupts from behind him.

  Aaron has crept up the slope, taking cover behind a rock, and is now firing an assault rifle at Sam.

  The instant the shots ring out, Sam's instincts kick in, and he dives to the ground, rolling away as bullets pepper the snow around him, sending up sprays of white.

  He takes cover behind a tree, his face a mix of shock and anger.

  How did that little bastard manage to get behind him?!

  There's no time to ponder this as pain shoots through his arm, pulling him back to the present.

  Glancing down, he assesses his wound.

  "Shot, but thankfully no bones hit."

  Though slightly relieved, his determination to eliminate Aaron only intensifies.

  "I need to find a better spot; this place is too exposed!" Sam realizes.

  The terrain here is flat with sparse trees, and the trunk he's using for cover leaves half of him exposed.

  He spots a depression nearby and quickly crouches, making his way over as Aaron seems to be reloading, allowing him a moment to move without being attacked.

  Reaching the safety of the depression, a grim smile crosses Sam's face.

  "Alright, kid, let's see how you handle this!"

  As he sheds his backpack to prepare for a lighter, more agile fight, his peripheral vision catches sight of another backpack above the depression.

  He glances at it briefly, dismissing it.

  It must be the kid's, tossed aside to lighten his load for the ambush.

  As Sam prepares to reposition and circle around Aaron, rapid gunfire erupts once more.

  Bullets hit the snow and tree, sending splinters and snowflakes swirling above Sam's head.

  He curls up, chuckling to himself.

  To him, Aaron's desperate, erratic shooting is a sign of panic, wasting bullets in a futile attempt to hit him. Such reckless firing, with its heavy recoil, will only wear Aaron down.

  For a seasoned hunter like Sam, precision in conserving energy and ammunition is key to taking down prey.

  Aaron's wild tactics make things easier for Sam; as long as he remains still, Aaron can't hit him.

  He plans to wait until Aaron runs out of bullets and then close in during the reload.

  Sam is confident in his ability to outmatch Aaron, whether in marksmanship or close combat. He feels the advantage is his.

  Just as he relaxes, he sniffs the air.

  "What’s that smell? Something’s burning?"

  A scorched odor wafts towards him.

  Looking up, he sees Aaron's backpack, hit by bullets, starting to burn. It likely contains blazing stone, but the scent is off !

  Suddenly, Sam realizes something's wrong.

  As he stands to move, dizziness overwhelms him.

  "What is this...?"

  His vision darkens, and liquid streams down his face. He touches it, but before he can understand, searing pain grips his heart.

  Blood pours from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

  "Aaron! You..." Sam cries out in agony.

  But before he can finish, he collapses into the snow, breathless and lifeless.

  On the other side, Aaron collapses onto the snow, the pain from the gun's recoil mingling with exhaustion, hunger, and fatigue.

  "Earth Party Vine and Gentian Root—highly toxic, when sun-dried for seven days and ground into powder, it emits a fragrant smoke that damages kidneys and drains vitality.”

  ”Angelica Fragrance, Fireweed, and Quartz Flower—highly toxic, their smoke can cause blindness, hallucinations, and loss of taste.”

  ”Hundred Crown Fragrance and Earthbone Flower—highly toxic, their smoke can lead to cardiac arrest and brain death..."

  Aaron mutters to himself, lying spread-eagle in the snow, feeling its softness beneath him.

  If all these poisons fail to kill Sam, then Aaron has no other plans.

  He simply can't run anymore.

  He's been on the move for hours, pushing his mind and body to the brink.

  Staring at the drifting clouds above and the snow shaken from tree branches by the wind, his tense heart gradually eases.

  This is it, he thinks. He's done all he can. If death comes, so be it.

  The world around him falls silent.

  As Aaron savors this brief peace, a sharp, familiar pain suddenly pierces his mind. His chronic headache returns with a vengeance. The intense pain makes him curl up, his face contorted in agony.

  Before long, his eyes roll back, showing only the whites, and he slips into unconsciousness.

  ……

  The audiences in front of the screen are momentarily stunned.

  Master Scott, whose face was previously rigid, now has a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth as Sam falls lifeless.

  Interesting, he thinks.

  After witnessing the scene, he turns and walks away.

  This intriguing young man, Aaron, will soon be brought before him.

  As Master Scott departs, the remaining spectators burst into a flurry of conversation.

  "How did that kid manage to kill Sam?" one person exclaims.

  "I can't believe it—I just witnessed an ordinary person killed a force adept at the Vitality State," another remarks in disbelief.

  "I didn't quite get it," someone admits.

  "Well, I think this kid's got something uncanny about him." another suggests.

  Despite watching the entire event unfold, the spectators are left puzzled, unable to comprehend exactly how Aaron managed to kill Sam.